Page 15 of Blade's Return
I stretch out on Olivia’s couch, one arm draped along the back cushion, my boots off and my shirt sleeves rolled up. The movie—Remember the Titans—is paused on the screen, frozen mid-scene. The house smells like coffee, sugar, and something softer—maybe her shampoo. The scent calms me more than I’d ever admit out loud.
It’s a small place, but nice. The kind of nice that doesn’t try too hard—cool blues and grays on the walls, light wood floors, and a breakfast bar that divides the kitchen from the living room. Everything’s clean and simple, no clutter, no chaos. Just peace. Just like her.
I hear her voice down the hall, low and tender as she settles her dad in for the night. That voice could soothe damn near anything broken in a man. The light from her father’s room clicks off, and she walks back in. Her hair’s a little messy, her sweater hanging loose on one shoulder. She looks soft, tired, and perfect. She glances at her father’s empty recliner.
“Livy,” I warn, eyes narrowing, “if you go sit in that chair and make me get up, I promise you—I’ll come over there, spank your ass, then bring you right back here to finish this movie in my arms.”
Her lips curve into a slow smile. “You look comfortable. I don’t want to disturb you.”
“If you’re not in my arms, I’ll be disturbed as hell.”
“You’re lying down,” she teases. “I prefer sitting up.”
“Fine,” I say, smirking. “Then, you can come sit with my head in your lap.”
“What if I don’t want your head in my lap?”
“I’ve got ways to make you like it,” I purr.
“I doubt it,” she says proving she’s way too innocent for the likes of me.
“I could bury my head between your thighs and?—”
She cuts me off with a laugh. “Stop!” she says. “You’re horrible, but for some reason, I’ll lay down with you.”
That laugh. Damn. I shift, lifting my arm so she can slide in against me. “Come here, woman.”
She does. She fits perfectly against me, her back against my chest, my arm across her waist. I restart the movie but turn the sound down low so that we can still talk. Immediately, her warmth seeps into me, and for a while we just watch in silence.
“This part always makes me sad,” she whispers. On the screen, the star quarterback’s car gets into a horrendous crash—the screech of tires, shattering glass all echo, despite the volume being lower. I feel her flinch in my arms and immediately lean down to kiss the top of her head. “Life can change so quickly,” she says, her voice quiet, breaking a little. “You think you’ve got time, and then … you don’t.”
“You sound like you’re speaking from experience,” I say gently.
“I am,” she exhales slowly. “But not tonight. Tonight, I just want to feel safe and normal—right here in your arms.” Something in me aches at that. I don’t know what happened to her, but I’ll be damned if I let her feel anything but safe with me.
“Have you always lived in Cherokee?” I ask, trying to shift the weight of the conversation to something less intrusive.
“When Dad got sick,” she says, “I convinced my brother to let me take care of him.”
“You had to convince your brother to do that?” I frown.
Her body tenses. “My brother’s not a good person, Blade. He hates me. Dad, he tolerates—but barely.”
“Sounds like a piece of work.”
She gives a short laugh with no humor. “You have no idea.”
“My old man was an abusive asshole,” I tell her quietly. “Haven’t seen him for more years than I can count. If there’s such a thing as karma, he’s dead and burning in hell.” She’s quiet and I worry I’ve said too much.
“I’m sorry, Usdi. I didn’t mean to get dark on you. I just—I don’t want you to think I’m the kind of man who hurts people. Especially not the ones who trust me. I just think that a man who would willingly hurt someone weaker than he is deserves to be put down like a rabid dog—especially when it’s clear they enjoy every minute of it.”
She rolls onto her back, eyes meeting mine. “Will you stop being so amazing? You’re making it very hard to resist this pull I feel toward you.”
“Livy,” I murmur, brushing a strand of hair from her face, “I don’t want you to fight it.”
“This is a bad idea, Blade.”
“I think it’s the best damn idea I’ve had in a long time,” I counter. That makes her laugh again, and I can’t help smiling back. “I really want to kiss you,” I admit.
