Bad to the Bone (Wicked Reads) (5 page)

Suddenly feeling awkward, Olivia pulled away
and sipped her wine.

Josiah smiled. He moved back to the counter
and started to empty the bag. “Liv, I’m at your beck and call. You
call the shots, I’ll eagerly follow.”

She let out a long, shaky breath. “Thank
you.”

As Josiah worked his way around her kitchen,
Olivia perched on a counter barstool. “How is your son taking the
divorce?”

Josiah shrugged. “Like any ten-year old. He’s
the reason I stayed so long. But I realized I wasn’t setting a good
example of a loving husband. Ryan’s a good kid, and Ann is a good
mom. Much better than I am a father.”

“I doubt that, Jos. You’ve always been great
with kids.”

He nodded as he seasoned the steaks. “What’s
up with Holbrook?”

Her hand shook and she almost dropped her
glass. “Vaden?”

He looked pointedly at her. “Yeah.”

Olivia felt the heat rise in her cheeks, then
spread down her neck to her chest. It was her tell. Tommy always
said he knew when she was nervous or embarrassed. She turned as red
as a tomato. “He helped me out with a few things after Tommy
died.”

Josiah stared at her, his gaze sweeping
across her chest. He knew, too. “What kind of
things
?”

She sipped her wine and looked past him.
“Just... things.” Then she collected herself and looked as
pointedly at him as he had her. “None-of-your-business things.”

“We call him the terminator at the PD.
Everything he touches ends up broken. Watch out.”

“I’ve been to hell and back twice in the last
eleven years, Josiah. Not even the terminator can break me.” She
wondered if she lied.

“Let’s hope so.”

When they sat down to eat, Josiah lifted his
glass and gazed quietly at her. “To the future, let it open new
doors and close old hurts.”

Vaden’s handsome face sprung into her mind’s
eye. Every part of her warmed as her chest tightened with emotion.
She opened her mouth to speak, but nothing came out. Josiah smiled
and clinked her glass. “It’s okay, Liv.”

She nodded and clinked his glass, not
elaborating on her sudden melancholy.

The steak was perfectly grilled. Rare, just
the way she liked it. But Olivia only picked at it. The wine,
however, flowed freely. She was on her third glass, and feeling
soft and mellow. She settled back into her chair and looked at
Josiah. He smiled and set his fork down.

“I know that look,” he said.

“What look?”

“The one that says, you want to know
something.”

Olivia smiled and sipped her wine. “I was
just wondering how different our lives would have been had I said
‘yes’ to fucking you that night.”

His eyes widened at her unladylike
vocabulary, but right behind his shock a flare of excitement
sparked his dark eyes. Vaden liked when she talked dirty too.
Josiah set his wine glass down and scooted around the table toward
her. He took her hands into his big warm ones, his gaze serious
now. “I would have given you the world, Liv. I’m sorry I fucked it
up.”

“You didn’t. I believe we all have to travel
our own paths before we can come full circle.”

His eyes sparked again. He brought her
fingers to his lips and kissed the tips. “Did it bring you back to
me, Liv?”

“I don’t know. I do know I don’t plan on
spending the next ten years of my life hiding behind anyone.”

He nudged her chin up with his hand so that
they looked eye to eye. “Then stand beside me, Liv. We were good
together.”

Her heart stutter-stepped at his words. There
was a time when she would have followed him into the bowels of hell
and back. But now...? Now, she knew what unequaled passion felt
like. She wanted that. Demanded it. If she could not have it in a
relationship, then she didn’t want any part of it.

His fingers stroked her hand. “Liv, let me
show you how it can be between us.” His voice had lowered to rough
and gravely. His body tightened. She knew without looking he had an
erection. And knowing that she turned him on the way she did, even
in her disheveled condition, turned her on.

Their gazes locked. Jos touched her knee with
his other hand and squeezed. Heat flared between them. Olivia
inhaled deeply, then slowly exhaled.

Abruptly, she stood. “I need to get a shower.
Don’t go anywhere.” She hurried down the hall to her bedroom, and
closed the door. On second thought, she opened the door. She’d
leave the bathroom door open, too…

Just as she was about to step into the steamy
shower, Olivia thought she heard the deep throaty rumble of a
Harley. Her body trilled. There was only one person she knew who
rode a Harley. She grabbed a towel and hurried to her bedroom
window that faced the end of the secluded court she lived on. She
heard the rumble again, peeked through the slants of the blind and
forgot to breathe. Vaden. He’d come back.

* * * * *

Keep going, Vaden told himself. Instead, he
pulled up behind Ames’ sporty BMW. What the fuck was that weasel
doing back here? He didn’t have to have his detective shield to
figure that one out. Ames was here for the same reason Vaden was
here. It infuriated him. Olivia wasn’t a booty call, damn it!

“Fuck!” He swiped his hand across his chin.
Hadn’t he treated her like one? She deserved a hell of a lot more
than he gave her. It was why he’d walked. Why had he come back?
Hell if he knew.

His angry gaze stared at the Beemer.

He didn’t like Ames. Hadn’t thought much of
Tom Connor either. The only two things they had in common were they
were cops, and lusted for the lady inside.

Olivia Connor.

Vaden heeled the kickstand down and sat back
on his bike. He had a clear shot to her darkened bedroom window and
small bathroom window. She was in the shower. His anger spiked.
What the fuck was she doing in the shower? Was that prick Ames in
it with her?

Abruptly, he stood. The vision of Ames
lathering Olivia up infuriated him. He was halfway to the front
door when the bedroom lit up in a soft glow.

Olivia’s slender silhouette stopped in front
of the window. He stood perfectly still. The last thing he wanted
to do was scare her after the break-in today. But— She opened the
blinds and slid the window open.

“Not smart, Livvy,” his said. But then she
had Dashing Detective Ames in there to protect her, didn’t she?
Jealousy bit sharply at him. He’d never experienced the emotion
before. Not when it came to a woman. He didn’t like it. He moved
closer to the window. He could stand right at its edge and because
the street lights were out, Olivia would never know he was
there.

He swallowed hard when his gaze focused on
her. She was naked, sitting on the edge of her bed, smearing lotion
all over her body. She was one long drink of water. His dick flared
in his pants. Was she getting ready for Ames? He moved closer and
looked around the perimeter of the room. Candles were the only
light source. She was alone. He exhaled. For how long?

He hissed when she stood and turned directly
toward the window and began to slowly rub the lotion across her
belly, then her tits. She had great tits.

The soft scent of lemon and honey wafted to
his nostrils. It was his favorite. His dick lengthened. Like a kid
in a candy store, he wanted to press his face to the window and
watch. His body ached for her. So did his—

“Liv?” a masculine voice called from the
hallway.

Vaden bit back a snarl.

“Just a minute, Jos,” she said, but didn’t
rush to get dressed.

Get dressed!

Finally, she slid on a pair of sexy little
shorts and white ribbed half top. His hands clenched and
unclenched. The T-shirt hugged her tits, showing them off.

“Liv, are you all right?” Ames called, closer
now.

Fucking asshole.

“I’m fine. Better than fine,” she softly
said. Vaden didn’t miss the invitation in her voice. His body
stiffened to granite. She wasn’t going to—

“Olivia,” Ames said, closing the space
between them. He caressed her cheek, as his other hand slid around
her waist and pulled her against him. “Tell me what you want.”

“I want you to kiss me.”

It took every ounce of control Vaden
possessed not to jump through the window and tear them apart. Why
was she doing this? Had he misunderstood her signals last night?
Had he presumed she had feelings for him when she really didn’t? Or
had she just moved on?

She arched against Ames. The guy didn’t
squander the opportunity. He lifted Olivia’s little shirt. Ames
moaned when her tits popped out. Vaden did the same thing every
time he saw them. They should be bronzed.

Olivia tilted her head back and faced the
window. Her hooded eyes looked directly at him. It didn’t matter to
Vaden if she saw him or not. He could not watch another man make
love to Olivia. He turned and walked away from the window.

Chapter Four

“God, Liv, I have dreamt of this moment for
years.” Josiah’s lips caught a nipple. Olivia gasped at the
sensation.

But at the same time, Olivia’s heart beat
like a freight train in her chest when Vaden walked away from the
window. Knowing he had come back for her only to find her in the
arms of another man thrilled her. It terrified her too. What did he
want? Why was he here? Would he kick down her door in a jealous
rage? He knew where she hid her extra key. He could walk right in.
Would he? Her body trembled. No, Vaden wasn’t the jealous type.

“Are you okay, Liv?” Josiah asked.

Move on, Liv,
she told herself.
Vaden only wants one thing from you.
She relaxed a little.
She would not allow Vaden to ruin this. “Yes, I’m fine.”

“You’re so much more than fine, Liv,” Josiah
rasped against a nipple. He licked around the areola, then kissed
the stiff tip. Slowly, he sucked her nipple against the roof of his
mouth. He moaned. Olivia closed her eyes, remembering how much she
once wanted this. His hands slid down her waist to her ass,
pressing her belly against his erection.

Josiah swept her up into his arms and strode
toward the bed. He laid her down and crawled over her. He spread
her long hair out on the pillow, then wrapped several thick strands
around his fist. “I love your hair.” He raised it to his nose and
inhaled. “I love the way you smell.”

His fingers dug into her hair and his long
body covered hers. “I want to spend the next ten years in this bed
with you.” He kissed her cheeks, her chin, laved her neck and
suckled her nipples. It felt good. She began to relax, and enjoy
him and the moment. His lips trailed down the smooth flatness of
her belly. She closed her eyes

His fingers slipped beneath her flannel
shorts, then slowly he pulled them down. Olivia tensed. “Relax,
Liv,” Josiah said against her hip.

She swallowed and told herself it was just
nerves. His lips trailed lower. She flinched and exhaled. It
occurred to Olivia at that moment that she could not erase Vaden or
her feelings for him with another man. Not now anyway. She opened
her eyes, and gasped.

Vaden stood behind Josiah, his tall body
reflected ominously against the candlelight.

“What’s wrong, Liv?” Josiah asked. He looked
up her belly to see her staring over his shoulder. He turned.
“Jesus Christ, Holbrook!” He jerked around, ready to deck the
interloper.

Olivia’s body morphed from tense to sizzling
in less than a heartbeat. Josiah threw a punch at Vaden. Vaden
caught Josiah’s fist and wrenched his arm back, not taking his
angry glare from hers.

“If this is what you wanted, Livia, all you
had to do was ask. I could have hooked you up,” Vaden harshly
said.

If he had slapped her, she could not have
been more insulted. She wanted more than sex with Vaden. He knew
it. “I’ve moved on, Vaden. Leave,” she bit back.

Josiah yanked his arm from Vaden’s grasp.
“You heard the lady.”

Vaden shoved Josiah onto the bed. He stepped
closer to Olivia. He yanked her up to his chest. Angry heat seethed
in waves off his body. “Really?” he challenged. “I had you pegged
for a lady, not a—”

“A what? Say it, Vaden. Say it!”

Angry tears stung her eyes. Did he think so
little of her? And why did she care?

“What do you want, Olivia?” Vaden demanded
hoarsely.

She swallowed and without hesitation said,
“Everything.”

“Then take it.”

Josiah pushed off the bed. “Liv? Do you want
me to take care of this?” he demanded, looking at Vaden when he
said “this.”

Olivia’s heart battled a mighty war with her
reason. Vaden had made it perfectly clear he was not interested in
a relationship. She wanted one. Or to at least try. He just wanted
sex.

“I want you both to leave,” she quietly
said.

“I’m not leaving,” Vaden stated.

“The hell you aren’t,” Josiah growled and
punched Vaden square in the jaw.

Olivia screamed. Vaden took the punch, barely
moving. His big hands clenched and unclenched at his sides. “The
only reason I’m not going to kick the shit out you, Ames, is
because I don’t want to upset Livia any more than I already have.
So get the fuck out of here before I change my mind.”

Olivia grabbed Josiah’s hand and pulled him
toward the door. He resisted. “Jos, please. Go home. I’ll call you
tomorrow.”

His hard glare did not waver from Vaden’s.
“I’m not leaving you alone with him.”

She turned around to Vaden. Josiah’s glare
had nothing on hers. She was furious. “He’s leaving too.” She
pushed Josiah out of her room and down the hall. He tried to gather
her into his arms. Olivia crossed her arms over her chest, and
shook her head.

He knew when he was beat. Josiah marked his
exit by slamming the front door shut.

Olivia inhaled and slowly exhaled. Then
strode back into her bedroom.