Men. Hadn’t she already told him as much? Mia pursed her lips and went back to work, all nonchalant. “You’re okay, I guess.”
Levi sat back on his heels, giving her a sly grin. “Just okay?”
The scent of his cologne was yummy. She drew in a deep breath of it. Her hands were suddenly shaky under his perusal, and she was glad for the task at hand. He made her nervous. Made her stomach swarm with butterflies.
* * *
Levi watched Mia unshelving books and tried to remind himself of all the photos he’d seen online last night. Mia, with all those famous men on glamorous dates. Mia, smiling at her celebrity ex-fiancé.
But Molly’s words kept popping into his mind instead. Movie star handsome. Amazing. Very special.
Mia Emerson had said all those things about him. It was enough to make a man a little heady. And with her here, sitting close enough to smell her hair, he couldn’t resist thinking about it.
Nor could he resist teasing her, just a little. “So you don’t think I’m . . . I don’t know . . . movie star handsome?”
Mia’s gaze darted to Levi. She searched his eyes for a long moment, those moss-green eyes fixed on his.
“And I’m sure you don’t think I’m amazing or anything,” Levi continued, watching her closely. “Definitely not at all special.”
Mia’s eyes flickered with realization. Her lips twisted. “Molly.”
Levi couldn’t stop his smug grin. “Don’t be mad at her. She meant well.”
He hoped Mia couldn’t see how hard his heart was pounding beneath his shirt. It had been a bold move, making her own those words. He hoped he didn’t regret it.
Maybe Mia had only been giving Molly lip service. Knowing his sister, she’d probably put Mia on the spot. Shame he hadn’t thought of that till now. He opened his mouth to tell her he’d just been teasing, but she spoke first.
“I’m not mad at Molly.” Mia tilted her head up at him. She was so close, just a breath away. Something in her eyes shifted as they locked onto his. “I would’ve told you myself if you’d just asked.”
His pulse sped. His chest tightened. She was looking at him like . . .
“Would you now?” His eyes fell to her lips. They’d parted—an invitation? He leaned forward slowly, giving her a chance to back out.
His heart beat up into his throat as their lips met. He brushed them softly, tentatively.
His breath caught at her immediate response. At the way she pressed her hand to his neck. There was no photographer this time. No camera to perform for. It was just Mia and him, alone with their thoughts. With their wishes and wants.
And right now he wanted her more than he could say. He went back for seconds because, suddenly, he needed her kiss more than he needed his next breath.
Her hand moved up on his neck, warm and urgent, making desire course through him. Her fingers delved into the hair at his nape, sending a jolt of pleasure through him. He pulled her to him, both of them rising to their knees in a mutual need for closeness.
Levi put everything he felt for her into the kiss. Feelings he couldn’t quite cop to just yet. Words he couldn’t yet formulate. All of it was there in the way he touched her, the way he kissed her. He couldn’t help himself. He could no sooner have stopped it than he could’ve stopped a ripple on the lake’s surface.
Somewhere in the distance the phone rang. Off duty. Not his problem.
He ran his hands over her back as he took the kiss deeper. Her response made blood rush to his head until he could hear his own heartbeat pulsing in his ears.
The image of those online photos flashed unbidden through his mind like a slideshow. So many men. Famous men. Mia could have anyone she wanted. Why would she want him?
And what was this to her anyway? A diversion? Her life was somewhere else. And his was here in Bluebell for the foreseeable future. Was he getting in too deep? Was he setting himself up for heartbreak?
Reluctantly, he pulled away. The half-lidded look on her face about did him in. Her lips looked bee-stung, ripe and tempting.
His palms were damp. His blood raced through his veins, carrying chemicals that urged him to “fight or flight,” and he wanted to do neither.
“What’s wrong?” That vulnerable look was back in her eyes.
He hated that he’d put it there. He didn’t want to see her guard go back up. He wanted to kiss her eyelids and work his way back down to that delicious mouth.
But that wasn’t logic talking. Even if she actually wanted him for more than a stolen kiss, what kind of future could they have?
He was still framing her face, and his fingers twitched reflexively. “I probably shouldn’t have done that.”
“Why not?” she asked.
Unable to stop himself, he brushed a thumb across her cheek. So soft. “Sometimes I forget who you are, Mia.”
She turned her face into his palm, nuzzling the tender flesh.
Have mercy.
“What do you mean?”
Despite how she was responding to him, he was a fool to think she’d ever choose him. She was so far out of his league it was laughable.
He shook his head. “You’re Mia Emerson. What could you want with an average guy like me?”
Her brows charged together. She grabbed the hands that were on her face and held them with both of hers. “Levi . . . you’re not an average anything. You don’t see yourself the way I do.”
He gave her a droll look. “I went online and looked you up, Mia. Okay? I admit it. I knew you were engaged to Wesley Hughes, but I didn’t know you’d dated so many other celebrities. I’m just a regular guy here. How can I measure up to that?”
“They’re just regular guys too, Levi. Don’t be blinded by all the hype. I go out with other celebrities because it makes sense to date men in the industry, that’s all. They understand the craziness that goes with my life.” Her chin came up. “And sometimes a girl just needs a date for the Oscars, you know.”
He gave a dry chuckle at the absurdity of that sentence. They were from different worlds. He supposed that was her way of saying the relationships had been casual.
“Levi, you’re an incredible man. I’ve been watching you around here. You’re loyal and hardworking and steady . . .”
He gave a wry smile. “That honestly sounds kind of boring.”
She was shaking her head. “No. A girl like me—a girl who didn’t have so much of that growing up—values those things an awful lot.”
He regarded her for a long moment. “Fair enough. Can I ask what happened between you and Wesley?”
“You didn’t read about it online? There are hundreds of articles.”
“I want to hear the truth, and I want to hear it from you.”
She gave him a long, steady look. Then she sighed and sank to the ground amid the piles of books.
His body groaned at the distance she’d put between them, but he was to blame for that, after all. He made room amidst the book piles and sank onto the floor beside her.
“We met at a mutual friend’s New Year’s Eve party, and he asked me out. We dated a while, had a lot in common. My career was on the verge of exploding. His hadn’t quite taken off yet. But he was tenacious, and he seemed patient enough to wait for his big break. He didn’t seem jealous of my success—something I’m really sensitive to because of my parents’ relationship.
“Anyway, we fell in love, and when he eventually asked me to marry him I said yes. We started planning the wedding—and the honeymoon—” She gave him a dour look. “Then I heard about this role I thought he’d be great for. I knew the producer and got him an audition. He got the part and soon after that—very soon—he dumped me.”
“Do you think . . . ?”
“He used me? Oh yeah. I mean, he never owned up to it. He gave me other reasons. We ‘weren’t a good fit.’ But I couldn’t help but notice that insight only came along after I’d gotten him the role of his career.”
Levi clenched his jaw. He wanted to pou
nd the guy. No wonder Mia was so guarded. “I’m sorry. It must’ve hurt to be used that way by someone who was supposed to love you.”
She gave him a wan smile. “Sadly, it’s just part of the business.”
“Don’t let him off the hook that easily. Using people is wrong. Using their feelings against them is even worse. He asked you to marry him. That means something where I come from.”
She placed her hand over his, and he realized he’d balled it into a fist. “We’re from two different worlds, I’m afraid.”
Clearly, they were on the same page. “Another reason that kiss was probably a mistake.”
She squeezed his hand, then leaned onto her arm, bringing her closer. “That doesn’t mean we can’t enjoy the time we have, though, does it? I mean, I understand your reservations. I have some too.” Then she looked up to him with those wide, luminous eyes of hers. “There’s only one problem.”
He swallowed hard, his upper body swaying closer of its own accord. “What’s that?”
Her hungry eyes were intent on him. Tension hovered in the space between them. “I can’t stop thinking about you.”
His breath caught in his chest. His lungs forgot how to function. He was completely lost, and moreover he didn’t want to be found. He was only human, after all. He leaned in and pressed his lips to hers.
She responded in kind.
It was only when Levi heard feet tromping down the hall sometime later that he finally pulled away.
thirty-two
Mia draped her clothes on the chaise in her room and slipped into her pajamas. What a day. She hadn’t found the necklace, but she’d found something so much better.
She sent Brooke a quick text.
I’m falling for Levi. He kissed me today for real.
She dropped into bed unable to prevent the dreamy sigh. She and Levi had spent most of the day together, sorting through the library. They’d taken a break and gone to dinner at the Country Skillet. There’d been a couple of locals who’d approached, asking for photos with her, but they’d been respectful.
Mia had been impressed with how Levi handled the interruptions. Some men got sulky when fans approached, and others were jealous of the attention. Levi just seemed adorably flustered. He later joked about being her chauffeur and escort. But when they’d gotten home a while ago, she’d made sure he knew he meant more to her than that.
She gave another breathy sigh at the thought of those kisses. His touch did something to her that no other man’s, including Wesley’s, had ever done. There was just a . . . rightness about it. She’d known she’d wanted more from Levi, but until his lips had settled on hers today she hadn’t realized how much her feelings had grown.
The way he’d kissed her . . . his lips so passionate, his touch so reverent . . . as if he treasured her. He made her feel cherished.
Women often thought she was lucky to have been kissed on-screen by so many handsome leading men. But a kiss meant nothing when there were no real feelings behind it. Those scenes were so choreographed. Step closer. Right hand to waist. Tilt head to left. Don’t block the camera. Shift. Embrace. And cut. It was all so mechanical. She pretended to be ardent. She pretended to be moved.
With Levi there’d been no pretending. When his lips consumed hers, she forgot the rest of the world even existed. Had to remind herself to breathe.
Fear leached into her thoughts at the depth of her feelings for him. He’d shared his concerns earlier, and they were valid. Even the one about his being a regular guy—but not for the reasons he thought.
A text came in from Brooke.
I thought that photo looked like the real thing!
Mia propped up on her pillows.
He’s so sweet. So steady and strong. And boy, can that man kiss.
How much longer are you staying?
Not sure. Filming doesn’t start till mid-July. Might hang around here until then.
Is it serious then?
Sure feels like it. I should be thinking in temporary terms, but I don’t even want to think about leaving.
How would something permanent even work? The long distance?
I don’t know. He’s pretty tied up here with his inn for now, but he plans to move back to Denver once the business is stable.
That’s still a long way from LA.
I know. But maybe he’d consider moving to LA. Or maybe we could do the long-distance thing. I get time off between projects, and I could spend it here. Or even in Denver if he moves back there.
And not to be a Debbie Downer, but you’ve always been committed to dating men in the industry. Have you changed your mind?
This one gave Mia pause. Her mom had been crystal clear on the reasons why her marriage hadn’t worked out.
Mia wasn’t sure how to reconcile that with the way she felt about Levi. Truthfully, she didn’t want to think about it right now. She’d rather just remember the way it had felt to have his lips on hers, to have his hands pressing into the small of her back.
Another text came in from Brooke.
Sorry. Probably shouldn’t have said that.
You’re fine. Don’t know how I feel about that. All I know is that right now I just can’t seem to help myself.
No problem. And can I just say . . . you have great taste.
A knock sounded at her door. Mia shot Brooke a quick text to close out the conversation and went to the door, hoping it was Levi. When she pulled it open her heart was thumping against her ribs in anticipation.
But it was Grace. She was dressed casually in jeans and a T-shirt that read Sorry I’m late. I didn’t want to come. Her blond hair was pulled back in a ponytail, and she wore a sheepish look on her face.
“Hi, Grace.”
The girl took in Mia’s pajamas. “Oh, sorry to disturb you. It’s too late. Never mind, it can wait till morning.”
Mia grabbed her arm. “Wait. I was just piddling around on my phone. Come on in.”
Grace waffled a moment before following Mia into her room. Unlike Molly, her little sister had maintained a professional distance with Mia when they weren’t playing cards or eating together. This was the first time she’d been in Mia’s room, other than to clean it.
Mia sat on the bed and gestured toward the chaise. “Have a seat. You’ll have to move my clothes. I’m not very tidy—but I guess you’ve noticed that.”
“We’ve seen much worse, believe me.”
“I can only imagine.”
Grace worried her lip.
Mia suddenly wondered if Grace was concerned for her brother, given the budding relationship between him and Mia. She couldn’t imagine what else had brought Grace to her room unless she had aspirations of being an actress or something. Mia had mentored several younger girls, and Grace certainly had the looks for it. But there was a lot more to acting than good looks.
“What can I do for you, Grace?”
The girl met Mia’s gaze. “I know this is completely inappropriate, and Levi would have my head if he knew I was involving you, but I was kind of wanting an unbiased opinion about something.”
“Sure. Go for it.”
“Okay . . . In some of the reading I’ve done about you I noticed you went straight into acting out of high school.”
“Well, I actually did quite a bit of acting all the way through high school. I started very young with bit parts and commercials and such.”
“Right, well, what I mean is, you didn’t go to college, right? You don’t have some kind of degree?”
“No, I didn’t go to college. I pretty much had my heart set on an acting career, and I was getting regular parts by the time I graduated. Did you do any theater in high school?”
“What? No . . .”
“All right . . . Well, there are acting schools and even theater degrees where you could learn the ropes, and you could build your résumé by—”
“Oh no.” Grace made a face. “I don’t want to be an actor. I mean, no offense, but drama isn’t really my thing.”
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“Oh!” Now she was completely confused. Mia chuckled. “Sorry, I guess I misunderstood.”
Grace put her fingertips to her temple. “I haven’t been very clear. It’s just . . . There’s lot of pressure on me to go to college.”
Mia was starting to see where this was headed. “Ah, I see.”
“My parents always told us we needed a college education. I mean, it was drilled into us from the time we were like three, you know? And I get it. Everyone’s going to college these days, and that makes the job market even more competitive.”
“But . . .”
“I recently applied to three colleges, only because Levi insisted. I haven’t heard back yet, but I’m going to soon, and the truth is . . . I don’t want to go to any of them.”
“What do you want to do?”
Grace drew in a breath. “I want to start an outfitting company here in Bluebell.”
The way the words tumbled out made Mia wonder if she’d ever said them aloud.
“I’ve always loved the outdoors: boating, camping, hiking, climbing, you name it. I could rent equipment to tourists and even be a tour guide—there’s nothing like that here now. I could even run it right out of the inn. And while I’m building my business I could keep working here.”
“Sounds like you’ve given this a lot of thought.”
“I have, but I know Levi. He’s not going to be on board with this. He’s going to say it’s too risky. He’s going to insist on a Plan B.”
Mia fought a smile. That did sound just like Levi.
“I really think I can do this, and isn’t it up to me? It’s my future, my life.”
“Are you sure some college classes wouldn’t help prepare you for this?”
“I already know how to build a business website, and I’ve been helping run the inn. I’d start small—bicycle and boat rentals—and Levi could guide me through the financial aspects. I have a plan, and I think I can do it.”
She certainly seemed adamant. And she’d been very proficient around the inn. She did her job and seemed pretty mature for her age.
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