Page 50 of Broken Halos

After breakfast, the ladies went into the living room to talk, aka strategize, on what to do with Kaleb Jacoby while Reggie went on up to bed and Jeremy and Henry did the breakfast dishes. I linked my fingers through Ollie’s and led him into my bedroom.

“Are you sure you’re okay about Ryder?” I asked.

“I knew he was lying, Arch. I know you love me and want to be with me. I want you to know I didn’t use the L word because I felt threatened. It just burst from my chest when you smiled at me like seeing me in your room was the best thing in the world.”

“I know sincerity when I see it, baby,” I said, pulling him into the circle of my arms. “And seeing you in my room was the best thing in the universe. You light up my world, Golden Boy. Some jackass from my past won’t change that either.”

“We have a few hours before Kaleb arrives.” I could tell Ollie struggled to say his name. It might not have been a good idea to use sex as a distraction, but how could I resist him. Ollie had told me about some of his triggers when it came to sex, but this wasn’t one he’d described.

“What do you have in mind?”

“Let me show you instead,” he suggested.

He slowly stripped off my shirt before removing his. Ollie repeated the process of undressing me then himself until he’d stripped us both bare, and only then did he kiss me. Then the chemistry between us changed from languid to desperate. Ollie’s eager kisses and roaming hands spoke of the need to claim and possess, and the way he leaned into my touch said he wanted to be claimed and possessed too.

“We have to be quiet so the entire house doesn’t know what we’re up to,” Ollie whispered.

“Too late,” Esther said on the other side of my door.

“Esther!” Ollie and I both admonished.

“It’s not my fault the walls and doors need to be thicker in this house,” she replied. “I wouldn’t bother you if it wasn’t important.”

Ollie had already scooted off my lap at the sound of her voice, so I rose to my feet and reached for my clothes. “What’s up?” I asked, stepping into my underwear.

“Your noon appointment showed up two hours early.”

“Eager for his ass whooping!” Millie added.

“Oh my God!” Ollie said, covering his face. “Is your mother outside the door too?” I’d never seen Ollie’s face look so red before, but it was better than the ashen white color it was when he learned Kaleb was waiting for us.

“Of course,” Mamma said. “I’m as nosy as the rest of them. And really, boys. It’s ten o’clock in the morning, and you have a houseful of people. Even though I understand you have to strike while the iron’s hard—”

“Hot!” Ollie and I both said then burst into laughter.

“Strike while the iron is hot,” I told her. “We’ll be out in just a few minutes.”

“We can send the twit away if you want to finish,” Esther offered. As if we could ever have sex under this roof again.

“It’s not necessary. We’ll get this confrontation over with and move on with our day. Please show Mr. Jacoby to my office, and I’ll be right there.”

“Okay,” Esther said. I could hear the shrug in her voice.

“And take your two best friends with you,” I told her. “I need to have a private word with Ollie before the interview.”

“Sure thing,” Esther said. “Come on, ladies.”

“‘Private word,’” Millie muttered. I imagined she used air quotes too. “Who are they trying to fool?”

My mother didn’t say anything, but I heard her warm giggles.

“Ollie, are you sure you don’t want me to tell him I made a mistake and there wasn’t an opening?”

“No, Arch. I won’t have you lie. I need to face him.”

“Do you want to talk to him privately?”

Ollie shook his head. “We’ll do it together as you said.”