She waved him off.“Nah, when it started I was gettingrailed by my two boyfriends, so I was not in here.I was probably in a sexswing.”
He was so crazy about this woman.“Nah, that was earlier inthe evening.We were in the bed by early morning.I think Garrett was lickingwhipped cream off your… Well, he was having a treat.”
Deputy Morgan snorted.“Good to know, friend.”
“But I do wonder where Mr.Whittiker was,” Garrett saidslowly.
Scott’s face had gone a florid red.“I was in my motel roomafter having dinner at my friend’s house.And I suspect Olivia might becovering for you.She’s not that kind of girl, no matter what the town says.”
“Oh, I am totally the kind of woman who enjoys raunchy sexwith two hot guys,” Olivia said.
“Who isn’t?”Deputy Morgan asked and then sobered.“Gil,thanks for the coffee.We should secure the building and wait for the arsoninspector to come.”
“So you think someone did this?”Scott asked.“You don’tthink someone left a candle burning?Or it was an accident?”
“Unless someone accidently poured gasoline on Olivia’s deskand then whoops, set the whole place on fire, then no, it was not an accident.”Deputy Morgan looked down at the pad she was carrying and checked something offon her form before looking to Olivia.“Given that someone slashed your tiresyesterday, I’d like you to be vigilant, and let me know if anything out of theordinary happens.”
“Well, I told you about the sex swing, right?”Olivia said.
Deputy Morgan snorted and grinned.“Yeah, girl, but I’mtalking about bad things.As for the other, let’s grab margaritas and you cango into as much detail as you like.”
“Olivia, I think you should take this seriously,” Scottsaid, a stern look on his face.“If someone is trying to hurt you, I think youneed a man who can protect you.”
She threaded her arm through Keane’s and reached out forGarrett.“Good thing I have two men who can protect me.I don’t think we’ll bemeeting today.I have to call my father and convince him not to break hisvacation plans and get the insurance started.Come out to the ranch tomorrowmorning and we’ll meet in my dad’s office.”
“Or we could have dinner tonight,” Scott began.
Olivia shook her head.“Nope, I am dinner tonight, and youare not invited.I meant what I said.I’ll work with you, but I won’t let youconvince me to give you another chance to use me and leave me the minute youthink you don’t need me anymore.”
“Olivia, I can explain,” he began.“I’ve spent the last fewyears in therapy.I know why I sabotaged us.I didn’t think I deserved you.It’s all rooted in my childhood.”
Olivia’s eyes rolled, and she started to open that sassymouth with a comeback he was sure would start an argument.
He was done.She needed to be home.She needed a shower andto sit down and talk to her dad.She and Garrett had things to figure out, andKeane intended to take care of everything else.She started to say somethingabout Scott’s overly privileged childhood, but Keane knew what he was doing.
He leaned down and slung her over his shoulder, lookingScott’s way.“She’ll contact you about meeting tomorrow.I’m sure you’llunderstand that this is an emergency.”
“Hey,” Olivia began.“I wasn’t done with him.”
Deputy Morgan’s lips curled up.“That’s the Livie I know.These guys are good for you.”
Keane started to walk toward Jack Barnes’s big-ass truck.She’d handed him the keys when they followed the deputies and told him he coulduse it if he needed to go into town.She and Garrett would use her mom’s luxurysedan.The truck was big, and that made it easy to stuff Olivia in the backseat.
Her eyes narrowed.“You can’t…”
He stared at her.“Think before you finish that sentence.Were you planning on meeting him today?”
“No.I have to talk to my dad.I have to call the insuranceagent.I have a million things to do, including getting someone to try toactually figure out who did this.The cops will be no real help.They’ll writea report and say Dad’s rich enough and can handle it and be done.”
“I already called Ruby,” Garrett said as he slid into theseat beside Olivia.
“You did?”Olivia was obviously surprised.“I asked her tolook into Scott.”
“I think she can handle all of it,” Garrett offered.“Youshould know if Keane hadn’t picked you up and gotten you out of there, I wouldhave.Scott was baiting you.Any attention you give him—good or bad—is a winfor him.Keane explained how things would go and acted caveman-like enough thatScott is probably rethinking.”
She calmed and looked Keane’s way.“Thank you, Master.I wasgetting agitated.”
He cupped her cheek.“It’s okay.That’s what I’m here for.”
