Olivia stood frozen in place, watching the ocean waves, unsure of what to do next, knowing Alexander had seen their entire exchange.

Once the Lexus pulled down the road, Alexander jumped out of his Mercedes. Olivia immediately turned to head back into her house, desperately wanting to forget that he was even there. She needed to forget about him, which was becoming difficult since he had shown up on her little island.

“Olivia, love!” Alexander shouted, leaping up the stairs and onto her front deck, grabbing her arm. Shivers ran up and down her spine from the contact. He spun her around, making her face him. “Please. I beg you. I just want to talk,” he said quietly, his eyes pleading with her as thunder sounded in the distance.

Crossing her arms, she gazed into his deep green eyes that held so much pain. She knew she had caused that pain, but she couldn’t be with him. Those five little words still replayed in her memory each and every day. They haunted her dreams at night. It will destroy me, too.

“Please, Olivia. I don’t know who I am without you…” Alexander said quietly, taking a step closer and lightly caressing her bare arm. He leaned down. “I know you can still feel it,” he whispered, his breath hot against her neck. “I feel it, too. Don’t deny your body…or your heart.” A large rain drop fell on the deck followed by several more.

His words broke Olivia apart. “No, Alexander. I’m not doing this. I told you why I left. I’ll only hurt you. So, please, forget about me. I beg you.” She whipped around quickly, frantically seeking the comfort of the four walls of her beach house.

“Just answer me one question, Olivia,” Alexander said loudly over the rain that had begun to drench them both. His tone gave her pause. She slowly turned around to face him.

Taking a step toward her, he gently brushed her damp hair back, caressing the scar on her forehead. “Does he make you come the way I do?” he asked, his voice husky with desire for the woman standing in front of him.

Olivia’s head shot up.

“Does he know how to make your body react with just a simple touch?” He ran his fingers down her arm, making her entire body want to melt into his. “Does he drive you wild when he’s inside you?” Placing his hand on the small of her back, he pulled her against him. Lightening coursed through her soul from feeling Alexander’s body flush with hers again. He leaned down, his lips feathering soft kisses along her neck. “Is he strong enough to be with you? Does he make you feel whole?”

Olivia scrambled to get out of his embrace, needing to distance herself from him. She looked down at her feet, not wanting to look into the same green eyes that found her in her dreams each and every night.

“Olivia, look at me.”

She raised her head quickly, her body betraying her by so eagerly obeying Alexander’s demand.

“Do you really want to live life without me in it?!” he cried out.

Olivia’s chin trembled as she thought about what life without Alexander had been like. She hated every second of it, but she couldn’t be with him. It would only end badly for all involved. “I can’t, Alexander,” she quivered. “I wish I could, but I just can’t.”

“Why, Olivia? Please. Tell me why and I’ll leave you alone. Why him and not me?”

She stared into his eyes as they fought back tears. “You want to know why?” she spat out. “Because I’ll never love him. I can walk away from Cam anytime because I don’t feel anything for him. And I just don’t want to feel, Alexander. I’m done feeling. It hurts too much. My entire life, everyone I’ve ever cared about has been ripped from my world. You said it yourself. I’ll just destroy you, too. So, please, go home. Find someone else and forget that I ever walked into your life that night back in August. Please. I beg you. I’ll never be able to get over my past.” Olivia brought her hand up to wipe at the tears that were flowing down her cheeks.

“That’s not your decision to make, love.”

She melted at his term of endearment. Alexander placed his hand on the small of her back again, pulling her body toward his. She gasped at his erection pressed against her stomach. “I want you to feel, Olivia,” he whispered. “I want to you to feel me. Don’t deny your body what it needs.” He leaned down, planting gentle kisses on her neck. “I’ve missed the smell and feel of your skin, love.”

She stilled, not wanting to get pulled back into his web. “Do. Not. Call. Me. That.” She pushed against him, ridding herself of his embrace and heading toward her front door.

“Please, Olivia…” Alexander begged.

“I’ve kept my end of the bargain, Alex,” she hissed, spinning around, her eyes blazing. “I told you why him. So leave.” She lowered her voice. “Please, Alex. You need to forget about me.” He was so close and Olivia could feel her resolve starting to melt. She secretly wanted to jump on him, kiss him deeply, and feel him inside of her. But she couldn’t do that. She needed to forget about him. The attraction scared her to death and she knew that she would only end up shattered in the end. She knew she couldn’t deal with that pain.

He pulled back, looking at her. “Tell me you don’t want me in your life and I’ll go. I want to hear you say the words, Olivia. Tell me you don’t care about me. That you’ve moved on. That you’re happy. Say the words, and I’ll leave right now and forget all about you.” A tear fell down his cheek as a lump formed in his throat from the thought of losing his Olivia once more. “Say the words, love, and you’ll never have to see my face again.”

Olivia stood staring at him while rain pummeled the coast, causing her to shake from the dampness and cold air. “I’m happy, okay?!” she shouted. “I’m so fucking happy without you in my life!” She spun around, trying to get away from him. Olivia had no idea what had come over her. She didn’t mean those words, but she said them anyway.

As a last desperate act, Alexander grabbed her, pulled her body into his, and crushed his mouth against hers. His hands roamed her body. She tried to push him away, but his strength was too much. The feeling of his tongue exploring her mouth and his hands caressing her body sent tremors through her entire being. She melted into the kiss as he dipped his hand into her shorts. “You can’t possibly tell me you don’t feel this, Olivia,” he growled, inserting two fingers inside her. “Your body betrays your words. I don’t believe a fucking word you say.” He covered her mouth with his before she could even protest.