My Love At Last

“Yep. So you must have produced a spark. Anyway, I’ve got to run.”

“Sure, go, go. I wanted to drop in at the spa and see if there were any openings for a quick massage.”

Desiree gave her a knowing look. “Oh, you mean with Connor’s cousin Layla.”

“They’re cousins?” she asked with feigned surprise.

Desiree chuckled. “I’m sure Layla would be happy to tell you anything you wanted to know about her bachelor cousin, except that she and Maurice are in New York for the next two weeks working on Maurice’s foundation for wounded soldiers. That’s why they weren’t at the party last night.”

Olivia’s shoulders drooped.

“But if you can’t wait to find out on your own, Melanie Harte knows all. And she would love to think that once again she was involved in a love connection.” Desiree grinned and patted Olivia’s arm.

“Thanks. I think I’ll wait.”

“Good move. Anyway, gotta go. See you soon. Okay?”

“Sure thing. And thanks.”

Desiree hurried away and Olivia returned to where she’d parked her car. So much for that brilliant idea. But it was just as well. She didn’t want to come across as one of “those women” that did recon work on a man. That wasn’t her style. Mostly, she had a short list of criteria for the attributes of the men she allowed in her life: good looks and intelligence, and not looking for or expecting a commitment. So far, Connor Lawson fit the bill to a T, not to mention that they both had plenty in common from their chosen fields of work. She slid behind the wheel of her car and turned the key. In truth, what else did she need to know? Whatever might happen between them would last only as long as her assignment anyway. It was best that her knowledge remained superficial. The less you knew, the less you could be drawn into the life and wants and dreams and desires of someone else. She didn’t need that, didn’t want it and couldn’t give it. She reserved those energies for her work and that was it.

* * *

Connor had been up before sunrise. Since moving to Sag Harbor he’d become addicted to rising before daybreak and running along the beach until the sun fully crested the horizon. The sensation of one man being that in tune with nature was indescribable. It gave him a rush that was close to orgasmic. It was his time. His alone time when he cleansed his head and his spirit.

But while he was running, for the first time, he wanted to share the experience with someone, and Olivia flashed in his head. He didn’t know why, but he felt deep in his gut that she would appreciate the experience as much as he did, without him having to explain.

Most of the night he’d thought about Olivia, reimagined what she’d felt like when he’d touched her, what she’d tasted like when he’d kissed her. It wasn’t often that a single encounter with an attractive woman kept him in a state of randy heat. It was ridiculous how many times he’d had to think of trucks instead of the hot spot between her legs. And if he didn’t get his head in the game, he would waste an entire morning musing on “what if.”

Today, he and his small crew were working on what had once been the main house in the small settlement. According to documents, the home was the first one built and was the largest, so that it could accommodate the new settlers until they were able to build places of their own.

Connor got out of his truck and trotted down the small incline to where the workers were gathered to talk about the day’s assignment. Jake Thornton was his foreman and closest thing to a best friend. He was explaining to the crew what Connor wanted accomplished when Connor joined them.

“Morning, guys,” Connor greeted the ten-man crew, and adjusted his sunglasses against the morning glare. “I know Jake got you all up to speed. We have a lot to achieve today. Forecast is for a late-afternoon storm. We need to work fast and efficiently.” He turned to Jake. “How’s the roof?”

“I have the roofers coming in about noon. I need them to do as much as they can as fast as they can. We can’t afford water damage at this stage of the reno. Worst case is we’ll use what tarp we have if the rains come before they get here.”

Connor nodded. “Okay.” He turned his intense focus on his team. “Let’s get busy. We’ll break for lunch at noon when the roofers arrive.”

Connor and Jake broke away from the team and walked over to Jake’s Ford truck. “How was that thing up on the hill last night?” Jake asked as he tapped a Newport cigarette from the pack and tucked it between his lips. He dug a lighter from his pocket and lit the end.

“You know how those things are. Lot of fancy.” He chuckled. “Good food, great drinks, long legs.” He laughed again and leaned back against the side of the truck. He crossed his arms. “Met this woman last night.”

Jake gave a side glance, raised his chin and blew a puff of smoke into the air. “And...”

Connor searched around for words. “Nice. She’s an anthropologist working on a research project. Ancestry of the original families here.”

Jake’s brow lifted. “Hmm. Right up your alley.”

Connor shrugged with indifference. “Just business. Two ships passing in the night, as the saying goes.”

“Works for me.” Jake dropped the butt of his cigarette on the ground and crushed it out with the heel of his construction boot.

“Taking her to dinner on Tuesday,” Connor added, not quite ready to let the conversation wind down.

“Oh, now, that’s news.” His friend angled his long frame toward Connor. “She must be impressive if she got you to ask her to dinner.”

“She’s different.” He still couldn’t put his finger on what it was about Olivia that had him rethinking his usual game plan.

“Must be. The waiting line was long. I had my money on Lydia.” Jake laughed.

Connor flashed him a look of total disbelief. “Lydia.” He shook his head. “Not in a million years. Definitely not my type.”

“Couldn’t tell her that.” Jake laughed again and pushed away from the truck. “I’ll have to meet this Olivia,” he said as they walked back toward the work site.

“Just two ships, man. Two ships.”

“If you say so.” He clapped Connor on the back.

To think that it could be more than temporary was a big mistake. It always was. Dina, Mya, Lynn, Sybil... The list was long and diverse. A different woman for a different city, a different job. It simply went with the territory. Then once they found out who he was, who his family was, the speed of “love” went from zero to one hundred in the blink of an eye.

He almost resented his family name and legacy at times, which only fueled the bad blood between him and his father. So rather than fight what had become the inevitable spiral of his relationships, he kept them brief and emotion-free. Many women thought it was arrogance or privilege that wafted around him like a protective shield. In truth it was self-preservation. When he decided that he was ready to open himself up to the possibility of something real, the woman had to be damned spectacular.

Then along had come Adrienne... He shook the memory away. His thoughts drifted to Olivia Gray.

“What are you grinning about?”

Connor blinked and Jake came into focus. He clapped Jake on the back. “Nothing, man. Let’s get to work.”

Connor soon became immersed in his work and the images and stirring thoughts of Olivia drifted into the backdrop of his day. The team had been working steadily, hauling away debris and shoring up weak foundations, when the roofers finally arrived.

“And not a minute too soon,” Jake said, glancing skyward.

Overstuffed clouds lumbered along the skyline and shifted their appearance from dull white to dove gray. Beyond the crest of the horizon a line of ominous darkness pushed across the water and above the trees.

“Tell the guys to pack it up. Let the roofers do their thing. I’ll stay and make sure that we don’t get a washout,” Connor said.

“My sentiments exactly.” Jake turned to go round up the men.

Connor rolled up the blueprints, but his attention was drawn toward the sound of another car coming their way. He lifted his work goggles from his eyes. The auto summiting the rise came into view. He’d expected that it would be the roofers, but clearly, the Range Rover was not carrying the crew.

The car came to a stop and the driver shut the engine.

“Probably another tourist,” Jake said. “I’ll get rid of them.” He started toward the car. Connor stopped him with a firm grip on his forearm.

Olivia stepped out of the car and gazed around before spotting Connor.

“You go ahead. I’ll take care of it.” He shoved his goggles into his shirt pocket, took off his work gloves and began walking toward Olivia.