Never have I ever felt such a palpable connection with someone.
"Thanks," he intones seriously. "That means a lot coming from you, Olivia."
The timbre of his voice when he says my name makes me giddy, but I mask the reaction with a small smile of my own.
"I don't know why, I'm sure you hear it every day!"
The ways he's focusing on me is unnerving and I want to shift the attention back to him.
He doesn't let me off the hook so easily.
"It means more coming from you."
The gravity of his words settle on me and my chest constricts at the serious expression on his devastatingly handsome face.
"You know, it nearly crushed me when you turned down my offer to prom," he says out of the blue.
Confused, I stare at him as my eyes widen. "What?"
"Senior prom. I wanted to go with you but you turned me down."
A frown is on my face as he shares this tidbit.
"I did?"
I'm honestly having trouble recalling this. I'd never gone to prom. Though I'd had every intention to before my father crushed me with his stinging betrayal.
I specifically remember learning that I wouldn't be going to college in the middle of prom season.
"Yep," he says easily. "I finally got up the courage to ask you one Friday during art class and you said no. Something about it not being a good time for you. I have to admit, I was a little disappointed that you couldn't just tell me to my face that you didn't want to go with me."
Memories come flooding back and I remember that day in the art room as if it was yesterday.
"Oh, my God." I clasp a hand over my mouth.
"Coming back to you now?" he asks with a teasing smile.
"You have to believe me, Sebastian. It wasn't that I didn't want to go. I just couldn't. I'd just found out that I wasn't going to college because my dad had lost my entire college fund due to his gambling habit."
This makes him sit up straighter.
I shake my head and continue. "I would have gone with you in a heartbeat, but the timing was shitty. I was even on the prom committee, but quit once I found out about my dad. I just didn't want to do anything anymore. I was crushed."
"Olivia, I'm sorry. I had no idea."
It's his turn to reach out and place a comforting hand over mine.
I relish in the warmth of his touch.
"You have no reason to apologize. How could you know that my father was a selfish bastard?"
He looks contrite before shaking his head. "Still … "
I shrug, wanting to lighten the mood. "It's in the past. Let's leave it there."
This has been my motto for a while. It got me through community college, the breakup with Jordan and I have no doubt that it will continue to serve its purpose.
Sebastian lets out a loud breath, before leaning in to me.
"Okay. Enough of the serious shit, what are you planning to do with the money?"
The somber mood is lifted and I smile, grateful for the reprieve.
"Well," I start, taking a sip of my Diet Coke. "I'm finally going to nursing school. I started my application as soon as I got the phone call telling me that I won the competition."
Sebastian is smiling at me. Butterflies dance in my stomach at the beautiful sight.
"That's great, Olivia!" his voice is booming and full of pride.
I can't explain just how that makes me feel but warm fuzzies blanket me, relieving the weariness I've become accustomed to feeling.
"I'm going to buy a house and settle all my debt. Invest a portion of it, then the rest is going in the bank so I can travel."
It had been fairly easy to determine what I was going to do with the million dollar prize: invest in myself and make up for all the years I'd lost.
"That sounds like a great plan, Liv."
Hearing my old nickname fall from his lips is downright dizzying. I'm not even going to examine why his approval means so much to me.
"Thanks to you," I murmur lowly.
Out of nowhere, a pessimistic thought enters my mind.
"Did you pick my submission when you recognized my name?" I ask, suspiciously.
His face is impassive but he shakes his head emphatically.
"No, I had no idea it was you. My team narrowed it down the top ten submissions before they left them on my desk. The names weren't on the stories I read. They were just numbered one through ten. I picked yours because it moved me."
His words seem sincere so I don't push the issue any further. Grabbing a luke-warm fry, I push it into my mouth for lack of anything else to do.
"Are you tired, Olivia?"
Yes, exhausted.
But there's no way I'm going to admit it. I don't want our night to end. It's the first time I've seen him in ten years and he's leaving soon.
"No," I lie.
Sebastian's tone is confident and clear when he decides, "We're going dancing."
CHAPTER SIX
SEBASTIAN DOWNS
So, this isn't my best idea.
Not only is Olivia an incredible dancer, she draws a lot of attention despite her diminutive stature.
Every fucker in the building is practically drooling as they leer at her from different corners of the club.
Lucky for me, Olivia seems unfazed as she throws her hands in the air and winds her hips against me to the beat of the music.
I have a raging hard-on and I know she can feel it through the thin material of her dress. But she doesn't let on. She just keeps working her ass against me until I'm sure I'm going to lose my mind.
Who knew little miss goody two shoes was such a sensual dancer?
We've both imbibed a couple drinks already, but I need another if I'm going to make it through this sweet torture.
Bending down to whisper in her ear, I catch a whiff of her perfume which is now mixed with the scent of berry sangria - her drink of choice.
I inhale a lungful of the seductive fragrance before speaking.
"I'm going to get us some more drinks," I tell her, my lips brushing her earlobe.
In spite of the warm temperature in the club, I swear I feel her shiver before she looks up at me.
"I'll come with you," she shouts over the music. "I could use a break."
Thrilled that I won't be leaving her alone on the dance floor, I grab her tiny hand and secure it against my chest as I lead us through the throng of people on the small dance floor.
At the bar, I place our orders quickly then pull Olivia against me protectively.
The tourists and locals occupying the club are rude as fuck and have nearly knocked her off balance several times.
Still, a smile sits on her face as she sways to the music.
I decide she's way too nice for her own good and that I will handle the next motherfucker who bumps into her.
My sexual frustration and slight buzz are to blame for my dark mood.
Just as the bartender hands over our drinks, my phone buzzes for the third time in half an hour and I know I have to take it.
Malakai is freaking out about something and I need to run interference before he flies to the island.
"Olivia, give me two minutes. I have to take this," I rush to say before I head for the door with my beer in hand.
Lord knows I'm going to need it.
Malakai answers on the first ring and tears into a full-fledged diatribe about an error with a recent app update. Customers are complaining and he's nervous that our stock will suffer if the programmers don't fix it immediately.
It takes longer than I expect to calm him down and assure him that everything will be fine. With promises to video conference the development and logistics team when I return to my hotel room, I disconnect the call.
Pissed that I have to end my night with Olivia earlier than planned, I take my final swig of beer and reenter the club.
The sight before me tinges my vision a dangerous red color.
Olivia is in the center of the dance floor with another man, dancing her heart out.
With jealousy pumping through my veins, I march over to the two of them and pull Olivia's arm harder than I intend to.
Alarmed, she yelps before realizing it's me. Then her eyes widen as she takes in the angry expression on my face.
"Is everything okay?" she mouths, her voice no match for the deafening music.
"Let's. Go. Now." I mouth back and turn to walk away before she can protest.
In the Jeep, I pull out of the parking lot so fast that my tires screech.
Gripping the dashboard with white knuckles, Olivia looks at me wide eyed.
"Talk to me, Sebastian." Her voice is soft but urgent.
Going with a half-truth, I share that something came up at the office.
"Oh." She turns to me as I zoom through the streets back to the house. "Why didn't you say so? I could have taken a cab," she says, settling back into her seat.
"I wasn't leaving you there alone," I remark moodily, sliding her a sidelong glance.
"I see," Olivia comments quietly, turning her head to stare out the window.
The remainder of the ride passes in tense silence. When I pull up to the house, Olivia wastes no time unfastening her seatbelt and hopping down from the Jeep without my help.
Shit, she's upset.
"Olivia, wait. Damn it!" I call to her as she practically sprints to the front door.
Catching up to her, I seize her wrist before she can insert the key in the lock.
"Your jealousy is misplaced and totally inappropriate, Sebastian."
Her words slice through me like a knife.
"Not to mention confusing," she goes on, planting her hand on her hip.
Her fiery attitude is turning me on more than I'd like to admit. The air between us is charged with electricity as we stare at each other stubbornly.