was
born and has never even met his daughter.”
“And you’re serious about no boyfriend?”
“Yes.”
Staring at her delicate profile, Aiden searched for
any signs of deceit. When she glanced at him again and caught the way he was
looking at her, a warm blush covered her cheeks. “What is it?”
He blew out a rough breath. “I just find that really
hard to believe, Liv.”
“What?” She ran her hands up and down her biceps, as
if she was cold. “That I don’t have a boyfriend?”
“Yeah.”
She shrugged, turning back to the suitcase. “Sorry to
disappoint you, but it’s the truth. I ended my last relationship over a year
ago.”
Without meaning to, Aiden heard himself ask, “What
happened?”
Another soft laugh fell from her lips, but this one
had a brittle edge to it. “Let’s just say that he wasn’t the man I thought he
was.”
Aiden wanted to press her for details, but held back,
not knowing what to make of the unfamiliar burn in his chest. It had flared at
the thought of her with this unnamed male, as if the idea of her being with
another man actually mattered to him. Shaking his head at the bizarre,
completely unfamiliar concept, he watched as she sent a longing glance toward
the bottles of shampoo and conditioner she’d set on the dresser. “Go on and
take your shower,” he murmured. “I’ll watch over Jamie.”
She stared down at her niece, clearly undecided.
“Liv, look at me.” He waited until she’d shifted that
smoky gaze back to his face, then said, “I’d rather die than hurt a kid. And
I’m sure as hell not going to let anything happen to this one. If you’re going
to make it through this, you’ve got to start trusting me.”
“I know that,” she whispered.
“So go on, then. I promise I won’t let anything happen
to her.”
She pulled out some clothes, then grabbed her
toiletries. When she reached the doorway she braced one hand against the
doorjamb and glanced over her shoulder. “Thank you, Aiden. For everything. I
promise I’ll figure out a way to repay you for all of this someday.”
“Not necessary. And if you need any help in there
scrubbing your back,” he drawled, giving her another wink, “just let me know.”
SHAKING HER HEAD at his outrageousness, Olivia shut
the bathroom door behind her. She showered quickly, and within ten minutes she
was dressed in her favorite ratty pair of navy sweats and a gray tank top, her
towel-dried hair hanging loose around her freshly scrubbed face. She was ready
to race for the covers, but the instant she opened the door, she found Aiden
sitting on the sofa that he’d pulled into the room, thumbing through a
dog-eared copy of one of her favorite erotic romances.
“What are you doing?” she gasped, while Jamie snored
softly from the bed, obviously out for the count.
Without taking his eyes off the page, he said, “I was
curious about what you like.”
“What I l-like?” she stammered.
The low rasp of his voice stroked her skin like a
sensuous touch as he quietly said, “You know. Sexually.”
Something isn’t right here, she thought, only too
aware of the differences between them. Men like Aiden Shrader never even looked
twice at women like her, and they certainly didn’t admit to being “curious”
about their sexual fantasies. Olivia had always been too plain for that. Her
older stepsister, Monica, had been the jaw-dropper in the family. Tall and
perfectly proportioned. Then there’d been her younger stepsister, Chloe, who
was so tiny and slim and ethereal. From the time of her father’s marriage to Monica
and Chloe’s mother, Olivia had always just…been there. Stuck in the middle.
Average, except for the overly top-heavy part. She supposed her hair and eyes
could be considered assets, but had always felt as if they were kind of wasted
on the rest of her.
And the rest didn’t add up to much. Especially when
you threw in the shyness and the stammer.
Still, she had her pride, and she
born and has never even met his daughter.”
“And you’re serious about no boyfriend?”
“Yes.”
Staring at her delicate profile, Aiden searched for
any signs of deceit. When she glanced at him again and caught the way he was
looking at her, a warm blush covered her cheeks. “What is it?”
He blew out a rough breath. “I just find that really
hard to believe, Liv.”
“What?” She ran her hands up and down her biceps, as
if she was cold. “That I don’t have a boyfriend?”
“Yeah.”
She shrugged, turning back to the suitcase. “Sorry to
disappoint you, but it’s the truth. I ended my last relationship over a year
ago.”
Without meaning to, Aiden heard himself ask, “What
happened?”
Another soft laugh fell from her lips, but this one
had a brittle edge to it. “Let’s just say that he wasn’t the man I thought he
was.”
Aiden wanted to press her for details, but held back,
not knowing what to make of the unfamiliar burn in his chest. It had flared at
the thought of her with this unnamed male, as if the idea of her being with
another man actually mattered to him. Shaking his head at the bizarre,
completely unfamiliar concept, he watched as she sent a longing glance toward
the bottles of shampoo and conditioner she’d set on the dresser. “Go on and
take your shower,” he murmured. “I’ll watch over Jamie.”
She stared down at her niece, clearly undecided.
“Liv, look at me.” He waited until she’d shifted that
smoky gaze back to his face, then said, “I’d rather die than hurt a kid. And
I’m sure as hell not going to let anything happen to this one. If you’re going
to make it through this, you’ve got to start trusting me.”
“I know that,” she whispered.
“So go on, then. I promise I won’t let anything happen
to her.”
She pulled out some clothes, then grabbed her
toiletries. When she reached the doorway she braced one hand against the
doorjamb and glanced over her shoulder. “Thank you, Aiden. For everything. I
promise I’ll figure out a way to repay you for all of this someday.”
“Not necessary. And if you need any help in there
scrubbing your back,” he drawled, giving her another wink, “just let me know.”
SHAKING HER HEAD at his outrageousness, Olivia shut
the bathroom door behind her. She showered quickly, and within ten minutes she
was dressed in her favorite ratty pair of navy sweats and a gray tank top, her
towel-dried hair hanging loose around her freshly scrubbed face. She was ready
to race for the covers, but the instant she opened the door, she found Aiden
sitting on the sofa that he’d pulled into the room, thumbing through a
dog-eared copy of one of her favorite erotic romances.
“What are you doing?” she gasped, while Jamie snored
softly from the bed, obviously out for the count.
Without taking his eyes off the page, he said, “I was
curious about what you like.”
“What I l-like?” she stammered.
The low rasp of his voice stroked her skin like a
sensuous touch as he quietly said, “You know. Sexually.”
Something isn’t right here, she thought, only too
aware of the differences between them. Men like Aiden Shrader never even looked
twice at women like her, and they certainly didn’t admit to being “curious”
about their sexual fantasies. Olivia had always been too plain for that. Her
older stepsister, Monica, had been the jaw-dropper in the family. Tall and
perfectly proportioned. Then there’d been her younger stepsister, Chloe, who
was so tiny and slim and ethereal. From the time of her father’s marriage to Monica
and Chloe’s mother, Olivia had always just…been there. Stuck in the middle.
Average, except for the overly top-heavy part. She supposed her hair and eyes
could be considered assets, but had always felt as if they were kind of wasted
on the rest of her.
And the rest didn’t add up to much. Especially when
you threw in the shyness and the stammer.
Still, she had her pride, and she
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