Luscious (3 page)

“I’m taking your suitcase out to the car,” Sean yelled up from the foyer.

“You don’t have to do that. I’ll get it,” she yelled back. Olivia heard the screen door swing shut behind him.

Nonna Lucia patted her on the hand. “You go.”

“Nonna, I can’t leave you alone.”

“Olivia,
cara
, I’m a grown woman. I came to check on
you
, remember? I’m not ready to go home just yet. Take your vacation. And,
mio
Dio
, give your mother enough to worry about so that she doesn’t come here looking for me. I need a break too.” Nonna’s chocolate brown eyes sparkled.

Olivia hadn’t considered that her mother called every day. Sometimes twice. If neither of them appeared at Villa Farfalla, her mother was sure to come looking for them.

Nonna gave her a gentle push. “I’ll move into your bedroom while you’re gone if you don’t mind. I don’t like the stairs.” Nonna looked thoughtful. “Benito and I will come next week for
la
Sagra
dell’Uva
. It’s been a long time since our last gala. It’s time. Go,
cara
. Your man is waiting.”

“He’s not my man,” Olivia said automatically.

Her grandmother snorted. “You forget who you are talking to. I saw him walk by the restaurant twice a day, every day, for four years when you two were in school together. What happened?”

Olivia ignored the question and leaned to hug her, breathing in her lemony scent. “
Ciao
, Nonna.”

Her grandmother laughed softly.

Olivia grabbed the keys to her house and car and handed them to Nonna, knowing she’d have to warn her. “I’ve put the house on the market. The real estate agent’s name is Tricia Banner. I’ll make sure she knows to call before bringing anyone over.”

Her grandmother arched her delicate eyebrows. “Why are you selling your house,
cara
?”

Olivia looked away. “It’s time for a change.” She heard Sean open the front door, so she stood up. “Don’t worry, the market isn’t very good right now. I’ll make sure you can stay as long as you want. Unless you plan to shack up with Big Daddy?”

Nonna laughed, but she didn’t deny it. “
Ti
voglio
bene
, Olivia. Travel safely. I love you.”

“I love you too.” Olivia dipped to kiss her grandmother’s soft cheek, then strode out of the bedroom carrying the scent of Nonna’s lemons in her hair and the ever-present echo of a frustrated shriek in the back of her skull.

***

“Why are you carrying your briefcase?” Olivia asked. Rather than leave her at the departure curb, Sean had insisted on escorting her into the airport.

“I can’t leave these files in the car,” he explained, slinging his large leather bag over his shoulder. He rolled her suitcase behind him, forcing her to trail after him with her carry-on.

“You really didn’t have to park, Sean. I’m quite capable of getting myself on an airplane.”

In fact, she was glad to be traveling alone now. It had been ages since she felt this free from responsibility—no orders to call in, no delivery slips to sign, no schedules to write, no mistakes to explain to anyone. The pressure had been paralyzing. It had been getting harder and harder to choose a task, to make a decision. There had been too many people depending on her to do the right thing every second of the day, until all she wanted to do was crawl into the office and hide under the desk. Getting away from everything was just what she needed.

Sean tugged her driver’s license and passport out of her hand, and she let him—more evidence of the passivity that had overtaken her formerly authoritative self. He handed her documents to the skycap. Woodenly, Olivia answered his questions. Yes, she’d packed her bags herself. Yes, they had been in her presence the entire time. She turned her back while she jammed her documents back into her purse so Sean wouldn’t see the sudden tears in her eyes. A dull roar filled her ears and she walked a few feet and sat down on a bench.

When had the moment occurred? The actual moment when she surrendered, succumbed to personal inertia and professional paralysis? Had there been a moment? Or had it happened gradually?

Both, she thought, standing up and following Sean as he rolled her bag into the terminal, no longer resenting his company quite as much. It was nice of him to be here for her, especially when he had to be in court. At least, she assumed he had to be in court because he was wearing a dark suit that made his gray eyes look silver. His white shirt was starched and his fashionable tie was knotted perfectly, as per usual. He walked toward security with the air of a man who knew exactly where he was going.

He motioned her in front of him and handed her tickets to the uniformed guard. Sean slipped out of his shoes and put them in a plastic bin.

She stopped taking off her own shoes and turned to him. “What are you doing? You can’t go to the gate unless you have a ticket.”

His steady gray eyes gleamed. “I do have a ticket. I’m going with you.”

“No, you are not.” Olivia’s eyes blazed.

He’d been expecting resistance. “Now that hurts my feelings. I have business in Italy. Come on, we need to keep the line moving.”

She stepped to the side. “I don’t care about the line. I want to know why you’re following me.”

Other passengers shot him irritated glances as he doubled back to join her. “Don’t you want company?” he asked.

“No, Sean, I don’t want company. I want space.”

“You can have all the space you want. I promise I’ll keep my hands to myself. Mostly.” Her eyes widened. “Relax,” he urged. “You don’t want to cause a scene. We’ll only end up delayed.”

She shook her head. “I’m not going anywhere until you tell me why you’re doing this.” She lifted her chin, eyes hard, like jade only colder. Her blond hair fell forward into her face and she brushed it back in a quick gesture, biting her lower lip.

He had fantasized about the taste of her lips for so long that he had made it a rule to keep three solid feet between them while she was married. His heart beat faster as he stepped closer to her, close enough to smell the flowery scent of her hair.

He leaned down to whisper, “Because it’s never too late. You put your house on the market and you gave Marlene power-of-attorney over Chameleon. I know you put all of your financial affairs in order too.” As her lawyer, he knew exactly how she had rearranged her finances after the divorce. “You’re running away, Olivia, and I’m starting to think you aren’t coming back.” He paused, feeling his pulse hammer. “So my question is this: Did you think I wouldn’t notice, or did you think I wouldn’t care?”

He heard the sharp rush of air as she gasped. Fear, or maybe guilt, crossed her expression before she spoke. “I didn’t think it was any of your business.”

“But you’re my client, Olivia, and as such you
are
my business. Speaking of which, how did Marlene react when you gave her those papers?”

Olivia looked away.

Sean pressed his advantage. “You didn’t give them to her, did you?”

She didn’t answer his question. “I don’t want to talk about it.”

The security guard had run out of patience with them. Thankfully, Olivia responded to his curt gesture and walked through the metal detector. Sean spoke to her back as she collected her shoes. “Olivia, we have a layover in New York. You can ditch me there if you really want to be alone, I promise.” He stepped back, giving her the space she wanted. For now.

“Fine.” She swept forward, leaving him behind with her carry-on. Relief and triumph soared within him as he followed her to their gate.

She ignored him until their flight was called and didn’t comment when he pointed to their first-class seats. Apparently, a business-upgrade wasn’t going to score him any points, but at least they would be more comfortable. He was prepared for a barrage of questions, but she said nothing, instead turning to stare out the tiny window as he took his seat. He waited, allowing his gaze to slide over her with a familiarity he wouldn’t dare use if she were paying attention. He longed to soothe the coiled tension from her shoulders, to brush her soft hair away from her face.

“Why are you here, Sean?” She spoke without looking away from the window.

“Same reason you are.”

“That’s not an answer. Don’t give me lawyer double-talk.”

She looked at her lap and her hair fell forward again. He caught it with his fingers and tucked it behind her ear. Satisfaction burst through him, but subsided as she froze like a trapped rabbit.

The plane began to taxi, and she gripped the arms of her seat, looking like she might shatter if they hit a bump on the runway. Tired of resisting, he picked up her hand, caressing her knuckles with his thumb. He could feel the strength in her palm, the callus at the base of her index finger, and the rough skin created by constant abuse in the kitchen. They were capable hands, working hands, and sexy as hell.

She turned toward him as they lifted into the air. Her expression was tense, and he ached to smooth the lines between her brows until they disappeared. He wanted her green eyes to be clear and unshadowed, not haunted and bruised. What had prompted her to close up her life like a summer resort in September? People didn’t sign over power of attorney and put their house on the market just to take a vacation. She was running away, and he didn’t want her to go.

Her green eyes flashed and he knew he had to answer her question somehow. When in doubt, stall—his favorite legal trick. “Olivia, we’ve got a five-and-a-half hour layover in New York, and I have dinner reservations at Trio. Can we talk then?” He let that sink in.

If he could get her to dinner, maybe he could get her to Italy. Trio was rumored to be the next restaurant in New York to receive three Michelin stars. Reservations were nearly impossible for the average mortal to attain, but Nonna Lucia’s position as Big Daddy’s girlfriend had distinct privileges. Nonna had also been happy to share Olivia’s itinerary, once he had admitted his desire to join her.

“I want to talk now,” Olivia insisted.

“Not before I get some wine into you,” he countered.

She shook her head slowly. “I don’t think so. You and wine have a bizarre effect on me. I don’t want to embarrass myself again.” Her words hung there, finally acknowledged.

“I didn’t say no,” he said quietly.

Olivia raised her eyebrows. “Could have fooled me.” Her words were bold, but her hand trembled in his.

“I said ‘not tonight.’ Remember?” Of course she did or she wouldn’t have used the exact same phrase yesterday.

She tugged her hand out of his grasp.

Recklessly, Sean reached out to cup her cheek. “Was there an expiration date on your offer?”

***

Olivia felt her jaw drop. She shut her mouth with a click she hoped was only audible to her.
You
bet
your
ass
there’s an expiration date.
And it had run out the minute Sean left her house last June and she’d finished that bottle of wine by herself. Actually, no, before that—it had run out the very second she had read rejection in his blank expression and had known her ex-husband was right. She was a cold bitch, and no one else would ever want her.

Olivia gripped his wrist. His hand still framed her face. She tugged on it, but he didn’t budge. His eyes flashed from their usual calm gray to hot silver and she paused, startled, a stinging retort caught in her throat.

He covered her mouth with his lips.

For a split second, her body sagged in relief, surrendering so suddenly and profoundly that she felt as if someone had cut her strings. Breath whooshed out of her lungs. Her hands gripped his jacket for balance. His lips moved confidently over hers and his sweet, warm breath filled her mouth.

Sean thrust the armrest out of the way so it no longer divided their seats, and she felt his hand slide into her hair. What should she do? Push him away or pull him closer?

He kissed her again before she could decide.

His hands were warm on her cheeks as he tilted her head to better align his lips with hers. She shut her eyes and let go of all thought. His mouth was soft and firm at the same time. His lips led hers in an easy dance, not giving her a chance to falter.

She felt the tip of his tongue tease her lips and she stiffened, inhaling sharply. Doubt chilled her. She released her grip on his lapel and flattened her palms on his chest, pushing him away. Too much. Too fast.

Sean locked his arms behind her waist and kept her as close as their fastened seat belts would allow. She arched her back and cleared her throat loudly. “It’s not very professional to kiss your clients, counselor.”

“I’m on vacation.” His eyes flashed again, warning her. “And I quit. Kissing is the least of what I want to do to you.”

The distance she had put between them seemed to disappear. “Sean, I wasn’t…that night, I didn’t mean to, I mean, I don’t want—”

“Yes, you did. And I hope you still do.”

She was frightened by how much she wanted to bury her face in his neck and discover if his shirt would feel soft beneath her cheek or if the dry cleaner’s chemicals had left it scratchy and rough. Sean was the genuine article, a good guy, dependable—and a big, fat, glaring contrast to her ex-husband. Sean had always been there for her. It was why she had gravitated toward him in high school and also why she had wanted him to make love to her two months ago. It was damn hard to resist him now. But leaning on Sean wouldn’t solve her problems. She didn’t want to drag him into her meltdown. Olivia reached behind her and removed his hands from around her waist.

She cleared her throat again but was mercifully saved from speaking by the intercom clicking on as the pilot made an announcement about their cruising altitude. She gathered her thoughts. “Sean, that was two months ago—why now? Why yesterday?”

“I’ll tell you during dinner.” He pulled the flight magazine from the seat pocket in front of him. “Want one?”

She shook her head in disbelief, angling her body away from him as he opened the magazine. How could he be so blasé about what had just happened between them? Her thoughts felt as scattered as the cirrus clouds beneath them. Why couldn’t he have said yes two months ago? They could have had their catastrophe and gotten it over with.

She blinked, rolling her eyes as they began to sting. This situation called for laughter, not tears. He was following her to Italy to have sex with her, and she wasn’t even good in bed. The irony was hilarious.

The sudden jolt of the plane touching down on the runway made her jump. How long had she been staring off into space? She hadn’t even realized they were descending. When the seat belt light blinked off, she quickly unbuckled and waited for Sean to step aside so she could retrieve her luggage. He lifted it easily from the overhead bin but didn’t object when she grasped the handle and tugged it out of his hand. He stood so close behind her she imagined she could feel the line of his long body pressed against her. Her heightened awareness of him became painful as she waited.

She exhaled in relief as the line of passengers began to move. When they reached the humid tunnel, Sean kept pace with her. He caught her arm as they entered the concourse. “Please have dinner with me.”

She gave him the first excuse that came to mind. “I’m not dressed for Trio.”

He shrugged. “You look perfect.” He expertly herded her toward the moving walkway.

She halted and stood firm against the hand he placed on her lower back. All evidence to the contrary, she was not a sheep. “You wore a fancy suit on a transatlantic flight, so that you could take me to dinner in New York?”

“Yes.”

“You don’t think that’s impractical? Or at the very least uncomfortable?”

His grin was as careless as his shrug. “I spend all day in a suit. Doesn’t bother me. Casual wear was easier to pack anyway.”

Olivia crossed her arms. Curiosity rose inside her. He had followed her, kissed her. Two months ago he had rejected her. Yesterday, he had propositioned her. Why had he changed his mind?

He leaned down to whisper. “Chef’s tasting menu.” She shivered but didn’t take the bait. “Wine pairing,” he murmured, urging her forward with an arm around her waist now.

Olivia dug in her heels and stared defiantly at the dry-looking sandwiches in the airport café display.

The air from Sean’s sigh stirred the hair at her temple. “Let’s make a deal. If I can’t convince you it’s a good idea to let me go with you to Italy, then I’ll fly back to Norton tonight.” She glanced up at him. The grim light in his eyes told her that he had conceded more than he wanted to.

“Deal.” She took a step toward the walkway, but Sean held her back. His arms encircled her waist. He raised one hand to smooth her hair out of her eyes. Olivia felt her lips part.

A faint smile drifted across his lips. He didn’t kiss her again.