Chapter 22
Olivia's POV
I threw myself deeper into work, trying to shake off the strange fog that seemed to follow me after Ridgecrest.
I kept playing it over and over in my mind. Everything seemed to remind me of the way Ethan’s gaze felt almost… genuine.
My hand stopped mid-movement as flashes of the night before broke through. I didn’t want to think about the way Ethan’s hands lingered at my hips, how he felt with my legs wrapped around him, or the sweetly smoky taste of his tongue.
I tried to force the memory down, it only came back stronger, leaving me both frustrated and, strangely, disappointed.
Focus, Olivia, I told myself. I shook my head, hoping that burying myself in projects would help.
Just as I tried to type out a few notes on the perfume progress, my phone buzzed on the desk beside me.
Mia: You’re done for the day!!!!! Meet me downstairs in ten.
Bless her, she knew I needed this. We needed this. With everything happening, I missed my best friend. Apex Nightclub hadn’t exactly been a fun time.
I grabbed my jacket, frowning at my reflection. I couldn’t remember the last time I just gone out purely for the fun of it. To be honest, I was reluctant to go, but I wasn’t going to let paparazzi keep me from my bestie.
“About time, I’m wasting away here.” Mia’s sarcasm was a balm to my frayed nerves.
“Garlic bread and an extra slice of cake coming up!” I smiled at her and pulled out my keys. “Luciano’s?”
I could practically see Mia’s mouth water at the mere mention of her favorite restaurant, and she gave me an immediate “Yes!”
The drive to the 4-star eatery was filled with the shuffling of Mia’s ‘bad bitch’ playlist. As we hit a stoplight, she glanced over, eyebrows raised. “You look… restless,” she said, her tone light but her eyes serious. “Does this have anything to do with the husband of yours?”
“Restless?” I laughed, and it sounded a little too sharp even to my own ears. “Is that your polite way of saying I look like I shit?”
Mia grinned. “Maybe. But I think it’s more than that. You’ve had this distant look all day. You two didn’t…” She trailed off, eyebrows wagging.
“Oh, Goddess, no. It’s not like that.” I felt my cheeks warm and immediately cursed my reaction. Mia didn’t miss a thing.
She laughed a full-bodied cackle that she reserved for when she knew she was right. “So, there is something going on then.”
When I didn’t respond, she softened, saying, “You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to. But you’re allowed to have feelings about this, whatever this is... And I will kick him in the alphas so his ancestors feel it if he fucks up.”
Feelings? I almost laughed at the idea. I was having too many feelings at the moment. And they were better off buried beneath work and duty. But this was Mia and I didn’t want to lie to her again.
“We staged a moment for the paparazzi up at Ridgecrest last night and I… My wolf decided she wanted Ethan to chase. She wanted him to earn a claim on me.” My words came out strained and quiet.
From the corner of my eye, I saw Mia’s jaw drop and I tensed. “Holy shit.”
But as we pulled into the restaurant’s lot, a different sort of tension crept up. The lot was empty, but they were clearly open. This place was usually packed.
As we approached the hostess, a knot formed in my stomach.
“I’m sorry, but we’re fully booked,” she said, flashing us a sympathetic look. But looking around, there wasn’t a soul in the place.
“Are you serious? We can’t get a single table?” Mia huffed, hands on her hips as she faced off with the hostess. “We’re only two people. How can there be no room at all when the place is literally empty?”
The hostess gave her an apologetic smile, but it was threaded with impatience. “I’m sorry, but the entire restaurant has been reserved by a private party tonight.”
Mia’s fingers tapped an annoyed rhythm against her purse strap. “Fine, but we’re regulars here, can we at least place a takeout order?” she continued, her tone a little less hopeful and a lot more frustrated.
A smooth voice interrupted, the deep timbre of it demanding attention. “Ladies, why don’t you join me instead? I’d be delighted to have your company.”
We both turned, and there stood an impeccably dressed man, with an air of authority and power that said he must the ‘private party’ blocking our dinner plans.
He stood by the entrance, his gaze fixed on us as though he’d planned this encounter all along. Instinctively, I felt a twinge of discomfort. Something about him felt overly polished, too controlled.
Mia batted her lashes at him, sizing him up. “Well… we wouldn’t want to intrude…”
“Not at all,” he replied, gesturing to a table set in the center of the restaurant. “Please, I insist.”
I exchanged a wary glance with Mia, who shrugged, deciding that any dinner here was better than none.
We followed the stranger to the table, settling in as servers appeared with menus and poured wine for each of us without a word.
“Allow me to introduce myself,” he said, his eyes never leaving mine. “Derek.”
The name rang a faint bell, but I couldn’t quite place it. “Olivia,” I said, nodding cautiously, “and this is my friend, Mia.”
Derek’s gaze lingered on me, a slight smile tugging at his lips. “Ah, Luna Olivia. I’ve heard that name around.”
Mia nudged me under the table, whispering, “Guess he reads the papers.”
I ignored her, focusing instead on our mysterious host.
We placed our orders with the server, and conversation with Derek was light, filled with just the right amount of casual charm to put us at ease. For me it did the opposite; he didn’t seem to actually care about any of the superficial topics we drifted through.
Halfway through the meal, Mia excused herself to the restroom and Derek seized the moment, leaning slightly closer.
“So,” he started, his tone suddenly turning thoughtful, “what’s it like to be married to Ethan?”
I stiffened, caught off guard. “Oh… it’s great. It’s all so new, but we’re adjusting.”
The way he looked at me was probing, like he was expecting me to slip, to reveal something I hadn’t even said aloud to myself.
I forced a smile, mirroring his casual tone. “I suppose every couple has their own… story.”
His eyes narrowed, that smirk returning. “Interesting choice of words.”
I was having a hard time getting an emotional read on him, but it seemed like he found my answer both amusing and expected.
He leaned back in his chair, tapping his fingers lightly on the table. “I wonder how many stories you have and how well you really know each other. Marriages built on… strong foundations… don’t crack so easily under pressure.”
A slow smile spread across his face as he leaned forward, his voice barely above a whisper. “But don’t worry. Your secrets are safe with me – for now.”
