She braced her hands on the island and pushed herself up to sit on it. “I don’t know. I was thinking maybe I could go into town. There’s an art park there. I’ve always preferred photographing people, but I need to flex my muscles a little first. Statues can make good subjects and don’t complain that you’re making them stay still too long.”
Finn smirked. “They’re helpful that way.”
“Yeah.” She shrugged. “If you’re up for it, I could use the company. We could try out one of the new lunch places. Midday sunlight sucks for outdoor shots, so if we can kill some time until late afternoon, that’d be better. And I still have to grab a shower. I pretty much rolled out of bed and headed out this morning. Dawn is the magic hour. I didn’t want to miss it.”
He leaned against the counter, considering her over the rim of his coffee cup. “You should see yourself right now.”
She tilted her head and patted her hair. “What? Am I scary bedhead or something? I’ve been crawling around on the ground.”
“You do have grass in your hair.” He laughed and leaned over to pluck out a blade. “But I mean you should see how excited you look, like a little kid preparing for Christmas. This totally does it for you.”
She gripped the edge of the counter and swung her legs. “I am kind of excited. I got a kick-ass shot
of a ladybug today. I know that sounds stupid—”
“It doesn’t.”
She rolled her lips together. “Thanks. I guess I still feel like this is kind of indulgent, putting work aside to futz around with my camera.”
He pushed off the counter and tugged on a lock of her hair. “Nothing wrong with indulging sometimes.”
Her lips curved. “Guess we both indulged some this morning then.”
His expression darkened. “Arias.”
She laughed and slid off the counter, feeling small with him towering over her. “If we can’t joke about it, then it will just turn into another awkward thing. Let’s not do that to ourselves. If it helps any, I worked on my post-doc last night, too.”
She patted his shoulder, and his face went slack. “That doesn’t help at all. That is the complete opposite of helping, Olivia.”
She turned, grabbed her camera, and headed to the door, giving him a wicked grin. “Sorry. See you in a little while.”
Before she stepped outside, he called out to her. “I don’t remember you being this evil.”
“Then your memory is failing you.” She gave him a little wave and shut the door behind her, feeling lighter than she had in a while.
chapter
FOURTEEN
Finn sat on a bench in the art park, watching Liv in full concentration mode while she took shots of a bronze cowboy statue. The cowboy had his head down and his foot forever pressed back against the wall, James Dean style. Liv had the tip of her tongue sticking out between her lips and had pulled her hair into a messy bun on top of her head—all business. She’d probably forgotten he was there, which was just fine by him. He didn’t mind playing audience. But the location had him on edge.
He couldn’t help scanning the perimeter regularly. The art park was spread across an open stretch of land hemmed in by forest area on two sides. A running path wound along the edge of the trees and on the outskirts of the art displays. A few people milled about, and a group of runners looked to be gearing up for a race on the far side of the park. None of that should have concerned him. The neighborhood was fine. But if someone wanted a clear shot, they could just post themselves behind a tree and pick off people like in a video game. Of course, he didn’t expect anyone was out there to do it, but he couldn’t turn off the internal checklist he’d learned to perform at every public location. Plus, having Liv so oblivious to her surroundings made him extra vigilant.
“Almost done with the cowboy, photog? He’s looking like he needs a smoke and some beef jerky,” Finn called out.
Liv glanced back at him with a smile. “Almost. I’ve got a few minutes of light left. Fading on me?”
He leaned back and stretched his arm over the back of the bench. “Nah, I can go all night.”
She rolled her eyes. “Stop with the double entendre.”
He chuckled. “Just paying you back.”
Liv had set the bar this morning when she’d overheard him in the workout room. He’d been mortified that she’d heard him in such a weak moment, a moment where his body and libido had overtaken his plans to work out his frustration in the gym. But instead of making the situation painfully awkward or embarrassing, she’d teased him—and admitted she’d sought her own relief last night. Not that he was ever going to be able to get that distracting image out of his mind. But he appreciated her ease and openness around him. That was what had drawn them together in the past, too. No bullshit. Just being honest and playful and leaving the pretense out of it.
So even though it was a dangerous line to walk, he’d accepted that if you can’t beat ’em, join ’em. She knew he wanted her in his bed. He didn’t have to pretend that wasn’t there between them. She also understood why they shouldn’t act on that, which meant they could playfully flirt without the pressure of it having to mean something more.
He could handle that. Probably.