Distractions (The Rebound Series) (6 page)

Olivia hadn’t completely explained to her parents the real reason for their break-up.
 
It had been so humiliating that she had never been able to force the words out of her throat.
 
Her parents simply thought that things had fizzled out between them, not that Miles had cheated on her for over a year with some mystery woman from work.

“It just seems so sudden to me, honey,” her mom responded.
 
Olivia shook her head, knowing her mother wouldn’t be budged when she made up her mind about something.
 
But Olivia knew that she would love Alex when she eventually met him.
 
She always liked polite, well-mannered gentlemen.
 
That was why she had liked Miles so much, after all.
 
Olivia would just have to put up with her mother’s disapproval until she brought Alex with her on Saturday evening.

“I really like him, mom,” Olivia insisted.
 
“And I think you will too.”

* * * * *

“Well, well, well…look who finally arrived,” Luke announced, grinning as Alex slid into the restaurant booth beside him.
 
Caleb and Adam, two of Alex’s closest friends, nodded at him from across the table as he shrugged off his jacket.

“Sorry I’m late,” Alex said.
 
“I couldn’t get out of my meeting.”

“No problem.
 
We haven’t even ordered yet,” Adam said, pushing his wire rims up his nose when they slipped down.
 
“Which meeting?” he asked curiously.
 
Adam worked at the same company Alex did, but in software engineering rather than in sales.

“Still working on Kerry,” Alex replied, shrugging.
 
“I’ll get him eventually.”

The four of them rarely got together for lunch, since each of them had different schedules on any given day.
 
Luke had called him up earlier this morning to see if he was free for lunch.
 
It just so happened that they all were.

“Did you fix your woman problems?” Luke asked nonchalantly, aiming the question at him.

Now
Alex was starting to regret coming.

“Yes,” he said simply, with a pointed look in Luke’s direction.

“You’re seeing someone?” Adam asked with a quizzical frown.
 
“Since when?”
 
Caleb had yet to say anything.
 
Although that was nothing new…especially when the topic was about women.
 
He was silently perusing his menu, as though they all hadn’t been here a million times before.
 
The restaurant itself was a little hole in the wall place, but it served Alex’s favorite burger and fries in all of the Bay Area.

“Since a couple weeks ago,” he told Adam.

“I thought you two weren’t dating,” Luke chimed in, leaning back in the cushioned booth.

“She was angry when she said that,” Alex said, feeling a headache start to come on.
 
“Speaking of which, I’m still pissed at you.”

“What the hell did I do?” Luke asked in mock indignation, holding out his arms wide.

Alex couldn’t help but feel faint amusement at his friend’s theatrics.
 
He would never change, that was for sure.
 
“Almost ruined my relationship with her, that’s what.”

Luke snorted, but suddenly sobered.
 
“For once, I think that might have been all you.”

Alex tensed, but forced himself to relax a moment later.
 
After everything that had happened between him and Luke, there would always be that awkwardness when it came to women.
 
Alex had accepted that fact and so had Luke.
 
But Alex had to give Luke credit for not avoiding the subject altogether.

A waiter finally stopped by their table and they placed their orders quickly.
 
Luke finally turned to Caleb when the waiter left.
 
He crossed his arms over his massive chest, studying the brooding man carefully.
 
“What’s up your ass, Caleb?”

Caleb glared at Luke, “Nothing.
 
Sorry if I don’t wanna join in gossiping with you girls.”

Alex laughed, unsurprised by Caleb’s reaction, while Adam shook his head quietly.
 
Caleb was definitely surlier than usual.

“Is everything okay at the garage?” Adam asked quietly, always the concerned one of their group.

Caleb studied the spots of black grease on his permanently stained hands and shrugged.
 
“It’s fine.”
 
Obviously, it wasn’t fine, but none of them said anything further.
 
One thing they learned about Caleb early on was that if he didn’t want to talk about something, you better sure as hell not ask any questions.
 
Poor Adam had learned that one the hard way.

But all four friends had known one another for years.
 
Luke and Alex had been friends since grade school since their families were connected.
 
Alex had met Adam at work when he was first starting out in the sales department years ago.
 
As for Caleb, Alex had met him almost six years ago under odd circumstances, but they had immediately got on well, probably due to how fucked up both their families were.

Alex thought of Olivia and he wondered what she would make of his friends when she met them.
 
He wanted her to meet them eventually.
 
And when he introduced her, he wouldn’t freeze up like a jackass again.

He started to relax for the first time since he had woken up next to her this morning.
 
He had wanted nothing more than to bury his head in her hair and sleep away the morning and afternoon with her wrapped tightly in his arms.
 
But they both had to work.
 
Besides, he would see her later tonight.
 
And he had her for the whole weekend, minus the time on Saturday evening when they would be attending her cousin’s party.

For now, that was enough for him.

He couldn’t wait to see her.
 

* * * * *

“I’m not closed yet, Alex,” Olivia protested, later that evening.

He was kissing her in the front of her shop, fifteen minutes to closing time.
 
Alex didn’t seem to hear her.
 
Or he just didn’t care.
 
Behind the glass display case, it would be difficult for anyone passing by outside to see them, but Olivia still felt self-conscious so she pushed him away.

But he managed to sneak in one more kiss just as the bell over her shop door jingled, announcing a customer.

She broke off with a gasp and looked towards the front in horror.

Her heart sped up when she saw that the customer was Mr. Miller, a regular customer who had always made Olivia a little uncomfortable, but who had always been nice.
 
He came in almost everyday, but usually around six o’ clock when the traffic slowed down considerably.

Mr. Miller had seen them embracing.
 
He stood near the front, frozen, with his hand still propping open the door, letting a cool breeze filter in.
 
His gaze was steady on Alex.
 
The look he was giving him concerned Olivia so she stepped forward, shooting a glance over her shoulder at Alex.

“Hi, Mr. Miller.
 
Do you want your regular order?” she asked politely, gesturing for him to come towards the counter.
 
Olivia was positive her cheeks were bright red with embarrassment.

Mr. Miller took his gaze off Alex to glance at Olivia.
 
He didn’t smile back, but his legs propelled him forward slowly until he was inches away from the counter.
 
He nodded wordlessly and Olivia bit her bottom lip, shuffling sideways to the display case to pull out his favorite lemon cupcake.
 
Alex stood next to her silently, looking at Mr. Miller.
 

Mr. Miller had been coming in almost everyday for the past year and a half.
 
He was harmless, but some things he had said to Olivia in the past made her a little uncomfortable.
 
He seemed to see her around town on weekends far too often for her liking, but he had never approached her outside of the shop.
 
And while his gaze was sometimes too intense, he had never done anything that truly frightened her.

But what worried Olivia now was that Mr. Miller always made conversation with her whenever he came in.
 
Maybe he was embarrassed to have caught Olivia and Alex, but his eyes burned into her own as she rang up his order.
 
And after paying for his purchase, he immediately turned on his heel and left her shop, not saying one word.

She sighed and mumbled, “Great.”

“Wasn’t he the man who was in here when I first asked you out?
 
Your admirer?” Alex’s voice sounded from behind her suddenly.

Olivia thought back to the moment weeks ago and nodded, “Yeah, that was probably him.”

Alex was quiet for a few moments and then said, “Watch out for him.
 
I don’t like the way he looks at you.”
 
His voice was gruff and there was no mistaking the order in his tone.

Olivia gave a frustrated sigh and turned to face Alex, “He’s harmless, Alex.
 
And yeah, maybe he creeps me out sometimes, but he’s never done anything.”

“Doesn’t mean he won’t,” he countered, his steady gaze on her face.
 
“You let me know if he ever bothers you, okay?”

Olivia shook her head at his protectiveness, but said, “Alright.
 
I will.
 
But you’re worrying about nothing.
 
He’s been coming in here for over a year and he’s always been friendly.”

“Just promise me,” Alex said, his expression unreadable.

“I promise,” Olivia said with a sigh.
 
“But you’re in trouble for kissing me.
 
So you have kitchen duty.”

“Don’t I always?” Alex asked, an eyebrow quirked.

Olivia just gave him an exasperated look and he smiled, holding up his hands in surrender.
 
And Olivia laughed when he promptly entered the kitchen and diligently attended to his post at the sink.

“Alex,” Olivia said, trying to sound like she was reprimanding him and failing.
 
Instead, it turned into a breathy sigh.

“Hmmm,” he grunted, wrapping his thick arms around her middle from behind as he trailed his lips over the back of her neck softly.
 
It electrified her skin, making her feel as though she’d burst into a million pieces if he continued long enough.

He had somehow managed to pin her to his kitchen counter as she was cutting the zucchini into long strips.
 
“I have a knife,” she reminded him.

“So drop it,” he murmured, running his hands slowly up her sides to cradle her breasts through her shirt.
 
She could already feel the hard length of him pressed against her backside.

She struggled out of his grip and turned to face him, her face probably flushed, “Oh, no, no, no.
 
I know where this goes, Mr. Matlock.”

Alex grinned but tried to reach out for her again, “You mean the orgasm part?
 
Or the screaming my name part?”

Olivia’s whole body flushed at his words but she dodged his hands quickly, racing around the island counter so that it separated them.
 
“No, with me not getting dinner part.”

Alex actually pouted, “But I make missing dinner worth it.”

Olivia actually giggled and replied, “You do.
 
But I’m starving right now.
 
Feed me first and then we can talk.”

“Deal,” he said and deliberately adjusted his hardened length in his jeans without taking his eyes off her.
 
Olivia had to bite her lip to keep from smiling as she wandered back around the counter.
 
Men
, she thought.

Alex returned to manning the chicken on the grill pan, which he had watched diligently before he got distracted.
 
Once Olivia finished cutting up the zucchini and carrots, she threw them into the steamer and leaned back against the counter, watching Alex.

He was dressed casually again…well, as casual as Alex could be.
 
In dark wash jeans and a burgundy pullover sweater, he looked absolutely mouth-watering.
 
And the bulge in his jeans reminded her just how mouth-watering he could actually be.

He noticed her checking him out and smirked, “I could take off my clothes if you want something to look at.”

Oh my God
.

Pressing a cool hand to her suddenly warm cheeks, she shook her head, “You’re incorrigible.”

He grinned, unashamed, and the sight made her heart beat a little faster.
 
She looked away from him to distract herself.
 
She would need all the self-control she could muster if she wanted to get through dinner without jumping his bones.
 
Alex would purposefully try to get her riled up during their meal.
 
He had done it last weekend, after all.
 
And Olivia needed all the energy she could get since Alex seemed especially…
eager
tonight.

Olivia’s eyes landed on a furry white object outside Alex’s sliding glass door.
 
“Oh,” she said in surprise.
 
“There’s your cat.”

And it was.
 
It was sitting demurely on Alex’s porch, looking into the kitchen with wide eyes.
 
It wasn’t meowing or scratching a paw at the door, like some of her mom’s outdoor cats had done in the past.
 
It was quietly waiting for food next to its empty bowl.