Page 69 of Paper Horses

Olivia’s mouth dropped, and I tried to stop the tugging at the corner of my lips.

“No wonder she’s aggravated with you, Hudson. Be nice.”

“Me?”

She walked away, shaking her head, and I scrunched my brows, trying to determine how this had turned on me.

“The kids’ breakfast?” Olivia asked. Her lips curled in a frustrated frown.

“Is it Jessie that turned you from the sweet woman you were at Shiela’s to the bitch from New York?”

“I am a bitch, Hudson. There’s no changing that. It’s who I am.”

I studied her, wondering if she was right. If I’d have to deal with this side of her for the rest of my life. The rest of my life? I turned from her, staring out the window and questioning my thought. A few days, that’s what I had with her, and then she would return home. No matter how I wanted to think differently, I suspected that’s exactly what would happen. I was setting myself up to have my heart torn from my chest and marred beyond recognition. In fact, I’d already ripped it out and handed it to her, letting her back in, letting my guardrails fall.

Her hand covered mine, and I dropped my eyes to it. “I’m trying, Hudson, but it’s hard.” I raised my sight to her, seeing the sincerity in her hazel irises, the flecks of gold stark against the greenish-brown hue. “I don’t know how to be anything but this around people. It worked with Sheila this morning, but…I…” She pulled her hand back, and I snatched it, taking it in mine. The tension seemed to roll like a wave unleashing from her body. “I never let people in. Not since you. All I have is my brother.” She rolled her lip under her teeth. “And I guess now I’m stuck with Tori and their minion.”

My snort had her smile forming.

“No more surviving, understand? It’s time for you to live again.” Misty orbs looked away from me as she nodded. I reached over and took her face, forcing her back to me. “No more, Olivia.”

“What if I can’t be who you want me to be? If I can’t change because I’m no longer that person?”

“Then I’ll continue to love you although you’ll aggravate me most of the time.” Her laugh was beautiful, working its way over my skin like a sensual touch. “Lots of angry sex would be in our future.”

The laugh deepened, and I couldn’t stop myself from joining her.

“Maybe I need to keep aggravating you.”

I smoothed my fingers over her cheek, my thumb lingering over her lip before I pulled it back.

“You two keep that up and I’ll have to warm everyone’s food back up ’cause they're all too busy watching the show to eat,” Dennie yelled from the kitchen window.

Olivia’s eyes went wide before I watched the smooth mask take over. It was fascinating to see in action. Her chin went up, her eyes flashing before she looked over at him, rose from the seat and sauntered down the diner, past Jessie and Blake, the other server, and leaned into the window. What she said, I had no clue, but all eyes were on her, and I didn’t like it. Not with the way her ass looked in those jeans because it was sexy, especially at the angle she had it sticking out.

She turned from the window, her head held high, looking as if she wore diamonds and a designer gown instead of jeans and a T-shirt.

“Goddamn,” Dennie muttered, shaking his head and staring out the window at her.

She stopped and faced everyone who was watching her.

“I’m sure you all know who I am, and I can assure you I’m just as much of a bitch as you imagined I was. Your meals are on me, but if a single one of you complains about the food or the temperature, you’ll find out why people who do business with me fear me. Now get back to your meals and stop gawking at me. And for those who don’t know who I am, I’m Olivia Icinda, my net worth is more than you can fathom, enough to buy this entire town without flinching, and yes, I’m a city girl, something that is nothing but a compliment to me.”

“She still your ex?” Frank, who sat in the booth behind ours, asked as Olivia sashayed back with every eye still locked on her.

“Why? And how the fuck does everyone know that?”

“You’ve lived here too long to ask that. Even the walls in this town have ears. And if she’s not yours, you’d best watch out because every single guy in here is readying to take your place.”

I frowned, glancing over my shoulder at him. “She’s taken…by me,” I growled.

“Hot damn. Then you'd better tell Chip that.”

I looked back to where Chip Lionel, the local flirt, had his hand on Olivia’s wrist and was sweet-talking her. Sharp talons of envy tore through me, but before I could move, I saw the disgusted curl of her mouth as her eyes dropped to where he held her wrist.

“I have lawyers who will take your last penny for that arrogant touch,” she said loud enough for everyone to hear. I stood and, in a few long strides, came up behind him. Her eyes darted to me.

“But I’ll have every one of those fingers broken before she can make that call, and I’m sure those fancy lawyers of hers could work it so I do no jail time for laying your ass out on this floor, Chip.”