Come Alive (5 page)

CHAPTER 5

A CURTSY FROM
LUCY and a bow from Andrew signified the end of their first dance. I bolted to
the house for a much-needed bathroom break. Alone for the first time, I
breathed through my distress. David’s presence had thrown me so far off-kilter that
I almost felt alive again. With only one glance, he had managed to stir up my emotions
while simultaneously providing comfort. I felt somehow safer in his bubble,
like everything was better when he was near.

I exited the bathroom and skidded to a halt as I almost ran into David’s
wall of a body.

“Shit, sorry,” I muttered, swerving at the last
second. He leaped into my path. I cast a nervous glance around the empty foyer.

“What is this?” he asked angrily. Hard eyes
scanned over my dress.

“What?”

“When was the last time you ate anything?”

“This afternoon,” I said smugly. He shot my hand
a glance, and I dropped it instantly. Though no one else had ever brought it to
my attention, David never seemed to miss my nervous habit of tugging on my
earlobe.

“Don’t play coy with me, Olivia. Why are you so
thin?”

“I’ve been busy,” I said, straightening my posture.

“That’s bullshit.” He touched my arm with
obvious restraint. I bit back a gasp, because his skin on mine was like liquid
sun, radiating through my body. “What is going on with you?”

I sighed. I wanted to yank my arm from him, but
he was slowly warming my bones again, and I was tired of being cold. No, my
body had not forgotten the feel of David Dylan. “Don’t worry about it. It’s not
your problem.”

“The fuck it’s not. Why are you doing this?”

“I’m not doing it on purpose,” I said
defensively. “I just can’t,” I faltered and took a breath. “I can’t eat; it
makes me sick.”

“I’ve been watching you. You’re different.” His
tone softened into velvet, coating my skin. “Tell me what it is, and I’ll fix
it. I’ll do anything.”

Faint cologne filled the space between us,
instantly transporting me to all the moments when I’d been lost and drowning in
him. I flickered back to reality. “No. It’s not fixable. You can’t just swoop
in and fix everything all the time.”

“What’s the problem?” he insisted, his tone
heavy with warning.

I drew my lips into a line and looked away.

“Olivia.”

“You, David! You’re the problem!” I snapped.
“What happened between us is eating me from the inside; it’s all I can think
about. It haunts me day and night. It
consumes
me!” Brown, melancholy eyes searched mine until I pulled my arm from his grip.
“I have to go, I can’t do this,” I said, dropping his gaze.

“I’m surprised you’re still here,” he countered.

“Don’t.” I raised my eyes to his again, and my
heart wilted slightly at the way his expression had hardened and closed. “This
has been harder than you could ever know. You have no idea what I’ve been
through.”

A burst of air left his mouth, and he scoffed.
“That’s where you’re wrong. Don’t forget that you walked out on me. You have no
idea what
I
have been through.
Me
. Fuck, I shouldn’t even be talking to
you,” he muttered. “I promised myself I wouldn’t.”

I blinked at him. “You promised . . . What?”

“I only came here tonight because . . . because
I needed to see you, to just see that you’re all right. I promised to leave you
alone, I just needed to see you, even from a distance.”

“But it’s been so long, and . . . I thought
you’d be over – ”

“Everything okay,
Liv
?”
Gretchen’s brother approached us, puffed up and obviously ruffled as he took in
the scene.

“Yes, it’s fine,” I hastened to reassure him. “Thanks,
John.”

David looked warily at John and then back at me
before stalking away.

“Where’ve you been, you handsome devil? You owe
me a dance,” I said before he could ask.

He looked after David for one short second
before turning his attention to me. “I’m afraid I’ll snap you in half,” he
joked.

“Oh really? You think I’m that weak?” I asked,
surprising him with a punch in the upper arm.

“
Ow
!” he wailed.

“Don’t be a baby. Come on, escort me to the
dance floor.”

I stowed my conversation with David for later
and followed John from the house. We were almost to the tent when we spotted
Lucy and Gretchen flailing on the dance floor.

“They must be drunk.”

“Aren’t you?” he asked, tugging me along with
him. We joined them for the rest of the song, dancing and laughing carelessly. Seeing
Lucy so happy made me feel lighter.

“Remind me to tell you when you’re sober what
horrible dancers you are,” I called out as the song ended. I squealed when
Gretchen pinched me. Andrew’s dad appeared at Lucy’s side and held out his hand
to her as the next song started.

“A dance?” John asked me. I agreed and let him
draw me into his arms.

“Well, you’re a shitty date,” Gretchen muttered,
and we laughed as she sulked off alone.

“So, little
Liv
,
what’s new with you? Gretchen says you’re cranky.”

I smiled a little and looked down between us. “Maybe.”

“So what’s up?”

“I’m just overloaded at work, and that’s enough
to make anyone a little testy.”

He regarded me thoughtfully while we danced.
“Okay. You’d tell me if something was wrong, wouldn’t you?”

I looked up at him from under my lashes. “Yes.”

“You know you’re like a sister to me.
An extremely hot sister, but a sister all the same.
If I
were here in Chicago, I’d volunteer as your bodyguard.”

At that I laughed loudly. “Oh, John, I love
you.”

“Hey, Bill,” he said suddenly. “Guess you want
to cut in with your lady?”

“No, no,” Bill said, giving John a wary glance
before turning to me. “I just came to tell you that I’m running up to the house
to have a cigar with Andrew and the guys.”

“Okay,” I said. “I’ll save you a dance.”

“Sounds good.” He leaned over John’s arm and
pecked me on the cheek.

John whirled me around dramatically and dipped
me so my hair almost touched the floor. “Hi,” he said from above, grinning.

“John, damn it, let me up. Everyone can see down
my dress.”

“Oh, then I’m on the wrong side,” he jested.

When he lifted me back up, my gaze locked with David’s.
His smooth voice slathered over me. “May I cut in?”

“Get lost, dude,” John said. “She’s married.”

My skin prickled at the thought of those big
arms around me. David shifted his focus to John, and they sized each other up. When
I noticed David’s jaw set, I quickly cut in. “It’s okay, John. He’s a friend.”

John stepped back and bowed. “As you wish,” he
said. “I’ll be over there if you need me.”

The first notes of panty-dropping, sex-infused “Wicked
Game” came through the speakers. My legs quivered as David wrapped an arm
around my waist and took my hand in his. I secretly thanked Lucy for picking a
backless dress that allowed us the intimacy of skin-on-skin contact. A cologne
and whiskey infusion washed over me, and I closed my eyes to remember the heady
combination of him; I could taste the whiskey on my tongue now, I could feel
the soft cashmere of his sweater warming me that night.

“I can’t stop thinking about you,” he whispered.

“Don’t,” I objected. He slipped the tip of one
finger inside the loose dress and skimmed it lightly along my back.

“Look at me,” he urged as he had once before. I
could only feel that fingertip, possessing me with its feather touch. He pulled
me closer, and I opened my eyes slowly for him. His eyes were blazing, and he
was unmistakably hard against my silken thigh. My teeth bit into my bottom lip.
He groaned softly in response and slid his finger down the length of the dress,
repositioning his hand lower. “You never finished your sentence.”

“Hmm?”

“Earlier. You said you thought I was over . . .
What? Over you?”

I glanced around to find that each couple was
engrossed in their own dance. It was as if Chris
Isaak
had cast a four-minute-long spell on the tent. I nodded fractionally.

“I’m not,” he said softly. “I’m so under you,
it’s ridiculous.”

I was near mad pressed against his erection, and
I squeezed the hand that held mine. I drew a deep breath. I had no words, but
even if I did, what could I say? I closed my eyes to take in the moment, to
memorize its every detail.

“Stay,” he breathed when the song began to fade.

When my eyes opened, I saw Gretchen staring at
us. She shook her head slowly so that nobody else would notice. With a great
sigh, I pulled away from him.

“Not yet,” he instructed, holding me in place.

“I can’t. It’s agonizing being this close to
you. And everyone I know is here . .
. .
I have to
go.”

I didn’t give him a chance to respond, but just
walked toward Gretchen, who never took her eyes off of me. Warmth receded, as
though I were in a comfortably hot shower that was quickly turning cold.

“We need to talk,” she stated as I approached.

“I know. Not tonight though, k? Just not
tonight.”

~

“This’s
been the best night of my life,” Lucy slurred, draping a heavy arm over me.

“Well, it’s not over yet.” I pulsed my brows and
jabbed my elbow at Andrew. “Time to make it official.”

“Oh, yes, official,” she repeated. “I have to
wait for everyone to leave though, don’t I? I think I have to.”

“You probably should,” I agreed. We waited by
the exit as the remaining guests filtered out. Bill’s hands kneaded my
shoulders while Lucy dealt overexcited good-byes.

“I don’t know about you, but I’m ready to hit
the sack,” Bill said into my ear.

“So glad we don’t have to drive home. I’m
exhausted.”

“
Daaav-idddd
,” Lucy
called, and every hair on my body bristled. I pinched myself in hopes of waking
up from the ensuing nightmare.

“Thank you for inviting me, Lucy,” David said as
he approached.

“I’m so, so glad you could make it. Did you know
he flew back early from work to attend?” she asked, swinging around and looking
directly at Bill.

“I did not know that,” Bill said. I didn’t have
to see him to know he was smiling at her. “Bill Wilson,” he said, sticking his
hand out over my shoulder. “And my wife, Olivia.” My stomach dropped as David
flashed me an uneasy look.

“They know each other, Bill,” Lucy said with an
exaggerated eye roll.

David’s voice seemed to drop an octave when he
said, “David Dylan.” The handshake, so close to my face, was firm and lasted
uncomfortably long. I watched as David studied him with drawn lips. Bill had
heard David’s name in conversation, but I doubted that he remembered. Still,
his hand tightened on my shoulder.
Or is
it my imagination?

“Thanks again, Mrs. Greene,” David said, causing
Lucy to titter into her hand. “You are a vision, and the ceremony was beautiful.
Well done.”

“Oh.” She waved him off exaggeratedly, but she
blushed.

“Are you driving back tonight?” My voice was
thick, and I immediately regretted speaking when David looked directly at me.

Lucy gasped. “You’re staying! We have room.
Er
,
Dani
has room.”

I stilled under Bill’s hand.

“No, thank you. I don’t have anything with me.”

“Who cares? You can borrow stuff.
Dani
, come here!” Lucy’s hand flapped exaggeratedly, and
she almost fell over.

“Easy,” I said.

Her eyes widened. “We can play board games.
Dani
, shouldn’t David stay the night?”

“Yes,”
Dani
agreed
quickly. I looked at the ground when I felt my cheeks heat.

“I wouldn’t feel comfortable – ”

“Oh David, you’re such a gentleman,” Lucy said,
swatting his arm. “We’ll give you your own room, I was just teasing. John was supposed
to stay the night, but he’s not. You can take his room.”

Dani’s
mouth fell
open, but David nodded his agreement before she could protest. “Great!” she
said instead. “Come on.” She walked toward the house and then looked over her
shoulder. “David, come on. This way.” He looked anxious, but took a step
backward before pivoting to follow her.

I watched their retreating figures until Bill
stepped around in front of me. “Did you have some cake?”