Too Consumed by Skyla Madi Page B

sigh and sit up. I rake my fingers through my hair, making a mental note to get a haircut. “I should probably mention Jackson is moving in.”
    Her eyes widen and she pushes herself up on her elbows. “When?”
    “Today , and I was thinking we could have a barbeque—just you, me, Selena and Jackson,” I lied. I wasn’t thinking that. I just created a reason to have her agree to coming over tonight before her mom has a chance to rope her into dinner.
    Olivia sits up and tightens her ponytail, smiling slightly. “Are you feeling okay?”
    “Above the waist I’m okay, why?”
    Her lips twitch. “It doesn’t seem like your style. I expected you to suggest an orgy before a double date.”
    “ Firstly, I don’t have a style and it’s not a double date. It’s a couple of friends hanging out and eating a shit ton of food…” I hook my finger under the hem of her shorts and tug her toward me. Her hands fly up and press against my chest to stop herself from slamming into my body. I smile as I picture her naked, digging her fingernails into my bare skin. “To increase stamina for a sleepless night,” I finish.
    She takes a step back and I remove my finger from her shorts as she runs a hand over her face. “Shit, I can’t.”
    The balloon of indecent excitement in my chest deflates. “You can’t?”
    “No, I promised Mom we’d Skype with Chase tonight.”
    “What time?”
    “ Eight p.m.”
    “Come to dinner at six and then you can Skype with Chase afterwards.”
    She ponders for a little while, pulling the corner of her lip between her teeth. “Fine, do you need me to get anything? What are we eating?”
    “You don’t need to get anything, I have lots of steak.”
    Olivia blinks at me a few times before reachi ng for her blue backpack that sits on the desk. “I’ll go pick up some Selena-friendly food. She only eats lamb, chicken, or meats that have been processed enough times they actually count as a chemical.” She rolls her eyes and mimics Selena’s voice. “The bigger the animal, the bigger the bloat.”
    Whatever the hell that means . A few more knocks sound on the door and I walk towards it before pulling it open.
    “We were only talking ,” Olivia states, shifting her weight and folding her arms.
    Darryl’s eyes zero in on her leg and I follow his line of sight. I smile widely when I spot one half of her shorts pushed up her thigh.
    “Apparently ,” he deadpans.
    Olivia glances down an d abruptly flattens her shorts.
    “Anyway, I have the MMAC breathing down my neck. They’re not happy with your times and they’re extremely close to replacing me with some juiced up gorilla who knows more about supplements than techniques.”
    I shrug my shoulders in an attempt to come off unbothered, but inside, I feel sorry for Darryl. I’ve fucked him around a lot since I met Olivia. When Darryl and I first started working, I’d hired him only to piss off my dad—but we grew close and now I wouldn’t dream of replacing him. Without hesitation, he gave up his life in Seattle and uprooted his wife and three children to move to Portland with me. He believed in me—believes in me—and I don’t know what I’d do or where’d I’d be without him.
    Olivia strolls past, planting a quick kiss on my cheek. “See you soon.”
    We watch as she rounds the corner and disappears down the stairs.
    “I’m going to marry her ,” I say aloud without thought or warning.
    Darryl’s lips curl into a wide, proud smile and it illumines his dark features. “Good, you’d be stupid not to.”
    I nod my head in subtle agreement and lean against the door frame. Darryl analyzes me for a second before speaking. “You know, the ‘no sex’ rule isn’t only to help your performance levels, but to also help your relationship.”
    I frown, confused.
    “C’mon, everyone knows what kind of guy you were. With this rule in place, it gives you time to explore other aspects of your relationship. Love isn’t only