The CEO's Rejected Wife And Secret Heir novel Chapter 101

Chapter 101: Chapter 101: Friends In Crime

Aria Pov

"He was..." I trailed off, remembering. "His stamina is on a whole new level sometimes."

Olivia fanned herself dramatically. "Oh my god. DETAILS."

"No!" I laughed, covering my face. "Absolutely not."

"Come on! Throw me a bone here, best friend privileges."

"Fine." I dropped my hands, meeting her eager gaze. "It was... good. Really good. Better than I remembered, actually. And that’s all you’re getting."

"Better than you remembered," Olivia repeated slowly, her smile turning knowing. "So the Ice King can actually deliver. Good to know."

"Can we stop talking about this now?"

"One more question." She held up a finger. "Are you planning on a repeat performance?"

I hesitated. Grabbed a streamer and started unrolling it just to have something to do. The paper was smooth, sliding between my fingers.

"No," I said finally. "Not for now, anyway."

"Why not?" Olivia’s voice was gentler now. "If it was good"

"Because I don’t want to make myself look easy." The words came out sharper than I intended. I set down the streamer, meeting her eyes. "Because twice is already more than I planned. Because I need to keep some control here, Liv. If I just... give in every time he looks at me like that, I’ll lose myself again."

Olivia nodded slowly. Understanding settling across her features. "I get it, you need to protect yourself."

"Exactly." I let out a breath. "So no more sex. Not until I’m absolutely sure about what I’m doing. What we’re doing."

"Fair enough." Olivia squeezed my hand. "Though for the record—at least you can abandon the use of that constant vibrator now."

"OLIVIA!" My eyes widened. "Can you please tone down your voice?!"

She just laughed, the sound bright and unrepentant. "What? I’m just saying"

"You’re just saying nothing." I grabbed a handful of confetti and threw it at her. "We are not discussing my sex life or my... personal items in the middle of my kitchen."

"Fine, fine." She held up her hands in surrender, confetti stuck in her hair. "But I’m happy for you, you know. Even if you’re being all cautious and controlled about it." 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝚠𝚎𝚋𝗻𝗼𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝚘𝐦

"Someone has to be." I started picking confetti off the counter. "Because if I’m not careful, he’ll consume me whole."

"Would that be so bad?" Olivia asked quietly.

I didn’t answer. Just kept cleaning up confetti, the small pieces of paper sticking to my fingers.

"Speaking of sex" I turned to face Olivia fully, leaning my hip against the counter. "When are you going to enter a relationship? You’ve been sex starved too, you know."

Olivia’s mouth dropped open. "Excuse me?"

"Don’t act shocked." I crossed my arms. "You’re always in my business. Let me be in yours for once."

"That’s different"

"How is it different?" I raised an eyebrow. "You’re beautiful, smart, successful. You should be out there living your life too."

Olivia’s grin turned smug. She picked up a streamer, twirling it between her fingers. "Okay, first of all—mine was just for one year. Yours was for almost four years until recently."

Heat flooded my face. "Okay, you didn’t have to say it like that."

"But I did." She laughed, tossing the streamer at me. "Four years, Aria. FOUR. I can’t even imagine."

"Can we not calculate my dry spell, please?"

"Too late. Already calculated." She was still grinning. "But to answer your question—I haven’t seen the right person yet."

"Yet?" I caught the hesitation in her voice. "But there’s someone?"

Olivia’s smile faltered. She set down the pack of balloons she’d been holding, her fingers tracing the plastic edges. "There’s someone I’m interested in. But it’s kind of off limits."

"Off limits how?" I moved closer, intrigued now. "Married?"

"No, nothing like that." She let out a breath. "It’s just... complicated."

"Olivia." I touched her arm. "Who is it?"

She met my eyes, and I saw the conflict there. Her fingers twisted together. "Lucas."

Silence. Then I burst out laughing.

"Wait—what?" Olivia’s eyes widened. "You’re laughing?"

"Girl, why wouldn’t I?" I wiped at my eyes, still grinning. "Did you think I’d be mad?"

"I thought," she gestured helplessly. "He’s interested in you. He’s been pursuing you for months. I thought you might not like me"

"Pursuing me, yes. But realistically?" I leaned against the counter, shaking my head. "Lucas and I would never work out."

"What?" Olivia looked genuinely confused. "But he’s perfect for you. He’s kind, successful, supportive"

"He is all those things." I picked up a dinosaur napkin, folding it absently. "But there’s no spark. Not for me, anyway. He’s a good friend. A great business partner. But romance?" I shook my head. "It’s not there."

"Are you sure?" Olivia’s voice was careful. "Or are you just saying that because of Damien?"

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