page19 (1/2)

Olivia breathed in a sigh, taking in the fresh lakeside air “I really appreciate all of this, Dane” She gave him a brief embrace

“You look sad,” he observed

She gazed out into the water as they walked “I aer and you’ve put out so ht as you do right now aboutIf he did, he never made me feel that way”

“Sorry to hear that Sounds like you really had a tough tiirl like you deserves to feel protected and cared for—all the time,” Dane said His silky, deep voice warmed her heart and touched her soul She could tell he was dead serious

God, I wish you were ht Why couldn’t she have hooked up with a sweet guy like Dane? How on earth did she end up with Jack? Sure, they got along when they firstlike the spark she felt with Dane And Jack sure as hell didn’t seem too bothered with her whenever she worked late hours and caht He was too busy in his other life apparently It was so strange feeling this way around Dane Knohat it was like to have a man fuss over her the way Dane did

“Kind of chilly! Do you usually walk along the beach this tiinning to feel like such a loser for having chosen someone in the past who clearly wasn’t that into her as she’d thought Spending so in her relationship with Jack And they hadn’t even known each other long—yet it didn’t seem that way She felt as if she’d known Dane all her life God, they’d been through heaven and hell in the past two days and knew so h she really wanted to know much more about him

“Never get tired of it It’s where I get a lot of thinking done”

“Thinking?”

“Business stuff Whatever I’ out here near to nature is therapeutic I usually sit up there on that boulder and watch the waves, listening to the sound of the water”

“Sounds dreaet a lot of work done here, too”

“Yousexier by the minute

“Yes” Olivia grinned sheepishly She’d told hi poetry She even shared soed her He was so enthusiastic and listened attentively to her— her feel extra special Jack never really had the tiifts Not that he really cared aa whatever business he was doing No wonder she ended up doing a lot of his studying Funny, when you think you’re in love, you overlook the obvious indiscretions There were sofor her but she didn’t see theh Of course, Jack was not like that in the earlier days, but Olivia thought it was the stress of school that got hiht—which was always twenty-twenty, she knew better

“While you’re here, why don’t you try it? Come on out and sit on the chairs on the deck It’s safe out here The place is secure We own the land in this area”

“Must be very nice”

“To sit out on the deck chairs?” He grinned

“To own all of this I mean, you have your own little paradise A private beach and everything You can come out here all year Must be nice”

“It’s okay” Dane wanted to say it’s not half as nice as you are but he resisted the urge

Darn his body’s reaction to Olivia! He was already getting hard just walking beside her on the beach—and it had nothing to do with the nippy weather

She was breathtaking—like no other woeous before She looked stunning with her hair rustling in the wind, her pretty facial features highlighted in the ue between her parted lips again as he’d done two days ago

Don’t even go there, Dane She’s on the rebound, remember? Just like Sophie was

If only Olivia kne much Dane wrestled with his emotions around her Damn! No other woman had struck him so hard like Olivia Not even Sophie—whoood fit for hi about Olivia that really resonated with him

“You know, I’ve always drea a waterfront condo but I knew I could never afford it on my salary”

“Really now?”

“Yes I would co bath in my soaker tub Not like the shallow pan we had in our last apart a picturesque view of the waterfront, withthe air and the view of the ocean or lake or whatever waterfront property I could snag”