KISSING LIVIE
“I don’t know how to play this game,” she admitted. “We both want different things and I’m used to getting what I want.”
Her floral scent hit him in just the right, or wrong, way. Arousal churned deep in his gut and he hated that he had this strong of a pull toward someone so hell-bent on stealing his life.
“Ironically, I’m used to getting what I want too.”
That was all the warning he gave her before he crushed his lips to hers. He was done listening to her talk, he was finished with this conversation that was obviously going nowhere. He’d wanted to kiss her for years and now that she was right in his face, why the hell not . . . ?
Books by Jules Bennett
WRAPPED IN YOU
CAUGHT UP IN YOU
LOST IN YOU
STAY WITH ME
Published by Kensington Publishing Corporation
stay with Me
JULES BENNETT
ZEBRA BOOKS
KENSINGTON PUBLISHING CORP.
http://www.kensingtonbooks.com
All copyrighted material within is Attributor Protected.
Table of Contents
KISSING LIVIE
Also by
Title Page
Copyright Page
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
ZEBRA BOOKS are published by
Kensington Publishing Corp.
119 West 40th Street
New York, NY 10018
Copyright © 2018 by Jules Bennett
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means without the prior written consent of the Publisher, excepting brief quotes used in reviews.
To the extent that the image or images on the cover of this book depict a person or persons, such person or persons are merely models, and are not intended to portray any character or characters featured in the book.
If you purchased this book without a cover you should be aware that this book is stolen property. It was reported as “unsold and destroyed” to the Publisher and neither the Author nor the Publisher has received any payment for this “stripped book.”
Zebra and the Z logo Reg. U.S. Pat. & TM Off.
ISBN: 978-1-4201-4496-3
eISBN-13: 978-1-4201-4497-0
eISBN-10: 1-4201-4497-9
Chapter One
Get it, get out, get the job done.
The mantra Olivia Daniels lived by had taken her from small-town girl to kick-ass city woman—stepping over men on her way to the top. So many from this tiny suburb of Savannah said she couldn’t, wouldn’t make it when she set out at eighteen to start her adult life in a big city. She’d intended to prove them all wrong and she was one promotion away from having all her goals met.
Olivia had certainly never planned to return to Haven, Georgia, ever again . . . yet here she stood at the very same place that held so much of her past.
Glancing around the open airfield, Olivia squinted behind her sunglasses at the bright morning sun. The hangars, if that’s what people called the old rusted metal heaps, sat next to another building that was just as run-down. The main building had mostly been wasted space, save for the small room her father had used as his office.
With no paved lot and barely a functional sidewalk connecting the main building to the first hangar, it was clear this place could use a fresh start—or a wrecking ball. Gutters dangled precariously, the office roof looked as if it were made of sandpaper versus shingles, and the windows were so grimy it was unlikely anyone had seen in or out of them in the past decade.
The only positive thing Olivia could say is the “landscaping” didn’t look as mistreated—if wildflowers counted as landscaping. There were tulips and daffodils popping up as far as the eye could see, which was pretty far considering this dump was in the middle of godforsaken nowhere.
So what if Haven was her hometown? She wasn’t one to look at the world through rose-colored glasses—and even if she were, she doubted that they could help this heap.
A twinge of guilt coursed through her at her initial thoughts since leaving so long ago. This had been her father’s life. Literally. He spent every single day at this airport, leaving Olivia and her mother mostly alone. He claimed it was for the income, but they hadn’t had much, so she always figured he’d just rather avoid his family.
Olivia couldn’t afford to get nostalgic and from her first impressions, nothing here was going to change her mind. She was going to make this quick and painless, make this business deal and get back to Atlanta before anyone knew she was even in town.
She was used to getting what she wanted, not because she fell into it, but because she busted her butt and worked hard to prove she deserved it. Right now, she was laying eyes on her next acquisition, if one could call it that. Too bad someone else currently owned the other half.
Get in, get out, get the job done.
Olivia repeated the reminder—she wasn’t leaving today until she got the deed in full.
Pulling in a deep breath, Olivia straightened her pale pink suit jacket and headed toward the office. When she reached the back door, she rehearsed her speech once more.
Confidence and preparation were key to any good negotiation. Olivia learned early on that the only thing that beat tenacity was being prepared to face your nemesis.
“Livie Daniels.”
She came to a dead stop. Who the hell called her Livie anymore? So much for that mental pep talk she’d just given herself. She wasn’t ready to be thrown into the past with the simple drop of a name she had so long ago altered. Livie no longer existed . . . not even in Haven.
Shielding her eyes from the sun, Olivia put her hand over her forehead and turned toward the hangars. And just like that, nostalgia hit her as
