Page 33 of Too Guarded to Love

She snapped her gaze up to his tight features. “I’m sorry I caused trouble between you and Kane. I was going to tell you right before⁠—”

He leaned forward and gripped the armrests of the chair. “I don’t believe you.”

Olivia glanced at his steel fingers. The wood cracked under their force. A tiny slice of fear, a whole lot of awe, and too much exhilaration raced through her veins. “I swear I was going to tell you.”

He glanced down at the bulge in his pants. “Admit it. You had other things on your mind.”

Her knee brushed against what she wouldn’t have stopped exploring, even if the surf had rolled into the bungalow.

With another curse, he tipped up her chin with his steel finger. The heat in his gaze and his voice that flowed like warm honey triggered a flood of desire. The rush soaked through her panties to her borrowed sweatpants.

Earlier, she’d longed to meet the Nic she’d heard tales about. The shameless flirt had finally come out to play and brought along a dark, sinister side that terrified and thrilled her in equal parts. “You’re the liar if you deny you weren’t thinking along the same lines.”

“I won’t deny that. I enjoyed your hands…” He gripped her lower lip between his steel fingers. “And this on my body. I wanted you as much as you wanted me, but I didn’t lie about who I was.”

Her mouth watered. She should push him away. Everything about him screamed trouble. He was her brother’s best friend and teammate. Gran could wake up at any moment and lecture her about the repercussions of impulsive behavior. Kane could barge in and yell at her about staying away from his friends. But the connection, the pull she couldn’t define but felt as surely as the danger and desire that was Captain Nic Romero, dragged her closer to forbidden pleasure.

“You didn’t lie.” She licked her lips. “But when you introduced yourself and the thunder drowned it out, you didn’t tell me your name again.”

“You didn’t ask.” His lips hovered near hers.

“I’m asking now. What’s your name? I’m Olivia Darren.”

He gripped her chin with his steel. “Stop being cute.”

His gravelly voice pushed her past common sense and into carnal irrationality. “I’ll make you a deal, soldier. I get…”

The door creaked. Nic jumped back. Olivia turned her flushed face to Gran as Admiral Edgar poked his head in.

“Hello, Olivia. Gage told me you were awake.” Edgar tugged at the ends of his mustache. “I asked Kane if he thought you would be up to finishing our chat. He said, and I quote, ‘Good luck telling her to go back to sleep,’ so I thought I’d check in and see.”

Of course Kane had something to say about her status. Even in VIPER headquarters, everyone seemed to make it their God-sworn oath to relay her business and whereabouts to her family. But dammit, Kane was right. Sleep wasn’t happening again anytime soon, and Edgar did look all sheepish and adorable when he fiddled with his mustache and asked her permission.

Nic stepped in front of her. “I don’t think finishing the debrief is a good idea right now. She needs more rest.”

Nic’s delectable ass caught her eye as she peeked around his body. Perfect backside or not, she didn’t need another man making decisions for her.

“I’m fine, and I can speak for myself.”

Edgar looked at Nic. “Meet me in the recreation room in thirty minutes.” He held his arm out for Olivia. “May I escort you back to your quarters? Patience has something special for you.”

She glanced at the man who thought she was a liar. Those lips she’d almost begged him to smash onto hers pressed into a harsh line.

Nic leaned against the wall across from Olivia’s room in MedLab. He wanted to bang on the door and demand she tell him what deal she’d been about to propose. He shouldn’t care. Seeing Rachel’s photo tonight on the big screen—like a billboard-size reminder of being fooled by a deceitful woman—had cost him. It should have been enough to snap him out of whatever spell Olivia had cast.

Hell, Natalie’s appearance at the hospital should serve as a double reminder.

But had Olivia fooled him? Sure, she’d withheld her name, but hadn’t made excuses for her behavior.

She’d owned it.

Defended him.

Apologized.

And even though he hadn’t believed Jonathan was her fiancé, hearing the truth from her lips had relieved much of the tension in his shoulders. Knowing the douchebag had seen her naked bunched his muscles into a tight knot again, though.

Fighting the chemistry that struck him like lightning every time they were in the same room, and sizzled when they were apart, would be easier if she’d stop doing things that made him respect her so goddamn much. Still, the need to find out what she wanted to offer clawed at him like the buzz in his neck. He should hightail it to the recreation room where he’d been ordered. Better yet, find an excuse to skip the debrief. He’d fulfilled his promise to Kane.