Page 19 of Between Desire and Denial

“We had good times too. I don’t see you wanting to preserve shit about the tumble we had in the sheets.”

“Is there something to preserve? Because from what I remember, you and I both got off and that was about it. There weren’t any ‘sweet nothings’ exchanged.” Yeah, well, she’d made sure of that by leaving fast the next morning.

“Your pussy was sweet enough for me. I’ve dreamt about it ever since.”

Her little mouth formed an O of shock before she poked my shoulder. “Don’t you dare say stuff like that around me.”

“Why not? You don’t like a compliment?” I couldn’t help but smirk at the heat rising to her cheeks.

“I’m going to go if that’s all you needed to say to me.”

“No.” I grabbed her elbow gently as she started to turn and spun her back. “Fine. I didn’t bring you out here to discuss that actually, although I don’t think avoiding me over the last couple weeks was necessary.”

“Then what did you bring me out here to discuss?” She folded her arms across her chest and tapped her shoe on the floor like she didn’t have time for me.

She was about to make a lot more time. “You mentioned that community you grew up in…”

“Paradise Grove?”

“Yeah. That’s the one.” I nodded.

She combed her curls back away from her face and asked, “What about it?”

“Your father still lives there.” I cleared my throat, not sure how she was going to take this. “He’s also on the HOA board there.”

“I mean, maybe?” She narrowed her eyes. “Why would you care? And how would you know?”

She took a step back then, but I took one forward. “Now wait. Hear me out.”

She put up her hands to stop me from coming toward her. “You asked me information about Paradise Grove the night we hooked up.”

I nodded. “That’s true, but it had nothing to do with our night together.”

She shook her head at me and laughed, but it sounded hollow. “Were you pumping me for information?”

“I was curious.” I bit the bullet. “I’d invested in Paradise Grove and the land surrounding it awhile back and—”

“You’re joking. Why?” she blurted out. “Why would you invest in a small community like that?”

I combed a hand through my hair. It’d been about a year ago I’d listened to her and Kee talk about how she grew up in some gated community that held more pain than joy for her. “I listen to people when they talk. You talked about a luxurious enclave with Kee and I—”

“That was me talking about my childhood! I hate that place. It wasn’t an invitation to go research it and invest in it.”

I slid my hands in my pockets. “It’s what I do.”

“You realize you should be ashamed, right?” She wrinkled her nose in disgust. “I thought I was talking to friends.”

“You said the other night we weren’t even that—”

“Oh, shut up. Don’t feed me a line about us not being friends so you can profit off what you overheard. You sound like an unhinged investor too obsessed with money to realize that he’s using people’s personal stories to make deals.”

“I like taking risks, Olive. You’ve moved on from the community, right? So this one felt like a fun one, innovative and on brand for HEAT.”

“Oh, it’s on brand.” She scoffed. “Good luck.”

“Well, now.” I rubbed my jaw, trying to approach this differently. “Do you think you’d maybe like to explore why you hate that place so much and maybe visit with me? Go to a meeting and—”

“Are you kidding?” she whispered.