She mentally grimaced. Here we go…
“Oh, really? Spill.”
She filled Josie in on what she claimed was their first encounter when she’d walked in on Eion and Kris. She wasn’t about to divulge the time she’d spent alone with him at the clinic. Josie’s imagination had always been a bit too combustible and she wasn’t about to add fuel to it. Then Olivia recounted the time at Chuck’s after Taylor had proposed and when she’d gone riding the following day.
“He actually came up to you after Taylor had proposed and had the nerve to ask if you loved your boyfriend?” Josie shook her head. “Strange.”
“I know…but later on my ride, Eion claimed he was looking out for me, since he and Kris used to be such good friends and he apologized.”
Josie blew her long bangs out of her eyes then took a long draw on her beer. “You said he came by today, too?”
“Yeah. He’s offered to work on the ranch while Kris recovers. Wants to help us out.” Olivia plucked a few peanuts from the bowl on the scratched oak table.
“I see… He wants to help you guys out. I wonder what else Mr. Tall, Dark, and Delicious wants to help himself to?”
“Josie!” Olivia’s heart pounded at the idea. And she wasn’t sure if it was because she was appalled at her friend’s statement or thrilled. “I’m dating Taylor.”
“I’m just making an observation.” Josie lifted her palms, feigning innocence. “For a man who has had nothing to do with you guys in years, suddenly he seems to be running into you a lot.”
“I hardly think he’s sitting up at night thinking up his next excuse to see me .” Olivia scoffed.
“But after all these years, Livvy Wilson, you still have a thing for him. Don’t you?” Josie’s mouth curled into a devilish grin.
Heat bloomed up Olivia’s neck. Oh, dear God. She could not be that obvious. “Maybe there is a still a small part of me that isn’t quite over that crush.” She shrugged.
“I knew it!” Josie sat back and lifted her bottle.
“Even if there was a miniscule part of me that does, Josie McAllister, you can’t breathe a word.”
“You know I wouldn’t do that,” she whispered. “What happens on girls’ night, stays right here.” She mimicked a zipping action across her lips, and the tension in Olivia’s chest eased a fraction.
“Taylor’s a wonderful man.”
“Yes, he is.”
“And even if I’m not ready to marry Taylor, I do love him. Besides, none of us knows anything about Eion anymore or why he left town. That’s why I’m doing my best to stay focused on what’s really important—the constants in my life I can count on, you, Kris, the ranch, the clinic, and Taylor.”
“Smart girl. Because something tells me these little run-ins with the mysterious Mr. Mandrake might not be over.”
That was exactly what Olivia was afraid of.
Chapter Nine
Waiting for the sun to finally set was like watching grass grow. Eion paced the confines of his house, about to come unglued if he didn’t get the chance to run soon. Running in the light of day was too much of a risk, even on his own land.
He should have never touched Liv.
Feeling the silken fall of her hair next to his skin—irresistible. A fantasy come to life.
Eion ripped his shirt from his torso. The memory was an agonizing tease he’d never get out of his head.
His heart pounded and his shaft throbbed from the constant denial to claim his mate. Not that he couldn’t find temporary relief alone, but it was never enough, and especially not when he was this close to her. He breathed deep. Even now, her scent lingered in his nostrils. Lemongrass and wild roses. Exotic, fresh, and sweet.
Orange and yellow bands of color streaked the horizon as the sun settled behind the hillside. Finally . Eion pulled open the back door and scanned the area, ensuring he was indeed without an audience. The chirps of nearby crickets filled his ears along with the occasional throaty moo of the
“Oh, really? Spill.”
She filled Josie in on what she claimed was their first encounter when she’d walked in on Eion and Kris. She wasn’t about to divulge the time she’d spent alone with him at the clinic. Josie’s imagination had always been a bit too combustible and she wasn’t about to add fuel to it. Then Olivia recounted the time at Chuck’s after Taylor had proposed and when she’d gone riding the following day.
“He actually came up to you after Taylor had proposed and had the nerve to ask if you loved your boyfriend?” Josie shook her head. “Strange.”
“I know…but later on my ride, Eion claimed he was looking out for me, since he and Kris used to be such good friends and he apologized.”
Josie blew her long bangs out of her eyes then took a long draw on her beer. “You said he came by today, too?”
“Yeah. He’s offered to work on the ranch while Kris recovers. Wants to help us out.” Olivia plucked a few peanuts from the bowl on the scratched oak table.
“I see… He wants to help you guys out. I wonder what else Mr. Tall, Dark, and Delicious wants to help himself to?”
“Josie!” Olivia’s heart pounded at the idea. And she wasn’t sure if it was because she was appalled at her friend’s statement or thrilled. “I’m dating Taylor.”
“I’m just making an observation.” Josie lifted her palms, feigning innocence. “For a man who has had nothing to do with you guys in years, suddenly he seems to be running into you a lot.”
“I hardly think he’s sitting up at night thinking up his next excuse to see me .” Olivia scoffed.
“But after all these years, Livvy Wilson, you still have a thing for him. Don’t you?” Josie’s mouth curled into a devilish grin.
Heat bloomed up Olivia’s neck. Oh, dear God. She could not be that obvious. “Maybe there is a still a small part of me that isn’t quite over that crush.” She shrugged.
“I knew it!” Josie sat back and lifted her bottle.
“Even if there was a miniscule part of me that does, Josie McAllister, you can’t breathe a word.”
“You know I wouldn’t do that,” she whispered. “What happens on girls’ night, stays right here.” She mimicked a zipping action across her lips, and the tension in Olivia’s chest eased a fraction.
“Taylor’s a wonderful man.”
“Yes, he is.”
“And even if I’m not ready to marry Taylor, I do love him. Besides, none of us knows anything about Eion anymore or why he left town. That’s why I’m doing my best to stay focused on what’s really important—the constants in my life I can count on, you, Kris, the ranch, the clinic, and Taylor.”
“Smart girl. Because something tells me these little run-ins with the mysterious Mr. Mandrake might not be over.”
That was exactly what Olivia was afraid of.
Chapter Nine
Waiting for the sun to finally set was like watching grass grow. Eion paced the confines of his house, about to come unglued if he didn’t get the chance to run soon. Running in the light of day was too much of a risk, even on his own land.
He should have never touched Liv.
Feeling the silken fall of her hair next to his skin—irresistible. A fantasy come to life.
Eion ripped his shirt from his torso. The memory was an agonizing tease he’d never get out of his head.
His heart pounded and his shaft throbbed from the constant denial to claim his mate. Not that he couldn’t find temporary relief alone, but it was never enough, and especially not when he was this close to her. He breathed deep. Even now, her scent lingered in his nostrils. Lemongrass and wild roses. Exotic, fresh, and sweet.
Orange and yellow bands of color streaked the horizon as the sun settled behind the hillside. Finally . Eion pulled open the back door and scanned the area, ensuring he was indeed without an audience. The chirps of nearby crickets filled his ears along with the occasional throaty moo of the
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