She glanced at the letter sitting in the center of her desk. “I need to take a short trip.”
There was a brief silence on the other end. “Your family.”
Linda’s stomach began to churn, but she ignored it. “Yes.” It was past time to deal with this situation with her family once and for all.
“I’m not sure you should do this alone. Maybe Cyndi could go with you.” She hesitated slightly. “Or maybe Levi.”
There was no way she was dragging Levi any further into the mess with her family than he already was. This was something she had to do on her own, something she should have done a long time ago. “I’ll be fine. I’m going to check on the flights, but I’ll probably have to get up early to drive to the airport. I’ll drop the keys to the store into your mail slot on my way out of town. I’ll be back sometime tomorrow night.”
“No problem. Just let me know if you need longer.”
“You’re a good friend, Amanda.”
“So are you.” There was a noise in the background. “Look, I’ve got to go. But call me as soon as you get back tomorrow night. Okay?”
“I will.” The line went dead and Linda hung up the phone. She grabbed the phone book out of the desk drawer and turned pages until she found the number for a local travel agency. She dialed and the phone was quickly answered. “I need a return ticket to Vermont for tomorrow morning.” The cost of the ticket made her stomach hurt but she charged it to her credit card and finalized her travel plans.
When that was done, she turned to the invoice on her desk. She still couldn’t believe the huge sale Amanda had made for her today. Picking up the phone again, she called the woman who’d purchased the dining table. She identified herself and made arrangements for the table to be delivered later today.
She needed to call in one final favor. She took a deep breath and then dialed. The phone was picked up on the first ring. “Yeah.” Levi’s voice went through her like a hot knife through butter, making her insides melt.
“It’s me.”
His tone changed, becoming softer. “Hey, darlin’.”
A shiver skated down her spine and goose bumps rose on her flesh. She shifted uncomfortably as her body immediately responded to him. “Could you do something for me?”
“Anything.” The seductive way he said the word made her think of satin sheets and naked bodies twined together.
She picked up the invoice and waved it in front of her face. It didn’t help. She was still way too hot. “I need you to help me deliver some furniture as soon as the store closes.”
“No problem. I’ll get Jonah to help me so you can stay home. After the day you’ve had, you could use the break.”
That was so like Levi. Always trying to take the burden onto himself. “I don’t mind helping.”
“I’ll check with Jonah.”
She gave up, recognizing the stubborn tone in his voice. “I’ll pack up the dishes and get it all ready for transport.”
“Don’t work too hard, darlin’.”
“I won’t.” She clicked off the phone and tossed it down on the desk. The first thing she needed was some boxes.
Chapter Eleven
Linda lay in bed later that night, tucked tight against Levi’s body. She was exhausted and wanted to sleep, but her mind wouldn’t stop working overtime.
As promised, Levi had turned up just before the store closed with Jonah right behind him. The two men had made the furniture delivery, allowing her to close up Past Promises and head upstairs for a quick shower before Levi returned.
They’d had a quiet dinner of soup and sandwiches at her place before Levi had taken her off to bed. Their lovemaking had been slow and measured, drawing out the pleasure for as long as possible.
She hadn’t told him she was going to see her father tomorrow. He’d only protest or insist on going with her and this was something she needed to do herself. She also planned a quick visit to her lawyer to check on the status of her grandmother’s estate. By this time tomorrow night she’d have her plans in place. For better or worse, she’d put her past and her family behind her and move forward with her life.
The only problem was getting Levi out of her apartment before she had to get up to drive to the airport. She’d gotten a seat on an early flight, but that meant she had to leave here between six and half past in order to drop off the keys to the store at Amanda’s and make the drive to the airport.
Levi stirred beside her. “Can’t sleep?” His voice was deep and intimate in the dark. His arms surrounded her, his legs were tucked behind hers and his chin rested on the top of her head.
“Too much to think about,” she replied honestly. She shifted and felt his erection stirring against the small of her back. The man was insatiable. Then again, so was she. Cream slipped from her core and her breasts tingled in anticipation. Her legs moved restlessly against the sheets.
“I can give you something else to think about,” he murmured. Splaying his hand over her belly, he tugged her even closer, grinding his shaft against her.
She tilted her head back and he leaned forward, capturing her mouth with his. The kiss was long and hot and thoroughly erotic. There wasn’t an inch of her mouth that he didn’t explore. She reached behind, gripping his hair with her hand to hold him close. He tasted hot and male and she wanted him again.
Her sex pulsed with growing need, the slick folds more than ready to receive him. She rubbed her back against Levi’s erection, drawing a deep, low groan from him. He tore his mouth from hers. “You’re asking for trouble, darlin’,” he growled.
“Maybe I like trouble.” She was slightly breathless, her body on fire for him. Linda wanted to forget all about tomorrow. Right now, all that existed was the two of them.
He didn’t turn her to face him as she expected. Instead, he lifted her top leg and draped it over his thigh. It left her sex wide open for him to explore. His fingers traced the inside of her thigh, making circles on her flesh.
Her pussy clenched as need gripped her. “Higher,” she moaned as he lightly brushed the sensitive folds of her sex. They were damp and swollen and she moaned again as he stroked his thumb over her clitoris.
He feathered kisses over her nape and down the curve of her shoulder. “You are so beautiful.” His breath was warm against her skin. Her body felt ripe and ready.
Slipping his other arm beneath her, Levi cupped one plump breast in his hand. Thumb and forefinger carefully teased her swollen nipple. Reaching behind, she groped for his butt, pulling him closer. His erection was pressed hard against her back, not where she wanted it.
“Hang on,” he muttered as he shifted lower in the bed. The head of his cock probed at the folds of her sex. Linda squirmed, trying to make room for him between her thighs.
“This is going to be tight.” He flexed his hips and the broad tip of his erection forged inward. Her inner muscles rippled around it, trying to draw it deeper.
“Damn!” He swore, pushing slowly forward. Suddenly he stopped and started to withdraw.
Linda dug her nails into his ass, trying to keep him inside her.
“Condom,” he muttered as he pulled out and reached behind him.
Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath. How could she have forgotten something as important as that? Thankfully, at least one of them had retained a modicum of common sense.
She heard the sound of a foil packet being ripped open and then Levi was back, lifting her leg as he made a place for himself between her legs. Her eyes popped open as he surged inward. With her facing away from him and both of them on their sides, it made deep penetration difficult. But he felt larger, stretching her to her limits.
He had both arms wrapped around her once again. He played with her breasts, shifting from one to the other, while nestling his other hand between her thighs. Levi surrounded her. Filled her. It felt incredibly intimate to lie in her bed, their bodies joined in the most basic way possible.
He feathered his lips over the curve of her e
ar. “You okay, darlin’? I’m not hurting you, am I?”
Her heart ached with love for his man. Even now, his concern was more for her than for himself. She knew if she said the word, he’d withdraw from her immediately. Levi was one of a kind and she was glad that she had this time with him, even if it was limited.
He started to withdraw. She made a whimpering sound low in her throat and shifted her hips back to keep him inside her. “Don’t stop.”
He tightened his hands almost imperceptibly around her, the rough pad of his thumb teasing the tip of her breast. “I won’t,” he promised, his voice thick with need.
He held her steady as he started to move. Short, firm strokes that built the embers within her until her entire body was on fire.
“Levi.” She gasped his name, rocking her hips against his as the pace of his strokes quickened.
“Your pussy is squeezing my cock so tight. So perfect.” The graphic words made her moan. His hands became rougher, more frantic as he stroked her. Fingers plucked at her nipples and circled her clit.
Linda couldn’t speak. Inarticulate sounds of pleasure erupted from within her. Every muscle in her body tensed for one brief second before her orgasm broke. Her inner muscles gripped Levi’s erection, milking it hard. His hips pumped, digging deeper and harder. He yelled as he came, his fingers tightening almost to the point of pain around her breast.
Through the condom, she felt the ripple in his shaft as he came. It sent another round of spasms through her. When it was finally over, neither of them moved for the longest time. Linda was content to lie in Levi’s arms.
Finally, she felt him soften inside her. He swore and rolled away and out of bed, padding to the bathroom. He returned a few minutes later, stretched out behind her and threw his arm around her waist. “Sleep.” He kissed her shoulder and her nape. “You can think about everything tomorrow.”
She knew she should tell him to leave, that she wanted to be alone. How else could she sneak out in the morning? Sighing, she stared at the clock. She’d wait a few more minutes. Right now, she just wanted to enjoy the afterglow.
Just as she was dozing off, she felt the mattress dip. She kept her breathing slow and steady, not moving or speaking. The light whisper of clothing reached her ears and she realized that Levi was getting dressed. She didn’t know what to think. Yes, she’d needed him to leave, but perversely she didn’t want him to leave. Not without her asking him to. He’d never left her before. Maybe tonight had been about goodbye. Maybe that’s why she sensed a desperation to their lovemaking that had never existed before.
Linda kept her eyes closed. She wanted Levi to stay, but she needed him to go. She could feel him staring down at her. It took everything inside her to keep from opening her eyes and asking him why he was leaving. If she did that, she’d never get out of here in the morning without him knowing. They’d talk when she got home this evening. She’d tell him everything then.
She knew the moment he was gone. It wasn’t that he’d made a sound. As usual, he was uncannily quiet for such a large man. It was the atmosphere in the room that changed, as if he’d taken most of the vital energy with him.
Linda opened her eyes and stared at the clock. It was just after three. She’d have to get up in a couple of hours in order to have time to shower before she got dressed. She didn’t have anything to pack and she certainly wouldn’t be eating anything until after her meeting with her father. She’d drink a glass of milk to settle her stomach, but that would have to do until after the confrontation.
She rolled over, fitting herself into the space that Levi had just vacated. It was warm and smelled like him. She hugged his pillow close and inhaled deeply. The scent of sex and soap and male filled her nostrils. Pulling her knees close to her chest, she curled around his pillow and slept.
The beeping of the alarm woke her. Linda was pleasantly surprised she’d slept at all. Obviously, making love several times last night had exhausted her.
She felt strangely calm as she rose and headed for the shower. Whatever happened today, she was finished with her family. It was a hard decision to cut out the only family she had in her life, but it was the right one.
When she returned, she and Levi were going to talk. No more tiptoeing around the situation. She wanted to know how long he was staying in Jamesville. She loved him, and even if that confession drove him away, she’d decided it was time to tell him. No more living in fear.
As clichéd as it sounded, today was the first day of the rest of her life.
Levi stood in front of a high oak desk, face impassive, as he asked to see Austin Fletcher, senior and junior, as well as Simon Dyson. He didn’t have an appointment, but the receptionist had noted his designer suit, linen shirt, gold cufflinks and Italian leather shoes and briefcase. Levi had contemplated wearing his jeans and a T-shirt, but felt this would be more effective.
The receptionist, whose nameplate said she was Marissa Blakely, had also sized him up as she batted her eyelashes and leaned across the desk to give him a better view of her spectacular cleavage. But he wasn’t tempted by her charms in the least. The only woman that interested him was the one he’d left all warm and cozy in the middle of the night.
It hadn’t been easy to tear himself from her bed. But this was for Linda. There wasn’t anything he wouldn’t do to obtain her security and happiness.
“Mr. Fletcher’s schedule is full this morning.” She smiled at him. “I could probably fit you in this afternoon.” The way she said it gave her words a double meaning.
“Tell him Levi Mann is here. He’ll see me.” Levi had no doubt that her father knew all about him. Or at least as much as Levi’s official records showed, which wasn’t much at all.
Ms. Blakely was pouting slightly now, but he gave her credit for maintaining her professional demeanor. “Of course.” She picked up the phone and contacted the next person up the line, Fletcher’s personal secretary.
Levi glanced around the room while he waited. He’d catalogued it all the second he’d walked through the door. He knew the location of all the windows and possible exits. Old habits were hard to break.
The room was decorated in a style that said money without being ostentatious. The carpet was a rich gray that went well with the luxurious cherry wood furniture. Several chairs, upholstered in burgundy, sat off to the left in a well-appointed waiting area. If Levi was correct, the chairs were all genuine antiques. Coffee and tea were available on a Victorian teacart. He knew what it was because Linda had one something like it in her shop. Real china mugs and silver spoons waited beside the carafes of coffee and tea.
Levi turned back to Ms. Blakely as she hung up the phone. She stood, tugging down her skirt as she came around the desk. Her legs were long and shapely, shown off to their best advantage in her high heels. “This way, please.” She led him through the inner door and down a hallway, glancing over her shoulder several times. She stopped at a door near the end. Opening the door, she motioned him in.
“Thank you.” He nodded at her and entered the room. The door closed behind him.
An older gentleman sat in an ornate chair at the head of a long conference table, resting his elbows on the heavy wooden arms of the chair, fingers steepled in front of him. His suit was impeccable, and he had an air of confidence surrounding him. No doubt about it. This was the king of the castle in his own domain.
The room itself reflected the man. Everything about it reeked of money and tradition, from the original oil paintings on the wall to the thick volumes of law books in the floor-to-ceiling bookcase that ran the entire length of one wall. Not a thing was out of place, nor was there a speck of dust anywhere.
Levi saw the family resemblance. The older Fletcher’s hair was graying, but there were still strands of black. His eyes were dark blue, but where Linda’s were warm and welcoming, his were cold and calculating.
The old man was doing his best to intimidate Levi with silence. Levi could have told him he was wasting his time. No one
had intimidated him since he was out of diapers. He thought about waiting until Fletcher broke, but decided that taking the offensive would be the most effective tactic.
“Might as well get your son and Dyson in here so I only have to say this once.” Levi dropped his briefcase on the table and opened it, ignoring Linda’s father.
He almost grinned when the old man bristled. Obviously, he was used to giving the orders, not taking them.
“I don’t see the need to involve them.”
Levi drew out a sheaf of papers and laid them aside. He raised his head and stared at Fletcher for a long moment and then shrugged. “I’ll just go see them afterwards then. I’d hoped to save time.” Arching an eyebrow in question, he waited.
Linda’s father picked up the phone and barked at the person on the other end. “Get my son and Simon in here.” He slammed the phone down. “The quicker you state your business and get out of here the better.”
“I agree.”
“I know who you are, Mr. Mann.”
Levi heard the door opening behind him and subtly angled his body so he could see the two other men in his peripheral vision. He recognized Dyson immediately. The other man had to be Linda’s brother. He looked like a male version of Linda. His features were finer than his father’s. They both must take after their mother in that respect.
“What’s this all about?” the younger Fletcher asked.
“That’s the guy I told you about. The local that Linda is shacking up with.”
Levi shook his head and sighed. “You can say anything you want about me, but one more word about Linda and you’ll live to regret it.”
“Don’t threaten me,” Dyson sputtered.
“I don’t make threats.” Levi dismissed Dyson and turned back to the senior Fletcher. “Let’s get this over with, shall we?” How a sensitive soul like Linda had grown up around people like this and come out untainted, he’d never know. He figured he had her deceased grandmother to thank for that.
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