Page 36 of She's a Big Deal

Olivia handed her the stiff double and a gentle smile to go with it. She was no expert, but it occurred to her that Grace may have been fighting a rush of anxiety out there, all alone, before she joined her. It might be why Charlie had sent her after her... Or something else. Grace’s startling admission that she struggled with reminders of her past also felt like tremendous progress in their fledgling relationship. Not that she viewed the woman as a challenge to be cracked, but Olivia meant what she had told Dana: she burned to know the real Grace Michaels. The woman of flesh, blood, and emotion behind her solid protective shield. And now… Was this tantalizing brush of the fingers intentional when Grace took the drink?

“Thanks, Olivia.”

Olivia held back on a foolish grin. “You’re welcome.”

“I hope you didn’t skip dinner tonight.”

“No, I learned my lesson.”

“Good.” A healthy sip of the whisky brought color rushing back into Grace’s pale cheeks, and Olivia warmed up under her typically assessing gaze. “Hmm. You look good in these clothes.”

Right.Okay!Forget acting all cool and unaffected, as Olivia hoped to appear during this encounter. The genuine, unexpected compliment made her cough a little as she swallowed her own drink.

“Ah… I’m glad you think so.”

Shopping ranked top three on her list of things she hated doing. As well as filing her tax report and getting out of bed early in the winter. But she had done that too and braved the pre-Christmas rush to find herself a new outfit for the occasion. And put a lot of care into it, so it was great that Grace noticed. Olivia wore black ankle boots, polished to a high gloss, with a silver buckle on the side. Dark-fitted trousers with shimmering shades of dark red and purple along the thighs. And a charcoal V-neck t-shirt under a classic biker leather jacket that she hoped made her look tough. All vegan wear, of course. The new clothes had cost a small fortune, but it was worth every penny to now see such an approving and appreciative look on Grace’s face. It would be hard to impress her, Olivia knew. And she wanted to. Very much.

“Dressed up for the award, did you?”

“Yes and no, actually.” Olivia added a casual shrug, not to look too eager, even as she admitted the truth. “I wanted to look good in case I ran into you.”

Grace stared impassively, long enough to make her squirm on the inside. But then, Olivia found herself on the receiving end of one of her blazing smiles. These were both rare and gorgeous enough to make her heart skip a beat.

“You’re shaking. Is that because I complimented you?”

Olivia snorted, for added effect, even as she denied it. Grace was not that far off... “I’m shaking because it’s freezing cold out here.”Obviously!

“Ah.” Smiling still, with a hint of challenge now, Grace took a step closer. “Are you sure?”

“Yeah.”

Olivia stuck to her guns, even if her core temperature shot up one or two degrees at the nearness of her. She could smell her perfume again, more intoxicating than expensive whisky. They were alone on the balcony. And Grace had that irresistible look in her blue eyes. Smug, playful.Hot.Olivia badly wanted to kiss her. Surely, it would go a long way to destroying the woman’s silly preconceived ideas about her.Baby butch dyke, my ass.Olivia stared at her full red lips.Hmm…So bloody tempting to lean in and do it.Should I?Her pulse began to race at the thought of going for broke with the ever-aloof and cool Grace Michaels. But then…Yeah, I really should.

???

Grace told herself not to encourage this sort of behavior. It was foolish. Doomed to fail. And yet… Olivia’s admission that she had dressed with her in mind had been touching; probably because it was so honest and unpretentious. It hit the mark with Grace, where more sophisticated attempts at seducing her would have been unsuccessful. Not that she was seduced, of course. But all the same, something about the woman was a little hard to ignore. She was too young; Grace admonished herself. Too butch. Definitely too sweet. But the intent look in her eyes right now also hinted at something more. Despite her claim that she was freezing cold, her smoldering brown eyes reflected plenty of heat. Olivia Bianchi always looked at her with a hint of fascination, admiration, and sizzling hunger. Without the latter, Grace would not still be standing there, tempted to engage. Hero worship, she could do without. But curiosity, respect, the push and pull of opposites as they slowly took the measure of each other, was difficult not to enjoy. She noticed Olivia staring at her mouth and the way she unconsciously moistened her lips. When she met her gaze and shifted slightly, Grace stared right back at her with a provoking smile. Would Olivia give in to the impulse she felt, which was easy to guess? Grace found herself wishing that she would. She was well aware that if the evening had not been so taxing for her, bringing too much of the past back into focus, she would never have sought refuge outside. When Olivia showed up on the balcony, she’d just managed to subdue a rising tide of anxiety. Now adrenalin still flooded her system. Add to that a few sips of fiery whisky and Olivia’s new look, which brought out a more mature, mysterious, and sexual side to her, and Grace could not quite remember why this might be a bad idea.

chapter 13

“So,” she prompted with a hint of teasing laughter. “What now, Ms. Bian—”

Grace had wondered if the woman had it in her to surprise her. Olivia showed that she did by stepping into her, nice and bold, and framing her face in both hands. She pressed her lips to hers, cutting her off in style. Surprisingly warm hands. Hot lips softly parted. She lingered just long enough for the moment to register, then pulled back and blinked a couple of times as if she’d shocked herself with the gesture. But then she smiled and raised a cool eyebrow.

“It’s Olivia to you, Ms. Michaels. Rememb—”

It was Grace’s turn to interrupt in her own style. For sure, two could play this game, and she stopped trying not to react. Granted, it was no longer such a conscious decision. Just a case of…Fuck it.And go with the flow. She grabbed the woman by the lapels of her new jacket, spun her around, and pushed her back against the railing.

“Uh…” Olivia gasped in surprise and disbelief, though a grin of approval quickly replaced this. “Grace,” she started to say. “I—"

“Shut up,” Grace ordered, andshe kissed her back.

There was a muffled ‘Umph’, and Olivia stiffened at first. Just in more surprise, Grace understood, rather than reluctance at the intensity of the kiss; or she would have stopped instantly. At the back of her mind, she did warn herself to take it slow. But even despite it, the kiss was hard and commanding in equal measures. Feeling Olivia relax into her, Grace moved one hand to the side of her neck, her thumb resting on her cheek. Smooth skin burned and tingled tantalizingly under her fingertips. She deepened the kiss and felt a thrill when Olivia responded. But as she automatically brought her arms up around her, Grace clasped her wrists and brought them firmly down. The message, though unspoken, was crystal clear.‘I’m in charge here.’

Olivia obviously received it perfectly and responded with a soft moan that had the small hairs on the back of Grace’s neck standing up. A pleasurable tingle shot between her legs. Somehow, she was already pushing between Olivia’s strong thighs.Gosh... She ached to touch her. Did the new outfit include a bra under that V-neck? Or would she encounter more heated bare skin? She could feel Olivia’s pulse on the side of her neck, pounding attractively. The kiss gathered momentum and intensity. It grew fiercer and more demanding on both sides until, through a haze of arousal, Grace suddenly perceived voices in the background. People were coming out. With that, reality flooded back in, as well as a startling awareness of the situation.Jesus! What am I doing?A little more of this, and she would end up going too far. Would Olivia stop her? The jury was definitely out on this one, so Grace had to.Stop right now, for Christ’s sake! She wrenched her mouth away and felt instant loss. Disappointment flared across Olivia’s eyes in a similar fashion. They were huge; her pupils were fully dilated, almost black with arousal.

“Steady up,” Grace instructed in a murmur.

Just as she turned, her brother Jeremy walked out onto the balcony.

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