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“Olivia,” she said, those arresting amber eyes lifting to mine. “Just Olivia is fine.”
I nodded and stood, offering her a hand to help her up.
When she took it, heat shot up my arm as I got slapped by another punch of her scent, but I ignored that as she rose, and I realized just how tiny she was. She came to just about my chin and her frame was as delicate as I’d imagined, all wrapped up in that sweater.
“Thank you,” she said softly as she collected her purse and led the way out of the diner.
I wasn’t sure what I was expecting, but the basic blue four-door sedan she made her way to wasn’t what I would’ve pegged for her. “This is me.”
I tipped my head toward the black Porsche in the last parking spot.
She gave a light laugh. “Of course that’s yours.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Nothing.” Her smile grew, making her face light up like the sun above us. “Follow me and I’ll try not to lose you in that clunker.”
I shook my head and bit back my own smile as I made my way to my car and slid inside.
We backed out and I followed her through town, then east on Highway 190. The woman liked to speed but she wasn’t hard to keep up with in my 911 Turbo. I had no idea what had ultimately convinced her to trust me, but I’ll admit I was interested in seeing her home and what it was she wanted to show me. If her brother wanted to meet me, that was fine, but I was long past being starstruck by the people I worked for, so if this was some sort of a test, she didn’t need to worry.
She slowed and exited, signaling a left turn. The town around us was small, barely a town really. Quick mental calculations based on what I recalled from her file put us approximately midway between her dance studio and her folks’ place on Lake Livingston, explaining why she’d chosen this tiny place without much more to offer than a Bubba’s gas station and a Dollar General.
A few minutes later, we turned into a small subdivision of nondescript houses and I began to take security inventory of the layout of the neighborhood, how her home was positioned on the street, and how a potential predator would view it—complete with its large shade tree in the yard, the shrubbery lining the front windows, and the less than sturdy fencing to the backyard. Only the black G-Wagon parked on the street seemed out of place, and I could only assume it belonged to her brother.
I parked behind her and killed the engine, took a moment to shoot Kade a text letting him know I had made contact and would call him later, then stepped out to meet her.
My phone immediately buzzed so I pulled it out to read Kade’s reply. I frowned when I read the message... not from Kade.
Tricia: Please stop ignoring me! I need to talk to you, Justin!
I shoved my phone away and strode toward Olivia.
“Everything okay?” she asked.
I raised a brow at her insightfulness. “Everything’s great. Shall we?” I tilted my head toward the front door.
She nodded and led the way, unlocking the door and letting us in, all while I took mental notes of everything. No clear security system. Shitty thin wooden door that would be all too easy to kick in. Only one bolt lock. No dog.
Inside, the first three things I noticed were the window by the front door, the insane way the place smelled of her, and the happy squeals of laughter coming from the back somewhere.
She shot me a small smile. “That’d be Elizabeth.”
I said nothing and followed her down the hall, noting the layout of the small house. She paused by a back bedroom, and I felt her glance up at me.
I turned from my study of the other rooms and was quite literally sucker punched. I had to fight every instinct in my body to either run or crumple and curse as I came face-to-face with tiny round cheeks and big hazel eyes taking me in like I was nothing more dangerous than her teddy bear.
The big man on the ground with her put aside the doll he’d been playing with and uncoiled to stand, scooping her up into his arms with the skill of a practiced father. “Hey.” His eyes tracked over to Olivia, then back to me. “You must be Kade’s guy.”
Get your shit together, Justin.
“I am. Justin Ashford.” I offered my hand. “And you must be Camden Creed.”
He nodded and took my hand. “Thanks for coming.”
“Of course.” I couldn’t help glancing at the girl in his arms as she laid her head on his shoulder, still staring me down, her cloud of brown curls making a halo around her head.
He jiggled her on his waist. “This is my princess. Elizabeth.”