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Gift (Enchanted Ardor #2) Chapter Thirteen 52%
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Chapter Thirteen

Nick relayed every detail of his weekend in Ottawa, save for the more intimate ones with Olivia.

“You did well, husband.” Vixen said to Cupid. “Perhaps things will be more interesting around here.”

“She isn’t staying.”

Olivia blinked, looking from Vixen’s hard stare to Cupid’s knowing smirk back to Nick’s stony expression.

Don and Blix occupied themselves with their bowls.

Dolph refilled his cup.

“I have work to do.” Olivia said.

“What do you do?”

“I, uhm.. Well I’m in between jobs right now. New development as of last week. Company downsizing and stuff.” She chuckled, dropping her gaze to her hands. “So I have to find a new one.”

Nick frowned at the embarrassment colouring Olivia’s cheeks.

Dolph snorted, muttering under his breath.

Nick ignored him.

“There’s always plenty to do here,” Don offered.

“You can stay at Nick’s place.” Cupid said. “The spare house is full of vermin.”

“We don’t have vermin here.” Nick lifted a brow.

“Dolph’s been hanging out there instead of his own cottage.”

“What’s wrong with your place?” Nick turned to Dolph.

“Got bored. Besides, it’s busy season and it’s a long walk.”

It was Blix’s turn to snort. “And all the alcohol stores are kept here, now. The Nisse were getting too liberal with their self-serve. They were going through a barrel a day.”

“Looks like Dolph isn’t far behind.” Don stood, collecting the empty bowls.

“I have to figure out what threatened Olivia last night so that she can go home and get on with her life.”

“She can stay here.” Cupid insisted.

“She can’t. She doesn’t belong here.” Nick growled.

Cupid shot to his feet, finger wagging at Nick. “I went to a lot of effort to get you that invitation. And look what you brought us home.” He splayed his hands, sweeping toward Olivia. “Perfection. And you want to just toss her back. No, Nick. You keep her.”

Nick got to his feet, forcing Cupid to glare up at him. “That’s not how this works.”

Cupid planted his feet, fists on hips as he glared harder. “Mule-headed. This is exactly how this works. She wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t.”

“She wouldn’t be here if someone hadn’t attacked her to get to me. That’s the only reason she’s here.” Nick snarled.

“Best get me home as soon as possible so that I can sort that out and get on with my life. Can Sleipnir take me in the morning? Or is there some other way to get back?” Olivia’s steady voice drew Nick’s attention to her strained face.

Nick’s irritation with Cupid’s antics fizzled into guilt the instant he saw Olivia’s expression.

“You think this is about you? Not her?” Vixen spoke up.

Nick’s head jerked in a nod. “The warning at council, the sulfuric smell lingering on the human and the shadow in the alley. Olivia lives firmly in the human world and until this weekend has had little interaction with the paranormal.”

“But she is a paranormal, by human standards. Otherwise she wouldn’t have been at Quinn O’Clery’s party.”

“And how do you know any of this?” Nick demanded.

Cupid shrugged. “Council talks, I listen.”

“Gossip, more like.”

“I’m not gifted. I’m just old.” Olivia jumped in and rushed on. “And a little sensitive. But most people are sensitive, they just don’t know it. There’s nothing paranormal about that.”

Dolph made a noise from his post.

“That sounds to me like there’s a paranormal story in there somewhere,” Cupid said.

“Her past is her business. Don’t pry.” Nick turned to Olivia. “It’s the middle of the night for you. You need to rest.”

“Want me to reach out to Quinn?” Cupid asked Nick.

“Please. Her hands are tied as to what she can do, but she knows something.”

Nick led Olivia out of the hall toward his cottage, keeping a distance between them that hadn’t been there before the meeting.

Her presence constantly tugged at him.

He ignored the urge to take her hand. The more he touched her, the more he needed to. And he’d just firmly reminded himself that she wasn’t staying when he’d made the statement to the others.

Time to reinforce that.

Giving in to the selfish need to pull her close, wouldn’t do either of them any good.

A pang of guilt resurfaced when he recalled her expression.

It wasn’t that he didn’t want her to stay.

Freya knew that he wanted nothing more than to keep her, close, forever.

But she needed to go back to her life. Not stay entrapped here for eternity, or until the Creators decided what was next for him and his crew.

He wouldn’t subject her to their fate.

Which is what Cupid had conspired to do, apparently.

This is what that party was all about. Finding Nick a partner. A wife?

They’d all interfered.

Except Dolph, who never did anything for anyone else.

Nick sighed, lips parted as he halted at his front door. He turned to look at Olivia, meaning to say something.

Apologize?

But the right words wouldn’t rise.

He closed his mouth, opened the door, holding it so that she could precede him inside.

She stepped into his home. His personal space that only he had ever lived in. Friends came and went through out the days, but he’d never shared it with anyone on this level.

“Bedroom is through there,” he nodded to an open door off the open living space. “I’ll sleep here.” He indicated the heavy wood carved furniture with it’s thick padding and plump cushions.

Olivia’s gaze swept the simple cottage, her tone determined. “You’ve done enough for me. I won’t keep you from your bed. I’ll sleep out here.”

They stared at one another for a long moment.

Neither suggested sharing it.

As they had done right before the journey.

Something changed during their meeting with his crew—his family.

Reality of their situation.

The love haze had finally worn off.

But something else replaced it.

As he looked down into her direct blue gaze, Nick knew right then that he wouldn’t reunite with her every year as they’d planned.

I can’t.

The longer he was with her, the desire to hold on to her grew more intense.

Even now, with this understanding, his body urged him to pull her into his arms, kiss her sweet lips and carry her into his room and make love to her again and again until he had to set her free.

Even here, her inner glow drew him to her.

He leaned toward her.

Instinct.

This was never supposed to happen.

I was just supposed to go to a party, blow off a little steam before the big rush and get on with the work.

He wasn’t supposed to fall in love.

He leaned away.

She broke eye contact to hide the sweep of disappointment pulling at her features.

Olivia pulled off her boots and coat, leaving them by the door. She didn’t say another word as she pulled a cushion from one chair, and tucked herself onto the other.

He opened his mouth to insist that she sleep in the bed when she yawned and mumbled from her curled up position.

“This place is beautiful. You have a nice life here, Nick.”

“It’s not—,” but she’d already relaxed into sleep, her breath deep and steady. “A life.”

He rubbed the fatigue from his face, then removed his own boots and coat, setting them aside. He sat on the edge of the empty chair watching her sleep for a while.

“It’s not living.” He whispered. “It’s existing.”

When her body sagged into deeper sleep, Nick stood, gathered her up in his arms and carried her to his bed, tucking her in.

Leaning over her, he allowed his fingertips the slightest contact to sweep the blond strands from her face, lingering on her cheek.

She turned into the warmth of his palm, mumbling. “Stay with me, Nick.”

“I wish I could.” His thumb stroked tiny patterns over her cheekbone. “Odin knows that I wish I could.”

Nick needed to cut ties with her. Now.

His wife, Hedi, had been trained to fiercely protect her family. And when their enemies came, Nick hadn’t been there to stop the brutal destruction, or help her save their children.

Olivia was gentle, soft-hearted and vulnerable.

Nick had no doubt that this black shadow pursuing her was his enemy. Not hers.

A woman like her didn’t have enemies like that.

A piece of his inner soul whispered to his logical mind.

Shouldn’t you keep her close to protect her all the more?

He had to think this through. Who or whatever it was, had already found her when he’d arrived in that alley. Quinn had seen to it that he had.

Maybe the attack and the warning at the council meeting really were two entirely different events.

Was she being pursued because of the good work that she did?

Is she somehow tied to whatever the Ascension is?

No matter how mundane she thinks she is, she’s definitely more than human.

Had she always been? Is that why the djinn chose her?

“I need to know more.” Nick nodded, gently extracting his hand from her slackened grasp. “In a few hours is soon enough.” He stifled a yawn and took up Olivia’s spot on the chair.

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