Sweet Southern Nights

by Rochelle Alers

  His passion rose to meet hers as he buried his face between Angela’s neck and shoulder and exploded inside her. Heat seared his brain, singed every inch of his body as he surrendered his essence as liquid ecstasy poured from him, bathing her with love.

  Levi couldn’t deny the emotions holding him captive as he waited for his breathing to return to normal. Still joined, he reversed their position. He kissed her hair. “Are you okay?”

  Angela moaned.

  “Is that a yes or a no?”

  “That’s an unequivocal yes,” she said, still gasping for air. “What are you doing to me, Levi?”

  “Loving you, baby.”

  Her hand curled around his neck. “I don’t want you to ever stop loving me.”

  He froze. Did Angela realize what she’d just said? Was she asking for more, or had she meant that she didn’t want him to stop making love to her?

  “I promise to never stop making love to you.”

  Angela settled her legs between his and she shifted into a more comfortable position. “Thank you, sweetie.”

  He closed his eyes. He had his answer. Angela was not talking about him loving her, but their lovemaking. He cursed Robert Gaskin. He cursed the man who had walked out on Angela, leaving her unable to trust and emotionally scarred.

  A sense of renewed strength came over Levi. He had time—at least eight weeks to repair the damage. After all, he was a doctor—someone trained to heal. This time he would be trying to heal a broken heart.

  Chapter 15

  Levi studied the baseball scores in the sports section of the paper. His beloved Yankees had swept a three-game series from the Boston Red Sox.

  His head popped up when he saw movement out the corner of his eye. Putting aside the newspaper, he stood up and held out his arms. He wasn’t disappointed when Angela hugged him.

  “Good morning, love.”

  Tilting her head, Angela gave him an inviting smile. “Good morning. How long have you been up?” It was minutes before seven and Levi had showered, but hadn’t bothered to shave. Today he wore a pair of black jeans, matching Timberland boots and a long-sleeved white shirt. Miss Divine lay on the sofa next to him, licking her paws.

  Dipping his head, Levi touched his mouth to hers. “I usually wake up around five.”

  Angela pulled out of his embrace, making her way into the kitchen. The coffeemaker had finished its brewing cycle. “What do you want in your coffee?”

  “A little milk, no sugar.” Levi stared at Angela as she moved confidently around the kitchen. They worked well in the kitchen, got along well outside the kitchen, and were acutely attuned to each other in bed.

  “I see you got the princess to leave her castle.”

  Levi glanced at the cat. “She told me she didn’t like being on house arrest, so I let her out, cleaned her crate and gave her water.”

  “What else did baby girl tell you?”

  Levi winked at Angela. “A few other things that I won’t repeat.”

  “Yeah, right.”

  “Did I tell you that I wanted to be a vet?”

  Angela turned and met his eyes. “No, you didn’t. What made you change your mind?”

  “Snakes.”

  “You don’t like them?” she asked.

  “I’m afraid of them. The first year my family moved to Miami I was out in the backyard and a snake slithered over my bare feet and I was so frightened I couldn’t move. The incident scarred me for life. Whenever I go to the zoo I make certain to skip the reptile exhibit.”

  “So, you became a doctor, instead.”

  “It was the next best thing.”

  “You say that as if it’s so easy to become a doctor or a vet.”

  “The choice was easy for me because I love taking care of sick people and animals. What do you want for breakfast?” he asked, changing the subject.

  Angela stared at him over her shoulder. “I’m going to pass on breakfast until later. The days I go into the shop I normally don’t eat anything until eleven. Then I eat again when I get home around seven.”

  “You don’t eat in between?”

  “I usually have fruit. Don’t look at me like that, Levi. I don’t have an eating disorder.”

  “I would’ve thought so until last night.”

  “What about last night?”

  He gave her a lecherous grin. “You’re just right—a handful and a mouthful.”

  Angela’s hand trembled slightly when she picked up the carafe and filled two mugs with steaming brew. The blush that began in her face spread to her chest. “That’s too much information, sweetie,” she whispered.

  Levi approached her and forcibly pried her fingers from the handle of the carafe. “Did I embarrass you?”

  Angela shook her head. “No.”

  His eyes brimming with tenderness, Levi pulled her into the circle of his embrace. “I don’t want you to ever feel uncomfortable with me. What we do in private is just between us. I’ll never do anything that will compromise your reputation.”

  “I know that, Levi.”

  He kissed her nose. “We can go out for brunch. By the time we come back and get dressed it’ll be time to get ready for the race. I’ve reserved a driver to take us to the track and then bring us back after the party.”

  She kissed his stubble. “You’re definitely a keeper.”

  Levi looked at her. “Were you thinking of trading me in?”

  Angela’s expression changed, becoming serious. “No, Levi. Don’t forget you’re the one who’ll be leaving Louisville, not me.”

  “What if I decide to stay?”

  The seconds ticked off as they stared at each other. “Would you, Levi?”

  He smiled, the warmth of the gesture not quite reaching his eyes. “If I had something to stay for.”

  Her heart stopped and started again in a rapid rhythm. “Would you stay for me?”

  “Would you want me to stay for you?”

  She lowered her eyes. “I’d love you to stay for me, but the decision will have to be because you want to stay because it would be the best for you and your career.”

  “So you want to take yourself out of the equation?”

  Angela glanced up. There was something in Levi that frightened her, and at no time since she’d come to know him that had he ever frightened her. “This is not about me, Levi. It’s what is best for you.”

  “What if you are what’s best for me?”

  Suddenly Angela felt as if she were in a runaway roller coaster, going around and around, up and down until the cars crashed or jumped the track.

  She bit her lip to stop its trembling. “I… I… Everything is moving much too fast. We hardly know each other.”

  “How long did you know your ex before you agreed to marry him?”

  “I thought we weren’t going to talk about him.”

  “I didn’t mention his name, Angie. Please answer my question.”

  She turned her head, staring at the flat-screen on a table in the living room. “We dated for a year, then we were engaged for a year.”

  “In other words, you were together for two years and you still didn’t know the sonofabitch. And you probably thought you knew your maid of honor, and you didn’t really know her, either.”

  Angela’s gaze swung back to Levi. “You say all of that to say what?”

  “Why can’t we be like the lovers in your romance novels? Don’t they pretend to be a couple or have marriages of convenience? And don’t forget the secret babies.”

  “I thought you didn’t read romance novels,” she said in surprise.

  “I saw the titles on your bookshelf. I have to assume you read the books because of the hap
py endings.” He took her face in his hands. “You are past due and more than deserving of a happy ending, baby.”

  Angela looped her arms around his waist. She knew Levi was right. She was long overdue for a happily ever after.

  “So, you’re going to become my hero?”

  Levi buried his face in her hair. “I thought I was already your hero when I agreed to protect you from the villain.”

  “You’re right. You are my hero.”

  He wove his fingers through her hair, gently massaging her scalp. “And what are you? Lover, paramour, courtesan or concubine?”

  “I’ll be any of the aforementioned except a kept woman.”

  There came a beat. “Kept women aren’t guaranteed happy endings.”

  The chiming of Levi’s cell phone shattered the sensual spell that had wrapped around Angela like a comforting blanket. He released her, excused himself and walked to the coffee table to answer the call.

  Angela found the boxes where her parents sat with Langdon and Ryder, while Duncan and Jared sat with the district attorney and his wife. She hugged her father and brothers as she made her way to her seat. The day was perfect for a horse race. Under a cloudless blue sky with a warm breeze, the dirt track was dry and supposed to be very fast. She sat next to her mother, leaving the seat next to her for Levi.

  Dianne Chase pressed a hand to her bosom. “Oh, my word!” she whispered. “You look gorgeous.”

  “Thank you, Mama.”

  Angela had finally settled on wearing a silk and linen sheath dress with capped sleeves and an asymmetrical neckline in a bright sunny yellow. The wide, black patent-leather belt around her waist matched her peep-toe pumps. She’d styled her hair in a ponytail with a wide-brimmed hat with a wide black grosgrain ribbon band.

  “Where’s Levi?” Dianne questioned.

  “He’s placing a bet.” She stared at her mother. She was stunning in an electric-blue silk pantsuit and blue and white spectator pumps and a matching pillbox hat. She glanced up, smiling when an usher showed Levi their box. “He’s coming now.”

  “Oh, my word!” Dianne drawled. “He looks so handsome.”

  “Yes, he does,” Angela said in agreement. Levi had decided to wear charcoal-gray slacks, a white buttoned-down shirt, navy blazer and matching silk tie. She smiled when he shook hands with her father and gave each of her brothers a rough bro-hug.

  “Where’s Myla?” she asked Dianne. She’d expected to see the very pretty schoolteacher at Duncan’s side.

  “Don’t say anything to Duncan,” Dianne whispered, “but I think she broke up with him.”

  “Why?”

  “I heard some nonsense that he doesn’t spend enough time with her. For heaven’s sakes, the man’s a doctor and he can’t control when his patients need him. I hope you and Levi don’t have those problems.”

  “No, but we’ll talk later.” She met Levi’s eyes. He winked at her when he dipped his head to kiss Dianne’s cheek. “You look gorgeous.”

  Dianne touched the pearl stud in her ear. “Thank you, Levi. I must say you’re looking rather dapper yourself. I hope you and Angela are coming to Prissy Turner’s party after the race.”

  He nodded. “We plan to stay for a little while.”

  Dianne patted his hand. “Good for you. I’m so glad Angela has you to take her out.”

  “Mama, please let Levi sit down.”

  “Move over and let him sit next to me,” Dianne ordered.

  Angela and Levi exchanged a look. She lifted her shoulders, and because she hadn’t wanted to cause a scene she shifted to her right, leaving a seat for Levi between her and mother.

  Levi folded his long frame down between the two women. Reaching into his jacket pocket, he handed Angela a betting slip. “Please put this in your handbag.”

  She glanced at the slip. He’d bet a hundred dollars on Sweet Southern Knight to win. The odds were thirty-three-to-one. “You only bet on one horse?”

  “There can only be one winner.”

  Angela pressed her shoulder to his. “What are you going to do with the money if you win?”

  Levi curved an arm around her waist. “I’ll give it to you and you can decide what you’d like to do with it.”

  “If he does come in first, then I’ll donate the winnings to Duncan’s clinic.”

  “You would actually do that?”

  “Yes. The clinic needs the money more than I do. Duncan says his funding may be cut next year because of the economy.”

  “Has he thought about doing some fundraising?” Levi asked.

  “Everybody’s feeling the pinch nowadays.”

  Ducking his head, Levi kissed her cheek. “Do you know that you’re incredible?”

  Angela rested her hand on his thigh. “You keep talking like that and I’ll wind up with a swelled head.”

  “If you don’t move your hand there’s going to be another swollen head,” he said in her ear.

  She snatched her hand away from Levi’s thighs as if she’d been burned.

  “Oh—” Angela swallowed the expletive when she spied Robert leading an obviously pregnant Savannah to a box several rows below them. She knew the Gaskins didn’t have a box and assumed they were sharing it with a season box-holder, who’d paid a pretty penny for the privilege of occupying a six-seat area on the third tier of the grandstand.

  “Why does he feel the need to bring that loose heifer with him? Instead of betting on the race I’m certain a lot of people are taking bets as to who’s her baby’s daddy,” Dianne spat out.

  Angela leaned around Levi. “Careful, Mama. Your horns are showing.”

  Dianne blew out her cheeks. “They were lucky they left Louisville when they did, because I was ready to take out a hit on them.”

  Benton Chase dropped an arm over his wife’s shoulders. “Calm down, baby. Neither of them are worth you getting upset about. Remember, we came here to enjoy ourselves.”

  Thank you, Daddy, Angela mouthed when her father winked at her. She managed to suppress a groan when she overheard Ryder whisper a savage curse in the same breath as Robert’s name, wondering if or when it would ever be over. Robert and Savannah moving back to Louisville made it difficult for Angela to bury her past. The one thing she didn’t want was for her brothers to confront Robert. Especially Ryder, who’d always had a hair-trigger temper.

  She smiled at Levi when he reached for her hand, lacing their fingers together. Angela settled back to enjoy the race, dismissing any thoughts of Savannah and Robert.

  Before attending his first Kentucky Derby, Levi had done some research. What surprised him was that an African-American jockey named James Lee had set a racetrack record on June 5, 1907, that had never been broken when he won the entire six-race card at Churchill Downs. Having been born and raised in Louisville, Angela had provided a bit more about the history of African-Americans in thoroughbred racing. Isaac Murphy, an African-American, was the first jockey of any race to win the Kentucky Derby three times. Also, a distant cousin of Angela’s family had also been a jockey in the late nineteenth century. Horseracing, she claimed, was in her family’s blood.

  Levi felt the crowd’s excitement before and after each race. Spectators came early, camping out on the one-hundred-forty-seven-acre national landmark. People had picnics and enjoyed musical jam sessions. It was New Year’s Eve and the Fourth of July all rolled into one. Even though he had attended baseball, basketball and football games where fans went from avid cheerleaders to raging lunatics when opposing teams took the field, he hadn’t expected that same kind of behavior from the wealthy, blue-blood crowd that attended the Derby. Between races he found it amusing to see horseracing society quickly reverting from Southern gentility to shrieking spectators.

  Dianne touched Levi’s sleeve, ca
pturing his attention. “Benton suggested everyone come to the house for Sunday dinner. I hope this doesn’t interfere with your plans for tomorrow.”

  Levi shook his head. “I’m sorry, but Angela and I have plans for tomorrow.” He’d been sworn to secrecy about Traci and Reggie’s wedding.

  Dianne leaned closer and Levi dipped his head. “I’m sorry, too. It’s not often that I get all my children together at the same time. By the way, I don’t want you to think of me as a meddlesome mother,” she said under her breath, “but I think you are perfect for my daughter. It hasn’t been easy for her, but since she started seeing you, she’s changed.”

  “She’s not the only one who has changed, Mrs. Chase.”

  “Don’t you dare Mrs. Chase me. Please call me Dianne.”

  Levi smiled. “Okay…Dianne.”

  Dianne sat back, looking like a cat that had licked the cream off the bottle of milk as she picked up a tiny pair of jeweled binoculars. “That’s better, Levi.”

  Angela pressed her mouth to Levi’s ear. “Watch it, sweetie, or my mother will ask for your full name and those of your parents so she can put a wedding announcement in the local paper.”

  Levi gave her hand a gentle squeeze. “There are worse things.”

  He heard the distinctive sound of her teeth coming together when she clamped her jaw.

  “Cancer, lupus, MS, heart disease—”

  “You’ve made your point, Levi,” she interrupted. “Please don’t think I’m against marriage. It’s just not for me.”

  “Romance novel,” he crooned. “Have you forgotten I’m the hero and you’re the heroine and we’re working toward the happy ending?”

  “There’s no way I can forget because you won’t let me.”