Exposed by Fate (Serve #2)(42)

Her stomach pitched at the thought of hands that weren’t Oliver’s caressing her skin. Oh, God. What had she done to herself? The responsible course of action would be to cancel their lesson. Tell him she’d learned what she needed to know and didn’t need him anymore. It would give him an out and allow her to walk away with dignity. It would be on her terms.

Yet she would never make that call. Never deny herself that final night. She’d regret it for the rest of her life if she let an opportunity to be with Oliver pass. So she’d wait for the fall that came after.

Caroline turned off the highway and headed down the tree-lined avenue that would lead her to Philip Preston’s house. “Jonah wants to get a dog.”

Eliza wrote Fido in the condensation she’d created on the window. “What kind?”

“We’ve only gotten as far as ‘big ass dog’.”

“It’s a start.”

This is why she loved Caroline. Her friend ran an edgy, successful magazine, wined and dined with corporate fat cats on a weekly basis, yet she never talked about it. That fascinated Eliza. She considered Caroline her best friend, sometimes her only friend, but they both had unspoken boundaries. They only delved into personal or professional fears when absolutely necessary, but when they did, Eliza always came out on the other side feeling better. Unfortunately, Eliza was only starting to realize she might have used their carefully constructed boundaries to justify her relationship with Oliver. She’d told herself they were all adults and this was only an innocent diversion. Sitting next to her best friend at that moment, though, she couldn’t deny the guilt wrapping around her like a cloak.

“So you’re telling me I need to accommodate a big ass dog in my redecoration plans?”

“Yes.” Caroline’s tone was brisk, but a smile tugged one end of her mouth. “We’d like a puppy Jacuzzi, complete with massaging jets.”

“Of course.” Eliza pretended to take notes. “And he should have his own separate entrance. Don’t want him feeling trapped in that giant brownstone.”

“Who said big ass dog was going to be a male? I like the idea of girls outnumbering Jonah three to one.”

“I apologize for my doggy discrimination.”

Caroline snorted. “Honestly, I think Jonah doesn’t like me there alone at night when he works late at Serve. Of course, he won’t say that because he’d have to hear me—”

“Remind him that women are just as capable of locking doors and alarming tricked out security systems.”

“Yes, exactly. Anyway, I think he’s looking for a housebroken version of Cujo.”

Eliza chuckled. “If anyone can find one, it’s him.”

Caroline groaned. “I asked Oliver to talk him out of it, but he’s been so preoccupied lately, I think he forgot. Some brother he’s turned out to be.”

Just the mention of his name sent blood roaring through her veins. The scenery passing by the car felt sharper at the mere reminder of him. She cleared her throat into the silence. “Well, he’ll be sorry when he gets stuck with Cujo-sitting duty.”

“Ha! I love the way your mind works, Ballas.” Her friend sighed. “Not sure what’s up with Oliver, lately. He’s been at the office earlier than me every day for two weeks.”

“Isn’t that a good thing?”

“I’m not sure. If this wasn’t my brother, I’d swear it was a girl.”

Eliza stayed silent, unable to talk around the ache in her throat. If this wasn’t my brother…the reminder of Oliver’s need for multiple women stung, even though it shouldn’t. Caroline didn’t realize Oliver had been working overtime on making his mother’s scholarship program a success, in addition to the work he already did at ReVAMPed. It wasn’t a girl that had him so preoccupied. It had nothing to do with her.

Caroline turned into her father’s driveway and frowned. “Well, speak of the devil.”

Her headlights illuminated Oliver as he stepped out of his own car, holding a handful of documents. Eliza’s body felt like it might melt into the seat. After thinking of him non-stop throughout the day, seeing him in the flesh was like a crazy shot of adrenaline. He still wore his suit, but his sleeves were rolled up, his hair in disarray from a day’s worth of finger pulling. When Caroline killed her headlights and he saw her sitting in the car, she watched his Adam’s apple slide slowly up and down. Probably from nerves or guilt. This would be the first time the three of them were in the same place since the lessons began. There would be no escaping it.

…

Oliver forced himself not to rush Eliza as she climbed out of the car. He’d had a long, frustrating day and the reason for most, okay all, of that frustration looked like a breath of fresh air, while he felt like shit. It took all his self-control to remain standing in the driveway when he wanted to spread Eliza across the hood of his car and pump every ounce of his vexation into her. In his current state, he didn’t really give a f*ck who was watching as long as he could have her. Did that make him a degenerate? So be it. He’d been called worse.

God, his attitude sucked, and he couldn’t do a damn thing about it. Less than twenty-four hours to go until she left his life for good. At least in the capacity he wanted. Tonight would only be the first of many times he’d be in the same room with her, forced to smile genially and be Caroline’s big brother, as opposed to the man f*cking Eliza’s sweet, flexible body. The man on the receiving end of her secretive smiles. The man she absorbed comfort from.