comedian. She took another bite of eggs and washed it down with a sip of coffee. Damn…it was good. And he’d made it exactly how she liked it. Imagine that.
Stretching out in his chair, Tate crossed his long legs at the ankles and laced his fingers to support the back of his head in a negligent sprawl. “So here’s the deal, Olivia, you can’t keep going on like this, and I’m no Mary Poppins . If you continue to refuse me as your guardian, I cannot guarantee you’ll live a long and healthy life—”
Chugging her orange juice, she set the glass down with a firm clap and leveled him with an unwavering stare. “I want my memory back, Tate. Can you do that? Can you give it back to me?”
He sighed, looking not in the least bit surprised by her request. “Why would you want it when you know it will only cause you more grief? Look, the court may not agree with Liam’s actions, but I understand why he did what he felt he had to do. So no, Olivia, I can’t return your memory. I will not subordinate Liam’s actions to please you. It would be counterproductive to my end goal.”
“Which is what, exactly?” she snapped, hastily forcing down another bite of scrambled eggs so she could get the hell out of here. “You show up out of the blue, heal my broken ankle, tuck me into bed, and cook me breakfast. Are you trying to break my bond to Liam by getting me to fall for you? I’m not that easily seduced.”
A scowl of displeasure settled across his handsome face. He stiffened in his chair, clearly affronted by the suggestion. “Were I to put forth the effort, you might not find me so easy to resist. But it’s not your heart I’m after, Olivia. I want your soul—”
“Oh, well then in that case… For crissake, Tate, listen to yourself. FYI that is not what you should say to someone you want to trust you. ‘I want your soul.’ And if you think I can just stop loving Liam because you say so, then clearly, you’ve never been in love.”
“No, I haven’t.”
His emotionless retort flamed the already burning embers of her nerves. “Well, then kudos to you, because let me tell ya, it sucks. And it can’t be controlled. It’s not something I can just turn off and on at will. Do you think I want to feel like this? That I want to be heartbroken over someone who doesn’t want me anymore, who gave me up—”
Tate’s violet gaze locked on her with startling intensity. “I never said he didn’t want you. And I didn’t say he gave you up. I said you were taken from him and he’s not coming back.”
“ That’s supposed to make me feel better?”
“I’m not here to make you feel better, Olivia. I’m here to keep you alive. Now, accept me and let me do my damn job!”
She pressed her fingertips to her throbbing temples, trying to stave off the impending migraine. Each beat of her heart was like a nail driving deeper into her brain. Oh, she never should have consumed that much wine. Perhaps this is all just a dream, she pitifully tried to convince herself. It simply wasn’t happening. She was not sitting here in her kitchen, arguing with an angel over binding to her soul. Those kinds of things just didn’t happen. This was all just too much.
The chair across from her grated against the floor as her wishful hallucination stood, wordlessly crossing the kitchen. He opened a cupboard, took out a bottle of Ibuprofen, and shook three pills into his hand before carrying them over to her.
“Here.”
Without giving him a glance, she held out her hand and drank the pills down with the remainder of her coffee. Silently, she ate the last few bites of eggs, bacon, and toast. Olivia stood and carried her plate to the sink. She had to go. “So, that’s how it’s going to be? You’re going to move in and become my shadow until I bond with you? Is that what you’re saying?”
Crossing his arms over his broad chest, he tipped his chin defiantly. “Exactly, dove. When I’m not in court, I’ll be here with
Stretching out in his chair, Tate crossed his long legs at the ankles and laced his fingers to support the back of his head in a negligent sprawl. “So here’s the deal, Olivia, you can’t keep going on like this, and I’m no Mary Poppins . If you continue to refuse me as your guardian, I cannot guarantee you’ll live a long and healthy life—”
Chugging her orange juice, she set the glass down with a firm clap and leveled him with an unwavering stare. “I want my memory back, Tate. Can you do that? Can you give it back to me?”
He sighed, looking not in the least bit surprised by her request. “Why would you want it when you know it will only cause you more grief? Look, the court may not agree with Liam’s actions, but I understand why he did what he felt he had to do. So no, Olivia, I can’t return your memory. I will not subordinate Liam’s actions to please you. It would be counterproductive to my end goal.”
“Which is what, exactly?” she snapped, hastily forcing down another bite of scrambled eggs so she could get the hell out of here. “You show up out of the blue, heal my broken ankle, tuck me into bed, and cook me breakfast. Are you trying to break my bond to Liam by getting me to fall for you? I’m not that easily seduced.”
A scowl of displeasure settled across his handsome face. He stiffened in his chair, clearly affronted by the suggestion. “Were I to put forth the effort, you might not find me so easy to resist. But it’s not your heart I’m after, Olivia. I want your soul—”
“Oh, well then in that case… For crissake, Tate, listen to yourself. FYI that is not what you should say to someone you want to trust you. ‘I want your soul.’ And if you think I can just stop loving Liam because you say so, then clearly, you’ve never been in love.”
“No, I haven’t.”
His emotionless retort flamed the already burning embers of her nerves. “Well, then kudos to you, because let me tell ya, it sucks. And it can’t be controlled. It’s not something I can just turn off and on at will. Do you think I want to feel like this? That I want to be heartbroken over someone who doesn’t want me anymore, who gave me up—”
Tate’s violet gaze locked on her with startling intensity. “I never said he didn’t want you. And I didn’t say he gave you up. I said you were taken from him and he’s not coming back.”
“ That’s supposed to make me feel better?”
“I’m not here to make you feel better, Olivia. I’m here to keep you alive. Now, accept me and let me do my damn job!”
She pressed her fingertips to her throbbing temples, trying to stave off the impending migraine. Each beat of her heart was like a nail driving deeper into her brain. Oh, she never should have consumed that much wine. Perhaps this is all just a dream, she pitifully tried to convince herself. It simply wasn’t happening. She was not sitting here in her kitchen, arguing with an angel over binding to her soul. Those kinds of things just didn’t happen. This was all just too much.
The chair across from her grated against the floor as her wishful hallucination stood, wordlessly crossing the kitchen. He opened a cupboard, took out a bottle of Ibuprofen, and shook three pills into his hand before carrying them over to her.
“Here.”
Without giving him a glance, she held out her hand and drank the pills down with the remainder of her coffee. Silently, she ate the last few bites of eggs, bacon, and toast. Olivia stood and carried her plate to the sink. She had to go. “So, that’s how it’s going to be? You’re going to move in and become my shadow until I bond with you? Is that what you’re saying?”
Crossing his arms over his broad chest, he tipped his chin defiantly. “Exactly, dove. When I’m not in court, I’ll be here with
Similar Books
