The Absence of Olivia(68)

He stepped around me so we were face to face, and his thumb and forefinger gently gripped my chin, his touch light and comforting. “How’ve you been, Lyn?” His eyes sparkled with his question, his smile widening. He was the only person who ever called me Lyn, and I liked it. So much. Too much.

“Good,” I breathed. “I’ve been good.”

“Hmmm. I can tell.” His words flowed through me, my eyes drinking in the beauty of his face right in front of me. His hand moved to my shoulder, then slid softly down my arm until my fingers were in his hand. He lifted my left hand up and examined it, running his thumb over my ring finger. “You’re not wearing a wedding ring, and I haven’t seen any men lingering near you. Is it possible you’re single?”

“She’s totally single,” Shelby offered from behind me, her voice way too enthusiastic for the message she was delivering. I rolled my eyes.

“Thanks, Shelby,” I laughed, but then turned back to Nate. “I still can’t believe you’re even here. I never really thought I would see you again.”

“I don’t want to monopolize you on your big night, but I was hoping we could catch up later.”

“Um, sure,” I said softly, realizing I was a little disappointed he wouldn’t be monopolizing me. “But you’ll hang around?”

“I wouldn’t miss it,” he said, squeezing my hand one more time before stepping away toward the bar. I couldn’t take my eyes from the man who I had only seen in clothes fit for hiking or construction, now standing before me in an incredibly sexy suit, complete with slick, skinny black tie. My mind was whirling, wondering what in the world he was doing there.

“Did you tell him about this?” I asked Shelby as soon as Nate was out of earshot.

“Absolutely not. I haven’t seen him since that one time in your studio back home. I can’t believe he showed up here, all hot for you, checking out your ring finger. He’s on a mission, Evie.”

My eyes flitted back to him, standing at the bar, back to me. A considerably large part of me wanted to stare at him for the rest of the evening. My body was remembering, slowly, the one real date we’d had, the one kiss we’d shared under that waterfall, and the way it had made me feel. Before my thoughts could carry me too far away, I was being beckoned by Sylvia to chat with an editor of LA Times, wanting to do a story on my photographs and me, so I had to put my work face back on.

My body, however, was always aware of Nate. So much so, it seemed to vibrate with the awareness. I knew where he was at all times: which photos he was looking at, which people he was talking to, which corner of the gallery he was standing in, watching me from afar. It was the most brutal and beautiful form of torture. As much as I was aware of him, he definitely seemed to be tracking me as well. Electricity flowed between us like a hot current, and I was surprised people inside the gallery weren’t fanning themselves. I found my cheeks warm and my core even warmer. My belly clenched every time we made eye contact, my breath caught when I saw him taking in one of my photos. I’d never experienced foreplay from a room apart, but what was happening between us definitely qualified.

I sipped cool champagne, trying to calm myself. Obviously, my body was on high alert, suffering from withdrawals. I’d only gone on a few dates since moving to LA, and definitely hadn’t slept with anyone. And it had been a long while since I’d slept with anyone even before the move. I was in a serious dry spell and my mind was telling my body to prepare.

I was almost embarrassed. He’d said twenty words to me. He could have been in a relationship for all I knew. But deep down I knew he wouldn’t have come to my show, especially alone, if he’d been in a relationship. Regardless, my body was onboard and primed to devour his.

Despite the distraction of Nate, I managed to put on a good show. I spoke with many important people who could all have a significant impact on my career path, and I felt as though I’d made a good impression on everyone. Overall, it seemed to be quite a successful night. It was easy to keep a smile on my face as people began to leave, showering me with compliments and congratulations.

My eyes wandered to Nate and I saw him talking with Shelby, both of them stealing glances my way. I didn’t know what she would have to say to him, but I wasn’t too worried about it; Shelby had always been a good friend. I watched as she leaned forward and pressed a friendly kiss to his cheek, and then made her way back to me.

“I’m beat. I’m going back to my hotel.” She opened her arms to me, wrapping me up in a hug and whispered in my ear, “I’m so proud of you, Evie. You’ve accomplished so much since you’ve been here. Now, let that man love on you a little.”

I laughed, not at all surprised by her forward demand.

“Thank you for coming,” I said as I pulled back from her embrace. “It means a lot that you were here. Make sure you call me before you head home so we can get coffee or lunch.”

“I’ll call you tomorrow, but not too early,” she said with a sassy wink.

I gave her a natural, warm smile as she left, feeling particularly lucky to have made such a good friend in her. As a few more people left, I felt the tension in the room grow between Nate and me. Soon enough, there were just ten or so people with us. My breath stalled when I saw him making his way to me, a small glass of amber liquid in his hands.