Forbidden Love with the Marine(2)
Ivan had decided to stay away from the girls for a while – no thanks to his recent screw-up of his relationship with Molly. He’d been dating Molly on and off for a couple of years – more off than on if he were to be exact. But her clinging ways had made life hell for him and he hadn’t really been sorry to return home with the news that she was now seeing someone else. Ivan had needs like every other guy but he was biding his time before getting involved with any female again – even if just casually. And that meant no sex. At all. Period.
He’d been doing good so far but then the moment he’d set eyes on Olivia tonight, all he could think of was how much of a woman she’d become. A very desirable, grown woman who had a face and body to make a monk forget his vows.
“You know I don’t dance, Olivia,” he said lightly, his smile taking off the sting. The music filled the air with energy and he could see many their friends and family having fun. He could also see Olivia’s father across the room overseeing the drinks while his wife, Martha was playing the perfect hostess she was, serving trays of snacks.
Despite his better judgment, Ivan let his eyes run over Olivia one more time. Standing in front of him, her charms were displayed to heart-pounding perfection. Ivan had to admit that Olivia in a sexy dress would be top on his list of images to get himself off on when the ice-cold shower failed to work on his raging libido. Closing his eyes briefly, he prayed for strength.
“Not dancing at your own welcome party? Who ever heard of that?” Olivia enquired in her ever-playful tone. She took hold of both his hands and began to back away, pulling him along with her in direction of the dance area. Shaking his head with a wry smile, Ivan stood his ground, intent on not making a fool of himself. Ivan and dancing were not exactly best buddies.
Olivia pouted, tilting her head to one side as she suddenly narrowed her eyes at him. “Do I make you nervous, Ivan?”
Ivan paused, and then frowned. “What? How do you mean? No, of course not. Why would you say that?”
“Well...because we used to be best buddies, you know. Five and six. But now you’re this tough, big shot Marine and I always take the back seat.” As she spoke, she moved forward to tug a little at the collar of his shirt, as if to straighten it. Her closeness brought home the sweet, spicy scent of her perfume that sent him on a cloud of sensual awareness. Damn she smelled so good. He closed his eyes for a brief moment and inhaled to savor her sweetness.
But her words had actually really hurt. It was true they’d always had a strong bond. Olivia had taken to him like a big brother and he’d always been there for her growing up, helping her with school work or to get rid of some pesky admirer. He never would have wanted to give Olivia the impression that now he didn’t have time for her.
Hell, ever since she left her teens and had started spouting curves every which way, he’d had to keep his distance for fear of giving in to the most amorous of desires. But even as Olivia had developed into the perfect pin-up girl, she still remained Martin Kirkland’s precious daughter and Ivan refused to think of her any differently. Hour-glass curves or not.
“I’m sorry it looks that way, Olivia,” he said quietly at last. “Besides, I never dreamed you’d notice. You had your friends, your life in college...I just felt you’re all grown up now and didn’t need your big brother anymore.”
“You’re right,” was her soft reply, her eyes looking straight up into his face in a way that made his throat constrict. “The last thing I need is a big brother.”
There was a message in her eyes that Ivan didn’t understand or perhaps chose not to. He dared not think about it. He had to tell himself that the look of smoldering heat in Olivia’s sultry brown eyes had to be a figment of his fevered imagination.
Olivia licked her lips and then began hesitantly, “Ivan, I...”
Before she could finish, a few of her friends hurried up to them, giggling and surrounding Ivan, insisting he had to dance with them. Ivan saw that he had no way to counterforce the bombardment from Olivia’s teasing friends. But in a way, he was relieved to have this chance of breaking up what had been a very charged moment.
Olivia looked far from pleased with the interruption, but she had no choice but to go along with it as at last, Ivan was dragged off to endure several rounds on the crowded dance floor.
Chapter Two
The cold shower didn’t help. Not tonight.
Not after the last several hours of watching her, catching her sexy woman scent. Being so close to her that he could see deep into the striking features of her face. Hearing that raspy feminine voice of hers which, if he closed his eyes, he could make say anything he wanted. Like, “Kiss me, Ivan. Hold me and don’t let me go...”
Groaning out loud at the thought of Olivia ever saying those words to him, Ivan called himself all kinds of a fool for lacking control. Now in his house and alone in his bedroom, he struggled not to give in to the sinful and totally inappropriate thoughts that Olivia had brought to life within him.
Damn it! He hadn’t felt this hot for a female since his later teens. So horny that even after a long, punishingly cold shower his nine inches were still stiff and standing like a flagpole. Obviously he wasn’t going to get much sleep tonight. Not with an erection this hard. Not with the images of the smoking hot woman of his dreams filling his brain until he wanted to explode.