Olivia, Striking Back - Danielle Norman Page 0,10

bikini-clad woman beside him.

Not that it really mattered if Rhys was attracted to Olivia. She knew she shouldn’t waste time caring around something as foolish as that.

“Okay, fine. He’s a little more than mildly attractive,” Olivia admitted.

“Well, that is a glowing review from the likes of Olivia Vinning,” Melanie said with a laugh.

Olivia pursed her lips and clicked two pieces of the Glock together, the sharp sound echoing around the room.

“It doesn’t matter what I think of Rhys,” she told Melanie and Sunday with a stern gaze. “Entertaining any kind of flirtation with him would compromise the case.”

“I don’t think that’s true,” Sunday rebutted.

“Mm-hmm, sounds like you’re just trying to make an excuse.”

“An excuse for what?” Olivia sighed.

Melanie shrugged. “You know, an excuse for why you won’t give a handsome, charming man a chance.”

“First, who says he wants a chance, and second, have you two forgotten that he’s the twin brother of the man we’re investigating for infidelity and spousal abuse?” Olivia deadpanned. “Not exactly the kind of thing that I’m eager to be up close and personal with once the case is over.”

Sunday tutted her tongue and closed the laptop. “How about we call it a day, ladies? Let’s save the discussions regarding Olivia’s nonexistent love life for later, yeah?”

Melanie giggled and nodded, but Olivia merely rolled her eyes and continued putting her weapon of choice back together with steely resolve.

Olivia

“So, Olivia, welcome back.” Dr. Bannon grinned as he settled onto the same seat he’d used on Tuesday. “How are you feeling this morning?”

Despite her best efforts, Olivia had no choice but to show up at Drake’s office on Thursday morning for her scheduled appointment. Olivia summoned the shy, awkward woman she hoped would entice Drake. As he requested, she had also forgone the jeans and opted for a loose maxi dress for their appointment.

She shrugged. “Not great.”

“You look tired,” said Drake. “I can always tell when a woman is exhausted. Difficulties with sleep have persisted, I assume.”

It was a harsh and somewhat rude observation, one that instinctively made Olivia bristle. She bit back that reaction and cast her eyes downward, portraying a woman who was ashamed to have someone see her weakness so clearly.

“Yes,” Olivia murmured. “And I thought about what you said last time…about, you know, wanting to feel desirable.”

“Oh? Tell me more.”

“Well, I think you’re right,” she said, biting her lip. “I’m missing something in my life. I’m missing a man. I feel really lost without the kind of relationships that my best friends are enjoying.”

“How astute of you to come to that realization,” Drake replied. “I can help you overcome that feeling of being left out.”

When Olivia looked up, his dark eyes were twinkling with arrogance, watching her the way one would watch a stumbling toddler try to figure out how to put one foot in front of the other.

“I’m really grateful that you can help me,” Olivia forced herself to say. “I’m very anxious to work through this issue.”

Drake nodded thoughtfully, shifting in his chair. For a second, Olivia was worried that he was going to stand and join her on the chaise, but he only crossed his ankle over his over knee and cleared his throat.

“The real issue, of course, is what we’re going to do about that lack in your life,” Drake said. “How are we going to fill that empty space inside you so that you can ease your anxiety and sleep better? What can I do to make you whole, Olivia?”

A chill raced down Olivia’s spine as she replayed his words in her mind. He wasn’t explicitly making a move on her, but it certainly seemed like he wanted to. Unfortunately, it was probably going to take more than just this session to get Drake to the point where he was actually tempted to put his hands on her.

Olivia needed to amp this up, she batted her eyes several times and shuffled her feet. Playing coy was not her strong suit. Biting her lip, she glanced out the window, purposefully avoiding Drake’s eyes.

“I was actually thinking that…gosh, it sounds pathetic—”

Drake cut her off with a disapproving click of his tongue. “Nothing you say will sound pathetic. You have a right to your feelings and I’m here for you, to help you work through those.”

Olivia fought back a flinch at the thought of him being there for her, she looked up at Drake through her eyelashes. “Well, it’s just that I was thinking I would probably feel a lot better if