Page 67 of Animal's Reformation
Chapter Sixteen
Animal would behere before long to take her out to dinner. At the thought of that, Olivia’s hands trembled and her insides lurched for the umpteenth time that day. Ever since that morning, her stomach had gone crazy: coffee tasted bad; her favorite almond biscotti tasted worse.
“This is insane,” she said as she tossed the latest outfit on the bed to join the four already discarded ones. “Ugh!” She flopped down on the rocking chair and slowly moved back and forth to try and calm her frazzled nerves.
What was wrong with her? Was it the date with Animal? Ridiculous. Olivia had started dating when she was fourteen and she’d had a steady supply of boyfriends or casual dates until her breakup with Kory when she’d put herself into the deep freeze. So what was the big deal with Animal? She closed her eyes and the memory of the way he held her and kissed her filled her mind. Her lids snapped open. So he was a good, no, great … no,fantastickisser … so what? And then there was the way he treated Lucy with such love and tenderness.
“Stop!” Olivia pressed her hands against her stomach. “It’s just a fucking date. No biggie. I just have to remember to not make it into anything more than what it is. That shouldn’t be too hard since he’s a biker and I knowexactlyhow those guys are. Right. Just remember that and get over it.” When she was nervous, she talked to herself like a madwoman.
One time when she’d gone on a job interview, Olivia had been so edgy that she talked aloud the whole ride up in the empty elevator, and when the doors opened, the people waiting couldn’t hide their apprehension when no one else exited the car but her.
Olivia leapt from the chair and went into the bathroom once more to check her reflection in the mirror. “Too much eyeshadow,” she murmured as she took a Q-tip and blended some of it away. Satisfied, she padded over to her closetagainand stared at her clothes trying to figure out what to wear. Animal hadn’t mentioned the restaurant to which they were going, so she wasn’t sure if jeans would be appropriate. She flipped through her clothes, the metal hangers scraping lightly on the bar. Maybe something ultra conservative. That would keep everything in perspective.
A crimson top with lace along theV-neck collar and sleeves caught her eye. She’d bought it a couple of months before and hadn’t worn it yet. She slipped the top over her head and grabbed a short black pleated skater skirt and shimmed it up her legs. Olivia looked at her reflection in the full-length mirror hanging on the back of her closet door. The crimson color accentuated her flawless complexion and made her wavy brunette hair darker.
“Not exactly conservative,” she said, rolling up her thigh-highs before sliding on her black high-heeled pumps.
Olivia put several different sizes of gold hoops into the three holes in her right ear and the two in her left and pushed a few gold and silver bangles onto her right wrist.
“Not bad,” she muttered as she inspected herself in the mirror. “Not bad at all.” She tugged down on the hem of her skirt, then swirled around and looked over her shoulder to make sure her butt and upper thighs were properly covered. The skirt fell mid-thigh, which was just perfect. Olivia was shooting for an elegant look with a hint of sexy, and she thought she’d accomplished it.
Just as she finished spritzing her perfume, the doorbell rang and her gut clenched. Grabbing her purse and coat, she switched off the bedroom light and walked slowly toward the living room, her nerves winding tighter with each step.
Olivia paused to look through the peephole and found Animal filling the small space. She unlocked the door and swung it open to let him in, an unsteady smile plastered on her face.
“Hi,” she said as her eyes skimmed over him. The way he was dressed surprised and warmed her. He wore a button-down gray shirt with thin black pinstripes, the sleeves folded back to his elbows. The pants were black, straight-legged with a small cuff, his belt, black leather with light gray stitching, and his boots were polished. Only his black jacket, adorned with patches and buckles, gave any indication that he was a biker.
Something inside her stilled, then simmered, calming her nerves and quieting the churning in her belly.
“Hey,” he said, taking a step back. His eyes slowly teased over her, all the way down to her pumps, and she blushed when they moved up and met her gaze. “You look beautiful,” he murmured.
“Thanks,” she said lightly, then added, “You dress up pretty well yourself.”
His gaze skimmed over her again, then Animal cocked his head toward his SUV and said, “Are you ready to go?”
“Let me just grab my things.” She turned away to put on her coat that she’d quickly tossed on the couch, then picked up her purse and locked the door after they both headed out.
As they strolled down the walkway, Animal leaned enough that their shoulders brushed, and his subtle touch brought far more tingles skating along her spine than Olivia would’ve liked. When they got to the car, she went to open the door, but his hand landed on hers and the tingles intensified. If her body was reacting this way before they even started their date, she was totally screwed. Drawing in a deep breath, she released the handle slowly as her hand dropped to her side.
Animal opened the passenger door and stood aside, and Olivia stepped onto the running board then slid into the seat. The door slammed shut and she fumbled with the seatbelt, trying to ignore the scent of his cologne wisping around her as he climbed into the driver’s side.
“Let me help you with that,” he said, leaning over.
His hand brushed against hers as he secured the belt into the buckle, and she had the overwhelming urge to bury her fingers in his thick hair and take a deep breath of his spicy, earthy smell.
“I made a reservation for us at the Buckhorn Steakhouse. Have you been there?”
“No, but I heard it’s very good.”And expensive. I couldn’t justify going there on my own, especially since I still have sheets for curtains.
“It kicks ass.” He looked over at her and winked then switched on the engine.
“Speaking of kicking ass, the burger I had at your club’s restaurant was one of the best I’ve eaten. I’m surprised that an outlaw club owns such a …” she struggled to find the right word without insulting him and the Insurgents.
“Isnicethe word you’re looking for, or maybe chic or urban?” He laughed. “We got a lot of businesses in Pinewood Springs.”
“Do you have the requisite strip bar?”
“We do—Dream House, but we also have a barbecue restaurant and some other investments. We’re gonna build some apartments with stores on the ground floor. Axe’s old lady is working on the designs.”
