Tempting Levi (Cade Brothers Book 1)

by Jules Barnard

  So why hold on to Club Tahoe when it was the reason for his father’s absence?

  Levi couldn’t answer that. All he knew was that when the lawyers had read him the will, stating that Levi was to run Club Tahoe, he couldn’t back away. He saw his brothers’ futures before his eyes. The families they’d someday have…their kids, who would need money for college. They still had the trust funds that hadn’t been touched, but how long would they last? And what would happen to Club Tahoe’s employees if the business failed?

  If Levi could provide security for his brothers and their future families, he’d do it. And all it took was running Club Tahoe to ensure the place and its profits lived on.

  No small task.

  He’d been working at Club Tahoe for a few months now, earning more than he’d ever made in his life, but nothing had changed inside his cabin. The big brown couch was the first thing Levi had purchased. Adam’s buddy Jaeg made the dining and coffee tables at cost when Jaeg was just getting started with his wood design business, and they were still the finest things Levi owned. The best part about his cabin, though, wasn’t the interior. Anyone with eyes could see that Levi had no sense for décor. No, the best part about his cabin was the location.

  Levi owned the house and the land it sat on a mile north of Club Tahoe. The land was surrounded by native trees and shrubs and had a private road, with distant views of the lake. The views, the trees—those were the things that made this place home and one of his favorite getaways to help decompress. When he wasn’t working late and dunking in the lake, he’d walk his property and gaze up at the stars from a fire pit he’d built a little ways up the road.

  “So,” Adam said, crossing his ankle over his knee, “what’s up with you and Lisa’s pretty little sister?”

  Levi carefully set the decanter back on the coffeemaker and carried the mug to his brother, taking his time before replying. He sat in the leather recliner across from the couch, and Grace came over and tucked her head between her paws, dropping her bottom down. “Emily is my employee. Dad wanted it that way. Other than that, nothing’s up.”

  Adam chuckled. “I don’t think so. Fess up, man. There’s something going on there.”

  Levi leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. He had a couple more inches on Adam and about twenty extra pounds, thanks to the regimented gym visits he hadn’t given up since leaving the fire station. “You don’t believe me?”

  “Don’t try and intimidate me with your hulkish muscles. We both know I’m right, and the sooner you admit it, the sooner we can discuss how jacked it is that you have a thing for your ex’s little sister.”

  Levi set his mug on the coffee table and was about to show his brother—physically—to the door when Adam raised his hand and sighed.

  “Ease up, big guy. Since when have we not been honest with each other?”

  “Since never. Which is why I can tell you that there’s nothing going on between me and Emily.”

  “But you want there to be?”

  The muscle in Levi’s jaw twitched. “No. Are we finished here?”

  Adam tapped the couch armrest. “She’s pretty. Not exactly your type. You like them—” He mimicked large breasts with his hands.

  “You’re on my last nerve, Adam. I don’t have much patience left after working at the club all week.”

  “All right, fine. And for your information, I was sent over by Hayden. She’s the one who insisted there was something going on there. I tended to agree once I thought about it. There was something about the way you put your arm around Emily.”

  Levi stretched his neck, popping it. Grace glanced up at the sound. “Emily was wobbling. Had too much to drink.”

  “She seemed lucid enough to me.”

  Levi shot him a warning look.

  “In any case, now that I’ve warmed up to the idea, it wouldn’t be such a bad thing. Kind of weird dating your ex’s little sister, but you haven’t dated anyone since”—he snapped his fingers—“what was her name? The one you met at a club a few months after Lisa. Didn’t she leave for a trip and end up getting married?”

  “Took a cross-country trip with her best friend and shotgun-married a fracker from North Dakota.”

  Adam laughed.

  Jackass.

  “Yeah, that was some bad luck. But you always picked girlfriends who wanted rescuing. Lisa was crazy needy, if I recall. Anyway, since then, you’ve hooked up with plenty of other women. Why not give Emily a try?”

  “Hooked up. Nothing serious.” Levi couldn’t imagine only hooking up with Emily. “And I won’t try, as you say, because I learned my damned lesson.”

  “What lesson? That not all relationships work out? That’s life. Happens to all of us.”

  “You can’t tell me what happened with Lisa was normal.”

  The shithead laughed again. “No, but it doesn’t mean things with Emily will turn out the same. She’s a nice woman.”

  Levi frowned. “So were the others. Besides, the last thing I need is a sexual harassment suit filed against the club. I have to set a good example. I’m not dating Emily. Even if sexual harassment weren’t a concern, you said it yourself, I don’t know how to pick them. It wouldn’t work out.”

  “Which is exactly why it might. Emily’s not your normal type. She’s not needy like the others. I don’t know her personally, but Esther says she’s smart and talented.”

  Levi shook his head. “Stop trying to sell her on me. Emily is a great woman, but I don’t want a relationship. And absolutely not with another Wright sister. Gotta focus on the club. She’s the only female I can handle right now.”

  Adam blew out a breath. “I won’t tell Hayden you said that. She’s pretty set on you dating Emily. But I’ve done my duty to my fiancée and gotten the scoop on you two.” He stood. “We still on for golf Friday?”

  “Maybe. I’ve got a company coming into town next week to check out the place. We’re in a bit of a financial strain and could use the big account. I need to prepare.”

  Adam nodded. “Getting a feel for the place now, huh? You enjoying it yet?”

  “No. Anything else you wanted to grill me about?”

  Adam took a large swig of his coffee and set the mug on the table. “Nope. I’ll let Hayden know she was right.” He winked, and Levi contemplated throwing his brother out the door anyway. “See you on Friday.”

  “I didn’t say if I’d make it.”

  Adam paused on the threshold. “You’ll make it. You’ll need the break,” he said over his shoulder, then turned and left.

  Was Levi’s attraction to Emily that obvious? If so, he needed to shut it down. He couldn’t afford a relationship. Particularly not one that involved his top-notch assistant, who was also his ex’s little sister. That was a bad combination for any man.

  Chapter 10

  The men from Shin Electronics, plus a few female employees, had arrived yesterday late morning safe and sound. Emily ensured the limousines were at South Lake Tahoe’s small airport on time, and once they’d made it to the club, the guests were encouraged to partake in the spa services she’d set up. By the time the meet-and-greet had rolled around, the Shin representatives were relaxed and enjoying themselves. The entire day had gone extremely well.

  This morning, however, was another matter.

  Emily raced down the hallway toward Levi’s office. She wore her normal dark pencil skirt, but had paired it with one of the tops her sister brought over a few days ago. And hell no, she didn’t wear any of the death-trap shoes her sister tried to ply her with, claiming they were the latest trends. Emily stuck to her sturdy three-inch heels with a bit of a platform. Nothing spiked. In other words, she could move in them. Which she was doing. Rapidly. Pumping her long legs down the corridor in a semi-sprint.

  Esther was officially gone, and Emily should have moved her things to the older woman’s desk outside of Levi’s office. But there was something about taking over Esther’s place that didn’t sit right. Plus, Emily like
d having her own office, small as it was. So she ran back and forth between her office down the hall and Levi’s whenever she needed to talk to him. Like now, when tonight was shaping up to be a disaster.

  “Levi.” Emily burst into his office without knocking. She should have knocked, but that would have taken a half-second she didn’t want to waste.

  He was standing in the center of the room, staring at a necktie, which he promptly dropped to his side, his face shifting from mild annoyance to alert. “What’s wrong?”

  “The chef of our steakhouse is sick, our backup just quit, and Bran’s freaking out. Wait—why aren’t you ready? You need to meet the men in five minutes!”

  “I’ll be there. Just need to make a quick run to Peak Attire.”

  Peak Attire was the upscale, ridiculously overpriced clothing store inside Club Tahoe.

  She scanned him. Levi filled out a suit like a muscular runway model. The only thing not on point was his necktie, which he still held in his hand. “You don’t have time. You’ll be late, and every impression counts.”

  He held up the silk fabric—striped and probably worth about two hundred dollars. A look of chagrin crossed his face. “Never learned how to tie one of these.”

  Emily strode over, grabbed the tie from him, and looped it around his neck. Her hands moved swiftly as she knotted it while she spoke. “What are we going to do about the steakhouse? Has this ever happened? And tonight of all nights?”

  He watched her hands move quickly and efficiently. “Who taught you how to do that?”

  She blinked and glanced at the tie, straightened and knotted. “My ex was a stockbroker. He also liked French cuffs and bow ties.”

  Levi smoothed a hand down the silk fabric. “Thank you.” He smiled.

  And Emily forgot why she came here.

  God, he was handsome. Every woman in the place would drool when they saw him tonight. If Emily lifted her head from her work more often, she might know exactly how many women had crushes on their new, young CEO. Then again, she didn’t really need to look; she could guess. All of them. And probably a few men.

  “Emily? You okay?”

  She shook her head. She was here because of…the restaurant. “Sorry, I’m uh—I’m worried. What are we going to do?” Smooth.

  He strode toward the door and pulled out his phone, and Emily trailed after him.

  She’d raced here, out of her mind with worry over the food situation, but as she watched him stride ahead in his formal attire for the dinner this evening, everything seemed insignificant, because oh my God.

  Levi was a big guy—six three, six four? Emily was tall for a woman at five foot seven. She wore three-inch heels, so that put her at five ten most of the time. Yet Levi towered over her while she’d worked his tie, making her feel small. There was something about a physically powerful man that was a huge turn-on. She couldn’t stop staring, and the view from behind was almost as good as from the front.

  “Macon, where the hell are you?” Levi barked into the phone.

  Macon was the chef and the employee she’d chatted with at Esther’s going-away party. He was also really into facial hair grooming. Cute, but not her type.

  “You’re sick, eh. What do you have?” There was a long pause as Levi listened and continued down the hallway and out of the executive offices, across the lobby, to the Fireside Lounge, where Shin Electronics and their partners were meeting for drinks before dinner. He entered the bar and waved off the waitress who started toward him. “Where were you last night?”

  A look of irritation crossed Levi’s face. “Macon, you either email my assistant a doctor’s note and find a suitable replacement for this evening or you’re fired.”

  He tucked his phone back in his pocket.

  Emily gasped. “We’re screwed. So screwed. You can’t fire him. We have trained staff, but we still need a chef…”

  Levi nodded in greeting to the head of Shin Electronics across the room. “Macon will be here in fifteen minutes.”

  She grabbed his arm before the infuriating man walked away. “How do you know that?”

  He stared down at her. “Macon’s hungover. Didn’t say as much, but he went out last night. The guy’s worked here for seven years. He always calls in sick after tearing it up the night before. Normally we have a backup chef, but tonight Macon’s it.”

  Emily dropped her hand, realizing belatedly that she was holding him in place. Not strongly—he could have broken her hold. But he hadn’t. He’d waited.

  She huffed out a breath. So maybe she’d overreacted, but what did he expect? She was new here; she didn’t know Macon’s habits. It was a good thing Levi did.

  He strode toward the guests, shaking hands and greeting everyone, and Emily realized something.

  Levi was a natural leader. He just didn’t know it.

  Emily dragged herself toward the employee exit close to midnight. She was exhausted.

  While Levi had schmoozed with the guests, she’d made sure things were ready for tomorrow morning’s special spa day. It was a last-minute add-on, but the head of the company insisted on it after enjoying his massage the first day, and who was Emily to argue? He’d asked for a morning massage, and a sauna for him and his staff before their afternoon meeting.

  “Emily,” a deep voice said.

  She turned in the parking lot to see Levi striding toward her, his tie loosened, the legs of his suit pants crinkled at the thigh from a long night of sitting, eating, and socializing. “How’d it go?”

  “As well as could be expected.”

  “I heard Macon showed up.”

  Levi snorted. “Jackass. He’s a talented son of a bitch, though. Can’t get rid of him.” He glanced down at her. “You’re here late.”

  “Another last-minute change. The team wants a spa morning tomorrow.”

  Levi shook his head. “Count me out.”

  “Oh no. If I’m getting wrangled into going, you are too. The translator they brought is flying with another employee to a meeting in L.A. and won’t be available.”

  “So get another translator.”

  “Why? I’m here and I have a bathing suit.” She pulled out her keys and clicked the fob. “Though I doubt a bathing suit will be required. People in other countries sauna in the buff.” She grinned, clearly having lost her mind. Working long hours had her teasing her boss at midnight.

  Placing a hand on her shoulder, he stopped her from entering the car. “Hell no. No naked spa day with a bunch of horny businessmen.”

  She laughed. “I was only joking. They’ll probably wear bathing suits. Maybe. And if they don’t, I doubt nudity is a big deal for them. Americans are the only ones hung up on it.”

  Levi turned and started walking in the opposite direction—to his car, presumably. “I’ll be there. And wear a damned bathing suit,” he called.

  Chapter 11

  Emily had a ton of phone calls to make today, but throwing on a bathing suit and going for a sauna while translating? Not a bad way to pass the morning. One of these days, she was going to take full advantage of the five-star spa experience at Club Tahoe.

  By the time she had changed and entered the circular stone sauna that could hold two dozen of their guests, the men and few women were already lazing behind steam clouds.

  “An-nyeong-ha-seyo,” she said, and smiled at the group.

  Hushed greetings floated back to her.

  At first people were quiet, likely taking a moment to relax, but once the main client entered—some gazillionaire from Silicon Valley—chatter in the sauna picked up. Most Shin Electronics employees communicated very well in English. A few times they looked to Emily for translation, but otherwise, she was able to relax while they conducted business.

  About halfway through the meeting, Levi made good on his promise and entered the room. In a towel. With his chest bared.

  Good Lord.

  Emily’s mind went blank. She fidgeted until she realized the CEO of one of the American companies wante
d her to translate accumulated depreciation into Korean.

  She rattled off a translation, and glanced back at Levi. There was naked man chest, and then there was Levi’s naked chest. He obviously worked out. A lot. But the man was simply built in all the right proportions. And he had that muscle that cut in at his hip and dipped beneath the towel, wreaking havoc on her imagination.

  This was torture. She needed to get out of here before she did something embarrassing, like rip off his towel. Or fondle his chest. What was she thinking, inviting him?

  Emily glanced up from Levi’s chest and caught him staring at her.

  She froze.

  Levi’s gaze dipped and touched her shoulders, her breasts, on down to her waist, where a white towel was draped over her lap. Despite her teasing, she hadn’t really planned on going naked. She wore a basic black one-piece. But that gaze of his eyes felt like skin on skin. He smiled. Not long, but long enough.

  She shivered. And attempted to listen to the businessmen, when, in fact, all of her attention was on the man across from her, who seemed less like a CEO in this moment, and more like the rugged ex-firefighter who could throw hapless maidens over his broad shoulders.

  It wasn’t until Levi excused himself minutes later that Emily caught her breath again.

  She stayed in the sauna until the businessmen left to prepare for their afternoon meetings. Then she showered and changed. But her pulse had yet to calm after the moment that had passed with Levi.

  Emily had shamelessly lusted after Levi Cade since she started working at Club Tahoe, but for the first time, she saw his attraction for her.

  Had he stopped by to make sure she was okay? She’d teased him last night about the sauna meeting and the naked stuff, but she really didn’t think he’d make an appearance. It wasn’t necessary. So if he didn’t need to be there, why had he come?

  This was a dangerous train of thought.