Connections (12 page)

Who was she kidding?
 
That had been
more
intimate than sex.

Alex gave an anguished groan at the last remnants of his pleasure and then sighed, cradling her against him, as he leaned back in the chair.
 
They were a complete mess, but nothing had felt more wonderful.

She glanced down between them, her cheek pressed to Alex’s upper chest, and she giggled.

“Hmmm?” Alex asked sleepily, raising his head just a fraction.
 
Typical male
, she thought affectionately.

“I think I ruined your pants,” Olivia admitted, a small amused smile on her lips.
 
The thighs of his slacks were drenched in her juices and he’d even gotten a bit of his semen on the waistband.

He grinned, glancing down.
 
“Naughty, naughty, Ms. Ward,” he tsked.
 
“What is my dry cleaner going to say?”

She laughed loudly, the sound filling the quiet room.
 
He smiled and turned to kiss her lips softly.
 
It was a sweet, intimate kiss and Olivia melted into it.

Alex pulled back, glancing at the clock on his nightstand.
 
Olivia followed his gaze and saw it was almost 10:30.
 
“Stay with me tonight.
 
Just to sleep.
 
I’ve missed you,” he admitted quietly.

“You missed me because I’m warm and you try to rub your cold feet all over me,” she accused playfully.
 
But her heart fluttered at his words.

“Mmm, but you’re such a nice little foot warmer,” he countered, his voice relaxed, his eyes lit with affection.

She couldn’t say no to a look like that.
 
She’d missed him too.

“Let’s go shower,” he suggested.
 
“I’m afraid I got you a little messy.”

“I didn’t mind,” she said.
 
He helped her to her feet since her legs felt like jello.

He went to his dresser and grabbed a tissue, wiping at his chest before turning to her.
 
He motioned for her to come closer and he gently wiped at the semen that coated her left breast.
 
He “accidentally” thumbed her nipple, making her gasp, but he smirked and said, “Whoops.”

“You still have my panties, by the way,” she informed him.

“And you’re not getting them back,” he said, turning towards the bathroom.
 
She stood with her mouth hanging open until she heard the shower turn on and then she followed him.

“You’re stealing my panties?” she asked.

“Yes,” he said simply, grinning.
 
“I’m keeping them as a memento of our glorious evening.”

“Do you always keep panties as souvenirs?” she teased.

“Just yours.”

“Well, I should hope so,” she said, arching a brow.

“Jealousy becomes you, darling.”

She rolled her eyes playfully but didn’t respond.
 
They took a quick, yet thorough, shower and only stopped to kiss a few times under the hot spray.

By the time they climbed into bed, it was already 11:00.

Exhaustion overcame the both of them.
 
Olivia fell asleep with a smile on her face because she realized that there was no where she’d rather be than wrapped up in Alex’s warm, strong arms.

Olivia woke before Alex, for once.
 
Rolling over, she peaked over him to see the clock on his nightstand.
 
6:43.

Alice was opening for her again today so she settled back down in his sheets and curled up next to him, silently watching him sleep.
 
His lips were parted as he drew in shallow, even breaths and she brushed a few locks of hair away from his forehead so she could see him better.

She’d never seen anything more perfect.

And he was hers.

Affection swelled in her chest, making her heart race.
 
She was in love with Alex Matlock, the most wonderful, confusing, maddening, and sexy man she’d ever met.
 
And she wouldn’t have it any other way.

Suddenly the door bell rang.
 
It echoed loudly through the house, making Olivia jump.
 
She glanced back at Alex but he didn’t stir at all.
 
Knowing him, he’d probably been working late for the past few nights.
 
Not to mention, they’d worn each other out last night.

Olivia gently lifted the covers off her naked body and slid off the bed quietly so that she wouldn’t wake him.
 
She grabbed his robe hanging off the door of his wardrobe and pulled it on, tying it tightly around her waist.
 
It swamped her, but she didn’t want to rustle around with the clothes strewn all over the floor.

And she wanted to reach the door before whoever was on the other side rang the bell again.
 
Alex needed to sleep.

As she walked out the bedroom, shutting the door quietly behind her, she was wondering who in the world showed up to Alex’s house at 6:45 in the morning.
 
But she didn’t have to wait long.

When she unlatched the lock on the front door and tugged it open, she was faced with none other than Luke Branford.
 
He grinned that broad grin of his when he saw her and even she had to admit that he was handsome.
 
He wasn’t necessarily good looking, not in the way Alex was at least.
 
His features were too rugged and harsh.
 
But he put her at ease and seemed genuinely pleased to see her.

“Well, well, I’m glad to see you two are back to normal,” he said, before he brushed past her into the hallway.
 
“Alex didn’t tell me exactly that you two had stopped having—,” he cut himself off, glancing at her and then corrected himself, “Being
intimate
.
 
But I read between the lines.”
 
He winked and Olivia couldn’t help her blush.

She didn’t feel the need to explain anything so instead she said quietly, “Luke, Alex isn’t awake.
 
And I don’t want to wake him up yet.”

The man held up his massive hands, “I just came by to grab some tools I lent him.
 
I need them for a job today.”

He turned down the hallway while Olivia shut and locked the door.
 
She followed him, curious, and found him in the kitchen.
 
Starting coffee, of all things.

“Um,” Olivia murmured, unsure of what to do.
 
She’d only met Luke once before and it had been fleeting, since she’d been in a hurry to get the hell away from Alex.

She watched as he poked his head around in the fridge before cursing and shutting it.
 
“I forgot,” he said, turning to face her.
 
“Alex is healthy and shit.
 
Doesn’t even use creamer in his coffee because of preservatives.
 
Such a shame.
 
Because milk in coffee is practically tragic and Coffee-mate has some pretty awesome flavors, ya know?”
 
She couldn’t help the amused smile that broke out over her face because Luke looked so
put off
.
 
“I just discovered the Pumpkin one last month and it blew my fucking mind.”
 
A thought seemed to cross his mind and he looked at her more intently.
 
“
Please
tell me that you put creamer in your coffee.
 
If you put in sugar too, you’d be my favorite person.”

Olivia laughed, trying to be quiet so she wouldn’t wake Alex, who was just down the hall.
 
She situated herself on the bar stools next the the island counter.
 
“I’m a baker, what do you think?”

His eyes twinkled and Olivia knew why Alex had said Luke was a charmer who had no problem with the ladies.
 
“That’s right.
 
So now that you’re Alex’s woman, does that mean
I
get free cupcakes if I come into your shop?
 
Being Alex’s best friend and all.”

Olivia pointed to the pink box on the counter behind him, which still held two out of the four cupcakes she’d brought over last night.
 
“Help yourself.”

He lifted the lid and looked like a kid on Christmas.
 
“Oh man, chocolate cupcakes for breakfast.
 
Today is going to be a great day, I can already tell.”

Olivia didn’t mention the fact that they were gluten-free, because something told her it would crush him.
 
He didn’t seem to notice anyway, since he immediately wolfed one down and moaned in appreciation.

“You’re the best, Livy,” he informed her, smiling.
 
He grabbed two mugs from the cabinet and just then, the coffee maker beeped, done.
 
He moved around Alex’s kitchen with a familiarity that revealed how close they were.
 
Or at least, how close they’d once been.

Biting her lip, she silently mulled over a question in her head.
 
When Luke plopped down a mug of milk and sugared coffee in front of her, she finally worked up the courage to ask him.
 
“Can I ask you something?”

“Lemme guess, you want to know how in the world I’m so good looking,” he teased, raising a brow while he took a sip of his coffee.
 
He made a face at the taste, but didn’t complain.
 
“It wouldn’t be the first time someone’s asked me that.”

But the way his shoulders tensed at her question told Olivia his response was a deflection more than anything.
 
“Never mind, it’s too personal,” she murmured, smiling at him in an attempt to soothe his unease.

He leveled her a look and leaned against the counter across from her.
 
“Shoot, I can take it.”

She hesitated but her curiosity won out.
 
“Do you think you and Alex will ever…?”
 
She didn’t know how to phrase the last part, so she trailed off.

“Restore our friendship, you mean?” Luke suggested.
 
His eyes were sharp and intent on her, making her think she’d underestimated him.
 
She could tell he was much smarter and more observant than she originally thought.

Olivia looked down to her mug, tracing the rim absentmindedly.
 
“Alex told me a lot about you two and how close you were growing up.
 
Your friendship means a lot to him, but he probably doesn’t always say it.
 
Or show it.
 
I think he misses what you two had.
 
Very much.”
 
Luke regarded her for a long time over his mug and for a moment, Olivia thought she’d crossed a line.
 
“I’m sorry, Luke, it’s really none of my business.
 
Forget I said anything.”

“Thanks for saying that,” he said honestly, ignoring the last part.
 
“Sometimes, Alex can be hard to read, although I’m sure you know that.
 
I’ve known him most of my life and I still can’t understand him sometimes.”

“He doesn’t blame you, you know,” she added softly, looking up at him from her stool.
 
“For what happened.”

“But he can never completely forgive me either,” Luke finished for her.
 
He smiled, but it was sad.
 
“And I don’t blame him.
 
Hell, if the situation was flipped, I don’t think I would either.”

She didn’t know what to say so she didn’t say anything.
 
An awkward silence stretched between them before Luke broke it.

“You know, Alex was there for me during some really low points in my life.
 
And I always felt like shit knowing that I paid him back by fucking his girlfriend.
 
I mean, she was a bitch and I’m glad they broke up, but I felt like shit.
 
Still
feel like shit,” he corrected.
 
He shook his head, “But I’m glad you’re with him now.
 
I really am.
 
Alex was never one for games.
 
He likes people who cut through the bullshit and give it to him straight.
 
And I have to thank you, Livy, because this past month, he’s different.
 
With me.
 
It’s starting to feel like how it was again.
 
And I think you had something to do with that.”

Both of their heads turned when they heard noise from the master bedroom.
 
Alex was awake.
 
He padded down the hallway a moment later in a pair of sweats and nothing else.
 
She smiled brightly at him and he gave her a sleepy grin, not noticing Luke yet.

“I thought you might’ve left to open up your shop,” he greeted huskily, approaching her.

She shook her head, “Alice is still making up hours, so I’m all yours until you go to work.”

Alex rounded the hallway corner and saw Luke standing in the kitchen.
 
If he was surprised by it, he didn’t say anything, making Olivia think this had happened before.
 
Noticing the coffee mugs on the counter, he raised a brow and said to his friend, “If you insist on breaking into my house to make coffee again, I hope you made me some at least.”

“Good morning to you to, sunshine.
 
I thought you’d be in a better mood since you got laid, but obviously I was wrong.” Luke shot back.
 
“And just so you know, Olivia likes creamer, so you might want to get some.
 
Coffee-mate Pumpkin flavor would be preferable.”

Olivia couldn’t help her shocked laugh and Alex rolled his eyes at his friend, probably used to his quirks.
 
He leaned down to give her a quick kiss and then he rounded the counter to get a mug for himself.