Page 44 of The Bossy One

I could have stayed out on the water forever, but there were only so many safe things a restless six-year-old could do on a sailboat, so I brought us back into the harbor after a few hours. I docked the boat, cut the engine, and lowered the sails while Olivia put the life jackets away.

I hopped onto the dock and helped Catie hop from the boat to the dock.

“Did you have fun?” I asked.

“Yes! Can we do it again soon?”

“We can,” I said. I held out my hand to Olivia. She took it, and leapt lightly to the dock, landing closer to me than either of us had intended.

A blush spread over her face.

The kiss I hadn’t stolen from her hovered at the back of my mind.

My phone started buzzing, and abruptly we released each other, stepping apart.

I checked the text from my assistant. Someone I’d been trying to get on the phone for weeks—a former software engineer at the company Snug was considering acquiring—was finally free to talk.

“I’m sorry,” I said to Catie and Olivia. “I have to take a call. Can you two occupy yourselves for a bit?”

“Sure,” Olivia said. “Molly thinks Catie’s old enough to start the Magic Treehouse books, so we can head over to the bookstore to pick one up while you take your call.”

“Thanks,” I said. I dropped a kiss on the top of Catie’s head. “Be good for Miss Olivia.”

Catie nodded, already distracted by the promise of new books. But not so distracted she didn’t add, “You should kiss Miss Olivia goodbye too, so she doesn’t feel left out.”

I opened my mouth and closed it, unsure how to handle that request.

But Olivia was clearly more used to the strange logic of children, because she laughed and made a joking show of tapping her cheek.

I leaned in to drop a quick, platonic kiss. But her skin was so soft under my lips, it softened me too. She smelled like lavender, sunscreen, and the sea. A crazy part of me wanted to press my face into the curve of her neck and inhale. For a heartbeat too long, my lips lingered against her cheek.

Then I pulled away, trying to pretend that nothing had happened. That she didn’t affect me in ways I couldn’t explain.

Olivia’s smile was as normal and friendly as ever, but I thought her breath was a little uneven.

“Right. We’ll just…” Olivia motioned behind her, grabbed Catie’s hand, and started strolling in the direction of Shop Street.

I turned blindly in the opposite direction, looking for a quiet place to take my call. I was trying to figure out what the hell was happening between me and Olivia, when I all but bumped into Mark O’Rourke.

The sight of him brought me sharply back to earth. He looked the same as he always did. Good suit. Gray hair. Ruddy skin. And a scowl that could frighten children.

Whatever fanciful thoughts I’d had about Olivia when we were out on the water didn’t matter. Olivia wasn’t a permanent part of my life.

This man unfortunately was. At least for now.

My lips thinned as I stepped around him.

“Don’t think you can ignore me, Byrne,” he barked. “I know what you’re doing. I know you’re the one blocking the sales of my buildings.”

I stopped, delighted by the confirmation that my plan was working.

I turned back to face him and raised a brow. “I wasn’t aware you needed to sell. Is it money troubles?” I inclined my head in mock sympathy. “Truly, that’s too bad. It couldn’t happen to a nicer man.”

Mark’s face flushed with mottled rage. “Back off, boy. Or else.”

I turned on my heel and strolled away, whistling as I went. It took me a minute to realize I was whistling ABBA’sWaterloo.

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