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“We have the family papers,” he said.
“Havaror. I wonder what it means. Something like thatcher or blacksmith?”
“It means guardian defender.”
“Of course it does.” She reached out and put a hand on his arm. Took a step closer as she laughed. “Oh, wait. You’re not kidding, are you?”
“Nope.” He lifted a lock of her hair and twirled it around his finger. “I like the smell of your shampoo. It smells fresh, like the islands and cocktails on the beach.”
“I—” She smiled.
Nutsbe had wanted to taste that smile since he’d met her.
“My last name is Gladstone–I don’t think I have a story—.” She blinked long lashes.
He was close enough now to see the gold and navy flecks in her blue eyes. Her lids closed, and as she pressed up onto her toes, her breasts brushed along his chest. His dick was damned aware of her warm pressure, the softness of her curves. He moved his hands to her hips, wrapping them in his grip and pulling her in tighter. As she lifted higher, bringing her mouth closer to his, Nutsbe lowered his head and slowly swept his lips over hers, feeling the tingle of the barely touching kiss.
Olivia gave the tiniest gasp, a sip of air.
Her hands splayed across his back, holding him in place, pulling him tighter, waiting for more.
Nutsbe glided his palms up her sides, dipping at her tiny waist. Brushing her hair from her face, he cupped her cheeks.
Once again, he skimmed his lips over hers. The soft warmth teased his senses.
Pressing her hips to him, Olivia trapped his cock against her stomach, humming a needy “mmm” that made his entire body vibrate with expectation.
Her eyes shut; her breath was feathery against his skin.
Tangling his fingers into her hair, tugging gently until she moaned. This time, he held the kiss until her mouth opened to him. Supporting her head in the palm of his hand, he deepened the pressure, his tongue finding hers and letting her decide what felt good.
Need washed over Nutsbe’s skin.
It was a disorienting kiss. This kiss was velvet and starlight. It was the kiss of belonging, a kiss that defied any expectation that he might have entertained. It was both lust and redemption. He wanted to explore those sensations and understand why this kiss was different than all the others he’d had.
And he also didn’t want her to think he was a horny teen without finesse or self-control. He couldn’t imagine that she was experiencing the euphoria that sang through his body. So he pulled his emotions inward.
Heart racing, Nutsbe lowered his forehead to hers. It was the best he could do while he regained some semblance of emotional balance.
And Nutsbe was gratified that he wasn’t the only one thrown for a loop. Olivia moved her hands to his biceps and clung unsteadily.
“Oh,” she exhaled, raising her head and blinking at him.
He wasn’t to a place yet where words would come. He tried to read Olivia’s eyes, where emotions swirled.
And then, she, too, seemed to retract the surface emotions. “Uhm. Thank you. That was nice. Really nice.” She lowered herself to stand flatfooted. She seemed to be listening to her inner dialogue. What she shared with Nutsbe was, “But I have to tell you my life is complicated right now—well, usually. But, in particular, right now.” Her hands moved from his arms to lay flat against his chest—both connected and distancing.
Surely, she could feel his heart thrumming under her fingers.
“Yeah, I got that impression.” Nutsbe struggled to sound casual. He needed to accept the boundaries she was nailing into place.
“So you'd understand if I said that was a really nice kiss. Really nice.”
“I agree, really nice.” This was the brush-off.
“Okay.” She took a step back but left her hands where they were. “So we understand each other?”
“Olivia, it's okay.” He smiled. He wanted her to experience zero pressure from him. God knew she was right. After what Kennedy had shared about her involvement with terrorists, the case she was trying, the divorce from a fugitive, the sniper—who had the mental space for a new relationship? He was proud of her that she knew her capacity. “We can be friends and neighbors who share a backyard. Oh, hey.” He reached into his pocket and pulled out the radio collar for Henrietta. “My next day off, I’ll put in a doggy door and teach Henrietta how to go in on her own. On rainy days, you can send her over to my yard to play without you getting wet. She just needs to learn a command, and she can get herself through the gate and stay safely inside until you come to get her.”
