Perfect Betrayal

by Season Vining

  Stepping under the warm spray of water, Taylor let it wash away everything from the past two days. The desperate longing, the anxiety—it all circled the drain and slipped away.

  She quickly soaped up her body, scrubbing the sweat from her skin. Taylor lathered her hair, and as she leaned back to rinse, she wondered where Levi was. She kept her eyes closed, letting the water take the soap and bubbles down her body.

  When she was done, Taylor toweled off, disappointed that Levi hadn’t joined her. She slipped into her favorite shorts and a navy T-shirt and then eyed herself in the full-length mirror. She wasn’t sure what she was looking for. Over the years, she had studied her face and her body enough to know what she looked like. She wondered what Levi saw when he looked at her.

  Leaving her closet, Taylor walked into her room to find Levi there. He stood leaning against her closed bedroom door. She smiled before she even thought to. His large arms were crossed over his chest, and his hat hung on her doorknob.

  “You didn’t join me,” Taylor said. “Are you still mad?”

  He shook his head, though his expression was serious.

  “Come here,” she said, needing him closer.

  Levi stepped toward Taylor, meeting her near the foot of her bed. She pushed the hair away from his face and scratched her nails along his scalp. Finally, he slid his arms around her waist and pulled her against his body. His lips found hers, teasing and tasting, demanding. Taylor held on to his shoulders while his mouth dominated hers.

  They were a frenzied mess of roaming hands. He greedily swallowed every mewling sound that came from her, while Taylor couldn’t get enough. She wrapped her hands around his collar and tried to tug him toward her bed. Levi did not move.

  “What’s wrong?” she said, looking up into his cautious eyes.

  Levi sighed and rubbed the back of his neck as her hands fell away. “What are we doing?” he asked.

  She wrapped one arm around her middle and the other hand rested on her hip.

  “We’re doing what we want to, Romeo.”

  A tiny smile pulled up on one side of his mouth at the nickname. “You’re my employer’s kid,” he said, taking a seat on her bed. His hands scrubbed his face and he blew out a breath.

  “I’m not a kid,” Taylor said, sitting next to him.

  “Don’t I fucking know it.”

  Taylor slid into his lap, her knees on either side of his hips. She rested her forearms on his shoulders and laced her fingers behind his neck.

  “Don’t make this complicated,” she whispered before kissing his jaw. “We’re just giving in to our most basic” kiss “carnal” kiss “desires.”

  Levi’s fingers gripped her waist and he kissed her fully. His aggressive actions made her even more desperate, and she couldn’t resist grinding down onto his lap. Taylor leaned against him, pushing him flat on his back.

  “Taylor, I’ve got your—” Suzanne’s voice stopped short.

  Levi shot up, sending Taylor flying to the floor.

  “Ouch! Shit!” Taylor yelled. “What the hell?”

  Levi stood up and tried to smooth his rumpled clothes. He stuck a hand out and helped Taylor to her feet. Suzanne stood with her hands on her hips, a dark frown on her usually chipper face. She looked from Levi to Taylor and back to Levi. There was no surprise in her expression.

  “I have a letter from Harvard,” Suzanne finally said, holding up an envelope.

  She walked to Taylor’s desk and set the letter there. Taylor shrugged and stepped onto her balcony in an effort to avoid a lecture.

  “Levi,” Suzanne said. Her eyes glanced to the balcony and back to his face. “I need your help with something downstairs.”

  Levi nodded and shoved his hands in his pockets. “I’ll be there in a minute,” he said, looking back at Taylor.

  Suzanne left and closed the door behind her with a soft click. His hat swung back and forth from the doorknob.

  “Taylor,” Levi said, his voice scratchy and thick, “I’m going to go.”

  She turned to find him leaning against the door, regarding her with his careful gaze. She wanted to wrap her arms around him and curl up in his lap. She wanted to breathe him in and make promises that this wasn’t a mistake, that they were good for each other. But those things were fantasy, she knew that this would never end well. She knew that she’d never have all of him and he wouldn’t want all of her. All the chasing, all the seduction had been a game to Taylor. This did not feel like a game anymore. And that scared the hell out of her.

  “Yeah,” she answered. Levi looked away, making it easier to say what came next. “You should get back to work. You’ve got a job to do, right? I’m sure you don’t get paid to stand around all day and flirt with the boss’s daughter.”

  His eyes snapped back to hers, cutting through her game. She planned to wave her hand to dismiss him, but something inside her wouldn’t do it. Not this one, her brain said, not him. The tendons in his neck strained as he fought to stay calm. Taylor could see the rage bubbling just below his surface. Without a word, Levi threw on his hat and slammed the door behind him.

  * * *

  Levi knew that Taylor was pushing his buttons, trying to regain control. Still, it didn’t quell the fury that made his pulse beat like a drum inside his head. He ran down the stairs and across the foyer, feeling relieved when he reached the front door. Pulling it open, a familiar voice stopped him.

  “She’ll destroy you, Levi. I love that girl. She won’t mean to do it, but it’ll happen, because she’s a Hudson.”

  He turned to find Suzanne standing in the foyer. Her arms were crossed, but her face was soft and pleading.

  “I know what I’m doing, Suzanne.”

  “How long do you think Henry will let you two be together?”

  “I don’t want to be with her. It’s not like that,” Levi said. He couldn’t even tell if he was telling the truth or not.

  “Well, I clearly see what neither of you can. In any other circumstance, this could be the greatest thing to happen to either of you, but this is going to end badly. You should stop it now.”

  He shook his head. “There’s nothing to stop.”

  “If you say so,” she said, disappointment evident.

  “I do.”

  * * *

  That evening, the Boss called a roundtable meeting to discuss the team’s progress. Levi, Kyle, and Crystal waited for the Boss to arrive.

  “I met Taylor Hudson,” Crystal blurted out. Both guys turned toward her. “She was at the Center. I acted like a complete freak.”

  “What was she doing at the Center?” Levi asked.

  Crystal shrugged. “I don’t know. She’s even prettier in person than through Levi’s hat cam. I can see why lover boy would want to hit it.” She gave Levi a wink.

  “You should be keeping better tabs on your piece of ass,” Kyle teased.

  “Shut up,” Crystal and Levi replied in unison.

  The Boss pushed through the door and took a seat, getting them right down to business.

  “We’ve done a background check on every employee that works at the Hudson property and don’t foresee any problems with them,” Kyle stated. “There are only a few people who come and go, mostly friends of the daughter, Taylor. We’ve checked each of them, as well.”

  “Good,” the Boss answered, giving the group a sly grin before piercing Crystal with an icy glare.

  “Using the camera and Levi’s footwork, we’ve done a grid-pattern layout of the entire property. After finishing that, we started detail work of each room. We’ve checked and cross-checked the entire first floor, basement, attic, garage, shed, and pool house for the safe and found nothing,” Crystal said.

  The Boss turned to Levi. “What’s the holdup on the second floor?”

  “As you know, the only resident in the house right now is Taylor, and she spends most of her time in her room on the second floor. Henry comes and goes, but I’ve never seen him there,” Levi said. “I’ve done a
thorough search of the master and guest bedrooms along with one of the offices up there. I didn’t find anything.”

  The Boss frowned and took a swig of beer, addressing all of them. “Our progress is slower than I’d planned, but I have faith we’ll find it. Meanwhile, I will keep working on my end. I know there have been some distractions.” The Boss looked directly at Levi. “But if you stay focused, we should be inside that safe in the next few weeks. If not, we move on to Plan B.”

  “Wait. What’s Plan B?” Kyle asked.

  “Let’s just say it’s a more violent way to get what we want.” The team was quiet and glanced nervously at each other. “We’re done here. I’ll be in touch.”

  The Boss stood and exited the room, leaving them in a whirlwind of confusion and determination. Levi knew the more violent solution was not what any of them wanted. But he also knew if it came to that, the Boss would not hesitate. They were in too deep and would be held accountable if they abandoned the job.

  “What does that mean, a more violent way?” Levi growled.

  “It means we have to find that safe. Or else,” Crystal said.

  “Or else what? We didn’t agree to anything like that!”

  Kyle stood and faced Levi. “We’ll do whatever the Boss says. That’s what we signed up for. Stop thinking with your dick and get your head back in the game.”

  Levi shot up, towering over Kyle, but his friend did not back down. They stood face-to-face, daring each other to make a move or say the wrong thing. Hard breaths and cold stares connected them. Even in his frustration and fury, Levi had enough sense to not take it out on Kyle. He turned, grabbed the wooden table’s edge, and flipped it over. It crashed against the floor, along with glasses of water and a beer bottle. Levi took a deep breath and looked at each of his friends before releasing it.

  “This is bullshit and you both know it,” he said before storming from the room.

  The rest of the week was uneventful. Levi went to work each day, trying his damnedest to steer clear of Taylor. He didn’t see her or any of her friends, so he assumed that she was spending her time elsewhere. He was hopeful that she was avoiding him too. If they were too weak to deny each other, it was best to just stay away. Levi knew it wasn’t a foolproof plan, but it was the best he had.

  He completed a search of every room on the second floor except Henry Hudson’s personal office. With the locked door and keypad entry, he would have to find another way in.

  Friday night, with past disagreements behind them, he met the team at Mavericks for more beer and strategizing. Levi gave a wave to Gregory, grabbed a beer, and took a seat in the corner booth along with Crystal and Kyle.

  “You feeling better?” Crystal asked.

  “Yeah. Sorry I hulked out on you guys,” Levi offered.

  “No worries, man,” she said. “We’re all stressed out. We just handle it differently. You fight. I drink. Kyle plays with his Ninja Turtle action figures.”

  Levi laughed while Kyle flipped off both of them.

  “So?” Kyle asked. “How was it?”

  “How was what?” Levi asked.

  “You know. Banging the Hudson girl. I bet it was hot. Was it hot? She seems like she’d be crazy in the sack.”

  Levi drank half his beer and looked at his expectant friend. “I’m not discussing this with you.”

  “Aww, come on, Levi. I’m too busy working on this job to get laid. Let my dick live vicariously through yours.”

  “Drop it. And I’d appreciate if you’d abandon all thoughts of my dick.”

  Crystal laughed and slapped Kyle on the shoulder.

  “Stop acting like the job is keeping you from getting laid,” she said. “It’s more about your general lack of social skills and disregard for hygiene.”

  “Hey!” Kyle shouted. “I bathe!”

  “Once a week doesn’t count,” Levi piped up.

  The two of them laughed while Kyle pouted like a toddler.

  “I’m getting another drink,” Crystal said, sliding out of the booth and heading to the bar.

  Gregory gave a wide smile and flexed his arms for Crystal. Levi saw an opportunity and made his way over to the bar. When Gregory returned with the drink, Levi put his arm around Crystal’s shoulders and smiled.

  “Gregory, I don’t think you’ve officially met my very good friend Crystal.”

  He stepped to the counter and held his fist out. Crystal hit it with her own, returning the gesture.

  “Nice to meet you, cutie,” she said. Gregory only nodded. It was rare to find him speechless.

  “He’s a Sagittarius, likes graffiti art, that old denim jacket, and has a not-so-secret crush on Mariah Carey,” Levi said.

  “Aww, man. How you gonna play me like that? What can I say? I like the older ladies. Always have.”

  “You’re terrible,” Crystal said to Levi. “Besides, there’s nothing wrong with having a crush. Personally, I’m a fan of Lenny Kravitz.”

  “While I like your appreciation of a brotha, he’s tired. I got more game than Lenny.”

  “Let’s hear it, then,” she demanded, twirling a piece of her red hair around one finger.

  Gregory stared at the woman, unusually quiet. Levi laughed and hopped off the barstool. “Well, my work here is done.”

  * * *

  Monday morning brought a mix of emotions from Levi. He had an ounce of hope, because there weren’t many more places the safe could be hidden—they’d find it soon for sure. On the flip side of that, dread weighed heavy on his chest. No one had even questioned what if there was no safe? Plus, he was a mess when it came to Taylor. He wanted to see her, to touch her, but when she opened her mouth he wanted to strangle her. He felt himself getting too close to the girl but couldn’t deny wanting to be there.

  When he pulled into the drive at work, he immediately spotted the Audi TT. Levi’s fingers gripped the steering wheel until his knuckles turned white from the force. He cringed as images of that boy up in Taylor’s room, his hands on her body, flashed through his mind. The thought drove him insane with jealousy, which he worked to redirect as anger at himself. He had no right to Taylor. He had no reason to possess her, yet the thought of that kid touching her made the blood in his veins boil.

  Levi tore into the house, slamming the door behind him. He stood in the foyer for a minute, trying to compose himself and squash down his irrational feelings. He heard laughter and voices from the kitchen.

  “Beau, we miss you around here, but you know how Henry feels,” Suzanne said.

  “Our parents are acting like children. I have a plan to end all that, though.”

  “What on earth could make those two see eye to eye again?”

  “Well, if their only children are in love, what can they do about it? I’m going to make Taylor finally see that she feels the same way about me as I do about her.”

  Silence fell over the kitchen, and Levi hoped it was as awkward and uncomfortable as he imagined it to be. Levi entered to a familiar scene. Suzanne and Mandy were in their regular spots, but Beau sat on Levi’s usual barstool.

  “Morning, Levi,” Mandy said, waving him in. “Let me get you some coffee.”

  “Thanks,” he replied, eyeing Beau before taking a seat on the opposite side of the counter. The only sound was clinking spoons against ceramic mugs.

  “Oh! Where are my manners? Maybe I left them wherever I left my glasses,” Suzanne said, patting the top of her head and each pocket before returning her attention to the two men. “Beau, this is our new head of maintenance, Levi. Levi, this is Beau Upton, a longtime friend of Taylor’s.” She seemed to rethink her statement. “A friend of the family, really.”

  Levi nodded at him before sipping his coffee. Beau barely gave him a glance. Levi had the sudden urge to get upstairs before Beau could. He slid off the stool, abandoning his coffee.

  “I’m off to work, ladies.”

  He grabbed his work list from the laundry room and hurried toward the stairs. At the top of the la
nding, he noticed Taylor’s bedroom door open. She flitted around her room dancing to some chick rock music.

  Levi was hypnotized as he watched her endless legs, fully exposed by the shirt she wore, move and sway to the beat. When she spun and shook her hips, Levi sucked in a breath. A deep, burning desire filled him as he realized Taylor was wearing his work shirt.

  The dark green material complemented her skin and the white stitching of his name on her chest made him instantly hard. The few buttons that were fastened left a deep V between her breasts and a slight peek of white lace panties when she moved. It was the sexiest thing he’d ever seen.

  “Enjoying the view, buddy?”

  Levi spun to find Beau at the top of the stairs, glaring at him. He shoved his fists into his pockets and stepped toward Beau.

  “I’m not your fucking buddy.”

  Beau pushed past him. “Loser.”

  Every muscle in his body was pulled tight, like a rubber band stretched to its limit. Levi was ready to snap. He controlled his temper long enough to let Beau get by, only because he knew what the boy was about to find. It wouldn’t take long for him to piece together the puzzle. Levi knew he should be concerned about anyone finding out about their secret, undefined relationship, but the part of him that wanted to lay claim to this girl didn’t care. He pressed himself against the wall outside Taylor’s bedroom and waited.

  * * *

  “Hey, Tay,” Beau said.

  Taylor jumped and turned to find Beau sitting at her desk. She threw her hand over her heart.

  “Shit, Beau. You scared me. Stop sneaking up on people, creeper.”

  “Me? You need to talk to your maintenance guy. He’s the creeper. I found him watching you when I came upstairs. Don’t worry, I took care of it.”

  Taylor rolled her eyes and walked over to the desk, lowering the volume of her music.

  “What did you do?” she asked as she crossed her arms and tapped her bare foot.

  “I just told him … Wait. What the fuck are you wearing?” he squeaked out.

  “Huh?”

  “Taylor, is that his shirt?”

  She looked down at the shirt and smoothed her hand down the front. “Yeah, it’s his,” she answered honestly.