Distractions (The Rebound Series) (4 page)

“Crap,” Olivia murmured, even as she smiled guiltily at Alex.
 
She had completely forgotten about the food.
 
“There’s the pizza.”
 
She grabbed her robe hanging from the door hook outside her bathroom and threw it on to cover her nakedness.

“Hey, hang on.
 
Let me grab my wallet,” he said as he followed her out to her bedroom, stooping down to search through his discarded slacks.

Olivia smiled, shaking her head, “It’s my turn.
 
You bought dinner last time.”

“Olivia—,” Alex started to argue, but she happily shut her bedroom door behind her and made a beeline for her purse hanging next to the door.

She was still rifling through her purse, searching for her wallet, when she tugged the door open.
 
Without looking up, she asked, “How much is it?”

Silence.

Olivia glanced up, confused, but completely froze when she saw who was at the door.

“Hi, Livy.”

Miles
.

Alex shook his head the moment Olivia slammed the door in his face and he hurriedly tugged on his pants, reaching for his wallet in his back pocket.

He had never had to deal with a woman like Olivia.
 
He was always expected to pay for everything.
 
But he didn’t mind.
 
He was raised in a traditional family, in the sense that the man always provided.
 
His mother had never worked once whereas his father worked all the time.
 
As archaic as that sounded, it made Alex uncomfortable that Olivia was trying to pay for their food.

He swung open her bedroom door, still shirtless and slightly damp from the shower, intent on paying the delivery man before Olivia could.

But his brow furrowed when he noticed a motionless Olivia standing with the door propped open.
 
“Darling, what’s wrong?” he asked.
 
Olivia looked over her shoulder at him as he emerged from her bedroom and Alex’s concern grew.
 
Her face was pale, but her mouth was tight with anger.

And that was when Alex noticed the man standing in the doorway of Olivia’s apartment.
 

He wasn’t the delivery man, that was for sure.
 
He was wearing khakis with a crisp white button up shirt tucked into his waistline.
 
Blonde hair, brown eyes.

Alex tried to think back to the multiple pictures decorating Olivia’s apartment, scanning his memory to determine if this man was in any of them.

But Alex already had a suspicion of who this man was judging by the tenseness of Olivia’s body.

“Who is this, Livy?” Miles asked suddenly from the doorway, eyeing Alex with something close to distaste.
 
Alex felt anger slowly begin to flow through his body, but he didn’t respond.

“What the hell are you doing here, Miles?” Olivia asked, her voice icy.
 
Alex felt a surge of satisfaction, especially when Miles looked taken aback by Olivia’s hostile tone.
 
It would have been comical, in any other situation.

“You didn’t answer my text,” he started to explain, visibly growing more nervous by the second, “So, I came to check on you.”

When the fuck had he texted her?
Alex thought, as a stab of absurd jealousy hit him hard in the chest.

“I didn’t answer it for a reason,” Olivia said crisply.
 
“I can’t believe you even expected me to respond to you.”

Miles stared at her for a moment, swallowing thickly.
 
And then he flicked another look at Alex.
 
Alex almost smirked as he watched Miles absorb his and Olivia’s state of undress.
 
His nose scrunched up as though he smelled something awful.
 
Now, Alex wished that he had left a few marks on Olivia’s neck.

“I was worried about you.
 
That’s all, Livy,” Miles said softly, when he returned his gaze to Olivia.

“As you can see, I’m perfectly fine,” she responded curtly.
 
Her hand was still clenched on the handle of the door and Alex saw her knuckles turn white.
 
This had gone on long enough, Alex decided.

Alex walked up behind Olivia and placed his hand over hers on the handle.
 
Olivia glanced at him, her eyes like ice, but he saw her gaze soften.
 
Tugging Olivia closer, he looked down at Miles, noting with satisfaction that the man was only a couple inches taller than Olivia.
 
Alex held out a hand, “I’m Alex Matlock.
 
I don’t think we’ve met yet.”

Red splotches started to emerge on Miles’ cheeks as he glared down at Alex’s outstretched hand.
 
Alex watched carefully as Miles turned his attention back on Olivia.
 
“Who the hell is this, Livy?” he demanded.

“Alex, like he said,” Olivia replied simply as Alex dropped his hand to his side slowly.
 
“But it’s really none of your business who he is and I’d like you to leave now, Miles.”

Miles clenched his jaw in frustration.
 
“How long have you been seeing him?”

Olivia’s eyes narrowed dangerously and Alex felt a tremor of anger rack her body.
 
“I didn’t cheat on you, if that’s what you’re implying.
 
I’ll leave the cheating to you since that’s what you’re good at.”

Ouch.
 
Alex saw Miles flinch slightly at the dig, but his anger didn’t dissipate.
 
“Have you slept with him?”

This is getting fucking ridiculous
, Alex thought with a roll of his eyes.
 
“What the hell does it look like to you?” Alex asked, his voice controlled.
 
“Now, I think Olivia asked you to leave already.”

Miles barely looked at him but the loathing in his voice was evident, “I don’t think I was talking to you.”
 
Alex’s grit his teeth together even as his jaw ached in protest.
 
But he managed to calm down when Olivia placed a gentle hand on his clenched forearm.
 
Miles watched the exchange with narrowed eyes and asked, “Can we talk somewhere more
private
, Livy?”

“Are you out of your mind?” Olivia burst out.
 
“I have nothing I want to say to you.
 
You need to leave, Miles.”

Alex had to give Miles credit for one thing…he knew when he was defeated.
 
Miles blew out a breath, glancing down to his feet before focusing his attention on Olivia once again.
 
“Okay, I can see you’re upset right now, so I’ll leave.
 
But I just wanted to ask you if you’re going to Brandon’s party this weekend.
 
I was hoping to see you there.”

Alex tensed, wondering for the first time if Miles was actually attempting to rekindle his relationship with Olivia.

Olivia stared hard at Miles for a moment before replying, “I am going.
 
He’s my cousin.”

Miles cleared his throat, “Right.
 
Of course you are.”
 
He hesitated, staring at Olivia.
 
“Did you, maybe, want me to drive you there?”

Alex felt Olivia’s hand tighten as jealousy erupted in his chest.
 
Miles driving her would be the last thing that would ever happen if Alex had a say in it.
 
Wrapping an arm around her waist, Alex said, “No need.
 
I’ll be going with her.”

Miles’ eyes flashed but a moment later he forced himself to nod, not once looking in Alex’s direction.
 
Gazing at Olivia with a look Alex wasn’t comfortable with, he murmured, “I’ll see you this weekend then.”
 
And then he turned and walked down the hall.

Olivia stared at the empty space for a few seconds before she shut the door wordlessly.
 
A light tremble spread through her body and Alex turned her to him.
 
“Are you okay?” he asked, concerned.

“I’m angry,” she whispered.

“He has some balls for coming here, that’s for sure,” Alex murmured, as he kissed her forehead lightly.
 
The audacity surprised even Alex.

“He had no right to come here.
 
I never wanted to see him again.”

“You would have had to see him sometime,” he gently reminded her, inhaling the soft scent of her freshly washed hair.
 
He pulled back to look down at her, “Why didn’t you tell me he texted you?”

She gazed up at him, her cheeks returning to their pink color.
 
“He sent it on Sunday.
 
I didn’t get it until after…” she trailed off, but he knew what she was referring to.

Ah
.
 
Until after their fight on Sunday.
 
Regret ran through Alex.
 
He wished he could have been there to comfort her.

“Listen, you don’t have to come this weekend.
 
I can handle Miles by myself,” she started, looking away from him while she crossed her arms.

“Do you not want me to come?” he asked, frowning.

“I just haven’t even really thought about it.
 
My mom just told me today,” she explained, biting her lip when she finished.

“And if I wanted to come?” Alex asked lowly.

A small sound of frustration burst from her.
 
“And what am I going to tell my family?
 
‘This is Alex, the man I’ve been having sex with for the past couple weeks?’”
 
She blew out a quick breath, her expression conveying her irritation.

Alex didn’t say anything but stepped away from her as a sharp sting of anger fizzled down his chest.
 
Silence stretched thick between them.
 
Olivia wrapped her arms around herself, staring hard at the carpet beneath their feet.

“I’m sorry,” she whispered.
 
“That wasn’t fair.”

“It wasn’t,” Alex agreed, his throat tight.
 
Even as he felt some of his anger dissipate at her apology, he didn’t return to her.
 
He didn’t even know if she wanted him to.

Alex remembered the look in Miles’ eyes as he gazed at Olivia.
 
It was obvious the man still harbored feelings for her.
 
With dread, he wondered if Olivia felt the same way after seeing him.
 
They had been together for six years, after all.
 
“Seeing Miles just now,” he began urgently, “Any old feelings return?”

Her head snapped up and she met his gaze steadily, indignation written as plain as day on her face.
 
“You’ve got to be joking,” she said slowly.

Alex held his hands out to his sides, “Well, it personally has me a bit worried that he’s obviously having some post-breakup regrets.”

“How can you even say that?” Olivia asked in shock, her cheeks becoming redder by the second.
 
“Do you honestly think that I’d go back to him after everything he’s done to me?”

Hearing the words come from her mouth dispelled Alex’s doubts and the knot in his chest loosened considerably.
 
“You’re right, I’m sorry,” he murmured, reaching out to brush a strand away from her face.

She batted his hand away, “Don’t.”

“Olivia…,” he sighed, stepping closer to her.

“I can’t believe you would even think that,” she muttered, ignoring him as he wrapped his arms around her.
 
He bowed his head to softly kiss her face.
 
“I’m not weak,” she said tightly, but her tone didn’t hold the same defensiveness as it had before.

“Hey,” he said with a frown, pulling back slightly to look down at her.
 
“I never said you were.”
 
She closed her eyes as he spoke the words.
 
The vulnerability of her expression struck a chord inside him, making his brows furrow.
 
He had never wanted to see that look on her face again.
 
“I don’t think you’re weak at all, darling,” he whispered vehemently.

Suddenly, her lips were on his.

The hunger in her kiss surprised him.
 
Her anger, desire, frustration, and sadness poured out from her and he gladly received all of it.
 
She had become so much more than a fling to him.
 
He wanted to ensure that she knew the extent of his feelings for her.

His hands reached for the sash of her robe, but before he could get it untied, there was another knock at the door.
 
He pulled back, confused, as he tried to clear the fogginess from his mind.

At first he thought that Miles may have returned.
 
Then he remembered the pizza.
 
Great timing
, he thought sarcastically.
 
He kissed Olivia to distract her while he fetched his wallet from his back pocket once again.
 
Fishing out a bill, he broke their kiss and he tugged open the door.

“Here’s your large pizza with—,” the delivery boy started, but before he could get anything else out, Alex handed him a fifty dollar bill and grabbed the thin box from him swiftly.

“Keep the change,” he muttered as he closed the door, tossing the box on the kitchen counter, already forgotten.

When he turned back to Olivia, his brain short-circuited as his heart pounded in his chest.
 
She was walking to her bedroom door.
 
Completely naked.
 
Her discarded robe lay at his feet in a puddle.

Looking over her shoulder, she said, “You weren’t supposed to pay for that.”

Oh shit
, he thought, his cock already hard in his slacks.

“But you’ll pay for it now,” she murmured, gazing at him as he looked his fill of her luscious backside.
 
“Get rid of your pants and lay on the bed.”