He thought about it and realized it all boiled down to her smile. When Olivia smiled, her amber eyes sparkled. Her sensuous lips curled, inviting and distracting him time and time again. The warmth and caring in her gaze had blinded him to every other woman. And when he’d seen the rest of her, something in him had snapped.
She possessed average height and had a woman’s frame, soft and curvy in all the right places. She was no stranger to exercise though. He distinctly recalled her toned thighs and the flat plane of her sexier-than-hell stomach.
So much for relieving his tension with a run. Instead of cooling him off, his traitorous mind increased his internal temperature.
Good one, Waters. Trying to scare the neighbors with an erection from hell?
Too bad he couldn’t bottle Olivia Cava, man’s answer to erectile dysfunction. On a laugh, he gave himself a light cool-down jog and finally subdued his arousal. A good thing because, moments later, a pair of women passed him, nodding a pleasant greeting as they continued jogging.
Kyle walked the rest of the way back to the house, thoughts of Olivia keeping him company. From the first, she’d affected him. Months before he’d left, he’d watched her interact with customers, the way she worked so hard, how much pride she took in her efforts. He couldn’t help comparing her ethics and charm to Becca. Nor could he deny he found Becca lacking.
Technically, he’d been faithful to Becca, but emotionally, he’d already been attached to Olivia. Her thoughtfulness contrasted sharply with Becca’s icy selfishness. He wondered that he’d never noticed Becca’s attitude before, then admitted he’d been too taken with her good looks.
“Good riddance,” he muttered and sat on his steps when he arrived home.
Catching Becca with another man had been the moment he’d been waiting for; it made breaking up with her easy to do. Then he’d felt no qualms when fantasizing about Olivia.
The thoughts he’d had of her, the images he’d fixed in his mind over the long six-month deployment that had stretched into eight months, didn’t compare to the reality of her.
His body ached just thinking about making love with her again. He’d never been so turned on by a pair of breasts before, but honestly, the moment she’d stripped down to her lacy underwear he’d almost come.
Seeing her nipples peaking through pale blue lace had made him want to fuck her senseless. Yet underneath the lust that gripped him was a resolve to make it impossible for her to forget him. He wanted to pleasure Olivia, to make her feel even an inkling of what he felt for her.
Kyle knew lust didn’t cover half of what he felt. Affection, tenderness, possession—all for a woman he’d dreamt about for months. The problem, as he saw it, was that having made love to her only increased his fixation.
He stood up in frustration, cursing the bulge in his sweats that reared again, and headed straight to the shower, to a very
cold
shower. It helped somewhat as he tried to get a handle on his feelings and what to do about them.
He didn’t want to scare Olivia away. That she’d slept with him last night gave him great hope. Olivia was a catch for any man in this small town. Everyone knew that she didn’t date much. Rumor said she had a quiet social life and a genuine disregard for dating military men. He couldn’t count the number of Marines, good men he knew, that she had been rejected with a friendly smile.
She’d chosen
him
, and the realization made his heart pound. They had a possible future together, finally. But he knew how easily relationships failed, especially when inevitable separation entered the picture.
With a woman who could withstand time and distance apart from him, who would remain faithful through it all, Kyle knew he could find the true happiness that kept eluding him. But it wasn’t simply a need for
any
woman. It had to be Olivia. Just being near her caused the emptiness within him to disappear.
Thoughts of her warmed him, and he left the shower more in control. He dried off and dressed casually. Needing to waste some time before he headed to the coffee shop, he unpacked and sectioned his laundry items. Then he made the bed, picked up his uniform from where he’d dropped it last night, and hooked up his laptop.
He emailed friends and family of his return but left out mention of his new roommate. He didn’t know how to describe her without sounding like a lovesick fool.
“Ah hell, who am I kidding? I am a lovesick fool.” Cursing himself for falling so hard, he ordered himself to go slow. Knowing patience wasn’t his strong suit, he realized a back-up plan might be in order. “Don’t run her off,” he reminded himself, “but don’t let her get away.”
He puzzled over the dilemma.
How the hell was he supposed to go slow with Olivia? He wanted her. Period. Just seeing her made him hard, and having had her, he couldn’t possibly regress to a platonic relationship until she caught up to speed, caring for him as much as he cared for her.
To hell with that
. He’d have to convince her to take a chance on him another way.
He grinned with anticipation as the answer hit him.
Exploit the opponent’s vulnerabilities. He didn’t exactly think of her as an opponent, and he didn’t know her well enough to identify all her vulnerabilities, but he did know how wild she’d been for him in bed. Hell, she’d
begged
him to take her. She’d been so wet for him, so deliciously sweet. He licked his lips, wishing Olivia had already returned from work. He had an urge to taste all of her. Would she be receptive to the idea? He sure as hell hoped so.
Then a flicker of doubt fluttered in his mind.
What if last night had been a one-time deal? What if she’d satisfied her urges and didn’t want him again? She did have a reputation for keeping her distance from men, and Marines in particular. Who knew why she’d really slept with him?
It has to be more than sex.
Their incredible chemistry had impacted her, he knew, but the feelings had to run deeper than the physical. Her eyes had clouded after he’d first kissed her, and a soft glow had settled over her when she looked at him. Despite that last night had only been their first time, Kyle vowed to pursue her until he reached his aim —to possess Olivia Cava, body, mind, and soul.
Passion ran strong in Olivia, a trait he would use to his advantage. He’d never failed at anything he pursued in life, and he wasn’t about to start now.
****
“If you tell me one more time that it’s not a big deal, I’m going to call Mike and tell him you had s-e-x with Kyle Waters,” Maria threatened, not at all put off by Olivia’s vague answers.
Seeing a lull had settled over the shop, Olivia finally conceded. “You’re like a pit bull, you know that?”
Maria smiled, showing a lot of teeth.
“Fine. We had sex. What more can I say?”
“What more can you say? Hell, Olivia, give me something! The man has a killer body and a face that makes you take a second look. If it weren’t for Mike . . .” She gave a mournful sigh then grinned. “How did it happen? Tell me that at least!”
“Shh, keep your voice down,” Olivia whispered when the customers sitting nearest the counter looked over. “He made me dinner then kissed me.”
“He cooked for you? Marry him.”
Olivia let out a loud sigh. “I admit the food was good, but not that good. Come on, Maria. Remember the five-year plan?”
“Plan-shman. A man cooks for you then makes love to you, you marry him.”
Unfortunately, Maria’s idea had a vague appeal. Olivia mentally slapped herself.
Great sex one time does not a marriage make
. Then she edited,
great sex
three
times
, and cursed herself for idiotic thoughts.
“Wait a minute.” Maria looked thoughtful. “Did he clean up after he cooked?”
“What does that matter?”
“If the dishes are done when you get home, you have to marry him. Since he already got into your pants, he has no reason to do the dishes, no reason to impress you.”
“Thanks,” Olivia said wryly. “Nice to know I’ve lost my allure since I’m so easy.”
Maria laughed. “You know what I mean. Seriously, though, what’s he like?”
“In bed?” No way was Olivia giving Maria details about that, best friend or no.
“No, though it’s funny how the thought of sharing that bothers you. You have that tick in your eye again.”
“You are such a pain in the ass.”
“Hey, don’t knock it. My winning personality nabbed your brother. I just think it’s interesting that you’ve shared your few failed relationships with me minutes after you met those losers, but one night with Kyle Waters and you’ve turned mute. Actually, what I wanted to know is what he’s like as a person.” Maria looked over Olivia’s shoulder. “But maybe I’ll just ask him instead.”
Kyle strolled through the door looking like the cover of
Men’s Health
. Olivia could only thank the sudden warm front that had made a jacket unnecessary. His copper skin glowed, and his green eyes gleamed. The muscles in his forearms and biceps tightened as he raised his hand in greeting.
“Down girl, you’re drooling,” Maria murmured as she stepped to the counter to greet him. “Hi. You must be Kyle Waters.”
“In the flesh.”
“You got that right.” Maria gave him a not-so-subtle once-over.
Olivia wanted to cringe.
Subtle
had never been a part of Maria’s vocabulary. Kyle lifted a brow at Maria’s antics, and to Olivia’s dismay, her friend continued.
“So, what’ll you have, hot stuff?”
He glanced at Olivia, and his stare was so hot she thought she’d melt into a puddle of lust where she stood. Where this sexual energy came from she had no idea. She’d never yearned for a man in her entire life.
“Whoa.” Maria held up a hand and fanned herself, capturing Kyle’s attention. “She’s not on the menu this morning. How about a cup of the blend of the day instead?”
Kyle laughed, a deep chuckle that warmed Olivia. “If I have to. And add a muffin to that.”
Maria nodded and gathered his order. She tried to refuse his money, but he insisted.
“Hey, I’m a paying customer, despite my situation with the owner.”
“Situation?” Maria’s brows rose.
He took a sip of coffee and grunted his appreciation. “Yeah. She and I are roommates for the next three months.”
“Roommates?” Maria smirked at Olivia. “How about that?”
Olivia hurried around the counter. “I’ll sit with Kyle and be back in a bit.”
“Take your time,” Maria said with an evil grin. “We’ll pick up where we left off later.”
Olivia led them to a table away from the counter and sat down with Kyle.
“I’m sorry if I said something I shouldn’t have,” he said softly. “Was our living arrangement a secret?”
“No. I was so busy trying to avoid her questions about my sex life that I hadn’t gotten around to telling her about the house situation.”
He stared at her, surprised. “You told her we had sex?”
Olivia blushed. “No. She guessed it the minute she saw me.” She stared down at her striped blue-and-white top and green corduroy slacks. “I usually match my clothing and dry my hair before work.”
Kyle grinned. “You look fine to me.” His voice lowered. “Like a stick of candy I’d love to lick all over.”
She heated at the images that conjured. When she said nothing, his grin widened.
“The things I’ve dreamed of doing to you. Baby, if you could see the look on your face.” He chuckled. “Oh yeah. For months I’ve thought of nothing but making slow, sweet love to you. Let me tell you, it was a great way to while away the hours aboard ship. You have the sexiest body.” His eyes focused on her chest, and he lowered his voice. “I love your tits. Especially the way they taste.”
“
Kyle
.”
He laughed. “I like it when you blush. It’s pretty on you, and it makes you seem more innocent. An interesting contrast to the sexy woman I met last night.”
“I’m full of contrasts, Kyle Waters. You’ve barely scratched the surface,” she taunted, thrilled when a spark of challenge lit his eyes.
“Oh, I intend to do more than scratch the surface.” He bit into his muffin with even white teeth. “I’m going to lick it clean then devour it.”
Not knowing what to say, she found herself mesmerized by his full lips and broad, sweeping tongue. Good Lord, but if he was half as good with his tongue as he was with the rest of his body, she was a goner for sure.
“Well, Olivia, much as I’d like to hang out here all day, I have to shoot into work to wrap up a few loose ends I missed yesterday then pick up a rental car. I’ll catch you later tonight for dinner, hmm?” He tossed his trash in a nearby receptacle and rose, leaning close. “Make no mistake, you’re on the menu for dessert.”
Olivia had to work to suppress a sensual shiver. Concentrating, she kissed Kyle on the cheek and waved him off. Watching him leave, she sighed. No man should look so incredibly hot. She loved seeing the muscles in his arms flex, the expanse of his chest obvious under that body-hugging polo…
“Roommates, hmm?” Maria buzzed at her ear.
Like a persistent bee that wouldn’t go away, Maria would continue to drone on about the situation until Olivia told her the truth. Regretting the inevitable, Olivia rose, grabbed another cleaning rag, and joined her friend.
She tried to sound reasonable. “He’s being very nice about the whole situation with Becca.”
Maria whistled as she wiped down a table. The lunch hour approached, and they readied for the afternoon rush. “I’ll bet
he’s being ‘very nice.’”
“We’re rooming together for the next three months. It’s not that big a deal.”
Maria stopped cleaning and straightened. “You can lie to yourself all you want. But this is me, your best friend. I know how you feel about dating, about your five-year plan to ‘financial fulfillment.’ Olivia, you haven’t given any man real encouragement in the three years you’ve owned this place. If I recall, the last guy you, quote,
dated
, end quote, over a year ago worked in Emerald Isle. He owned that bagel shop, right?”
Olivia shrugged. “We had the food business in common.”
“Wow. Food. Bagels and coffee, now that’s sexy.”