I Love You to Pieces by Lori Flynn

Author:Lori Flynn
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Austin Macauley Publishers
Published: 2019-06-27T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Olivia

Olivia loved dressing for formal events. Preparing for her mother’s party felt like a chore. She glanced at the violet Vera Wang gown on its hanger. The iridescent shimmering beads were powerless in improving her somber mood, all while her hairstylist performed magic with an elegant updo. Her grandmother’s timely phone call took the edge off, but only briefly.

Ben in his tuxedo, a sight that could bring Giorgio Armani to his knees, cleared her mind of the anxiety she’d let fester.

“Hello, gorgeous,” Olivia said from the bottom of the long staircase.

“I think that’s my line.” Ben’s breath caught in his throat.

“If I knew you looked this hot in a tux, I would’ve changed the dress code for our business meetings.”

He grinned. “I’m starting to think this evening may be tougher for me than for you.”

Olivia led him outside, where the long sleek limousine she’d arranged had just arrived. Seeing Ben step back, eyes wide and on her, she felt the need to explain. “I ordered the car during a weak moment.”

“Similar to the one you had when you called me in the middle of the night and said you wanted to go to the party?”

“What can I say? My mother brings out the worst in me. The car has nothing to do with appearances. You know I don’t care what people think. I wanted you close to me tonight.”

“No complaints here.”

The design of the car sat ten comfortably. The two it carried huddled together, barely taking the space of one. Ben draped his arm protectively around Olivia’s shoulders, pulling her toward him, reassuring her.

As they approached the house where she’d endured her childhood, she thought of her last visit when the capable Diamond had been her protector. Is Elizabeth even looking for another house? I never want to live there again, but no surprise, she’s taking advantage. As the roads became more familiar, Ben used his quick wit to ward off her rising anxiety.

“It’ll be fine, Olivia. I’ve got your back. And we both know, if anything happens to you, your grandmother will have me taken out.”

“I wouldn’t doubt it. Although she says she’s loved you since before you were born, Benny. But we don’t want my grandmother or Nanny thinking about cyanide again, do we?” She clung to the warmth and strength of his arms.

The car rolled to a stop at the end of the long-manicured drive. Ben opened Olivia’s door. Doubt coursed through her and launched a shiver of fear down her spine, prompting her to reach for his hand. Together they climbed the cool granite stairs. He pulled her close at the entrance and whispered near her ear. “Be a big, brave dog, Olivia.”

The unfamiliar butler lacked warmth while relaying the location of the party. Then, with the indifference of a factory worker on a Wednesday, he offered to escort them to the ballroom. Olivia shook her head and waved away his gesture, not sharing her knowledge of the layout of the house.

The bash looked in full swing.

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