Chapter Fourteen

Olivia lingered beside Jarrah as they strolled through the Grand Hotel’s car park toward the Cruiser before bumping him with her shoulder. “I thought Maddie would end you right there at the table for asking Jai to join us.”

Jarrah nudged her back and pretended he hadn’t feared the exact same thing.

“So how long before Maddie speaks to you again?”

He made the mistake of inhaling too deeply and caught a whiff of the vanilla and caramel drifting off Olivia’s skin and all hopes of a good night’s sleep evaporated into the cool night air. “She’s mellowing with age. I’m guessing halfway through the wet season.”

“Thought as much.”

Her laughter embraced him, and he once again found himself clenching and unclenching his hands. He tried convincing himself it was to work loose the damage caused by his juvenile yet satisfying handshake with good old Dean. He knew damned well it was to keep from reaching for her. She was so close his skin prickled, and if he touched her, he was shit scared he might not be able to let her go.

He shoved his hands in his pockets and focused on the simple joy of being back among the people who’d known him all his life. No pretending to be something he wasn’t. No bullshit conversations about stock portfolios and corporate mergers. And no fake people claiming to be his friends. As far as nights out went, the evening he’d just shared with a couple of hundred of his closest friends had been right up there. Three things could’ve made the night even more perfect: not having to spend an hour reassuring his sisters that Carter Industries had a long way to go before causing any more problems, not having to spend another hour talking them out of burying Jai and Dean in the desert, and finally, if he’d allowed Olivia to knock Manningham and his grabby hands the fuck out.

Yet even as he grinned at the thought of the doc opening up a can of whip ass on the arsehole, a few more things popped into his head that’d make the night truly unforgettable, and they all revolved around the woman strolling beside him.

The hat he’d bought her sat precisely at the right angle to allow the moonlight to bathe her features in an almost mythical glow that somehow made her even more beautiful.

“Well, well, it appears the good doctor’s come down with a serious case of jungle fever.” Dean’s slurred voice slaughtered the calm like a rusty chainsaw as a chorus of muttered curses and laughter accompanied his insult.

Jarrah had been dealing with this shit for thirty years, and the only things that had changed with his move to the city were the age and social standing of the bullies. He turned and stepped between Dean and his three-member cheer squad and Olivia while silently cursing his stupidity.

If he’d paid attention to his surroundings instead of Olivia, he’d have left with the rest of the mustering crew, or at least kept an eye on Dean and Out of Sync. But he’d been so mesmerized by her smile and laughter and the way her eyes found his he’d completely ignored the angry elephant in the room. Now that elephant was staggering toward him on rubber legs with a gut full of courage and an ego in need of repair. Thank God his sisters were still inside. The last thing he needed was Maddie escalating the situation.

“What’s the matter, Doc? Your own kind not good enough for you?”

Olivia’s skin turned to ice beneath his palm as he latched onto her arm and tucked her further behind him. “The night doesn’t need to end like this, Dean.”

“Or are you just looking for some tiny black cock to add to your collection?” Dean’s glassy eyes stared straight through Jarrah as he wiped the spittle from his mouth and lumbered forward.

So much for de-escalation. The man had passed reason five beers ago. And by the look of his posse, his men weren’t far behind. Jarrah scanned the car park and found nothing except silence and cursed himself again for ignoring the lessons beaten into him since he’d started walking. Christ, slapping down corporate bullies in boardrooms and putting society racists in their place at dinner parties had dulled his senses and softened him.

“I can take Dean, he won’t be expecting it. And Pee-wee Herman can barely stand. Think you can handle the two fuckers on the left?”

He wasn’t sure what amped him up more—the approaching wave of intoxicated anger and pasty-white flesh, or the steel reinforcing Olivia’s voice. His sisters had shown him what a pissed-off woman who’d learned to defend herself was capable of. And the beating Olivia had given him in his gym proved she could throw a punch. Yet the thought of these pieces of shit getting anywhere near her filled him with an all-to-familiar rage he’d thought he’d learned to control.

He blinked away the adrenaline-induced tunnel vision that had focused his attention on the men closing fast and surveyed their battlefield: no help, no escape, no option. The fuckers were going down.

Dean hauled himself up just as he staggered into range and rolled his shoulders. “What’s the matter, boy, that white slut got your tong—”

“Fuck you.” Olivia’s guttural battle cry stunned Dean’s mouth shut.

Jarrah snapped out of his trance as a blonde blur shoved past him. He grabbed hold of Olivia and wrenched her back as Dean jutted out his hands and stumbled backward.

“One word, you slimy piece of shit. One more fucking word about him, and I’ll beat the white right off you.”

And just like that, the red haze drained from Jarrah’s vision along with the tension in his muscles. She was the one. The one he hadn’t been searching for. The one he hadn’t even realized he needed. And the one who was about to go into battle to defend his honor.

She fought his hold like a glorious Valkyrie while snarling threats and curses over his shoulder at Dean. She was without a doubt the most ferociously magnificent creature he’d ever seen, and she scared the absolute crap out of him in every way imaginable.

“I’d listen to her, Dean.” Jai Carter strolled across the car park toward them as if he hadn’t a care in the world.

“Fuck you, Carter.” Dean spat out the words while regaining his balance and groping for his shattered pride.

Jai casually surveyed the scene and chuckled as his gaze settled on Hurricane Olivia. “I’d watch my step, Mr. Manningham, otherwise I might ask the good doctor here to teach you some manners.”

Jai stepped in front of Dean before eyeing each of his men. “I’d say our board of directors would believe we’ve had enough fun for one night. Wouldn’t you agree, gentlemen?”

Dean’s entourage exchanged nervous glances before nodding and slinking back to the hotel without even meeting Jai’s gaze. Jarrah could almost hear Manningham’s intoxicated brain weighing up his career against his ego before mumbling something under his breath and trudging after his backup.

Dean stopped and almost fell on his ass as he turned and jabbed a finger at Jarrah. “Don’t worry, boy. I’m sure I’ll be able to find some odd jobs for you and your tribe to do when I’m running Wingarra.”

It’d been a long time since Jarrah had wanted to beat the shit out of anybody. The only thing stopping him from charging the fucker and dropping him where he stood were the fingers Olivia had curled around his forearm.

Jai sighed, a long, drawn-out sigh that seemed to last until Dean staggered back inside the Grand. He turned and tipped his hat at Olivia. “Please accept my apologies. They’re not used to being deprived of what they want.”

Jarrah caught the covert grin Jai flicked his way, but he was battling way too many emotions to figure out whether it was admiration or a threat.

Olivia’s eyes still spat venom and breath hissed between her clenched teeth, but she released him and returned Jai’s nod.

Long, silent seconds dragged by as Jai’s gaze slid between Olivia and Jarrah before a sly smile spread across his face. “And Doc?” Jai jutted his chin at Jarrah. “Can you please make sure my mate gets home safely?”