The Guarded Widow

by K M Gaffney

  “Aunt Maddy,” Luke’s eyes rounded as he innocently admonished her. “My mom says it’s not right to manipulate the people you love.”

  Maddy hugged her nephew.

  “Let’s just call it a loving push,” she said, giving Olivia a wide smile.

  “Guys, I’ve got to get dressed,” Olivia said, insinuating they needed to exit her room now.

  “Ok, boys out of here. It’s time for some girl talk.” Maddy knowingly chuckled as she watched them scurry off. She then sauntered over to the closet and with a dramatic sweep of her arms, swung the doors wide open. With one blood red polished nail tapping against a pearly white central incisor, she began sorting through her sister’s clothes. Within a minute, she selected a low cut red blouse and handed the shirt to Olivia.

  “This would look really nice with a pair of black bootleg jeans.”

  “I can get dressed all by myself, Maddy. I’d even managed to snag a husband on my own. Remember?”

  Maddy rolled her eyes, disregarding the sarcastic comments. “Thad asked you to meet him at Mulligan’s at six o’clock for drinks and then dinner afterwards.”

  She evaluated Olivia’s state of disarray.

  “You’d better hurry up. Oh, and wear your black boots,” she called out, stifling a laugh as her sister shoved her through the bedroom doorway into the hall.

  “Leave me alone,” Olivia warned, and then reluctantly entered her bathroom to finish preparing for her first date in well over twelve years.

  Gavin had decided to go into work even though it was his day off because he wanted to investigate Olivia’s disturbances. After a few frustrating hours, he eventually made some headway after placing a phone call to Viccerroy Malpractice Group, Thomas Jones’s past employer. Apparently, there’d been some recent allegations that the late Tom Jones, and an unidentified partner, had been fabricating false insurance policies and then collecting those policies’ insurance premiums. The FBI had only recently opened an investigation into these serious accusations.

  As Gavin hung up the phone, he wondered if Olivia even knew about her late husband’s alleged indiscretions. His thoughts were interrupted by Ron Barton carelessly tossing a bag of fast food at him.

  “Dude, this is your day off. What are you still doing here?” Ron asked.

  Since Ron had anticipated Gavin would still be at his desk, he’d grabbed his partner some dinner. On his way back he’d reluctantly decided to feed his friend first and then antagonize him with the juicy morsel of information he’d learned on his break.

  However, given the circumstances, Ron just couldn’t contain himself. As soon as the bag skidded to a stop on Gavin’s desk, he pounced.

  “I just saw Maddy, Olivia’s sister, while I was waiting for my food.” Barton said, conversationally.

  Gavin glanced up and grumbled an unintelligible response before returning to the information on his computer screen.

  Barton kicked back in his chair, tying a straw paper into a knot. He was so going to enjoy this.

  “She said Olivia has a blind date tonight.”

  I have his complete attention now, Ron thought with a chuckle as he watched Gavin’s head snap up.

  “What the hell do you mean a blind date?” Gavin asked, twisting around at his desk in order to look Ron in the face.

  “Oh! You don’t know what a blind date is? Well…”

  Gavin cut him off with a growl.

  “Don’t screw with me. That woman doesn’t have any common sense. Within a two week time period someone has stalked her, broke into her house, and slashed her tires. Now she decides to go on a date with someone she doesn’t even know?”

  Gavin stood up and began pacing around their desks. He ran a hand over the shadow of dark prickly hair growing in on his face.

  “Did Maddy happen to say where this blind date is taking place?” he demanded, not noticing how Ron Barton watched him, looking amused.

  “Actually, I do believe Maddy said they’d be patronizing Mulligan’s this evening.”

  Gavin grabbed his coat off the back of his chair and headed for the door.

  “You on a surveillance detail tonight, Gav?” Ron called out, laughing. Then he reached over to Gavin’s desk and swiped off the unopened bag of food.

  Olivia parked her SUV near the back of Mulligan’s crowded parking lot. It was a Saturday night and here she was sitting in her car, wishing she could be at home with her sons. I’m pathetic; she thought and took a final glimpse at her appearance in the rear view mirror.

  At least she was pleased with what she saw.

  Now feeling nervous and out of practice, she stepped out of the car.

  When she entered Mulligan’s she began glancing around, wondering what Thad Wolfe even looked like. Then she saw a pleasant looking man nod at her, wearing a sincere smile, as he approached.

  “You must be, Olivia. I’m Thad Wolfe,” he beamed and reached out to offer her his hand. She returned his greeting with a friendly smile and handshake, noting as his brown eyes crinkled at the corners it made him seem friendlier. He guided Olivia forward with a hand lightly placed at the small of her back.

  “I took the liberty of speaking with the hostess. I figured since it’s a blind date, we’d both probably feel more comfortable eating in the bar at one of the side tables.”

  “That sounds great to me,” she replied.

  He nodded to the hostess and they proceeded to follow her to a table along the side of the bar. As Thad shrugged out of his jacket and slid up onto a chair, Olivia removed her long black coat to hang it on the back of another chair at their table. Shifting, she noticed the bar was packed tonight and began turning back toward Thad. As her eyes scanned over the crowd of people, they slammed to an abrupt halt, stopping on Gavin Rafferty.

  Olivia cringed. He was sitting there, perfectly still, amidst the crowd of patrons with his intense blue eyes staring directly at her. His smoldering gaze started with her face, traveled down over her body, and then slowly lifted up to meet her eyes a second time. Then, to make matters worse, he picked up his draft of beer and gave her an arrogant nod of acknowledgment.

  After staring back for a few startled seconds, Olivia narrowed her eyes and glared at him. What is he doing here? She wondered, sliding onto her barstool across from Thad.

  The knowledge that Gavin was sitting at the bar, just a few feet away, suddenly made her palms begin to sweat. She wiped them on her pants, folded her hands on the table and then tried to concentrate on what Thad was saying to her. The waitress interrupted him, asking for their drink order.

  “I’d like a glass of Pinot Grigio,” Olivia told her, needing it right away.

  Forget first date jitters, she thought. The devastatingly handsome cop at the bar, watching her, evoked more nervousness than any blind date ever could.

  “I’ll take a twenty two ounce draft of whatever you have on tap,” Thad informed the waitress and then focused his friendly brown eyes on her.

  “So, you have four sons,” he said amicably as they began muddling their way through first date conversation.

  “Yes, I do,” she replied, doing her very best to ignore Gavin Rafferty.

  Gavin took a liberal sip of his beer and tried to watch the college football game playing on the bar television. It was a futile attempt.

  Who is this guy? He wondered to himself as the bar tender placed an order of hot wings down in front of him. When Olivia had taken off her coat, he’d nearly choked on his swallow of beer.

  The deep red shirt she had chosen was cut very low. It clung to her curves, accentuating them, all of them. He couldn’t help but stare at her, feeling a hot, tight knot of desire forming low in his stomach. And then she had glared at him with temper sparking in her eyes, and his only coherent thought was, she’s beautiful.

  He didn’t know who Olivia’s blind date was, but Gavin had already decided, without meeting him, that he didn’t like him.

  He can’t even keep his eyes on her face, Gavin angrily noted
and watched as Thad’s gaze kept dropping repeatedly, lingering, on Olivia’s low cut blouse. I really don’t want her sitting there with him, he suddenly realized as a fierce surge of intense dislike coursed through him. Annoyed by the way she kept laughing and smiling at her date, Gavin decided he was going to need more than one beer and flagged down the bartender.

  The night hasn’t been so bad, Olivia thought as she strolled with Thad toward the front door of Mulligan’s. Gavin had left the bar thirty minutes earlier and once he’d left, she had finally been able to relax, considerably. Thad held open the door for her as she stepped out of the restaurant.

  “Olivia, you don’t even have your coat on yet. It’s cold out here,” he stated, more than happy to reach around her to help her with it. “You know, I had a great time tonight.”

  She laughed, nervously. “I did too. Although I must admit, I hadn’t expected to enjoy myself, so thank you.”

  Tall oak trees lined the edge of the macadam and fallen leaves crinkled underfoot as they walked a little farther. When they stopped along the side of the parking lot, Thad turned to look at her.

  “Let me walk you to your car,” he said in a quiet tone.

  “Oh, I’m fine,” she returned quickly. “I’m all the way over on the far edge of the parking lot. I’m perfectly fine.”

  “Okay,” Thad replied, then skillfully angled his head to lean in and kiss her goodnight. Caught off guard, she stood very still for a moment as he stepped back ever so slightly and ran his hands up and down the sleeves of her coat.

  “I want to see you again, Olivia.”

  His hands stopped to rest lightly upon her shoulders. “May I call you? Maddy had already given me your telephone number.”

  Olivia stepped back in an attempt to widen the distance between them.

  “Yes, I look forward to your call. Good night, Thad” she replied, briskly walking away. Once she reached her SUV she slowed down and looked back. Thad had already made it to his car and was about to pull out of the parking lot. So she paused to lean against her car, breathing an audible sigh of relief.

  “I’m so glad that’s over,” she said aloud, relaxing against the car.

  The sudden sound of crunching gravel and approaching footsteps had her tensing. Frightened, she spun around to look toward the back of the SUV and saw Gavin slowly walking toward her, as if he was stalking his prey.

  “It didn’t look to me like you were too upset by the outcome of your date,” he drawled, watching her with a narrowed gaze.

  “You just scared me, Gavin,” she said, struggling to resume normal breathing again.

  He stopped in front of her, keeping his hands balled into fists inside his coat pockets.

  “You know Olivia, if I didn’t know any better, I’d say you enjoyed yourself tonight.” His voice became lower, sounded threatening. “Your date certainly did.”

  He deliberately moved forward, intending to completely block her path so there would be no way around him. “From my perspective, it looked like he couldn’t keep his eyes or hands to himself.”

  Olivia had heard enough. Completely aware that he was creating a warm delicious sensation in her belly, she stubbornly angled her chin to better evaluate him. Then she looked him square in the face and asked, “Gavin, are you drunk?”

  “Not at all,” he replied, watching her intently.

  “Then what do you want? Why are you here? Am I supposed to believe it was just a coincidence that you were at Mulligan’s. I’m allowed to go out on a date without notifying the police. I don’t need a chaperone,” she stated in a raspy voice.

  The way he was standing there, silently watching her, made her feel like it was difficult to even form words correctly.

  Then his arm reached out fast, dragging her up against him. He immediately sank his free hand into her hair and marveled at the softness, as he tugged her head back to look into his eyes.

  “I was making sure this blind date of yours wasn’t the same man who’s been trying to hurt you,” he growled out.

  His mouth, only inches from hers, made it extremely difficult to think, breathe, or speak.

  Somehow she managed to murmur, “I’m unharmed. Now you should let go of me.”

  He only tightened his grip. “Did you enjoy your good night kiss, Olivia?”

  Flustered, she pushed against him. “I guess. I don’t know.”

  “Well, you’re going to know if you enjoy this one,” Gavin promised and savagely brought his mouth down to meet hers.

  Finally, was the only thought which passed through her clouded mind. His body was firm and demanding, just like his mouth. As he pushed her up against the driver side door of the SUV, Olivia rose up on her toes and wrapped hers arms around his neck.

  He smelled of leather and cologne. He tasted like beer. Her lips parted and met his urgent demands.

  Gavin sensed when her desire for him heightened because she softly moaned low in her throat before deepening the kiss. The searing heat which threatened to devour him, poured into Olivia.

  For a split second Gavin thought, I must be losing my mind. Then he didn’t care. He slid his hands down and inside her coat to run his hands over her thin blouse. He needed to feel her, to finally touch her. She tasted of wine and her body, her curvy responsive body, was more than welcoming to his touch.

  Her reaction to him was so intense he realized he desperately needed to stop now, while he still could, before he dragged her into the backseat of the SUV. He ended the kiss abruptly, by pushing her away. Then he just stared at her. Her hazel eyes were sensually half closed, dark with desire, while her lips looked swollen, from the demanding assault of his mouth.

  Gavin grinned with deliberate malice.

  “Your date didn’t kiss you like that,” he informed her.

  It took a moment for his words to register, but when they did, Olivia went off. Irate, she raised her chin to glare at him as she hissed, “You’re unbelievable, Gavin Rafferty!”

  She pushed him away with all of her strength. “Back off!”

  He barely moved.

  Olivia reached into her pocket and took out her keys with hands unsteady from anger and kindled desire. She unlocked the car door and climbed in behind the steering wheel. “Stay away from me! Don’t ever come near me again.” She slammed her car door closed and then reopened it. “And don’t you dare try to follow me home, Rafferty!”

  As Gavin watched her tirade, he fought back the indescribable urge to drag her back out of the car.

  “I don’t need too,” he stated, smugly. “I know your sister’s waiting for you at the house.”

  That made her even angrier so she slammed the door again. With an arrogant smirk, Gavin rapped against the window anyway.

  “What?” she shouted loudly, glaring at him through the glass.

  “I’ll be coming by your house tomorrow afternoon,” he stated, firmly. “I have some questions to ask you about…”

  There was no way in hell she was going to give him the satisfaction of completing his sentence. So Olivia started her car, flashed him a hateful smile, and gunned out of the parking lot.

  He watched her speed away, pleased with himself. I’ll be the only man she’s thinking about tonight, he thought with a cocky grin.

  It wasn’t until much later, when he was tossing and turning in his own bed, that Gavin realized how great a toll such a kiss had cost him. Beyond frustrated he wondered, now what in the hell am I going to do? He ended up climbing out of bed, hoping a stiff drink could help take the edge off of his unquenched thirst for Olivia Jones.

  Chapter Seven

  She’d slept fitfully and it was all Gavin Rafferty’s fault. He had dominated her thoughts and dreams throughout most of the night. After returning home last evening and finding Maddy sound asleep on the family room couch, Olivia had released a huge sigh of relief. Definitely not ready to divulge the evening’s sordid details, she escaped to the sanctuary of her bedroom, anxious to forget the kiss ever happened. But as
much as she wished it hadn’t, it had.

  Once Olivia had finally succumbed to a few precious hours of restless sleep, she’d woken early, as was her habit, and lay in the silent morning stillness, hoping she’d fall back to sleep. She didn’t. Finally she gave up and wandered into the kitchen to brew a wickedly strong pot of coffee, all the while berating herself.

  What in the world was I thinking? He is the most arrogant, insulting man I’ve ever met. So then why, oh why, did I enjoy that blasted kiss so much?

  Frustrated, she switched on the coffee maker.

  The man had made her head swim and her body had responded so quickly that now she’d been forced to remember what’s been missing in her life these last two years. It was never, ever like that with Tom though, she honestly admitted. I’d enjoyed sex, but I’d never felt completely consumed by a painful physical need for it, especially after just one kiss. Although, she thought begrudgingly, that was one very intense, demanding kiss. Shaking her head, trying to erase it from her memory, she opened the refrigerator in search of the eggs.

  Her efforts to forget him were pointless, having already replayed the passionate encounter over and over in her sleep deprived mind at least a hundred times since arriving home. I wasn’t even able to fall asleep because he had me so riled up. I need to forget about it, she decided and started cracking eggs into a small glass mixing bowl.

  But she knew what the problem was.

  From now on, every time I have to look at him, I’ll always remember what his touch felt like, she conceded in defeat. For she knew she’d never be able to forget that kiss, it was burned into her memory, forever.

  Maddy groggily made her way into the kitchen, yawning. She shuffled along quietly, and then paused in the hallway to observe Olivia who was beating scrambled eggs with a vengeance.

  “I take it you didn’t enjoy your date with Thad last night?” Maddy asked casually, slowly walking over to help herself to the coffee.