Protecting Olivia [Fate Harbor 2] (Siren Publishing Ménage Amour)

by Caitlyn O'Leary

  Joshua had even explained that Ian had an almost psychic talent, that on rare occasions he could see ahead or into something unclear and be completely accurate. That’s how they’d ultimately caught an arsonist in Phoenix and how he’d subsequently saved Joshua’s life there. Ian credited this quirky radar to his Scottish ancestry. Joshua just thanked God for it, otherwise he wouldn’t be alive.

  Olivia started across the parking lot, admiring the hydrangeas and rhododendrons in the fresh bark that lined the parking lot of the firehouse. These firefighters actually landscaped. She was so caught up admiring the beauty of the day and the scenery she was caught off guard when a big man strode up and stood directly in front of her so that she almost bumped right into him. She stumbled to a stop, and looked up, and up.

  Olivia felt gut-shot as she stared up at the man who was smiling down at her. He was wearing his firefighter’s uniform, so she read his name stitched onto it, Ransom. Her conscious mind was busy processing that this was Joshua’s best friend, Ian, but her primal brain was registering a strong sense of recognition. His shaggy brown hair shot through with red highlights grazed his forehead just above soulful brown eyes flecked with green. His broad shoulders blocked out the sun as he towered over her and immediately made her feel oddly safe. But what surprised her most was that as she looked into his eyes, she saw her past, life after life, and never-ending futures.

  He had stopped his forward motion as well. His open mouth had closed. She saw his eyes widen in recognition. She felt her tight muscles begin to relax as she realized he was just as affected. He opened his mouth again, but no sound came out. They continued staring at one another in wonder. Olivia knew this was a moment that would be burned into her memory for all time. “Olivia, it’s good to finally meet you.” She instinctively knew his voice was normally smooth like aged scotch whiskey, but it came out hoarse.

  Olivia held out her hand, and he took it. She closed her eyes at the heat of his touch. When she opened them up, he was looking down at their clasped hands, and she was relieved not to have to look him in the eye.

  “So where do you want to go to lunch?” he asked.

  “How about the fish ‘n chips place, near the pier,” Olivia suggested in a choked voice. She was amazed she had been able to speak. Oh, God, what had just gone through her mind? It had to have been an aberration. Heat stroke, maybe? Did she really think she had some mysterious otherworldy connection to this stranger?

  She was glad she had found the presence of mind to suggest Earl’s Fish ‘n Chips Shack. It was more of a self-serve-styled restaurant, and you ate outside, so lunch wouldn’t last too long. She didn’t want to be too long in this man’s presence, at least not alone.

  Now he did look at her, his tourmaline eyes sparking deep ambers with green, giving her a long, considering look. “You’re a wise woman, Livvy.” Olivia opened her mouth to protest the nickname but realized that when he said it, she liked it. Oh, this is bad, this is very bad.

  When Olivia headed for the Taurus she had rented, Ian took her arm and guided her to the sidewalk. “Let’s walk. It’s a beautiful day.” They walked in silence, and she let the blue sky and bright green landscape soothe her as they made their way downhill toward the water. Occasionally, she would glance over at the man beside her, sure she had read far too much into her first reaction. Even when she had met Joshua, her feelings had grown gradually into romance. She must have imagined that strangely familiar wash of emotion when she had seen Ian in the parking lot. Maybe she was close to her period, and her hormones were going haywire.

  There was a long line at Earl’s Fish ‘n Chips Shack but eventually she ordered a couple of pieces of cod and fries, while Ian ordered battered salmon, cod, fries, and clam chowder. “How are you going to eat all of that?” she asked.

  “I’m twice your size, Livvy,” He looked her over, forcing her to take note of his large frame. He was bigger and taller than Joshua. She shook her head and looked down at her paper dish of food.

  “So, where should we take this to eat?” Olivia asked Ian.

  “Let’s walk over to the pier, there are some benches there.” He indicated with a nod of his head. Again, they walked in silence. It bothered Olivia how comfortable she felt with Ian’s silences. She felt no need to get him to talk or fill the air with words of her own. Instead she just enjoyed the security of his presence. The moment she thought that, she almost stopped walking. Why did she feel so safe with him? What was it about this man? Was she projecting qualities onto him? Was she just remembering all the things that Joshua had told her about him? Or was it deeper than that? If she was honest with herself, and God knows she always tried to be honest with herself, she felt as if she had known Ian for years. She knew him down to his very core, and could trust him at a soul level. Oh God, I must be having a nervous breakdown. It’s the only thing that makes sense.

  * * * *

  When they got to the bench and sat down, Ian uncapped his clam chowder, dipped his spoon in and blew on the scoop of soup. Then he held it out in front of her. “Would you like some?”

  Olivia looked at the spoon then up at him, and nodded. She sipped the chowder and sighed in pleasure. He dipped the spoon back into the cup and took a mouthful.

  “It tastes better with just a hint of Olivia,” he said, his eyes glittering at her. He offered her another spoonful, and she accepted.

  He waited until she swallowed and then said, “I investigated you.”

  “You did what?”

  “The normal stuff, your DMV record, credit scores, social media sites. God, Livvy, the medical records on your attack were horrific.” It was a toss-up between the two of them who was looking more ill, Olivia or himself.

  “How could you possibly have gotten into those medical records?” She didn’t look angry, she looked violated. Fuck, he’d screwed up, he shouldn’t have told her. He reached out and grabbed her free hand.

  “I had to know you, Livvy. I had to know the person that Joshua was coming to love. He’s mine to protect, and I had to know…be sure that you weren’t going to hurt him.”

  “Is this about Fiona?”

  “You know about her?” Ian was surprised that Joshua had shared that with Olivia.

  “Yes, I know, and I would never betray another human being like that, let alone someone I care about.”

  “I know that now.” But looking into her eyes, he realized now that his uneasy feelings had nothing to do with her integrity but rather his own. Instead the “knowing” had been warning him about the feelings he would have for this woman.

  Instead of sounding angry or hurt, she seemed to understand as she asked, “What else did you find out?

  “A lot of what I found out was public record. Because you head AHC, you tell the story of growing up homeless on the streets of Los Angeles. How you often had to live in motels, shelters, your car, and a couple of times in boxes under bridges. You say you were very young. How old were you?” He watched as she really looked at him, as if considering whether to answer him or not. He saw the moment when she made the decision, her eyes softening.

  “I think I was as young as two when we lost the house. I remember being three and four sleeping in the car, and outside. My sister, who was two years older than me, had her fifth birthday when we were living in our car.”

  “I read about your mom dying of pneumonia.”

  “Yeah, I pulled up her records years later, it was from easily treatable complications.” Ian looked down and realized he was still holding her hand. He used his thumb to brush her knuckles. She looked up at him with grateful eyes. Unable to help himself, knowing that this woman was more to him than any other woman had ever been before, he pulled her into his arms, and rocked her. He asked her another question.

  “How did you feel when your dad left you with the social workers? Were you relieved?”

  “Oh God no.” Ian wanted to hit himself in the head for having asked the question. Of course a little girl wouldn’t have been happy at
her father having abandoned her.

  “I was inconsolable. It took them a week before they found a home for me. It was amazing that the people they put me with didn’t send me away. I know the other kids in the house hated listening to me cry all the time.”

  “Really? Couldn’t they understand, since they were foster kids themselves?”

  “Our food is getting cold.” Ian realized that despite the fact that they both recognized each other on soul level, she still needed these moments, these little mundane things to try to compose herself. He allowed it…for now. Ian let her concentrate on the food for a little bit and soon the cup of chowder was finished and they returned to the task of eating their own plates of food—again, not speaking. When they were done, Ian took their plates to the trashcan and threw them away, and then he sat back down at the bench.

  “So were the kids really upset with your crying?”

  “No, not really. Sam and Chance were great. But it was Butch and Betty that made all the difference in the world.”

  “Butch and Betty Hutchins?” Ian knew them from around town.

  “Yep, they were my foster parents. They were great. They retired here a few years ago, and that’s how Chance and Sam ended up here.”

  “Did you ever see your dad or brother and sister again?”

  “No I never did.” Ian had known that, but wanted to hear her say it, wanted to hear how she dealt with it. He could see that she had moved on. It was one more thing that he admired about her. She lived in the present. Actually she was fascinating. How many people could come from such abject poverty, live in the foster-care system, go on to get an MBA, and start a prestigious charity? Then from all accounts still remain active with the day-to-day operations, working with people in soup kitchens and shelters.

  “Ian?” He realized she must have been talking to him, and he had no idea what she had been saying.

  “I’m sorry Livvy, what did you say?”

  “I was wondering why you invited me to lunch.”

  “Partly it was to get to know you.”

  “And the other part?” she asked as she kept her eyes on the Puget Sound in front of her, as if the choppy water had the answers to all of life’s questions.

  I had an ulterior motive,” Ian said quietly.

  Olivia still didn’t turn to look at his face. She couldn’t muster the nerve to face him eye-to-eye with all of these unexplained emotions, and looking at the water was safe.

  “So explain your motives to me.”

  “After all the research I did on you, I realized just what an impressive lady you are.” Ian gazed at the woman in front of him and told himself the truth. Impressive is what he had thought after he had hacked her. Loving, warm, kind, sexy, beautiful and his, was how he saw her now.

  * * * *

  Olivia barked out a laugh, still not looking at him. Apparently, Ian had had enough of her visually distancing herself from him because he cupped her chin, turning her to look directly at him. “You are, Livvy, you’re very impressive.” And she knew he was talking about more than her resume. He was scaring the hell out of her.

  “Okay, so I’m impressive. Now, what was your ulterior motive?” she asked, cutting her eyes sideways, toward the water.

  “I wanted to find out what your true intentions are in regards to Joshua. He’s very serious about you, and I don’t want my friend hurt.” She jerked her head out of his hand and stood up abruptly, gripping the handrail of the pier.

  “It’s a little fucking late for that, now, isn’t it, Ian?” she choked out bitterly. Olivia wiped away a tear. Damn, she couldn’t believe that had actually come out of her mouth. But it was the truth, wasn’t it? Where was her loyalty? What kind of woman was she? What kind of person?

  “What do you mean? Do you mean that you’ve been leading him on? I expected better out of the woman I’ve read about. I was worried you meant to drag him off to Boston and hadn’t really considered what he wanted.”

  And there it was. Olivia sighed. She heard the love and concern in Joshua’s friend’s voice and realized just what a wonderful man Ian was. She also realized that he wasn’t facing or admitting what was going on between them, which was both a blessing and a curse. At this moment, she chose to think of it as a blessing, because she didn’t want anything to come between these two men. But her heart sank as she realized that her dreams of just two hours ago had gone up in smoke. She couldn’t have really been falling in love with Joshua after all, not if she could have such an intense reaction to another man. God, she felt like some kind of tramp. She felt tears at the back of her eyes. Never had she been this flighty. She’d always prided herself on knowing her mind, her heart. What was wrong with her?

  “Please know this, Ian. Please, believe me when I tell you, I never intended to do anything but bring good and positives into Joshua’s life, because that’s all that he has brought into my life,” she said in a forlorn voice.

  “Well, that’s a good thing, isn’t it?” It was clear that Ian was confused by what she was saying.

  “There’s a reason those old sayings are true, ‘the road to hell is paved with good intentions.’ Despite everything I found out today, I was leading Joshua on. I’m sorry. I’ll fix it, Ian, I promise.” She wrapped her arms around herself and turned from the rail, still avoiding his eyes, starting the long walk back to her car. She felt the hard jerk on her arm, the arm that had been injured in her attack. She gasped in pain.

  He dipped down, and reverently pressed his lips against hers, and she flowered open like a bud in spring. How could she not? He was being so tender, but she knew it wouldn’t last because this man was a pirate, a marauder. Then he was there, everywhere, touching her, pressing her back into the warm wood of the railing, while her breasts were molded against the warmth of his chest. Suddenly his lips plundered, and never had she felt so taken. This wasn’t a kiss, she was being devoured. She had no other choice but to submit. Her head fell back, like a flower too heavy on a delicate stem, but his hands were there to catch her. His fingers sank deep, tangling in her hair, as his tongue plunged into her mouth in voracious need. Olivia felt her heart beating so hard she thought it would slam out of her breastbone. When he finally ripped his lips from hers, she moved her arms from her sides, frantically grasping at his jaw.

  “No, Ian, don’t stop,” she said with raw need.

  “I tasted your tears. Why are you crying, Livvy?” She touched her face, surprised to find it was wet.

  She looked up at him in confusion. “I don’t know,” she whispered. Ian looked down at her, taking in her hot look, her wet and swollen lips, and then he looked around, realizing they were out in the open. He felt like…He didn’t know what he felt like. That was the problem, that was always his problem. He didn’t do feelings, that was why he had Joshua in his life. Oh, fuck—Joshua. How can I be doing this? How can I not be doing this? Because this was one of his goddamn Knowing Times. So many times they’ve saved me, or saved others. But this time, shit. It’s going to cost me my closest friend, but what can I do? Olivia is my love. Whether she will end up belonging to me, only time will tell, but she would be the only woman that I will ever love, and I can’t not grab perhaps our only moment together.

  He rested his forehead against hers. “I want you,” he choked out, “more than I want my next breath.”

  “Yes,” she said in complete accord.

  He grabbed her hand and they began the walk up the hill back to their cars. “Maybe by the time we get to the cars we won’t…” Olivia’s voice trailed off.

  “No, we will,” he said with feeling.

  They got to the parking lot, and Ian lifted his brow in question. Olivia understood and gestured to her car that was parked in a corner under a large evergreen tree.

  “Get in the car, Livvy,” he bit out. She turned to the driver’s side door, but he stopped her from opening it. “Give me the keys, I’m driving.” She handed over the keys without a thought, and he guided her over to the passenger si
de, opening the door for her. He watched as she slid in, closely watching every move she made as she positioned herself. He couldn’t help sliding his hand down her hair, and trailing it to the front of her blouse where he boldly cupped her breast, his thumb brushing over her engorged nipple. She arched and whimpered, closing her eyes, relishing the contact.

  Ian tore his hand away as if it burned and shut the door. When he got into the driver’s seat he looked at her, and she still had her eyes closed. It was just as well. She kept them that way as he drove her to his house. When the car stopped, she looked over at him.

  “My house,” he clipped out. She just nodded. He watched as she fumbled with her seat belt, then he covered her hands and unclipped it. “Easy, Livvy. It’s going to be okay.”

  “It’s not, Ian.” Her turquoise eyes seared into him.

  “Do you want me to take you back?” he asked, even though the asking all but killed him. She was too important to be coerced. She shook her head.

  “Words, Olivia. I need the words.”

  “No, Ian, I don’t want you to take me back. I want you to take me inside.” She paused and licked her dry lips. “I want you to take me.”

  He nodded his head and got out of the car. He was at her door before she had a chance to open it. He assisted her out. There was no holding or touching, as if by tacit agreement, realizing they had to wait until they were inside, because as soon as the touching started it wouldn’t stop.

  Olivia was in a daze as she followed Ian into his house. She’d just met the man two hours ago, but she’d known about him for the last four weeks through Joshua. Joshua, the man Olivia was falling in love with. Joshua, who was Ian’s best friend.