Connections Read Online Free Page B

asked lowly, his voice husky.
    Olivia nodded, not trusting her voice while she attempted to regain her breath.   She retrieved a light cardigan from her closet quickly, her mind racing.   Alex held open her apartment door for her as she exited.   She caught a whiff of his scent—the one that made her weak in the knees—and she fought the urge to curl herself into his chest and just stay there for the remainder of the evening.
    “Key?” Alex reminded her gently when she stood motionless facing the length of the hallway.
    She started, “Oh, right!”   Feeling herself blush even more, she carefully withdrew the key from her purse and locked the door.
    When she pulled back, Alex was smirking down at her, all of his previous hesitation long gone.   “Something on your mind, darling?”
    She turned on her heel immediately and let him trail behind her.   Smug bastard.
    A few moments later, he snuck up closer behind her and whispered, “You’re very beautiful, Liv.”
    Melt.
    Smug, wonderful bastard.

Chapter Five

    Alex glanced over at Olivia in the passenger seat of his car and tried to subtly adjust himself once again.   The last thing he needed was showing up with a hard on to his cousin’s engagement party.
    He smiled humorlessly.   It was like when he met her parents for the first time.   Olivia just drove him crazy…in every way.
    “So, where are we going exactly?” she asked softly, smoothing that damn sexy dress over her shapely thighs.   He averted his eyes when she noticed him watching.   Fuck .   He felt like some horny teenager.   “I don’t think you ever mentioned where you grew up.”
    He almost ran his hand through his hair, but stopped at the last moment when he remembered he’d be seeing his parents.   His father—and mother, for that matter—were always ones for appearance.
    And they certainly wouldn’t want their only son turning up to their party with messy hair , he thought bitterly.
    Instead, he cleared his throat, glancing over his left shoulder as he merged onto the highway.   “My parents live in Napa, by Yountville.   Up in the hills.   We’ll probably be there in a half hour.”
    “Yountville, huh?” Olivia asked casually, glancing out her window.   “So, it’ll be a pretty fancy party, then?”
    Alex shrugged, “Why do you say that?”
    “Nothing,” she stated.   “It’s just…that place is very…”
    “Rich?” he offered with a teasing smile.
    Olivia’s mouth quirked up around the edges and it made his heart pound a little faster.   She looked embarrassed.   “Well, I didn’t want to say that.   But since you did…” she trailed off, her smile growing.
    Alex returned his eyes to the road, rubbing his chest in an attempt to make his heart slow down.   “I already told you my parents are pretty well off,” he reminded her, although he didn’t really want to talk about his parents…or their money.
    Olivia must have picked up on his hesitance because she changed the subject.   “How’s Beth doing?”
    Alex relaxed and grinned, thinking of the conversation he had with her yesterday when she’d been doped up on pain medication.   “Unhappy that her engagement party photos will show her with a sling and gauze wrapping.   But she’s still pretty out of it.   She only got released from the hospital yesterday.”
    “Geeze,” Olivia muttered.   “They really should’ve moved the party back a couple weeks.”
    “Derrick wanted to change the date, but my parents had already paid for and scheduled everything.”   Alex shrugged, “Beth is stubborn.   But Derrick made her promise that she’d take it easy.   In all likelihood, she’ll be sitting for most of it.”
    Olivia turned in her seat to face him more fully but Alex kept his eyes firmly on the road.
    “And are you okay with seeing your dad?” she asked.
    That question had Alex running a hand through his hair.   Damn .   “I don’t know,” he said honestly.   “Yes and