"No," Zachary answered in a deep voice.
That one word made Olivia feel like her heart had plummeted to rock bottom.
'He doesn't like me? How can that be?'
Her heart ached as if pricked by a needle.
"It's not that I like you. It's love."
Her dazed eyes hadn't yet regained their focus. They had lost their usual clever spark as she stared blankly at Zachary. "What?"
"I said, it's love."
Zachary let go of Olivia's chin, then slowly lowered his head, his lips lingering on hers.
After thirty seconds, Zachary's lips parted from Olivia's. "Your heart is racing, too. You have feelings for me as well, don't you, Olivia?"
Zachary watched Olivia, his voice deliberately low as he spoke.
His deep, magnetic voice drifted into Olivia's ears, making the tips of her ears turn even redder and her cheeks burn hotter.
She avoided looking at Zachary's face and gave a slight nod. "Mhm."
