Page 18 of Sweet Southern Heat

“We’re closed,” a disgruntled voice called, and a grin tipped my lips. It was nice to know I wasn’t the only one he was terse with. I knocked again, this time more insistent. Footsteps sounded on the other side of the door, and a moment later, it swung open.

“I said we’re—” Landon began, but the words fell away as he registered it was me on the other side. “Olivia.” His voice was softer than I’d ever heard, belying his surprise. His wide eyes blinked at me as though trying to determine whether I was real or just a figment of his imagination. “Wh-what are you doing here?” I ignored his question. I couldn’t do what I had planned through this slightly open door.

“Can I come in?” I asked.

Wordlessly, he stepped aside and motioned for me to enter. I walked through the door and was instantly hit with the scent of motor oil mixed with the spice of Landon’s cologne. I’d recognize his scent anywhere. It lingered in the bakery long after he was gone. Not even the fresh-baked cookies could snuff it out.

I glanced around, taking in my surroundings. There was a car with the hood popped and a light attached to the underside of it, highlighting the engine. I assumed that was what he was working on. The door clicked shut behind me, and I startled at the sound of the lock sliding into place. My heart rate skyrocketed, but I didn’t turn to face him. Instead, I continued my slow perusal of the space, walking along the perimeter of the lobby.

“What do you want, Olivia?” he asked, his tone brusque. I took my time, unwilling to give him the satisfaction of a quick response. I wanted to make him squirm a little. Finally, I turned to face him, and my mouth went dry. He wore a pair of coveralls with the top half folded down and the sleeves tied around his waist to reveal the white tank top underneath. His strong, tan arms were bare of any clothing and covered in ink. I swallowed thickly and cleared my throat before replying. I couldn’t let on how he affected me or allow myself to be distracted from my purpose for being here.

“It’s come to my attention that you haven’t eaten any of the treats I made for you.”

Surprise flashed in his eyes, but he quickly schooled his features. He crossed his muscled arms over his thick chest and peered down his nose at me. His expression was menacing, his stance imposing, but I wouldn’t be deterred.

“It was mentioned that you might be on a gluten-free diet. If that’s the case, my apologies for not offering you something you could eat.” He watched me with an inscrutable expression as I closed the distance between us. “I wanted to rectify the situation, so I made some macarons for you. They’re made with almond flour,” I said, holding out a small box to him, but he didn’t move to take it. “No gluten,” I explained, pasting on a wide smile.

Finally, he took the box and tossed it unceremoniously onto the counter without sparing it a second glance.

“That’s not why I don’t eat your peace offerings, and you and I both know it.”

“Do we?” I challenged, and he gritted his teeth. Fire burned in his searing gaze, but I didn’t back away. He was used to me relenting and not pushing too hard. But I was sick of this constant tension. The air was thick with it when he was around. It was nearly suffocating at times. It was well past time to clear the air.

“You know, I thought after all this time, you would’ve gotten over everything that happened,” I said, fully aware of how my comment would affect him. He scoffed, uncrossing his arms and taking a menacing step toward me.

“Gotten over it?” he growled. “You nearly killed my brother!” Fury burned in his eyes, and his nostrils flared. He continued toward me, and I took a tentative step back. “You ended his football career with your careless, irresponsible choices. You stole his future. Then, to add insult to injury, you left. You didn’t call. You didn’t text, and you sure as shit didn’t come to see him.”

He prowled slowly toward me like a jungle cat ready to strike. Every muscle in his body was pulled tight as a bow string. His hands were balled into fists at his sides.

“You ruined our lives. My entire family has suffered because of you!” he spat, and I flinched. This was the most emotion I’d ever seen from him. Usually, it was his quiet disdain and indifference he showed me, but tonight, he was finally letting loose.

And it hurt. His words hit their intended target. I always knew he blamed me for the accident and everything that followed, but to hear it straight from his mouth stung.

“My family fell apart, and you ran off to school to fulfill your dreams. My dad was so busy trying to take care of Lyle, he didn’t take care of himself and ended up losing half his leg. Now he can’t work. Lyle has been in and out of rehab more times than I can count all because he got hooked on pain pills following the accidentyoucaused,” he proclaimed, pointing a finger at my chest. I tried to retreat, but the wall at my back stopped me. Flattening my hands against the cool cinder block, I heaved a deep breath.

Tears welled in my eyes, and I pinched them shut to stem the flow. I couldn't do this anymore. I couldn’t let him continue to blame me. I didn’t cause that wreck, and I would no longer be vilified because of it.

“That wreck was Lyle’s fault,” I cried, and he froze. A pained expression flashed across his features before anger settled over his face once more. The hand pointing at me was suddenly on my face gripping my jaw just above my throat, his thumb and middle finger nearly brushing each pulse point. My heart thundered against my ribs, and my chest heaved as I sucked in a gasp of surprise. This was the first time Landon had ever voluntarily touched me. A mixture of fear and intrigue swirled in my gut as I fought to draw in breath. He leaned in, bracing hisfree hand on the wall next to my head. He was so close, I could smell the scent of spearmint gum on his breath.

“Keep my brother’s name out of your mouth,” he growled in warning. His eyes bore into mine as the flames of his ire danced in those icy blue depths. I sucked in a sharp breath, stunned by the intensity of his stare.

His gaze fell to my parted lips, and my heart rate shot into a gallop. For a moment I thought he might kiss me. And I contemplated letting him. It was crazy, totally insane to even entertain that thought. But there was an electric charge humming between us, an undeniable attraction that drew us together like opposite ends of a magnet. His grip on me was tight enough to send a message but gentle enough not to hurt. It was almost … possessive.

His body was so close, I felt the heat from his skin through my clothes. It sizzled in the minuscule space between us. I tentatively reached up and curled my fingers around his wrist, unsure whether I wanted him to release me or hold me tighter. His touch sent a thrill of excitement zinging down my spine and through my limbs. What was wrong with me that I enjoyed being touched like this?

The moment he registered my touch, he dropped his hand as though I’d burned him. He stepped back and ran a frustrated hand through his hair.

“You need to leave,” he warned.

“Fine,” I agreed, righting the strap of my tank top that had slid down my arm when he pressed me against the wall. Landon winced, and a wave of regret washed over him. “If you want to keep living with the lie, then so be it. But if you ever want to know what really happened that night, you know where to find me.” With that, I pushed past him and bolted for the door.

And he didn’t bother to stop me.

Chapter 19

Landon

I needed coffee.After tossing and turning most of the night and only falling asleep a few hours before my alarm went off, I felt like a zombie. Olivia’s declaration from last night played over and over in my head.

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