her eyes at the effect of it. I take in her appearance, and suddenly, I’m the one who has to hold back my laughter.
“I wish I could say I’ve seen worse, but…well, I haven’t.”
She frowns, and when realization dawns on her face, she swings to look at herself in the mirror and gasps. Her mascara is streaking down her cheeks, and she looks like a raccoon that’s been run over and left in the wild for days.
Once most of the water is cleaned up, I head home to search for another elbow cap to help with the water pressure. When I’m finally finished for the day, I glance outside, realizing night has fallen. Olivia walks over sheepishly. The gratitude is written all over her face, and it makes me uncomfortable. It wasn’t a huge deal—what I did here today. She doesn’t need to get all emotional about it or read into it, any more than necessary.
“You should be fine for now. I’d leave the plug on it, just until I can come finish the rest.”
She nods. “Got it. I’ll keep the plug on. Are you…hungry? I mean, you worked a long time. I can call something in, or we can stop for something. My treat, of course.”
The hopeful flare in her eyes gives me pause. If things were different, if my life was different, I might find that gleam attractive. I might find myself wanting to take her up on that offer, but I can’t. That’s just not my reality.
Chances are, I’ll never be able to have that life. Not until I know Ryder is safe, and he’s permanently back in my care again.
“I’m good.”
Her mouth snaps shut, and she purses her lips thoughtfully, for a second, before she starts nodding slowly, as though she’s trying to process. I can tell by her expression she wants to say more but decides not to. She forces a smile and walks me out.
Before I leave, Olivia stops me at the door, with her hand on my wrist, keeping me from leaving. Slowly, I turn and direct my focus to her hand on my skin. Every cell and neuron in my body begins vibrating. I feel her touch deeply, as if she’s somehow latched onto the bone, bypassing all the outer layers of skin. With one touch alone, she’s managed to get under my skin, ingraining her touch and the soft feel of her skin in my mind. I feel her delicate hands, the soft pads of her fingers, within the darkest depths of my soul; her touch is incinerating. I feel it everywhere. The talons of attraction have pierced my skin and lodged deep enough that they’ll never come lose, not ever.
Something passes between us at that moment, something tangible that we both feel. I can practically fucking taste it. It’s trouble. A tremor travels down my spine, at the premonitions rolling through my body. I try to brush aside the sensations, the way her touch is making me feel. I try to make it seem like it’s nothing at all when, really, this moment, right here, standing over the threshold of her house with her hand on me, feels like everything.
Slowly, I detach myself from her grip, and she clears her throat, realizing we’ve been staring at one another without speaking for far too long. An inviting pink rises to her cheeks again. She clears her throat, working a swallow that I hear travel down her throat. “I just wanted to say thank you. I know you didn’t have to do any of this, and without my parents here…I just want you to know I appreciate it, and I’d love to pay you back sometime, in any way.”
I almost groan at all the ways a man can take that sentence. Does she not realize the power she holds? How many would take her up on that offer and take advantage of her?
The man from the bar the other night comes to mind, and I frown. Fury suddenly shoots down my spine like a straight shot.
“No need.” I brush off the idea altogether and start to turn, needing an escape. If I stay here a minute longer, I’ll end up doing something I can’t take back, like fucking her, right here, against this wall. Hell, her scent is so distracting, I feel like I’ve been plugging my nose almost all day. It’s a combination of something sweet, like honey and a soft floral scent. I don’t know if it’s her essence or