Page 69 of The Payback Plan
‘No.’ She shook her head. ‘That makes it worse.’
‘Would you feel better if it had been terrible?’
‘Duh.’ She bugged her eyes at him. ‘It would have been the ultimate… sexual justice.’
‘Okay.’ Oliver had no idea what to do with that information. ‘Well… whatever. I’mnotsorry about it beingnotterrible.’
She regarded him for a long moment as if she was trying to find the words to explain. ‘It’s just that it’s been a long time for me. And the last guy I was with… well…’ Her lips tightened and the hazel of her eyes deepened to a rusty brown. ‘It was messy. And, for…reasons…’
Paige paused and swallowed and Oliver’s nape prickled. Somethingbadhad happened.
‘I can’t disassociate sex from him. So I told myself I didn’t want it and I didn’t need it. That abstinence was a perfectly legitimate choice people made every day.’
‘Paige.’ Oliver placed his coffee on the tray in a slow controlled movement he absolutelydid notfeel. His stomach roiled as a cold oily slick settled over the contents. He knew it wasn’t any of his business but he asked anyway. ‘What did he do to you?’
What had that asshole done?
She shook her head, her curls ruffling as she waved her hand dismissively. ‘This isn’t about him. It’s about me. Letting go. I’ve held myself so tight, so contained for so long. I haven’t let myself go in four freaking years.’
Oliver blinked at the statement. He’d never met a woman more spontaneous and impulsive in his entire life. She’d been the exact opposite of contained. But, he’d been around enough to know that people’s sexual personalitycouldbe very different to the one on display to the outside world.
‘It was such a… relief,’ she continued. ‘And part of me wants to feel great about that and wants to rejoice which makes me a terrible person because it shouldn’t have happened. Not with you.’ She sighed as she picked up her coffee and settled back against the bedhead. ‘Why did it have to be you?’
Oliver shrugged. He didn’t know the answer to what cosmic forces had been at work to land her on his doorstep. He was just fucking delighted they had. He understood her guilt because he felt it too, but what Bella didn’t know, couldn’t hurt her. What had happened last night was between him and Paige and, for sure, they’d have to reckon with it but nobody else had to know.
‘So, I might seem chill in here’ – she gestured around the room – ‘eating breakfast with you because I can steadfastly refuse to think about any of those things too closely in this alternate reality bubble where it’s just you and me.’
Just you and me. Oliver liked the sound of that. Maybe a little too much.
‘But the moment I step through there’ – she tipped her chin at the doorway – ‘the real world is waiting for me and that’ll be brutal.’
Brutal seemed a little excessive to Oliver and he wondered if there was more to Paige’s guilt than just Bella? Was it also something to do with the asshole? His jaw tightened at the thought and he had to make a serious mental effort to shake the sudden grimness that had descended because it wasnone of his business.
‘Okay, so, how about this.’ Oliver forced a smile as he pushed off the bed, gathering his plate then hers and putting them on the tray. ‘Don’tgo through the door. Not yet.’
She gave a half laugh. ‘Oliver Prendergast, my partner in denial.’ She shook her head. ‘I have work to do. Clients to manage.’
Oliver placed the tray on the dresser that sat against the wall opposite the bed. Affixed to the wall above, sat a large-screen TV. He turned to face her and his heart gave a little skip at the fluffy, freckly, flyaway nymph in his bed. His hand slid absently to his belly. ‘When was the last time you took a weekend off?’
Her gaze dropped to where his hand was splayed and lingered for a few moments which vaporised the air in his lungs and caused his dick to twitch. He couldn’t decide if he was relieved or disappointed when she dragged her attention back to his face.
‘Inevertake the weekend off.’
Ooh boy, it was worse than he thought. ‘Wellthatis just criminal. How about…’ He climbed on the bed but didn’t attempt to get under the covers. This was supposed to be about her. Not him. ‘We just stay right here. In bed.’ He sidled up to her, lying on his back beside her, his arm lightly touching hers, his legs stretched out in front. ‘And just… do nothing? Read a book, scroll TikTok, sleep.’ He gestured at the television. ‘Maybe we could binge watch something on Netflix.’
She rolled her head to the side, her gaze finding his. ‘Netflix andchillhuh?’
He smiled. ‘I don’t mean sex.’ He really didn’t. Not that he’d say no, either. ‘I’ll stay above the covers, cross my heart.’
To prove it, he crossed his heart and she laughed although it petered out quickly as her gaze drifted to the doorway. Oliver watched the play of emotions across her face, transfixed by the fascinating pattern of her freckles. When she returned her attention to him, he could see something had shifted. ‘I guess there’s nothing urgent requiring my attention.’
Oliver grinned. ‘Well okay then.’
She grinned back and he made a fist, presenting it to her for a sideways bump and she obliged. ‘Here’s to your first ever weekend off,’ he said. ‘No, hang on, wait.’ Oliver leaned over and whisked his phone off the bedside table. Settling back beside her, he navigated to the camera. ‘Something as momentous as this, needs to be memorialised.’
He held it up and away to centre them both in the frame but that was as far as he got.
‘No.’ She reached up and snatched the phone from his grasp. ‘No pictures.’
