Page 62 of Time To Live Again

“Sorry to disappoint you. I’ll possibly burn the kitchen down. Traveling year-round doesn’t give me much time to experiment in the kitchen. I can make a mean tomato sauce and that’s about it.”

“No worries. It’s sweet that you want to try. I’ll help you, but I don’t have much of a clue on how to make a steak.”

She’ll help! “Phew.” I wipe my brow. “Disaster averted.”

“Don’t speak too soon. Now what else is on the agenda?” She taps her fingers on the counter.

“I didn’t think that far because I don’t care what we do, as long as I can spend every second with you. We can watch a movie or play strip poker. Sorry, I meant play poker.” I kiss her neck, smiling against her skin. “I vote for stripping, by the way.”

“And I volunteer as tribute. Nakedness all the way.” She swirls her hips, rubbing against my crotch, igniting me at the wrong time.

Ignore it.“I knew I liked you for a reason. You need to behave now. Any movement like that gets me going.”

With hands in the air, she snickers. “Sorry. And you’re right—no matter how much I want to strip out of my clothes for you, I want to do this right.” She presses her index finger against my lips. “Not a word about you showing off your sexy moves. I already find it hard to concentrate when you have clothes on. Now, let’s make dinner.”

“Got it. Clothes stay on,” I quip. “So this is what I was thinking.” And I tell her how I want to make the steak, potatoes, and veggies, then we divvy up the tasks and get to work.

Dinner takes a little longer to make because Sully stopped by with Smokey to say goodbye to Olive. It meant a lot to her and to me. He stayed and had a quick beer while Olive played with the kitten. Smokey bit me several times, making it clear she wanted nothing to do with me. Then Sully took off when we asked him to stay for dinner. We didn’t want to be rude and kick him out.

An hour or two later, I’m drying a pot. “I’m surprised we didn’t set off the smoke detectors.”

“That’s because we work well together,” Olive says, flicking a lot of water at me. She gasps. “Sorry, that was more than I intended.”

I look down at my wet shirt and the floor, then flash a wicked grin. “Now you’re in trouble.”

She shrieks and runs out of the kitchen, dripping more water on the floor. I trail behind her, smacking her gorgeous ass, making her yelp. This place is small, so she won’t get far. She stops behind the coffee table because there’s nowhere else to go.

“Come and get me,” she taunts, hopping from one leg to the other.

To trick her, I move to my left, and she tries to make her escape. Too late. I tackle her onto the couch with a bigoof. We’re both laughing so hard we can hardly speak. Somehow I finagle us so I’m lying on my back and she’s on top of me. I thrust a couple of pillows behind me to prop myself up.

She pushes up on her hands, and her shirt hangs open, flashing me her mouthwatering breasts. “Ick,” she says, “our shirts are all wet.”

I’m not going to let that distract me from the perfect view. “Feel free to take it off and hang it by the fire. I know a way to keep you warm.” I squeeze her hips.

“You wish.” She lowers herself till we’re chest to chest.

“I do,” I agree, not ashamed. I push her hair behind her ears and study her flushed, cheerful face. My chest bursts with emotion, and I say the one thing I know I truly am at this moment. “You make me so happy, Olive. Happier than I’ve felt in years.”

It’s time to execute my new plan. I’m calling itOperation Make Olive Fall in Love with Me.

Maybe she already is.

Because I know I’m in love with her.

26

OLIVE

Idrape myself over Leo like a cat, hardly believing how comfortable I am with him. I want to stay in this little cottage forever. Who am I going to have fun with when I get home? Or cuddle with? Help shave?

He pushes my hair out of my face, gazing at me with the sweetest grin, and all I can do is melt into him. Could it be love I see shimmering in his dreamy eyes?

“You make me so happy, Olive. Happier than I’ve felt in years,” he murmurs. My heart hammers against my chest. “You were so unexpected. I thought New Year’s Eve was going to be the same old thing. Then you appeared, and I knew my life wouldneverbe the same.”

I caress his smooth cheek. “Me too. You broke the chains that were preventing me from moving on, and you’ve reminded me what happiness feels like. You’re dealing with your own traumatic past, yet you remain positive. I’m a different and better person now because of you, because of this hotel… I couldn’t have asked for a better gift for my thirtieth birthday.”

“That makes me even happier and strokes my ego.”

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