Page 100 of Wicked Little Secret

She deserves the fairytale?

What the fuck else did he have to do to prove how much he cared about her and Sawyer?

That’s when he realized it didn’t matter what he did, because she was in love with someone else. Sure, she was letting him scratch her sexual itch, but that’s all it had been. That was obvious when she didn’t want to sleep in his bed with him.

He even understood her inability to fall in love with him. If she was in love with another man, it wasn’t going to happen. He almost felt sorry for the next woman he dated. There’s no way she’d be able to measure up to Olivia—kind of like Maverick couldn’t measure up to Casey.

Their marriage was going to end. The sooner he accepted that, the better off he’d be. This truce might have been a bad idea, at least for his heart. Although his tools were better off for it.

He stayed in his office another hour just to make sure she was asleep when he walked past her room. He wasn’t sure what he would do if they passed each other in the hall.

The next morning he decided it would be better if he spent more time in the office and away from her.

“Back at it again?” she asked with a smile when he walked into the kitchen wearing a suit.

“Yesterday I realized I’m more behind than I thought.”

“Just so you know, I’m able to use the hospital daycare, so if you aren’t able to take care of him when—”

He cut her off. “I’ll take him to the office with me. Pam squealed when she saw me ordering a playpen and toys yesterday. She can’t wait to have a baby in the office.”

“She sounds lovely. I’d like to meet her sometime.”

“Of course. Sawyer is going to be spoiled rotten; you have nothing to worry about.”

“I’m not worried. Well—the ‘rotten’ part worries me a little, but I know you’d never let anything bad happen to him.”

“Never.”

She scrutinized him for a beat, then said softly, “I know.”

Maverick liked that she trusted him. Too bad she couldn’t love him.

The sounds of Sawyer waking up came through the monitor, and she stood from the bar stool she’d been sitting on while she drank her coffee.

“Give him a kiss for me,” he said as he reluctantly walked toward the door. It was killing him not to be there when his son got out of bed.

“I will.” She paused and turned back to ask, “How late are you going to be today?”

He wanted to say he’d be home by noon, but knew he needed to avoid her as much as possible.

“I should be home by dinner. Juanita said she was bringing tamales.”

“She loves you.”

At least somebody does.

“I’m a loveable guy.”

She gave him a wistful smile, but didn’t say anything other than, “See you tonight.”

“Don’t forget to give my boy a kiss.”

“I won’t.”

****

Olivia

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