Olivia hungered after the pillow-soft yet firm feel of his luscious lips. The lingering sweet heat from his drink lingered on his mouth. Her tongue peeked out to take just a small taste, which set off a low rumble in his throat. His fingers pressed into the curve of her spine. Then, just as quickly as it had happened, it ended.
Connor took a step back, braced her waist with his hands. He tilted his head toward her front door. “You should go inside.” His voice was so low, so deep and ragged that it reverberated inside her.
Olivia nodded. She stepped out of his light hold, walked around him and toward her front door. She took a look over her shoulder. “Thanks for the ride.”
“Tuesday. Eight.” He got back in his car, waited for her to step inside and then pulled off.
Olivia closed the door behind her, rested her back against the door and squeezed her eyes shut. She licked the taste of him off her bottom lip. “Connor Lawson. Damn, damn, damn.”
Olivia puttered around her cottage the following morning while reviewing her notes on the locations that she wanted to begin working on. One of them was just outside Azurest in a small enclave called Dayton Village. The schematics that she had of the landscape suggested it had been uninhabited for years. The few buildings that were left had been vacant for quite some time. According to the county clerk, the land still belonged to the descendants of the Dayton family, though none of them had lived in Sag Harbor for decades.
She packed up her laptop, her notes and camera and headed out, but decided to make a quick stop at the spa. Layla was Connor’s cousin-in-law; perhaps she might have some insight into the intriguing Connor Lawson.
For the better part of her night Olivia had dreamed of him, felt his touch as clearly as if he was in the room with her. And the kiss. It still had her hot simply thinking of it and the way he’d made her feel.
However, Olivia didn’t put much stake in anything long-term. If it wasn’t related to her work, she didn’t invest in anything that would involve her commitment. Long ago she’d had the rude awakening that feelings were only temporary—that relationships were only temporary, and to want more than that was foolish. So she’d built her emotional fortress, moved from place to place, relationship to relationship, job to job. Roots were things that she searched for, but never experienced in her own life. That was fine with her. She’d come to accept that this disconnect was her life. So as far as Connor Lawson was concerned, he was a hot, sexy man who could stir her pot, and when her project was over she would move on and so would he. That was just the way it was.
She put her laptop and camera in the trunk of her car, then drove the short distance from her cottage to the main building on the off chance that Layla had an opening in her schedule. When Olivia arrived, one of the first people that she ran into was Desiree, who was heading to the parking lot on her way into town.
“Hey, Olivia.” She pulled her shades from her eyes. “You’re up early.”
“Wanted to get a jump on the day. And thanks again for inviting me to the party. I had a great time.”
“Not a problem. Glad you could come. So—” she lifted a brow “—how did it go with Connor?” She gave her a cheeky grin.
Damn. The mere mention of his name did things to her. For an instant Olivia’s thoughts scrambled, then settled. “Um, fine.”
“Just fine?”
She adjusted her tote bag on her shoulder. “Well, we are getting together for drinks and dinner on Tuesday.”
Desiree clapped her hands in delight. “Go ’head, girl. Women have been sniffing around that man from the instant he set foot in town and he has yet to give them anything more than that sexy smile and conversation.”
Olivia’s heart tumbled in her chest. “Really,” she said casually.
“Yep. So you must have produced a spark. Anyway, I’ve got to run.”
“Sure, go, go. I wanted to drop in at the spa and see if there were any openings for a quick massage.”
Desiree gave her a knowing look. “Oh, you mean with Connor’s cousin Layla.”
“They’re cousins?” she asked with feigned surprise.
Desiree chuckled. “I’m sure Layla would be happy to tell you anything you wanted to know about her bachelor cousin, except that she and Maurice are in New York for the next two weeks working on Maurice’s foundation for wounded soldiers. That’s why they weren’t at the party last night.”
Olivia’s shoulders drooped.
“But if you can’t wait to find out on your own, Melanie Harte knows all. And she would love to think that once again she was involved in a love connection.” Desiree grinned and patted Olivia’s arm.
“Thanks. I think I’ll wait.”
“Good move. Anyway, gotta go. See you soon. Okay?”
“Sure thing. And thanks.”
Desiree hurried away and Olivia returned to where she’d parked her car. So much for that brilliant idea. But it was just as well. She didn’t want to come across as one of “those women” that did recon work on a man. That wasn’t her style. Mostly, she had a short list of criteria for the attributes of the men she allowed in her life: good looks and intelligence, and not looking for or expecting a commitment. So far, Connor Lawson fit the bill to a T, not to mention that they both had plenty in common from their chosen fields of work. She slid behind the wheel of her car and turned the key. In truth, what else did she need to know? Whatever might happen between them would last only as long as her assignment anyway. It was best that her knowledge remained superficial. The less you knew, the less you could be drawn into the life and wants and dreams and desires of someone else. She didn’t need that, didn’t want it and couldn’t give it. She reserved those energies for her work and that was it.
* * *
Connor had been up before sunrise. Since moving to Sag Harbor he’d become addicted to rising before daybreak and running along the beach until the sun fully crested the horizon. The sensation of one man being that in tune with nature was indescribable. It gave him a rush that was close to orgasmic. It was his time. His alone time when he cleansed his head and his spirit.
But while he was running, for the first time, he wanted to share the experience with someone, and Olivia flashed in his head. He didn’t know why, but he felt deep in his gut that she would appreciate the experience as much as he did, without him having to explain.
Most of the night he’d thought about Olivia, reimagined what she’d felt like when he’d touched her, what she’d tasted like when he’d kissed her. It wasn’t often that a single encounter with an attractive woman kept him in a state of randy heat. It was ridiculous how many times he’d had to think of trucks instead of the hot spot between her legs. And if he didn’t get his head in the game, he would waste an entire morning musing on “what if.”
Today, he and his small crew were working on what had once been the main house in the small settlement. According to documents, the home was the first one built and was the largest, so that it could accommodate the new settlers until they were able to build places of their own.
Connor got out of his truck and trotted down the small incline to where the workers were gathered to talk about the day’s assignment. Jake Thornton was his foreman and closest thing to a best friend. He was explaining to