Soul Temptation (Souls Entwined) (21 page)

“Where’s the bathroom?” Serene leaned forward in her seat and purposefully directed her question to Cameron.

“I’ll show you,” Oliver answered.

Damn.

Serene opened her mouth to say that wasn’t necessary when Oliver pushed backed his chair and stood. She glanced at Shawn, but he, along with everyone else, was engrossed in Stephen’s tale about a hotel fire and the peach cobbler Ann had just brought in from the kitchen.

Damn, damn, damn.

Serene scooted her chair back with a small sigh. She got up and followed Oliver out of the dining room.

Faint strains of laughter carried into the hallway and, as awkward as being with Oliver was now, Serene was happy to be with him and away from the table.

Away from Shawn.

Serene peeked into the other rooms as they walked, admiring the warm yet classic style showcased in each. The Banners’ home deserved to be highlighted in architecture and interior design magazines. Serene guessed it probably had been. She glanced at Oliver, wanting to say something, anything to break the silence between them. “Did you grow up in this home?”

“Yes.” Oliver stopped and gestured toward an open door. “The bathroom is in there.”

Serene lifted her chin to meet his eyes. “Thank you.”

“No problem.” Oliver pivoted, took a step away from her and every part of Serene ached.

“Oliver, hang on.”

He turned, his gaze hard. “What is it, Serene?”

“You’re not going to say anything else?”

Oliver raised an eyebrow. “I think everything that needed to be said has been, don’t you?”

“I know you’re angry.”

“I’ll get over it.” His tone and manner hurt her, his implication clear as he turned away from her again.

I’ll get over you.

The heart-breaking thought propelled Serene forward. “Oliver, please…” Please what? She didn’t know for sure, just knew she didn’t want him to leave. Serene gasped when he whirled on her, took her by the arm, ushered her into the sunny bathroom and closed the door behind them before she could say a word.

“Please what, Serene?” Oliver backed her up against the wall. He ran his hands over her breasts, cupped them and squeezed. “What do you want that Shawn can’t give? Do you need me to fuck you?” He dipped his head, kissed her hard, eliciting a moan from Serene as her body heated up in a way only he could make it.

Breathing fast, Serene stared at Oliver when he pulled back to look deep into her eyes.

“Yes, that’s exactly what you need, isn’t it?” He wrenched up her dress and Serene glanced at the bathroom door.

“Oliver, s-stop this.” Her lips felt bruised and swollen as Oliver turned her to face the wall. She braced her hands on the beige wallpaper and trembled as he caressed her bottom through her lacy panties. “There’s no time.”

Oliver pulled them down. “We both know that’s not what you really want me to do.” He jerked on her hips and Serene automatically pushed her ass out. Her face flushed at the sound of his triumphant husky laugh and she moaned again when Oliver penetrated her with his fingers, thrusting into her a few times. “So wet. Does your date know how slick you get?”

“No!”

“Maybe you’ll show him tonight?” Oliver pulled his hand from between her legs. Serene heard his zipper then felt him rub his cock between her ass cheeks. “Do you think you’ll tell him what you really need to get off?”

Serene let out a tiny yelp and Oliver covered her mouth with his hand as he entered her without restraint, filling her up quicker than was comfortable. She grunted as he issued three hard strokes then groaned when he pulled out. Serene gulped in air as Oliver put her panties back in place, pushed her dress down and turned her around. She blinked, struggled to focus as Oliver put his glistening cock back in his pants and slowly zipped them.

“You’re right, Serene, there’s no time. I hope you enjoy vanilla sex with the man worthy of dating you.”

Tears filled her eyes as Oliver moved away from her. She watched him exit the bathroom without a backwards glance and crumpled against the wall the moment she heard the door click closed. After taking in a few deep breaths, Serene walked over to the vanity and turned on the faucet without checking the mirror. Her pussy pulsed with her movements and her nipples ached within her bra. She washed her hands, grabbed a paper napkin, blotted the wet tracks on her face then looked at her reflection.

The woman in the mirror looked poised and proper, not as though she’d been pushed against the wall and teased with his cock, and definitely not as though she’d enjoyed it. Serene stared at her face, assessing the flush to her cheeks as she ran her tongue over her lips. She still tasted Oliver’s kiss.

‘I hope you enjoy vanilla sex with the man worthy of dating you.’

That wasn’t what she wanted.

“But how can I possibly have what I want?” Serene exhaled, turned from the glass, exited the bathroom and practically ran into her sister.

“There you are.”

“Here I am.”

Misha stared at her. “You okay?”

“Yup.” Serene flashed her sister a bright smile and Misha frowned.

“You don’t look okay. Everyone is out on the patio having coffee. I decided to come check on you when it took you a minute to come back. I thought maybe you’d left to escape your date.” Misha tugged on Serene’s arm. “Come back in here with me while I powder my nose.”

The two women went back into the bathroom and Serene glanced at the wall she’d just been up against and suppressed a shudder as her sister moved to the mirror. “Shawn isn’t going to handle your break-up speech well.”

Serene groaned as her sister applied more lipstick. “I never should’ve invited him here. He’s not the man I need.”

“Nope.” Misha took a paper napkin, kissed it then fluttered it in Serene’s face. “
That
man is clearly Oliver.”

“What?”

Misha wagged her finger at her. “Don’t bother to deny it. I saw the way you two were looking at each other at the table.” She waved her hand at Serene’s stricken look. “Don’t worry. I’m sure no one else picked up on it, but I know you. I questioned my assumption the first time I saw it, but the second time? I
know
that look. What’s going on between you guys?”

Serene slumped her shoulders. “I don’t know. Mish, it’s crazy.”

“Oh, my goodness! I can’t believe you didn’t say anything.
You
and Oliver?”

“There is no
me
and Oliver.” Serene leaned on the vanity as Misha turned to face her. “It isn’t like that.”

“I think it is. You’re in here with barely concealed tear tracks on your cheeks and I know I’ve been busy, honeymooning and all, but you’ve never kept this kind of secret from me in the past, which tells me this thing with Oliver is exactly like
that
. How long has this been going on?”

“Since Tahiti.” Serene cracked a genuine smile at her sister’s shocked expression. “It just kinda happened.”

“
What
happened?”

“Sex!”

“
Sex?
” Misha’s eyes widened. “Wow. I remember asking you if something was going with you and you dodged my question.”

“In Tahiti, I thought it was just the atmosphere, the island sun… I never intended anything else to happen once we got back. I told Oliver nothing could.”

“Wait, he told you he wanted things to continue in Tahiti?”

Serene nodded. “I didn’t think he was serious, but he contacted me and we… We…”

“I get it.” Misha gave her a gentle smile. “So, why are you so upset? Did he break things off?”

“No, exactly the opposite. He wants to explore more between us, asked me to officially date him.”

Misha gasped. “Oh, my God. This is really serious then.”

“Is it? I mean who’s to say? I told him no for many reasons.”

“Such as?”

Serene pushed off the vanity to pace the marble floor. “He’s my brother-in-law. How weird is that?”

“Unusual perhaps, but not weird. I was watching a
Lifetime
movie about a similar scenario the other week.”

Serene rolled her eyes. “Sleeping with Oliver is bad enough—making it a public affair? How awkward would it be after we broke up and had to be at a family gathering like this one? And we would break up.” Serene stopped pacing to face Misha. “He’s younger than me, a playboy cutie known to go through women faster than we did those fine bottles of wine out there on that immaculately laid table.”

“You read those tabloid mags more than me. How many of those chicks did Mr Playboy Cutie seek out to officially date?”

Serene stared at Misha. “I don’t recall any mention of anything like that, but I haven’t been keeping up with those things for a while.”

“Oh, stop it, Serene. I’ve listened to everything you’ve said and you want to know what I think?”

“You know I do.”

Misha crossed her arms. “I think you’re afraid of looking like a fool should things fall through with Oliver.”

“Okay, fine. What if I am? I’m too old to be caught up any further in something like this.”

Misha took hold of her arms and squeezed. “For God’s sake, Serene, you’re turning forty. You’re not moving in with the Crypt Keeper. Forget what everyone
else
will think about you being with him and just focus on what
you
want, what
you
need. Does being with Oliver make you happy?”

The answer to that was simple.

“Yes.”

“See how fast you answered that question? You obviously care about him. Do you think he would’ve have asked you for more than just a sexual relationship if he didn’t feel the same?”

Serene shook her head and Misha sighed.

“Dating your brother-in-law isn’t some torrid, dirty secret to feel ashamed about. You’re right, though, you do risk getting hurt if you take things further with Oliver, but that’s the same with any relationship in which you involve your heart. The question
is,
do you feel a connection, a spark that makes him worth the risk?”

Serene held her sister’s gaze for a moment, thinking about Oliver and how much joy and excitement he’d brought into her life. “There is a connection and the spark? Off the Richter scale. He makes me feel things, has made me feel things I’ve never felt before.”

Misha nodded. “Well, then in my opinion, the only way you’d be a fool is to
not
explore what more there could be between you.”

Serene exhaled. “This whole thing with Oliver is just so wild.”

“A certain sister I love very much told me that’s how it is with love—unexplainable, unpredictable.”

Serene sighed. “I don’t know what this is between us, but talking to you has made me feel better about figuring it out with him.” Serene wrapped her arms around Misha. “You’re the best little sister in the world, you know that?”

“You’re the best big sister in the world.” Misha squeezed her tighter before they pulled away. “We better get back before Shawn comes looking for you. Girl, what are you going to do about him?”

Serene giggled as they exited the bathroom. She knew how she was going to handle things with Shawn. Oliver was a different story.

Chapter Fourteen

Oliver pulled garlic bread out of the oven and cursed when the heat from the tray penetrated his cheap oven mitt.

That’s what I get for never cooking in my state-of-the-art kitchen.

A smile played across his lips as he turned on the faucet and ran his hand under the water. It had been a damn good Monday. His Vegas project was back in the black, moving ahead of schedule, and Serene would arrive any minute to ‘talk’. He didn’t know what she wanted to discuss, but she wouldn’t have agreed to come to his place if she was done with him. Still, she’d barely said goodbye to him before she’d left the dinner party at his parents’ house.

Can you blame her?

The grin on Oliver’s face faded as he recalled the sheen of tears he’d seen in Serene’s eyes when he’d left her in the bathroom. Her unexpected show of emotion had affected him more than seeing her with Shawn had. It had taken all of his self-control to remain friendly at the table while watching him touch Serene and yack on and on about taking her to a ballet.

Fucking torture.

Offering to escort Serene to the bathroom hadn’t been wise, but he’d wanted a moment alone with her, to look into her eyes. When he’d seen the longing there, it had turned his tamped-down anger into a volatile need to possess what he knew was his and make Serene face that fact too.

Oliver turned his spaghetti sauce off as he hardened. She’d been shocked by his behavior, but aroused by it too, so snug and warm around his cock. He’d wanted to pound her into the wall until her passion-filled moans drew the attention of Shawn.

The doorbell chimed. Oliver exited his kitchen and went to the front door. He opened it to see Serene, looking gorgeous in a little black dress, matching stilettos and with a fuchsia shawl draped over shoulders. “Hi.”

“Hi.”

A few seconds of silence flew by as they stared at each before Serene lifted a bottle of wine with a tentative smile. “I come bearing gifts.”

“Then by all means, come in.” Oliver took the wine from her, moved back and Serene stepped past him. “How was the ride?” He locked the door and turned, inwardly pleased to finally have her in his home.

“Smooth. Thank you for the limo, Oliver.”

“My pleasure. Can I take your shawl?”

“Sure.” Serene pulled it off and handed it to him, revealing the dramatic V neckline in the front and back of her dress.

“You look and smell fantastic.” Oliver secured the shawl on a hook by his door.

Full glossed lips curved upwards. “Thanks, so do you, and something smells great in the kitchen too.”

Oliver beckoned for her to follow him. “I’m no chef extraordinaire like Cameron, but I can rustle up something hardy when I need to. Hungry?” Oliver asked as they entered the kitchen. He placed the bottle on his granite island.

“Famished.”

Oliver took two wine glasses out of the cabinet. “Good. I hope spaghetti and meatballs will do.”

“Yum. Garlic bread?”

“Of course.” Serene giggled when he gave her a mock-affronted look as he set the glasses down, opened his drawer and took out his bottle opener. “Oh. Who is this cute little fur ball?” Serene asked, bending to pet his Russian Blue cat.