Page 6 of Between Desire and Denial
I wasn’t at all embarrassed to show Dimitri. He’d seen me and Kee get ready before, and I had to showsomeonehow screwed up it was that Rufford had been able to control me so easily, that I’d been so naïve to believe he loved me. Yet, Dimitri’s eyes widened in shock.
“What the fuck, Olive?” He swiped my phone from my grasp, and I thought he’d turn it off right away, but he stared as if he couldn’t believe it. I saw how his knuckles turned whiter and whiter from his tight grip.
“Erm… Can I have my phone back?”
“Fuck,” he growled before shoving it back toward me. “I’d tell you to delete it—”
“But what for?” I shrugged. “Won’t do me any good considering I sent it to him. He has it.”
“Jesus Christ.” He was shaking his head in disgust. “Don’t you understand that you risked your whole degree by doing that?”
“It was fun at the time!” I defended myself. “I… well, I thought I was in love. Plus, he called to tell me this whole cute role-playing thing about how I was a bad student and if I sent him something to show how hard I was trying—”
“Is that request in messages?”
I blew a raspberry. “No.” I sounded so dumb now. “He called.”
And I’d felt like we were having so much fun too. Now, I stared at my text to him and wondered how many other students he’d gotten to do stupid shit by saying those things to.
“Of course his ass did.”
“He said he was teaching me a lesson, Dimitri. But maybe he needs to be taught one.”
Chapter Three
DIMITRI
“What are you doing?”I stood close to Olive, trying to see what she was doing on her phone, as she sat at the bar. The tiny girl went from crying to looking angry to defeated to now on an evil mission all of a sudden, and that was saying a lot.
Olive never looked evil. She never looked anything but sweet and a little cute, if I was being honest. She dressed in baggy sweaters, wore glasses most of the time, and had holes in her fishnets or leggings most days. I think it was a fashion statement but wasn’t totally sure. I remember staring at them for about an hour the first day she’d worn them. I couldn’t take my eyes off her skin there, so smooth and exposed. I chalked it up to me being concerned about her appearance, but now I wondered if it was something else.
“I’m being a journalist,” she proclaimed before she waved the bartender over again. When the man fucking listened, I was astounded. Didn’t he know I was part owner of this resort? She smiled at him sweetly, “I need just one more shot of liquid courage.”
“She doesn’t need any more liquid courage,” I told the man with a mohawk and lip piercing. He was definitely trying toshowcase his fucking “bad boy” shit to Olive. He licked his lip and made a show of his tongue piercing too.
That slow smile I knew she normally only got when she was on the phone with Rufford had come out to play, and I knew she’d noticed exactly what he wanted her to. But she patted my hand and said, “Ignore him. He’s the bride’s friend. He’s trying to keep all us bridesmaids in line tonight.”
“Ah. I’m very aware of who Mr. Hardy is. It’s an honor to be working for you and your brothers.” The bartender chuckled a little nervously. “I was told by the groom, though, to give the bridesmaids what they want for the rest of the night. He and his bride just left.”
Olive clapped then. “Oh, good. Then I’m in the clear. Hand over that shot.” She winked at him, and he winked back before he slid another shot across the bar.
Olive was quick to swipe it up and knock it back.
“Don’t you want to card her?” I lifted a brow at him. Olive appeared to be underage. I knew she wasn’t, but I wanted a reason to give the man a hard time.
“Already did earlier. Couldn’t believe she’s twenty-five. That face of yours could deceive the masses, sugar.”
That’s what I thought too… until I’d seen the picture on her phone. And when I looked over, I was surprised to see her zooming in and cropping it.
“What the fuck are you doing?” My eyes followed each thumb swipe, and my mouth watered at seeing her ass again.
“I’m writing an article, and I need this picture to show enough of me to get my point across without disclosing my identity.”
Against my better judgment, I finally sat down next to her. I’d brought a beautiful woman and her sister to this wedding, and I knew they were down to fuck tonight. Still, I found myselftexting them that I wouldn’t be meeting back up with them and they could enjoy the rest of the reception on their own.
Olive was taking up my time. I couldn’t leave her to her own devices. “Don’t do something you’ll regret.”
“Without great risk, there’s no reward,” she threw back.
