Sinful Ever After - Vivian Wood Page 0,38

end of the night, this sculpture is burned. Then your words will reach the heavens, hopefully.”

After a second, she reaches into the bowl for another piece of paper and begins folding it. One of the women that is in front of me moves to the podium, scribbling on a piece of paper. She drops it into the bowl and then leaves the room.

To my surprise, Olivia goes next. She squares her shoulders and goes up to the podium, grabbing the pen. She thinks for a second, then writes on the thin sheet of paper. Dropping it in the bowl, she turns to me with a smile.

“Are you going to do it?”

I shake my head. “Maybe later.”

She shrugs a shoulder, heading out of the room. I follow her from room to room, spending more time watching her than looking at the actual art that I paid to see. At the back of the house, we’re ushered out into the back lawn, where all the trees in the backyard are hung with different shapes, all in white. It feels sort of like a magical place back here and there are couples and trios walking amongst the trees.

“That was riveting,” Olivia says, cocking her head. “Especially the last room. All those facts about a person, strung together to form a human shape?”

“Is that what that was?” I muse. “I was wondering.”

She slides me a look. I expect her to say something, but instead she sighs.

“What?” I ask.

“What are your aspirations?” she whispers. “Or some interesting facts about you as a person? I feel like I know you because you’re my brother’s best friend, but actually… I don't think I do.”

I take a minute as I guide her toward the first tree to think about that. “Mmm. I want to travel, I guess. I haven’t ever really been anywhere except for when I traveled with the Navy. Which is cool, but not relaxing. I want to take my time and see the sights. Is that enough of an aspiration for you?”

She flushes a little. “I guess.”

Her tone of voice says no, though. I sigh.

“Alright. Let’s see. I’ve got my sister, who is maybe a year younger than you. I’ve got my dad, who is a fucking asshole. I can’t read, which caused my dad no end of embarrassment when I was a kid. I signed up for the Navy just to get out of the house.” I stop, screwing up my face. “I don't know. I don't know what it is you want to hear.”

Her face draws down. “I don't know. Anything. Anything that actually means something to you. Stop… like, reciting facts. Tell me what is in here.”

She taps my chest, just over my heart. I catch her hand before she can withdraw it, holding it against my sternum. She looks at me, her eyes so damn blue that they take my breath away. She blushes but she doesn’t look away. She just bites her lower lip gently.

“I was surprised when you turned up at the Morgan estate,” I rumble. “Surprised and annoyed. But… I don't know. I am just… I’m glad that you’re here. I’m… enjoying getting to know you, for us to get to know one another, as adults.”

She couldn’t look more surprised if she tried. “You are?”

My face creases when I smile down at her. “Yeah. Duh. You’re worth knowing, Olive. This is part of our journey, I guess.”

She beams at me, making my heart falter.

“You shouldn’t do that,” I say.

A hint of puzzlement edges into her smile. “What?”

“That,” I say, shaking my head. “Smile at me like that. It’s not fair.”

She rolls her eyes. “Yeah, okay.”

“I’m completely serious.” I grip her captured hand harder against my heart. “You should be giving that look to anyone but me. Give it to someone who can make you happy, Olive.”

She stares at me for a few seconds, then shakes her head and wrests her hand from my grip. “You have a funny definition of unfair.”

She whirls, stalking away. And I stare after her like a complete fool, wanting her all the more, knowing I can’t have her.

Chapter Fifteen

Olivia

It’s a Sunday, late in the afternoon. I’m in Aiden’s Jeep, with my head out the window, resting on my arm. I reached a stopping point in my work at almost the same time as Aiden came bounding up the staircase to the ballroom, asking me if I wanted to go visit Grayson with him.

Grayson is apparently taking a break from roughing it in the