Page 56 of The Santa Swap

Olivia looked towards the doors and then back at Luke. “What a coincidence. I’m not planning on going anywhere either.”

He pulled his legs up so he was sitting cross legged. The suit pants were going to have to go to the dry cleaners, but Luke was okay with that. It was worth any amount of money if Olivia was going to open up to him.

“I talked to my sister-in-law after I talked to you.”

“Did she have any insight into our situation?”

“Actually, she did.” Olivia crossed her ankles. “She reminded me that you’re playing with a different set of rules than I’m used to.”

Luke wasn’t sure what that meant. “How so?”

“Well, my days don’t include worrying about if the paparazzi is going to be waiting outside for me or not. I’m pretty sure no one cares what color of shirt I’m wearing or who I’m talking to.”

“I pay attention to what you’re wearing. In fact, I really like the blue shirt you’re wearing today.”

Olivia looked down at her shirt and then back into Luke’s eyes. “Thanks. The point is that I believe you when you said you had a reason for trying to keep me away from the paparazzi. I’m choosing to believe that you were trying to keep me safe.”

Luke’s heart was swelling with emotion. He was so used to people second guessing his every action, it felt amazing to have someone who believed what he said. “So where does that leave us?”

Olivia looked down again, and although the light in the elevator was too dim to really tell, Luke was pretty sure she was blushing. “I’m not sure.”

Luke scooted a little closer, closing the gap between them. “I have an idea.”

“I’m ready to hear it.”

Luke clasped his hands together and rested them in his lap. “What if we try a real date somewhere. This time, I’ll go as Luke Stringer and you can go as a woman who is aware that the paparazzi might follow us home. We can see how it goes being on a date in the public eye, and then we can reassess.”

Olivia set her hand on his arm, her touch sending electricity shooting through his body. “I’d like that,” she said.

“What if the press makes an article about us? How will you feel coming to work?”

Olivia looked towards the doors as if she could see everyone outside. “Honestly, I watched the way people treated you and Susan when they thought you were together. Susan wasn’t treated as a lesser person because she was dating the boss.”

“They wouldn’t dare treat her differently. She’s too stern for that.”

“That’s my point. Susan is able to command respect because of who she is. Not because of the people she associates with. I am confident enough with myself to know I can handle any criticism that may come my way.”

Luke stood up and held his hand out, waiting for Olivia to take it. “I have always known how incredible you are. I personally can’t wait to see where this date takes us.” He pulled Olivia to her feet, not letting her hand go.

“I have one more question.”

“And what is that?” Olivia looked at him, desire burning in her eyes.

“Would it be too forward of me to kiss you right now? I’ve watched enough shows to know that that is what I am supposed to be doing. And I’ve been wanting to kiss you again every single day since I met you.”

Olivia tapped a finger on her chin. “The way I see it, we have two choices. We can either plunge to our deaths like the bad guys or we can follow the examples of the good guys. If you think about it, the choice is clear.

She took a step closer and Luke didn’t hesitate. He didn’t know how much longer he’d have in this private bubble with Olivia, or if she’d change her mind. Wrapping his arms around her waist felt right, as did pulling her closer to his body. It wasn’t until he was less than an inch away from her lips that he stopped.

“I have something to confess,” he said, his body aching to close the distance. This time, though, he wasn’t moving forward with Olivia unless he could be completely honest.

She trembled beneath his arms; her voice shaky. “What is it?”

Luke tilted his head to press a kiss to the side of her neck. “Once I start kissing you,” he said. He trailed kisses up her jaw line. “I’m never going to want to stop.”

Olivia wrapped her arms around his neck. “I think I’m okay with that.” She pulled his head down, meeting his lips with a surprising amount of force. The elevator wasn’t going to explode, but Luke’s desire was hot enough, he wouldn’t be surprised if he was the one to go up in flames.

CHAPTER24

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