confident, defiant even, yet the fact that she had never met such a man nor probably ever would was a painful knot in her stomach.
She braced herself from some caustic remark about her past. Instead, he tucked her arm around his and leaned back into his seat.
They sat in silence like that for a while. A warm and fuzzy feeling uncurled in her stomach as she studied his profile. Even as she fought it, the truth crept in. Alexander, she realized with a slow, agonizing breath, could crumble her good intentions to protect her heart with one simple look or a heartfelt smile.
“Carlos informed me today that Kim never left the island,” he said, gazing straight ahead. “She’s still there.”
Olivia pulled back with a jerk, guilt a constant, heavy shackle she couldn’t shake. It was like a house arrest bracelet that screeched every time her heart ventured into forbidden territory.
Tight grooves bracketed his mouth. “I was a jerk when all you did was help.”
She tried to remind herself of the anger, the frustration she had felt that night when he’d blamed her for everything. But she had to admit that anyone who knew Kim would have doubts believing that she had fled her own wedding. For a man who dealt in absolutes, who never was plagued by doubts, Kim’s actions wouldn’t make sense, especially because he had believed her to be above it all.
“That’s all I get?” Her heart beat a stuttering tattoo against her rib cage. “If I remember right, I said I would settle for nothing but a grovel. And before you say you don’t know how, let me tell you. You go down on your knees, spread your arms wide, kiss the ground at my feet and say ‘Oh, great Olivia, please forgive me’.”
He burst out laughing, the sound of it rippling over her. A couple of women stumbled to a stop by their table and slid long glances at him. But his gaze didn’t turn from her.
“That’s what I like about you, your unending optimism.” His eyes sparked blue, the curve of his sensuous mouth lifted at the corners. He looked breathtaking, laughter etched into the stark lines of his face. “What can I do instead of the grovel? ”
“Keep smiling like that.”
His sinful mouth still curved, he shot an eyebrow up.
Breathe, Liv. “I mean, you rarely, if ever, laugh.” She drew her brows together in mock seriousness. “It’s always—make sure Emily’s okay, make sure my billion dollar empire is fine, make sure Olivia is not up to trouble. I agree the brooding look is definitely sexy, but when you laugh, you just...” She sighed, and shut her mouth, the amusement inching into his gaze heating up her cheeks.
He leaned forward. “Maybe it’s the present company that hasn’t given me much reason to laugh? Between figuring out where Kim is and trying not to forget I have some sense of right and wrong, which believe me is very hazy right now, maybe brooding is all I have left.”
Loaded silence hummed around them for a few seconds before they both burst out laughing.
“After dinner, we can—”
She shook her head. “No. I can’t stand another business dinner.”
What she couldn’t bear was the sense of inadequacy that was becoming second skin again. She had spent the better part of her life wishing she was more like her twin, had barely managed to train herself to accept that she would never even come close.
And every second she spent with Alexander, a little of that acceptance crumbled.
When he opened his mouth, she forged on, refusing to let him interrupt. “Even couples honeymooning need a break from each other, don’t they? Or if that ruins the image of perfect marriage you’re supposed to have, you can tell them I’m tired from all the crazy monkey sex we’ve been having...”
Their gazes collided and held, her breath hitching in her throat. The blue of his pupils darkened. He leaned back into his chair, moving his neck this way and that. “Crazy monkey sex, huh? Is this your way of punishing me because I
She braced herself from some caustic remark about her past. Instead, he tucked her arm around his and leaned back into his seat.
They sat in silence like that for a while. A warm and fuzzy feeling uncurled in her stomach as she studied his profile. Even as she fought it, the truth crept in. Alexander, she realized with a slow, agonizing breath, could crumble her good intentions to protect her heart with one simple look or a heartfelt smile.
“Carlos informed me today that Kim never left the island,” he said, gazing straight ahead. “She’s still there.”
Olivia pulled back with a jerk, guilt a constant, heavy shackle she couldn’t shake. It was like a house arrest bracelet that screeched every time her heart ventured into forbidden territory.
Tight grooves bracketed his mouth. “I was a jerk when all you did was help.”
She tried to remind herself of the anger, the frustration she had felt that night when he’d blamed her for everything. But she had to admit that anyone who knew Kim would have doubts believing that she had fled her own wedding. For a man who dealt in absolutes, who never was plagued by doubts, Kim’s actions wouldn’t make sense, especially because he had believed her to be above it all.
“That’s all I get?” Her heart beat a stuttering tattoo against her rib cage. “If I remember right, I said I would settle for nothing but a grovel. And before you say you don’t know how, let me tell you. You go down on your knees, spread your arms wide, kiss the ground at my feet and say ‘Oh, great Olivia, please forgive me’.”
He burst out laughing, the sound of it rippling over her. A couple of women stumbled to a stop by their table and slid long glances at him. But his gaze didn’t turn from her.
“That’s what I like about you, your unending optimism.” His eyes sparked blue, the curve of his sensuous mouth lifted at the corners. He looked breathtaking, laughter etched into the stark lines of his face. “What can I do instead of the grovel? ”
“Keep smiling like that.”
His sinful mouth still curved, he shot an eyebrow up.
Breathe, Liv. “I mean, you rarely, if ever, laugh.” She drew her brows together in mock seriousness. “It’s always—make sure Emily’s okay, make sure my billion dollar empire is fine, make sure Olivia is not up to trouble. I agree the brooding look is definitely sexy, but when you laugh, you just...” She sighed, and shut her mouth, the amusement inching into his gaze heating up her cheeks.
He leaned forward. “Maybe it’s the present company that hasn’t given me much reason to laugh? Between figuring out where Kim is and trying not to forget I have some sense of right and wrong, which believe me is very hazy right now, maybe brooding is all I have left.”
Loaded silence hummed around them for a few seconds before they both burst out laughing.
“After dinner, we can—”
She shook her head. “No. I can’t stand another business dinner.”
What she couldn’t bear was the sense of inadequacy that was becoming second skin again. She had spent the better part of her life wishing she was more like her twin, had barely managed to train herself to accept that she would never even come close.
And every second she spent with Alexander, a little of that acceptance crumbled.
When he opened his mouth, she forged on, refusing to let him interrupt. “Even couples honeymooning need a break from each other, don’t they? Or if that ruins the image of perfect marriage you’re supposed to have, you can tell them I’m tired from all the crazy monkey sex we’ve been having...”
Their gazes collided and held, her breath hitching in her throat. The blue of his pupils darkened. He leaned back into his chair, moving his neck this way and that. “Crazy monkey sex, huh? Is this your way of punishing me because I
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