Page 7 of Love Off-Limits
“No,” she said without a sliver of hesitation. “Do you?”
I held her gaze. “No.”
The air sizzled and crackled between us until the servers arrived with our dinner, momentarily dispelling the mounting tension.
“So there’s something you should know about me before this goes any further,” Olivia said as we started to eat. Her tone was playful, her eyes sparkling in the soft light.
“Okay. Lay it on me,” I said.
She eyed me cautiously. “I am the only girl in my family, and I have four very loyal, very protective older brothers.”
My eyebrows went up and I cleared my throat. “Four, huh?”
She nodded, her expression serious. “Two are pro football players, one is a cage fighter, and the last one is a prison guard.”
My fork froze over my plate. “You’re kidding.”
She grinned and bit her lip. “Yes. But your expression just then was absolutely priceless.”
“Very funny.”
“It’s the least you deserve after filling my head with ghost stories last night.” She pulled her hair over her shoulder, and I was momentarily distracted by the deep copper color, the way her freckles popped when it was next to her cheek.
“I reallydohave four brothers though,” she said.
I moved my gaze back to her eyes. “Yeah?”
“Yes. But they’re perfectly normal guys.”
“Tell me about them.”
She squared her shoulders. “Okay. Perry is the oldest. He’s got an MBA like me. Except he’s boring and very serious about everything.Notlike me. Then there’s Lennox. He’s a chef in Charlotte. He’s adorable and so fun, but you have a sister, right?” She pointedly raised her eyebrows. “They shouldn’t meet.”
“Good to know. Where do you fit in the lineup?”
“I’m the youngest.”
“Oh, so they probably are a little protective.” I only had one younger sister, Darcy, and I definitely felt a responsibility to look out for her.
“Yeah, but they aren’t obnoxious about it. They hover, and sometimes they judge, but they don’t meddle too much.”
I hoped that’s how Darcy felt about me.
“After Lennox comes Brody. He’s a high school science teacher. He’s got this amazing engineering brain, and we all thought he was going to be a rocket scientist, but he loves teaching, so that’s where he ended up.”
“I love that.” Really what I loved was that she completely lit up when she talked about her family.
“All right, for this next one, you have to promise not to freak out,” Olivia said.
“Okay.” I drew out the word, unsure what about her brothers could possibly make me freak out.
“I don’t usually tell people he’s my brother because they get all weird. I at least wait until the fifth or sixth date.”
“Wow. We’re on the fast track, then?”
She grinned. “What can I say? I like you, Tyler Marino.”
She had no idea what she was doing to me. If I’d had any doubt about Olivia’s interest before, those doubts were completely vanquished now. Not that I minded. I couldn’t get enough of her. Green eyes made more intense by the green of her dress. Freckles across her bare shoulders and chest. She was stunning. Captivating. Almost ...intoxicating.
