Free Plus One by Brighton Walsh Page A

miss how his stomach jumped like a little girl’s at her words. “Us?”
    “Yeah, Emma and me.”
    The smile she sent him was so bright and happy, as if she had no idea she’d just confirmed his fears and ripped his heart out all in one fell swoop.
    There was no them. Not yet, and maybe not ever.

Chapter Sixteen
    Olivia readied herself for the sixth wedding Ian would accompany her to, her nerves tingling with anticipation. Sweeping her hair into a quick up-do, she wondered how this event would be different from the nearly half dozen others they had attended. This would be the first date they’d been on since their relationship had crossed that physical line. She wondered how that might change things between them.
    Since his trip to Minneapolis the previous week, they’d talked on the phone several times. In the past week, he’d somehow become an even more integral part of her life. It was unusual for them to go a day without talking in some manner, whether through a phone call or text, and she found that she liked that. She counted on that contact with him.
    And it scared her.
    She wasn’t used to counting on a man. She’d lived the majority of her adult years as an independent woman. Sure, she’d dated and had boyfriends, of both the long—and short-term variety, but she’d never felt the comfort and need she felt with Ian.
    And the fact remained that Ian wasn’t hers. Hell, he didn’t even live where she did. Even putting that aside, did they really have something worth pursuing beyond the pleasure they found in the bedroom? She hadn’t been merely placating him when she’d told him she didn’t know if she was ready for something serious. She wanted to be; she wanted the whole Happily Ever After that only a few short months ago seemed so out of her reach. But the thought of trying something like that with Ian worried the hell out of her.
    What if it failed?
    She couldn’t stand the thought of not having Ian in her life anymore. And, let’s face it, her track record in the relationship arena wasn’t exactly glowing.
    Her doorbell rang, and she gave one more sweep over herself in the mirror. Resting on her bare shoulders, the thin straps of her dress gave way to a draped neckline, giving the illusion of fuller breasts, something that had definitely sold her on the garment in the first place. The deep garnet color gave her skin a healthy glow. With a final swipe of gloss across her lips, she left the bathroom and headed to the front door.
    No matter how many times she’d seen him decked out in his finest, she didn’t think the appeal would ever diminish. Ian stood in the open doorway, his black pin-striped suit impeccably tailored to his body, looking for the world like walking, talking sex. His blond hair was disheveled, his sharp jaw smooth from a recent shave. His lips were quirked in the smallest of smiles as his eyes traveled over her curves.
    “Livvy,” he said quietly, reaching to grab her hand. Pulling her to him, he brought her up against his body. “You’re stunning.”
    She melted into him as his lips met hers, his tongue softly delving into her mouth. The kiss was unhurried, tender though not at all hesitant. It left her satisfied yet wanting more all at once. After he released her, she finally noticed that he carried a small duffel bag in his hand. The thought of what that meant shot heat straight to her center. Her nipples hardened into tight peaks, and from the look on Ian’s face, he noticed as well.
    Almost as if he’d read her mind, he brought his heated gaze to hers, his tongue tracing leisurely along his bottom lip. “Tonight, Livvy...” His eyes swept over her body once again. “Tonight I’m going to make you come so many times, you’ll lose count.” He leaned in, his lips brushing up the slope of her neck. His tongue flicked out, swirling around the sensitive skin just behind her ear. His voice was a low rumble, quiet in its command, but she heard it all the same. “I