No Regrets (A Stepbrother New Adult Novella)(9)

“Come in with me. I need to get a few things, and it may take a minute.” He came around and held his hand out for her.

She extended her arm to him, and when her fingers touched his she felt an electrical current run through her. What the hell was happening to her? She had to gain some control of her feelings. The chemistry between her and Parker was undeniable, but this couldn’t go anywhere. Liv wished desperately that she could stop herself from feeling anything at all for her future step brother. Unfortunately, that train has left the station.

They made their way inside, and she was greeted by the butler and a maid as Parker went upstairs.

“You must be Olivia. It’s so nice to meet you.” The elderly woman smiled.

“How did you know my name?” she asked, mildly confused.

“Your mother speaks of you often. Can we get you anything, dear?”

Her mother… So, she had spent time here, as well. Obviously—she was dating the owner of this house. Get ahold of yourself, Livie.

“No, no I’m fine, but thank you very much.”

She wanted to run out of the house and back down the highway to where she had come from, to where she belonged. Parker finally came back down and they went back out to the car.

“So, are we going to talk about it, Olivia?” Her heart started to pound. What could he mean?

“About what, Parker? There’s nothing to discuss.”

“Dammit, Olivia. You’ve been avoiding me all day like the plague, so that’s obviously not true.”

“I know, Parker.” She gave him a weak smile. “But, I’d rather we forgot about what happened. I just…can’t talk about it,” she said softly, looking at her hands in her lap. Parker was silent as he stared at her, and she had no idea what he was thinking.

“Happily.” he suddenly said, and he gave her a cocky grin. Thank God he accepted that I don’t want to talk about the kiss.

They set off for the city and the day sped by—she truly enjoyed herself. They visited several small restaurants that were on their list, and Parker seemed to know many of the proprietors. He was extremely nice to everyone, which surprised Liv since she expected him to be an arrogant, spoiled kid of a successful local billionaire. But he wasn’t, and she found herself liking him more as the day wore on.

Parker bought her street food from some vendors and they talked about the wedding as they walked downtown. She watched him come to life while he spoke about his dad’s business, and how he was excited to sit in on meetings soon. This was a side of him she hadn’t expected. Their actions from the night before still weighed heavily on her mind, but it seemed he stopped wanting to bring the topic up again so she was able to relax a little.

As he drove her home to drop her off, he found music they both liked. They ended up in a heated discussion about who was more talented: Bruno Mars or Sam Smith. It went on until they declared a truce and agreed not to bring it up again, but the discussion was lively and fun and they were both laughing at the end. Finally, they were at her house, and she jumped out of the car before he could come help her.

“I guess I’ll see you tonight, Parker,” she said as she leaned down to the window. “Let’s just get through the night, and things can go back to normal.” She pushed her glasses up, and he smiled at her.

“I’ll see you tonight,” he agreed. He pulled away, and she felt a little better about their situation.

She could be friendly with him, and together, they could be there for their parents. She just had to avoid his touch. There was something about them alone together, some undercurrent that she knew she just had to stay away from. She knew if she didn’t, all of her carefully crafted plans for the future might be destroyed.





Chapter Eight





Parker





He knew it would be hard for him to avoid her. He was a man used to getting what he wanted, especially where women were concerned. But, Olivia was off limits. His reaction to her that morning when she had come down the stairs was purely sexual, and he knew it wouldn’t do any good to deny it.

She was beautiful, and full of fire, and he wanted her in his bed. Unfortunately, that would never be an option. Straightening his tie, he made his way downstairs to find his father ready to go.

“Hey, old man, you clean up nice.” He smiled and noticed his father was a little more pale than usual. “Dad, are you okay?”

“Yes, I’m okay, son. I’m just nervous.” He gave Parker a smile.

“I can’t even imagine you being nervous, Dad. You’ve moved businesses, and never once did you seem scared or worried.” He helped his father fix his tie.


“Well, that’s where the difference is, Parker. See, all of that was work—it was about providing a life for us, and providing a legacy for you to keep going long after I’m gone. This—getting married—it’s more scary because it’s a choice, something I’m doing only because I want to.”

“Well, better you than me, old man.” Parker chuckled as he patted his father on the shoulder, and the two made their way to the clubhouse where the party was being held.




He saw Liv from across the room. She wore a deep blue dress, tight and fitted, hugging her every curve. Her hair was swept up, leaving her elegant neck exposed. She was wearing contacts, her glasses gone.