“You look beautiful.” He kisses my ear. “I’m an ass. I should have invited you.” Then in a move that leaves me speechless, he kisses me. Not a quick kiss, a slow kiss that makes a statement. “I’m so glad you’re here.”

I smile and blink back the tears. This was my game and he’s turned the tables and taken control of the night. Fine with me.

I hear someone clear their throat and we both turn. His parents and Chance are all watching us.

“I didn’t tell Mom and Dad that Viv is more than just your friend, but I think they know now.” Chance grins and to my surprise, and relief, so do his parents.

Oliver pulls me into his arms and looks down at me with mischief playing across his lips. “Yes, we’re more than friends. We’re neighbors.” He winks at me.

“Well, let’s eat,” Hugh says.

Oliver holds my hand and leads me to the table. Jackie stares at us both, and I swear I see tears in her eyes as she smiles. He is the perfect gentleman, pulling my chair out for me and refilling my glass of wine. I raise my eyebrow at him since I’m already feeling a buzz and one more glass could cause unnecessary embarrassment in front of his family.

“Are you originally from the Boston area?” Jackie asks as she passes around the serving dishes.

“No, I’m from Hartford. That’s where my parents still live.”

“What brought you to Cambridge?” Hugh asks.

I take a sip of my water. “I’ll be attending Harvard Business School in the fall.”

“Your first year?” he asks.

“Yes, I had some unexpected expenses come up so I wasn’t able to start right out of high school. My best friend is in Harvard Med and he introduced me to my roommate who then introduced me to her aunt who owns the nursery where I’ve been working over the past couple years. Sorry, I’m probably confusing you.” I realize my nerves are getting the best of me.

“No, not at all.” Hugh smiles.

I don’t look at Oliver because I’m afraid he’s giving me the you-left-out-the-part-about-your-parents-thinking-you’re-in-school-now look.

“Viv? How have I known you for two years but never knew you were waiting to be a Harvard snob too?” Chance says as his parents give him disapproving looks.

“You might have known if you’d have spent more time getting to know her instead of hitting on her.” Oliver shakes his head.

Chance shrugs and shoves in a mouthful of food. “You’re probably right,” he mumbles.

A perfectly relaxed dinner segues into more easy conversation around the fire pit. I’m envious of Oliver and Chance having their parents not only close but available. I have wonderful parents and when we’re together we have a lot of fun, but growing up, one or the other—and often times both—worked just to make ends meet. We didn’t have dinner parties and wine around a fire pit.

I try to pace myself on the wine by eating plenty of food and drinking lots of water, but that only serves to make me need to use the bathroom every twenty minutes. This time when I return, Oliver pulls me onto his lap before I get to my chair. His family watches us with adoration on their faces that can be seen through the soft illumination of the fire and tree lanterns.

“I think we should leave soon,” he whispers in my ear.

My mildly inebriated body is warm already, but his breath against my neck elevates my temperature to a near sweat. “But I’m having such a nice time.” I rest the back of my head against his shoulder and gaze at the mesmerizing flames.

“I think you’ll have a nice time at my place too.” His lips brush my bare shoulder next to my sundress strap and his tongue wets my skin making me squirm in his lap.

Sliding me off his lap, we both stand. “We’re going to take off.”

“Yeah, I’m going to stay for a little bit yet, would it be too much to ask for you to drop Viv off at her place for me?” Chance tips back his beer bottle to mask his smart-ass grin.

Oliver doesn’t acknowledge him with words. Instead, he grabs his beer and empties the rest in the grass.

“Hey, what the hell?” Chance yells.

“If you don’t ease up you won’t even be driving your own ass home.” Oliver smacks the back of his head.

“Thank you so much for dinner. It was incredible and I’ve had the best time tonight.” I address both Jackie and Hugh with sincere thanks.

“It was our pleasure. Hope to see you next week. You have a permanent standing invitation incase either one of our sons forgets to show their manners and invite you.”

Oliver shakes his head.

“Are we still on for the morning, Son?” Hugh asks Oliver.

“Absolutely, see you bright and early.”

Jackie stands and gives us both hugs.

“Bye, Chance. Thanks for the invite.” I lean down and kiss him on the cheek.

Oliver is quick to tug my arm and pull me away from his brother.

“Bye, Viv. Tell my big bro to chill. We can share you. It’s all in the family.”

* * *

Oliver ushers me to the car with his hands all over me. Even my numbing buzz can’t mask the sexual tension sparking between us. Somewhere between a step, a breath, and a blink, he’s managed to pin my body facedown against the passenger door of his car. If we’re role-playing good cop-bad cop, he’s definitely not the former.

“Did I mention how much I like this dress?” His voice is deep, breathy, and teetering on the edge. I feel his erection pressed against my ass as his hands snake up my sides and cup my breasts.

“Yes,” I whisper.

“No bra?”

“No, straps would show.” My eyes roll back in my head. The wine, his hands, his voice, and those hips pulsing into me dissolve all coherent thoughts. I could pass out.

And in the same time-stealing instant, he’s no longer pressed against me. I’m nothing more than a lifeless bug splattered on his car.

“Let’s go.”

I peel myself from the window as he opens the door. My body collapses in the seat, someone with more dexterity than I, fastens my seat belt, and the door is closed. Oliver starts the engine then leans over and sucks the last breath out of me with his greedy lips and demanding tongue. His hand slides up by bare thigh and my nonexistent nerves do nothing to stop his approach as I unabashedly spread my legs for him.

He freezes just as my panting reaches the red alert mark. “Where the hell are your underwear?”

My eyes pop open and my lips pull into a sexy grin. “I’m not wearing any.”

“Obviously! Why not?” There’s an edge to his voice.

I shrug. “I feel sexy without them.”

He sits up and fastens his seat belt then shoves the car into reverse. “News flash, Vivian, you’re a walking wet dream in a sundress without panties or in a full suit of armor!”

Pinching my lips together I try to hide my smile. He doesn’t say any more until we’re parked on our street. Opening my door, he holds out his hand. Something tells me I’d follow this man anywhere.

He flips on the lights as we walk through the front doorway. “Did you get the extra warranty?” I gesture to his new phone charging on the counter.

Oliver turns to me with a soft smile. His gaze caresses my skin.

“How do you do that?” I whisper.

“Do what?”

“Make me feel everything with an invisible touch.”

He closes his eyes. In this moment I would crawl through the desert, drink the sand, and risk being eaten alive by snakes and scorpions, just to have one glimpse into his thoughts.

“Tell me what you’re thinking.” I rest my forehead against his chest.

“I’ll show you.”

* * *

Naked. I step from the pool of cotton at my feet. Lanky legs, bony hips, witchy hair, and a canvas of ink camouflaging the riddling of scars on my back, but it all disappears under his gaze. I see my perfection in his eyes.

He removes his shirt and grins. It’s a little cocky, a tad boyish, and a whole lot of sexy. I sit on his enormous bed, scoot to the middle, and cross my legs. Oliver looks at me with a wrinkle of question on his forehead.

“Keep going.” I bite on my thumbnail and grin.

He turns around, unfastens his pants, then slides one side down, looking at me over his shoulder while biting his bottom lip.

I giggle.

He eases the other side down.

Another sexy look back at me.

Another giggle.

He continues to make a meal out of undressing for me, and I eat every bit of it up—one deliciously teasing move at a time. Once he’s completely naked, he interlaces his hands behind his head and flexes his hard glutes for me. His whole body is cut to a beautiful perfection and his skin … flawless.

Oliver glances at me over his shoulder again with a playful grin that fades when he sees my face.

“Hey.” He turns and crawls up on the bed, pulling me into his arms. “What’s wrong?”

“You. You’re … confident and sexy and … perfect.” I swallow back my emotions. “And your skin, it’s—”

Oliver presses his finger to my lips and shakes his head. Then his lips replace his finger. Hands of gentle strength glide over my body one small curve at a time.

He’s showing me.

Somehow Oliver knows when words are inadequate. I feel his passion and carnal need harnessed with incredible control as he explores my body with his, bringing me to the edge. My body begs for his, every millimeter of space between us is unbearable.

“Oli … please!” My voice is breathless as his incredible lips brush over my nipples, up my neck, finding home with mine as he sinks into me.

I wrap my legs around his waist, my arms around his neck, and I hold on. Oliver can take me anywhere.

* * *

Oliver

I’m in a bit of a quandary. The plan for my relationship with Vivian to remain solely physical is failing at a catastrophic level. The physical part is not even in this dimension. It’s as if she’s starving and I’m the only one in the entire world that has what she needs to survive. Will she wake up one day and realize that I’ve poisoned her? Will I survive if she does?

My nearly six and a half foot long body curls into a five by two foot space while Vivian sleeps in her greedy diagonal position across the bed. She was on top of me until I slid out at sunrise. My dad will be here soon anyway, but I can’t pass up the few spare moments I have to watch her sleep. I’m up to twenty eight on her freckle count.

“I can feel your stare,” she mumbles.

“Hold still, I’m not done.”

She cracks open one eye, but just a squint. “Done with what?”

“Counting your freckles.”

“Oh God!” She throws her arm over her face. “Yet, another undesirable trait of mine.”

I pry her arm away and kiss her freckled nose, cheeks, and then her full, delicious lips. I have to adjust my hard-on because she’s so damn sexy I can’t even think about her without standing at full attention.

“Vivian, I swear I’m going to make it my life’s mission to make you see that your brightness blinds the sun.”

She brushes her palms over my face. “I don’t deserve you.”

I kiss her and stand, slowly releasing her hand. “You’re right. You deserve better.”

* * *

“I like her.” My dad pants as he grips the water with his oars.

“I like her too.” I exert all my effort while extending my legs and flexing my arms. “Maybe too much.”

“And that’s a problem?”

“She’s so young and she doesn’t know anything about me.” I grind the words through clenched teeth as rivulets of sweat trickle down my face.

“What do you know about her?”

“She’s smart as a whip, has impeccable work ethic. She wants to take over the world, yet she doesn’t have a pretentious bone in her body.” I suck in another labored breath. “She’s kind with a childlike innocence, and seventy-five percent of her back is covered in third-degree burn scars that have been tattooed over.”

My dad stops and looks back at me. “I saw part of the tattoo near her neck and shoulders, but her hair covered most of it. I had no idea—”

I shake my head. “She fell into a campfire. God, Dad, it’s scarred her in more ways than one.”

He nods. “Have you met her parents?”

“No, of course as you know, they don’t live around here, but I don’t know if I’m ready to be that person in her life—as in, the guy she takes home.”

“You might be right, or you might be being a little hard on yourself. But she deserves the truth, Son. As much as you don’t want to acknowledge it, it doesn’t change what happened and all secrets get revealed in time.”