Chapter 10

Grady

Fuck me. Olivia walks down her steps, and she looks stunning. I told her low-key, and she definitely nailed it, but still looks edible.

We plan to treat her to a delicious dinner and spend quality time getting to know each other. So we're off to our favorite Indian restaurant. Whether the night stretches beyond that point, the decision rests solely in her hands. I'd be lying if I said I haven't been craving the taste of her on my tongue again or the feel of her hand wrapped around my cock.

With a smile, I greet her and pull her into a tight hug, cherishing the familiar feel of her in my arms. "You look amazing, Ollie."

"Thank you," she says, her cheeks turning a light shade of pink. "I have to admit, I was a little unsure of what to wear. So I hope I'm not underdressed."

"No. What you have on is fine, darling. It's just dinner. However, I'm now convinced you could wear a paper sack and it would be sexy." Kipp pulls her to him and kisses her temple.

"Come on. We want to get there before it gets busy." I grab the door handle and open it, allowing her and Kipp to get in the car first.

Climbing in after them, I immediately feel the coziness of the backseat, with Olivia nestled between us.

"All set, sir?" Norbert asks.

"Yes. Thank you, Norbert. You can proceed to our destination," Kipp confidently tells him.

Olivia turns to look at Kipp, her eyes filled with curiosity. "So mysterious… our destination," she muses.

"How was your week?" I ask.

Her body gracefully turns, bringing her face to face with me. "It went by quick, actually."

"We weren't texting too much, were we?" I ask, wanting to make sure we aren't being too pushy or moving too fast. This is new to us, too. We've never both had feelings for someone like this and it's all very sudden.

We haven't done the whole dating thing since, well, it's been years.

Olivia shakes her head. "No. I loved it. I like talking to you two."

The car stops and I look out the window, seeing we're here. Ollie leans over me, her eyes widening as she peeks out, and a high-pitched squeal escapes her lips when she sees we're in front of Thumka's.

"Oh, my gosh, I love Indian food!"

"Good. It's one of our favorites too." I smile as I open the door.

"We were a little worried you wouldn't like it, but you seem open to trying new things," Kipp says as he follows Olivia and me, scooting out of the car.

I take her hand, feeling the warmth of her skin, and lead her inside the restaurant. As soon as we step through the doors, the mouth-watering aroma of curry and coriander greets us. Thumka's is a seat yourself, so I guide Ollie through the wood tables until we get to an empty one toward the back.

Kipp pulls out her chair, making sure she is seated comfortably, before doing the same for me. I nod, flashing him a smile.

Olivia's gaze wanders from one decoration to another, as she soaks in the vibrant colors and intricate designs. The walls are a dark forest green with gold accents, but the real show-stopper is their ceilings. A colorful collage of what appears to be paper lanterns creates a vibrant rainbow.

"Have you not been here before, Olivia?" Kipp asks.

"No, I didn't even know this place existed. I always go to KHANA KHAZANA. They have my absolute favorite chicken curry. I can't wait to see if this place is better." She reaches for a menu, unfolding it carefully as she peruses the choices inside.

A smile lights up the face of a young man as he comes up to the table. "Good evening. My name is Kabir and I'll be taking care of you tonight. Please let me know if you have any questions or need recommendations. Can I get you started with some drinks?"

Kipp and I both turn our attention to Olivia, giving her the chance to go first.

"Ummm, I'll try the Mango Lassi With Kaffir Lime, please."

"Miss, would you mind showing me your ID, please?" Olivia blushes as Kabir speaks, reaching into her purse to retrieve her ID and offering it to him.

As he takes it from her, he quickly glances at her birthday, then promptly hands it back. "Thank you." Kabir writes her order down and then looks at me. "I'll take a Jaljeera Mojito and my partner will have a Watermelon Mojito."

"Okay. I'll be right back with those and then you can order entrees." He turns to leave and I look at Kipp.

"Guess we should get used to our girl being carded, huh?" I try to lighten the situation with a joke, hoping to ease Olivia's embarrassment.

"Sorry," she whispers.

"Baby, it's nothing to be embarrassed about. So you got carded, no big deal," I assure her, rubbing her back with my right hand.

"I guess," she replies with a hint of uncertainty. "Being with you guys makes everything feel different, and that kinda makes me feel out of place. Like a child among adults."

"You are far from a child," Kipp growls. "We don't want to be here with anyone else. It's not about your age, Olivia. We have a connection. That's all this is about, nothing else. Do you understand me?"

"Yes," she says, looking up at him with a mischievous smirk.

"Good girl."

Kabir returns with our drinks and we order our entrees before he's gone again, headed to the kitchen.

"So Ollie. We know you're a photographer but what do you photograph?" Taking a sip of my mojito, I relish the burst of flavors on my tongue, the refreshing mint, and the hint of cumin.

With each sip, Olivia's eyes roll into the back of her head, a clear sign of her enjoyment. "Shit, this is delicious. You'd never know there was yogurt in it. All you can taste is the mango and lime." She laughs. "Sorry. I shoot all kinds of events, but my specialty is weddings and boudoirs."

"That's amazing," Kipp tells her.

"Thank you. It's been my passion ever since I can remember, so I'm glad I could make it my career. It's where I was when my ex cheated. I was at a wedding out of state, working."

"So if you get hired to do an out-of-state wedding like that, do the bride and groom pay your travel expenses?" I ask, curious about how that works.

"Yeah. I include it in my proposal when we meet to go over what they want, along with the charges for flight, hotel, and three meals a day for myself. Anything else I cover and if I need a second shooter, they'll pay for that, but then I just pay my second by the hour."

"Did you go to school for photography, then?" Kipp questions.

She nods her head. "I went to Harmon and got my BA in Fine Arts and a minor in business."

The aroma of the food wafts toward us as Kabir, still smiling, serves us our plates. "Okay. For the lady, I have a delicious Mango Chicken Curry. A Lamb Masala for you." He sets a dish in front of Kipp. "And last, but certainly not least, the Chicken Vindaloo for you, sir."

"Thank you," I tell him.

"Let me know if you need anything else," he says, nodding before disappearing to attend to his other tables.

We keep the conversation casual as we eat, all of us devouring our meals, knowing that Indian cuisine doesn't lend itself well to being taken home and reheated. I mean, you can, but the flavors just aren't as rich.

Just as we're about to wrap things up, Kipp interjects with a crucial question that we can't ignore. "Okay, I have to know. Are you okay with us being Barbi's dads, despite what she did to you?"

Olivia sighs, the sound escaping her lips like a gentle breeze. "Yeah. You're not in control of what she did and, well, I know you've been kind of estranged. She used to brag all the time about how she could get you to pay for anything. That all she'd have to do is whine about you leaving her and her mom and marrying Grady and you'd flash your wallet at her."

Frustrated, I roll my eyes as I think about all the times I tried to warn Kipp about Barbi's actions, but he refused to see the truth. He's always held onto the hope that Barbi would be different from Jessica.

"I've realized that. She's never been very pleasant when she's around. I actually just set up a meal with her so I could tell her that it's time she's all in or out. I've had enough of her using me as an ATM and consistently being rude to Grady."

With a subtle nod, Ollie gracefully brings the napkin to her lips, dabbing away any traces of the meal. "She's your daughter, so I understand you have a commitment to her. What she did has completely turned me off from wanting to be around her. She crossed the line by sending me that video of her fucking my boyfriend. So if that puts an end to this?" She motions between herself and us. "Then it sucks, but so be it."

I am left speechless, my mouth gaping open, and my eyes feeling like they're about to pop out of my head. I look at Kipp, who mirrors my expression, wearing the same look of confusion. "A video?" I rasp. "She didn't."

"Yup. I was on that trip and she sent me a message saying Karma's a cunt and so am I and then the video. Here, see for yourself." She pulls her phone out and holds it out to us.

"No. I'm going to pass," Kipps says with a grimace.

"Let me have a look," I say, reaching out to take the phone from her. Watching Barbi's intimate scene with a younger guy on screen fills me with a sinking feeling in my stomach. Finishing the video, I release a breath and meet her eyes. "That's disgusting. I'm sorry, babe."

She shrugs. "It is what it is," she says with a resigned sigh, accepting the situation. "I'm moving past it. I've blocked both, refusing any connection or involvement with either."

Out of nowhere, Kabir appears and places our check on the table before swiftly collecting our plates. "I hope everything was to your liking tonight?"

"It was. Thank you, Kabir," Kipp says with a smile, handing him the bill folder back. "Keep the change."

I rise from the table and extend my hand to assist Olivia from her chair, but Kipp swiftly intervenes, gently taking her hand and leading her back to the car.

Once we're settled back in the car and safely buckled up, Norbert glances in the rearview mirror. "Where to?"

"Do you want to come back to our place, Olivia?" Kipp asks, his eyes sparkling with mischief.

She winces. "I can't," she whispers, frustrated. "I have a shoot tomorrow bright and early. An end of my youth shoot. Can I come over afterward? We could do a movie and snacks?"

"Please," Kipp nods his head before looking at Norbert. "Back to Olivia's place, please."

Norbert nods in acknowledgment and smoothly merges onto the busy road. I gently grasp Olivia's chin and tilt her face toward mine, so that she meets my gaze. In a tender moment, I lean in and press my lips against hers, feeling the warmth and connection between us. "I can't wait until tomorrow to kiss you again," I murmur against her lips.

Our mouths connect in a deep, intimate kiss, our tongues moving in a sensual and synchronized motion. She pulls away, a bright smile lighting up her face as she turns and plants a gentle kiss on Kipp's lips.

Their kiss becomes intense, filled with raw energy as they battle for dominance. My cock hardens watching them together. I can't believe we only met this woman a week ago and I'm already so obsessed with her.

The drive to her place seems to pass in an instant while we steal kisses from our girl, the minutes flying by. I can already tell that the next twenty-four hours will feel unbearably long as we wait to see her again.