Olivia's Ride (Sawyer Brothers Book 4) (12 page)

Chapter Twenty-Four

Keeton

It had been two days since my outing with the guys. It was eventful to say the least. A fishing trip turned into target practice, as they shot clay pigeons then moved on to the bag of empty cans they brought along.

I didn’t miss the hidden message of the day.

They didn’t have to tell me it was intended to remind me of just how important Olivia’s happiness was to the three of them. I understood. What they needed to understand was it meant just as much to me, too.

Olivia wouldn’t let it go; she was still so damn worried about the events of our day. I could tell Noah was loosening up a bit; he sort of took me in and made sure the other two weren’t too hard on me.

Olivia and I were down by the lake sitting on the back of Liv’s truck as Duke ran around chasing birds. The serenity of the ranch was worth taking the time to enjoy every second. Having Olivia to share it with just made it all the more sweet.

“What are you thinking?” she asked as she leaned into my side.

I tilted my head to the side, looking at the gorgeous girl who crawled inside me and made herself at home. It felt damn good having her there, too.

“I’m thinking I could live somewhere like this.” The smile that pulled at her lips made my heart beat just a little faster. “It’s like a whole other world out here,” I told her. “Calm, and peaceful.”

“Yeah,” she agreed, arching upward to press her lips to mine.

I lifted my hand and placed it against her cheek, and I began to get lost in our kiss.

It was the first time in days we had been given time alone. Feeling her against me was something I had missed more and more each night.

I felt like I was making some headway with the guys. Each day it was like they accepted a little more that I was here to stay.

Had I been any other guy but the one their precious Olivia had fallen for, I knew we wouldn’t have this barrier between us. But I had to prove myself, I knew that. And prove myself was exactly what I would do.

“I love you,” I whispered against her lips, and she smiled.

“I’m surprised you haven’t run back to Texas by now.” She laughed when I arched a brow. “They’re awful, I know.”

“Not awful, sweetheart,” I assured her. “I actually respect them for making things a little tough on me. I’ve told you before that I love knowing you have all these people on your side.”

“I’m on your side,” she said in return.

“And that’s all I need, baby,” I leaned in and kissed her once again.

Duke’s bark startled us and we pulled part just as he jumped in the water chasing a flock of birds.

Olivia laughed so hard she fell backwards holding her stomach.

“Duke,” I yelled as I placed my fingers to my lips and whistled loudly. “Come on, boy.”

“He’s gonna need a bath,” Olivia said just as his muddy ass came trotting up out of the lake. His once light colored fur was now dripping with mud and the only light color left on him was his head.

“And you’re gonna help me give him one,” I said without hesitation, and she shrugged as she hopped down off the tailgate. “I’m game,” she replied.

I sat in place watching her walk toward Duke as her ass swayed from side to side in those short little cutoffs she wore. The sun was just beginning to set and gave off a bright reflection over the lake, but seemed to only highlight Olivia.

She bent down before Duke and showed no hesitation as she wrapped her arms around his neck and hugged him close.

Most girls would cringe at the idea of allowing some big dog to rub all up on them after rooting around in a muddy lake, but not Liv. She was so relaxed here at home; it was like a whole different side of her.

Duke shook and she squealed in laughter as she covered her eyes. She was without a doubt the girl I would marry one day; I knew that. Not next month or even next year, but one day. I had never in my life ever felt the peace I had when I was anywhere near Olivia. She made all the shit seem like it was miles away.

In her eyes, I wasn’t the poor boy from Texas who had some shit family. I was just Keeton Pearce, the man she loved. She was free of judgement, and nothing felt better than the love of a woman so pure and compassionate.

Olivia Sawyer was an amazing woman, and in that moment I found myself falling even deeper than I already was. Falling felt natural, uncontrollable, and I wanted it so badly I could feel it in my bones.

***

“Oh my god,” she yelled as I turned the hose on her. “That’s damn cold.”

She hid behind Duke; like that was going to stop me from hosing her ass.

A bath, to clean Duke from his mud dip, had quickly changed to a water fight between Olivia and me. But in my defense, she started it. She pretended it was a mistake, but spraying someone full blown in the face with a garden hose, when you’re laughing as you do it, sort of gives away the secret. She enjoyed it all entirely too much.

“Keeton,” I could barely make out her words as she covered her face and started backing away from me. “Uncle,” she squealed turning her back to me. “I give.”

She was completely soaked from head to toe, her hair plastered to her face. Duke sat between us watching as if he was bored and wondering when the hell we were planning to finish with his bath.

The sound of a car door caught my attention, and I turned around just in time to see two little boys barreling their way directly for us. The excitement on their faces showed they were up for a water fight.

I wasn’t sure which one ran for me, but once he reached my side I picked him up and gave him the hose, helping him point it at his sister. The other little guy stood in front of Olivia as a guard and held up his hands, pretending to block her.

I heard laughter as Amber ran right into the line of fire and snatched up the little boy.

Olivia, Amber, and the boy I now knew was Rogan, huddled in a circle while Rory and I showed no mercy.

What surprised me most of all was Ryan standing on the deck laughing the entire time he watched us. The girls convinced Rogan to tackle me, and when he did I pretended to fall back in defeat, allowing him control of the hose. He stood guard in front of the girls as he hosed me, and even Rory moved to their side.

The happiness that radiated from the four of them as they took control and plastered me made the ice cold chill of the water worth it.

I hadn’t remembered a time when I felt more relaxed. Even when the guys were giving me shit, I still felt better than I had in all the years prior to Olivia.

Tammy joined Ryan on the porch as they both laughed and egged the boys on, telling them to get Keeton. Amber took one of my arms as Olivia held the other, while Rory and Rogan shared the hose, shooting me right in the face.

Duke joined in as he bounced around next to the boys. He was a little traitor, always choosing his new best friends over me.

Today had been perfect, from the trip to the lake to the current water fight. Times like this made me never want to return back to Texas. I knew there I would only be forced to face my father and brother, and they never once made me feel the joy I felt now.

I just wished we could stay like this forever.

Chapter Twenty-Five

Olivia

I carried the baby monitor with me as I exited out on to the back deck. I didn’t even look in Keeton’s direction as I passed, just hoping he got the hint that I wanted him to follow.

I had been recruited to babysit Nora at Uncle Noah’s when he and Alena took a weekend trip to New York for some meeting Alena had scheduled. She not only had Sassy Ladies here in Livingston, but a few other locations as well. This meeting was to discuss a new designer who was hoping to get her line into Alena’s stores.

I was given strict orders from Alena that Keeton was more than welcome to stay with me as well, but she made me promise that if I was asked, she knew nothing about it. All the women in my family have grown to love Keeton, but the men still treated me like I was sixteen years old. It was completely ridiculous.

I leaned against the railing of the deck waiting for the sound of the sliding doors behind me before I moved on with my plans.

Nora had been asleep for close to an hour now. It had been pretty much impossible for Keeton and I to get some alone time since we’d been in town, so tonight I planned to take full advantage of the situation.

When the sounds of his boots clucked against the wooden deck, I felt my heart race just a little. The excitement running through me made this feel like the first time all over again.

I had already planned out the way I would make tonight happen. Waiting for the right moment to enforce the plan was the key. Now it was that moment.

I sat the baby monitor on the railing of the deck and grabbed the hem of my shirt, lifting it up and over my head. I had already removed my bra in the bathroom before I came outside, so when I turned to face him I watched his eyes go wide.

“What are you doing?” his voice sounded hoarse, and I tried not to laugh. Did I feel evil? Maybe a little, but it was a necessary task. He was treating me like I was infectious since the moment he was introduced to my family. Desperate times called for seductive Olivia measures. I was about to lay it on thick.

Keeton’s gaze scanned over my chest appreciatively before his eyes met mine once again.

“The pool is heated,” I said in return as I lifted my hands to the buckle of my shorts and popped the button loose. “I didn’t bring a suit so I’m improvising.”

He narrowed his eyes and I shrugged innocently. “It was this or swim in my clothes; I chose this.”

As I shimmied my hips from side to side and lowered my panties along with my pants, his breath picked up and he swallowed hard.

To hide my smile I had to turn my back to him. He was seriously beginning to appear as if he was in pain.

Reaching out for the railing I made sure to bend over just enough to arch my ass out as I began to lower myself into a pool that felt more like bath water.

I took a moment to completely submerge myself in the water, taking in the luxurious feeling of it before I twisted around to face Keeton once again.

He still sat in the same place, looking at me through narrowed eyes. His jaw was set tight and I could sense his control was slipping.

More teasing was apparently needed.

“What’s wrong, Keeton? You scared?” I asked as I came up out of the water just enough to expose my bare chest.

It took him a moment to answer as he become a little distracted. “Hell yeah, I’m scared, darlin’,” he confessed.

His gaze met mine once again and he cleared his throat. “I’ve spent hours with three men who have made it perfectly clear I’m on probation. Every move I make is being evaluated. The last thing I need is for one of them to find me in a pool, naked, with you.”

Probation? Are you kidding me? Those men were even more ridiculous than I thought they were.

But I refused to let them intimidate me. I was a grown woman. And I have caught Uncle Jackson and Aunt Bailey in compromising positions more than once, so he shouldn’t be threatening anyone. I would deal with them later.

“I never took you for the type of guy who scared easily, Keeton Pearce.” I taunted him a little more by running my hands over my breast. His eyes immediately shifted toward my movements. I could see his throat bobbing as he swallowed hard. Then he shifted in the chair and I almost laughed.

No matter how hard he tried to hide it, it was taking everything he had not to jump in after me.

“I think I gave you a little more credit than you’ve earned. You may not be as confident and dedicated as I thought you were.” I turned in the water going back under for a few seconds before emerging once again. “Maybe I had it all wrong.”

I kept my back to him, because something told me I was getting beneath his restraint. I could hear him rustling around. But just to be sure I had to go in for the kill. “I’m thinking that I may have missed out on the adventurous type when I turned down Landon Murphy. He seems like the kind of guy who wouldn’t let anyone keep him from doing something he wanted to do.”

The moment I heard a loud splash I could no longer hold back the laughter that had been bubbling inside of me.

My laughter only grew louder when Keeton’s arms wrapped around me from behind and he pulled my body back against his. He, too, had stripped and his massive erection was pressing firmly against my ass. I wiggled slightly, feeling the excitement within me grow.

“You are mine, Olivia Sawyer,” Keeton whispered against my ear, his hands possessively roaming over my body. “You need to remember that. Because there is no way I would ever allow another guy to get within five feet of this.” He cupped me between the legs and slipped a finger inside of me. All the laughter and fun from earlier faded as my body heated from his touch.