Page 2 of Until Bax

I don’t. I would remember her long-as-fuck dark hair that my fingers could get lost in and the flare of her hips, which are accentuated by her jeans and the sweater she’s wearing. Her face has likely played a role in a million men’s fantasies. She’s not just pretty; she’s gorgeous, with delicate, feminine features, big brown eyes, and full lips that look unbelievably soft.

So caught up in my perusal of her, I’m unprepared when she’s suddenly in front of me, leaning in to give me a hug. “Hey, Bax, it’s been a long time.”

The scent of whatever fucking perfume she’s wearing grips me by the balls when her arms wrap around me. It’s feminine and soft—the same as her featuresandher body pressed against mine.

“I…” I clear my throat when she lets me go, and her smile widens as she tips her head to the side, causing her dark hair to spill over her shoulder.

“Don’t tell me you forgot about me.”

I want to say I would never forget her, but I obviously have.

“Hey.” Liam appears out of nowhere, slinging his arm over her shoulders, and my hand involuntarily balls into a fist on top of my bent knee. “I didn’t know you were going to be here.”

“It was a last-minute decision.” She smiles up at him, patting his stomach. “I got the job, so I came to celebrate with Kourtney.”

“Yeah?” He grins.

“Yep, I start Monday.”

“Congrats, kid.” He gives her a squeeze, and I look between the two of them, the puzzle pieces clicking into place. A few weeks ago, he mentioned that his sister was in town visiting, but he hasn’t mentioned her since then, and I didn’t think about it because I’ve never seen her when she came back home to visit.

Shit.

There is no fucking way this woman is Olivia. Liam’s little sister, who used to follow us around, and when she wasn’t doing that, her nose was stuck in a book.

“Oli?” I mutter, and her gaze comes back to me.

“Yeah.” Her face softens like it did earlier, and it ramps up her beauty tenfold.

Clearing my throat, I shake my head. “It’s been a long time.” Fuck, this feels awkward. I haven’t seen her for years, and before that… well, before that, she was just Liam’s little sister. She sure as fuck didn’t look like the woman standing in front of me now.

“I know.” Her smile is soft.

“How have you been?” I ask as Liam takes a seat on the stool next to mine.

“Just trying to settle in and get used to small-town life again.”

“You’re in Chicago, right?”

“I was.” She drags her eyes off mine when Kourtney walks up and touches her shoulder.

“Sorry to interrupt,” Kourtney says quietly. “I just got a message from my agency, and I need to step outside to call them back.”

“Oh.” Olivia looks back at the table where they were sitting. “I’m done with my drink, so I’ll just grab my stuff and meet you outside.”

“Are you sure? I don’t mind staying.” Kourtney glances at me, then Liam, and I notice her cheeks tinge with pink.

“Yeah, I’m sure. I want to see the space so I can work on moving in this weekend.”

“All right, I’ll meet you outside.” Kourtney looks between Liam and me, saying goodbye before she turns on her heels to leave.

“What’s going on?” Liam asks Oli as soon as Kourtney is out of earshot.

“She has a room she says I can rent from her, so I’m going to go check it out.”

“And you’re going to move in with her?” Liam questions with a frown.

“Hopefully. It would be nice to be settled in before I start work Monday.”

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