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I feel as if I’m walking in a field of land mines. But if I don’t show my fear to Olivia, I might be able to avoid an explosion. Never let them see you sweat, and pray for the best. This tactic has worked for me so far; maybe it will again.
For a week I’ve been playing phone tag with this woman. Under normal circumstances, I’d have bailed after the first day. I know when someone isn’t speaking the whole truth, and she sure as hell isn’t.
What’s she hiding? I don’t have a clue. She most likely knows exactly who I am and she’s hoping to entrap me. Broken condom? Faked pregnancy? Who knows? I’ve already had a couple of disastrous relationships and there’s no chance of that happening again.
Still, there’s something about this woman — something familiar. It’s almost as if I know her, but that isn’t possible. I’ve already gone over this in my brain. Maybe the whole thing is simply elemental. I need to have her, have to see this thing through to its inevitable conclusion. I’ll have her in my bed. And then I’ll be done with her. No problem. No pain. And who in the hell wants any gain?
As I pull up to my cabin, I wonder why I’m bringing her to this place. It’s my retreat, a place my brothers and I come to when we want to get away from the city and the chaos of our lives. We don’t bring women here.
“I wasn’t expecting this,” Olivia says, breaking my reverie.
The water gently lapping at the shore and the birds singing in the trees are the only sounds that can be heard, and the nearest neighbor’s a mile down the road. This is one of my favorite places in the world.
“I enjoy the quiet when I come here. There aren’t a lot of people around, and we count everyone in the area as friends. We also respect one another’s privacy.”
I open the car door on my side before she can respond, and I’m a bit frustrated when she doesn’t wait for me to come around to assist her before she climbs out. I stay beside the car and make a point of shutting her door.
Being a gentleman certainly isn’t something my parents taught me. Bill, the man who raised me, gave me values. I turned my nose up at those values for a few selfish years, but I’m past that now, aren’t I?
I’m not proud of the selfish time in my life, the time I drank too much, made no real friendships, and turned my nose up at people in my life who mattered most. Bill was greatly relieved when I pulled my head out of my ass.
“I’ve always enjoyed these islands,” Olivia says. “They’ve grown more crowded over the years, but you can still find quiet places. Thanks for bringing me here.”
I’m surprised by her genuine enthusiasm for a place that I love. I’m so on guard with this woman I can almost discern her game-playing versus her moments of genuineness.
Once we’re inside the living room, I watch Olivia as she looks at the pictures hanging on the walls and the simple pieces of black walnut and leather furniture. The home’s comfortable with a fireplace, nice stereo system, and plush furnishings. It certainly isn’t lavish.
“No TV?” she asks.
“Nope. All of us come here to get away from that sort of noise,” I say. “We do, however, enjoy having music. We also have Internet. None of us can get away from that for even a single day without going into withdrawal — the shakes and pink elephants and all of that.”
I follow her as she steps outside the back door and the weathered boards of the deck creak beneath our feet. The air is cooler here than it was in the city, which makes it a perfect time to start a fire. I leave her alone while I gather wood and put it together in the stone fire pit I built.
“I hope you enjoy barbecue,” I tell her after the blaze is going strong, and I drag out a couple of chairs.
“I’m no vegan, though some of my friends are. My tastes are fairly wide-ranging, and I definitely like a good piece of meat.” The hungry look she sends my way has my groin tightening. She confuses me. One moment she’s sending me all of the right signals, and the next she’s putting on a chastity belt. Without a second thought, I tug her into my arms.
“Dessert should always come first,” I murmur.
My lips fasten to hers and I don’t waste time gaining full access to her mouth. With a groan, I feast on her, reveling in our first kiss since our night at the bar. When I pull back, I’m not sure what’s happening. My hope was the passion between us was nothing but a fluke. But it’s even better than I remember. I need this woman. I have to have her.
“I’ll start lunch.” She doesn’t protest that we’re eating here instead of a public restaurant.
I leave her on the deck before heading inside for the steaks I had brought in. The next half hour stabilizes me. I love cooking, and the routine of it eases the ever-pulsing need for her that’s wracking my body.
Olivia and I chat while the steak rests and I put together a salad and warm bread. I’d prefer a little wine with our lunch, but I have a pretty good feeling we won’t be staying the night — not yet, at least. And I won’t drink and drive.
When we finish eating, Olivia looks at her watch. She’s nervous being alone with me. Good. She makes me feel all sorts of inexplicable emotions. Throwing her off of her game is a little justice in my book.
I stand. “Let’s go for a walk along the shore.”
“We should get back, Tyler. This has been wonderful, but I have work to do.”
“A small walk to help with digestion. And it’s Saturday. Work can wait.”
I have to smile. Though I’m not quite the workaholic my brothers are, I don’t count weekends as work-free time zones. There are always things that can be done. Sometimes progress is easier when the phone isn’t ringing quite as much.
“A walk does sounds good,” Olivia admits.
