Go Away, Darling - Alexis Anne Page 0,3

inappropriate in any way, and yet...I felt that touch everywhere. My chest ached and my first instinct was to pull her tighter against me until the ache stopped.

We stood like that—frozen together—for what I estimated to be longer than appropriate. But hell if I’d apologize. Instead I took a breath and laughed. “I’m taller than you now.”

Her shoulders moved as she laughed too, looking up at me but not letting me go. Interesting. “You are much taller than me now.”

I couldn’t help but stare at how beautiful she’d become. I mean, I knew I had a wild crush on her when I was a kid, but this was something else altogether. I let my eyes drift over each of her features individually. Nose, lips, delicate chin and ears, manicured brows, freckles, eyes. God, her eyes.

Mesmerizing.

And the warmth of her body against mine felt too good. I stepped back before things could get weird and tapped her Mantas hat. “I like this.”

She looked up and blushed. “I’m a fan.” She shrugged, crossed her arms over her chest.

I did not stare at the way it pushed her breasts up in her pink bikini, but I did note them in my peripheral vision. I had excellent peripheral vision, which was part of what made me a good pitcher. You had to have a death wish to steal when I was on the mound.

But we were talking (and not about her breasts or my excellent peripheral vision.) “Really?”

She shrugged again, the blush turning her cheeks even pinker. “The Mantas are our local team and they’re having an amazing season, thanks in part to you.”

It was my turn to blush. I loved what I did but I had never gotten very comfortable with compliments. I’d rather just work hard and see the results for myself. Hearing a beautiful woman sing my praises was a lot to handle. “Ummm…it’s a team effort. Obviously. Cuz we’re a team.”

She chuckled softly at my babbling. “Christopher Robin, you took my advice, didn’t you?”

I froze again, but this time for a very different reason. Hearing my old nickname called up all kinds of old memories, but it also felt like Olivia was throwing up a wall, reminding me that I was a kid several years younger than her. A kid who belonged on the other side of the imaginary wall from her.

It made me angry and I wished for an imaginary sledgehammer to destroy the imaginary wall.

“What advice is that?”

Her eyes drifted over my whole body like she was trying to solve a puzzle. “I told you to never change.”

“I was ridiculous.”

She laughed and sighed and I really liked the way her whole body moved like it was a part of the way she spoke. “You were never ridiculous. Overly full of yourself…”

“I thought I could get anyone to do anything with a smile.” I was such a cocky kid.

“And it worked most of the time.”

I let my gaze drink her in. “Not on you.”

She paused and I felt her withdraw. I hated it and I wished I could quickly rewind time and take back my words, even if I meant them. “Yes, well, that was a long time ago.” She hopped over the hulls, back into her boat.

With every moment she moved further away from me and I felt a desperate, primal need to close the gap, as if allowing her to leave was somehow wrong. But of course I couldn’t stop her from leaving. We were strangers and she came on a different damn boat. “I don’t know anyone,” I blurted, looked at my feet, cleared my throat. “Uh, what I mean is, when baseball season is over, if you don’t mind, could you maybe introduce me to some people?”

“Of course.” She released the bowline from my boat.

My heart kept beating faster and faster as she moved behind her steering wheel and turned the key. Her engine roared back to life.

My skin itched. I wanted this conversation to keep going even though there was no way to force it. Rationally I knew this was it, but my body wasn’t feeling rational at all. It wanted to spend more time with Olivia Saldana. It wanted to touch her and introduce her to Chris Kaine, the man. “I’ll treat you to dinner as a thank you.”

She blanched and then dumped a cold bucket of water on my head. “I’m not single, Chris. But I’ll happily show you around and give you an introduction. Now you sober up.”

And with that very