“Until you tell me what the hell is going on?—”
She ran her hands through her hair, gripping the roots tightly for a moment before releasing. “I didn’t want to live another day in a life that didn’t feel like mine. I didn’t want to go through the motions just to make everyone else happy.” She closed her eyes, exhaling slowly. “I didn’t want to be on my deathbed and see a graveyard of missed opportunities. So yes, I sold the company. I tendered my resignation the day I signed on the bottom line to hand over control.”
This woman. I had so many questions, and yet all I wanted to do was walk around this bar and pull her into my arms. But I couldn’t. Not yet. Not until I knew exactly what she was saying and what she was asking for.
“How does it feel?”
“I see you have your therapy hat on,” she laughed, looking away. “Um, I’m going a little crazy. Idle hands, and all that. There have been so many meetings with so many goddamn lawyers and men in suits that I thought having nothing to do would be a nice change, but I was wrong. Hence why I’m already back on the hunt for work.”
I leaned forward, mimicking her stance with my elbows on the bar. “Olivia, you can’t work for me.”
She reached across and laid her hand on my arm, pleading. Irelished the heat radiating off her skin. The softness of her touch. “Come on, Duke. I’m desperate. I can’t shadow Lukas again. I’ve been doing it all day, and he drove me out of my mind.”
“You’ve been in town all day?”
“I got in this morning. Lukas had to run some errands, which meant I was forced to tag along. Believe me, it was not my idea of fun.”
I shook my head, focusing on playing the interviewer. “I need someone who lives locally, Ms. Hart. I’m afraid that disqualifies you from the job.”
“Actually, I am local.” Olivia reached across the bar for her purse. Inside, she grabbed a small pink-and-red polka-dotted keychain that held a single key. “This is the key to my new house. I can even provide proof of residency if you need it.”
Stay calm, Duke. Stay. Fucking. Calm.
“You’re staying in town?”
“There’s no place I’d rather be,” she said, hesitating with a smile on her lips. “Everyone I love is here.”
Everyone I love is here.
Everyone I love.
“Yes, idiot. I’m talking aboutyou.” The sweetest pink hue swept across her cheeks. “I’m sorry it took me so long to say it back, but I do. God, I love you so much. And I know it’s crazy. It’s so fast, but I couldn’t wait another day to tell you. It’s why I had to stay away until now. There was no way I was coming back unless I could commit to being all in with you.”
“Olivia—”
“And you might not even want to be with me anymore, which is completely fine. I mean, that would really suck, honestly. It’s not going to change the fact that I’m here to stay, though. I’ll help at the bar or with Harper or whatever needs to be done.” She burst out laughing, and the sound startled me. “You know, I have no idea what I want to do with my life, which is a terrifying concept at thirty-seven. But it’s also thrilling in a way? I get to start over. I get to build a life I want—no matter what that looks like or what other people expect. I just get to be me.”
Her chest was heaving by the time she was done. It was kind of cute how she was staring at me, exasperated by my silence.
“Well, are you going to say anything?”
My lips twitched. “You didn’t need to confess your love in such a dramatic way, you know. My attention was already yours.”
“You ass,” she murmured. The smile didn’t leave her face. “Don’t make me laugh.” She glanced down coyly at the empty shot glasses. Pulling up the bottle, she shook it lightly. “What do you say, Mr. Bennett? Up for one more round?”
Without breaking eye contact, I stood up and slowly walked around the bar. Her back hit the counter as I caged her in. I leaned forward, skimming my lips along her neck as my hands found her ass.
Hoisting her in the air, I set her on top of the counter. There was something so carefree about her. The way her laugh sounded like the tinkling of wind chimes, or how she kicked her feet like a woman who felt free for the first time in her life. It was magical. She was magic.
And she was mine.
“Only one?” I asked.
“Maybe two or three…”
I brought my hand up and tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear. Olivia leaned into my touch, kissing the palm of my hand. “How about every single one for the rest of my life?”
“That sounds like a plan to me.”