Olivia, Striking Back - Danielle Norman Page 0,39

Olivia gasped, closing the remaining distance between them. “I didn’t kiss him. You actually burst in there just in time. And now we have the evidence, so actually…what you did was perfect.”

Rhys chewed on that for a moment, relieved that Olivia didn’t actually kiss his twin.

“Come on,” he said at last, grabbing the spare helmet from the saddlebag. “Let’s get out of here.”

Olivia breathed a sigh of relief and took the helmet from him, shoving it onto her head without hesitation. She was wearing a dress, so it was a little difficult to maneuver herself onto the motorcycle, but thankfully the dress was knee-length and flowing enough to cover her properly as she leaned into Rhys’s back and held on tight.

They raced off into the sun.

Rhys

The engine roared beneath them as Rhys’s fists clenched tight around the handlebars, sailing down the highway. He didn’t know if he’d ever been so angry in his entire life. Not at Olivia, of course. She was just doing her job.

He was angry at his brother.

Still, the betrayal flickered within him. He doubted that Olivia realized just how much she meant to him. He wasn’t sure if he realized it fully, but he knew that he couldn’t just sit there and watch his brother victimize another woman, even if it was fake.

Rhys clenched his jaw as he exited the highway and turned onto a dirt road. They had been riding for the last twenty minutes as he tried to cool off and clear his head. He didn’t want to yell and scare her or make her think that he was anything remotely like Drake or, God forbid, her father.

Rhys parked the motorcycle and let it idle while he sat still in the seat with his head lowered. He took three steady breaths, and his heart softened at the way her fingers flexed around his waist. Though he couldn’t say it yet, he knew his feelings for her went much deeper than fond attraction. He was falling for her.

Rhys pulled off his helmet and then looked over his shoulder at her. Olivia was removing her helmet as well. She was so beautiful. He couldn’t help but smile at her, and his fingers itched to touch the windswept tangles of her hair.

“Are you okay?” he asked.

“Yeah, I’m okay,” she replied, climbing off the motorcycle and taking a few steps back. “Look, Rhys. I know you’re angry, but you have to remember that I am a private investigator. This is my job. This is what Lila hired me for. Obviously, it rarely involves kissing dangerous men, but this was a special case.”

She looked like she might cry, which caused his heart to feel like it was shattering. “Olivia, it’s okay.”

Olivia shook her head. “You mean so much to me. It sounds really stupid, considering that we just met, but I do care about you. I don’t want to hurt you. I did what I had to do to help Lila, and I’m not sorry for that, but I am sorry that you had to witness it.”

He closed the distance between them and embraced her tightly, attempting to neaten her hair. “You are the bravest woman, Olivia. There’s no need for you to apologize to me. I’m the one who should be sorry he overreacted. Honestly, I’m crazy about you…and your wild hair right now.”

She laughed, then shoved her face into his neck to hug him close.

“Can you promise me something, though?” he asked.

“Promise you what?”

“Well, I know you’re a tough Iron Lady with a Glock and sharp tongue who can take care of yourself, but could you give me a little warning the next time you need to make out with a client for the sake of justice?” He chuckled. “I’m sure you didn’t actually need me to come to the rescue back there, but I’m glad I did. Can you promise me you’ll tell me next time something like that needs to go down?”

“Of course,” murmured Olivia, her voice slightly muffled in the fabric of his soft T-shirt. “I promise. And anyway, I don’t mind that you came to my rescue today. It was kind of hot.”

Rhys snorted. “You wild, wild woman…”

Olivia

Olivia strode into the conference room, hand in hand with Rhys.

“Well, that sounded like it was a fucking adventure!” Adeline said, reclined in the chair. “I don’t know that I’ve ever been more emotionally exhausted, and I wasn’t even there.”

“Yeah, sorry about that,” Olivia said, smiling sheepishly.

“No, it’s fine,” Sunday said and frowned at Adeline. “I