Page 9 of Love Off-Limits
“I have preferences for sure, but generally, I’ll eat anything. Except olives. And black licorice.”
She grinned. “One more thing.”
I leaned forward, dropping my elbows to my knees, and flipped my hand over so my fingers intertwined with hers. “I...donot...have a girlfriend.”
She pulled her hand away with a laugh. “That’s something I wouldn’t guess, huh?”
Her retreat stung the tiniest bit, but the smile on her face was still open and warm. I sat up, looking down my body as if to justify my claim. “Well, I mean...” It wasn’t a move I’d typically make. It sounded more like something Isaac would say. But Olivia made me bold. Confident.
She held my gaze for a long moment, then stood abruptly. “Let’s go dance.”
She didn’t wait for me; instead, she weaved her way through the tables to the dance floor in the center of the tent. She turned to face me, motioning for me to join her.
I shook my head, unsure what to make of her. She was obviously into me, but I was beginning to get the sense that she wasn’t looking for anything serious.
A beat of disappointment pinged in my chest.
I wasn’t a one-night stand kind of guy. Especially not with one of Rosie’s best friends. Rosie meant too much for me to be careless with someone shecared about.
But I could dance.
The chance to hold Olivia in my arms, even for one night, was too good to pass up.
Chapter Three
Olivia
Tyler was not making it easy.
I’d been so positive I could keep things casual. Enjoy his company with no strings attached, then walk away without any regrets.
But he just smelled so good. And his height made dancing with him so much...better. Easier than with other guys.
Then there was the way he held me. With confidence, but also tenderness. I’d danced with men who held me like they were claiming me in some sort of Neanderthalic ritual.Woman. Mine. Grrgh.
But Tyler was different. Not even remotely possessive, though he obviously enjoyed having me in his arms.
“Let’s go for a walk,” he whispered after we finished a slow dance. “I need some air.”
I nodded, leading him off the dance floor and out into the gardens surrounding the reception tent. The temperature had dropped enough that the night was pleasantly cool. Not as cool as it would be in the mountains, but nothing ever truly compared to North Carolina-mountain weather.
We followed a gravel path that wound lazily through the gardens, stopping at a little stone bench at the edge of the Ashley River. The bright moon overhead reflected off the glassy surface of the water.
“I’m almost tempted to swim,” I said. “It looks so peaceful.”
Tyler chuckled knowingly. “I wouldn’t if I were you.”
My eyebrows went up. “Why not?”
He shifted, moving his body so he stood directly behind me, and placed his hands on my arms, turning me just slightly. He pointed over my shoulder. “You see that log right there at the edge of the water? Next to the tree branch that’s curving downward?”
I nodded.
“Watch it for a second,” he said. He kept his hands on my arms, his chest pressed up against my back.
The closeness almost made it impossible for me to focus, but I stared at the water, wondering why I needed to stare at a log, of all things.
And then it moved. Turned slowly and swam toward us, two eyes glinting in the moonlight.
