by Foster, Lori
Her mouth tightened, but she refused to reply.
Levi touched a thumb to his chest. “Me.”
“I thought you were a friend.”
“Uh huh.” Levi nodded. “That’s why the first plan to come to your mind was having sex with me, right?”
A rush of color stained her smooth cheeks. “I wanted to get even with Brandon.”
Slowly, so he wouldn’t send her packing, Levi reached out and smoothed her hair behind her ear, then cupped her jaw. He could feel that flush of embarrassment, so warm and honest and sweet. “Sure you did.” And already knowing the answer, he asked, “So tell me, honey, what did old Brandon say when you told him?”
Her brows came down, her eyes closed and her mouth pinched in denial of the obvious truth.
Using both hands now to hold her face, Levi repeated, “Beth?”
“I didn’t.”
He tilted his head in deep satisfaction. “What’s that?”
Braced by irritation, Beth slapped his hands away. “I didn’t tell him, all right? I couldn’t. After that weekend…after we…” She shook her head hard. “I didn’t tell him.”
Of course, she hadn’t. “I haven’t said anything to him, either.”
On a low growl, she stormed away, but only to put a little space between them.
Staring at her stiff back, Levi said, “It doesn’t feel right to use something that was so wonderful as revenge, does it?”
She whirled on him in a blaze of anger. “Wonderful? Is that what you think?” Three big strides brought her within touching distance of him again. She leaned into him, her eyes bright with fury, and used one finger to poke at his chest. “It was carnal and extravagant and totally inappropriate.”
“It was incredible. And hot. And honest,” Levi countered.
“Honest?”
“That’s right.” He was hard again, damn it. “You were everything I’d ever imagined and more. No one else will ever measure up for me now, not with the memory of how it is with you.”
Beth’s expression went from rage to awareness in a heartbeat. “Levi, don’t.”
“I lost count of how many times you came.”
She groaned, and covered her face.
“I loved every one of them though.” He eased himself into her space, then eased her into his arms—where she belonged. “The small sounds you made, and how they became throaty, rough sounds right before you climaxed.”
“Stop.”
That single word sounded weak and uncertain, so Levi disregarded it. “I have scratches on my shoulders, a bite bruise on my thigh.”
“Oh God.” Her forehead dropped to his chest and her groan became a moan.
Levi stroked her back, tangled his hand in her hair and kissed her ear. “When I close my eyes at night, I can still taste you, Beth.”
Her hands curled into small fists. Her breathing deepened.
“I can still feel you around me, squeezing me tight, and I can still smell you with each breath I take. It makes me hard every time.” Using the edge of his hand, Levi tipped up her face. “I’m hard now.”
Her lips parted and he kissed her, soft and easy, long and deep. Without conscious thought, his hand sought her breast, cuddling her through the layers of her clothes and still able to feel her tautened nipple. Using his thumb, he circled her, rubbed over the tip, and gently applied pressure.
“Levi…”
“Yeah,” he murmured in approval, “that’s what I like to hear, you saying my name, your voice rough with lust.” He kissed her temple, her cheekbone—and all the while, he toyed with her breast.
Beth leaned into him, nearly panting, heat pouring off her.
Once again, her physical need helped her to forget her grievances, her embarrassment.
It ate Levi up to know she’d also been with Brandon, and only one fact made it easier to take.
Brandon had never really satisfied her.
The night Beth came to him had started out awkward enough. She’d angrily stammered out what she wanted. He’d been floored, excited, and relieved.
Hearing of Brandon’s infidelity had thrilled him, and that made him feel like the biggest jerk alive.
But he didn’t turn her down on her offer. No way.
Seducing an enraged woman wasn’t easy, especially when she’d asked him to “just get on with it.” But Levi gave it his all.
Beth had wanted sex.
He wanted lovemaking.
Beth wanted revenge.
He wanted an opportunity.
At first, she’d been stiff and distant, guided by her hurt feelings—until she succumbed to her first climax with sheer astonishment. Levi would never forget her blurted words after he’d left her replete and lax, her skin damp with sweat, her hair tangled, her skin rosy.
Levi, she’d whispered. I had no idea.
Her shock had left him so pleased and proud he wanted to shout. Then she’d reached for him with enthusiasm, and the next few days had been an orgy of exploration and, as Beth claimed, carnality.
For Levi, they’d also been days filled with love.
Everything he did to and with Beth had left her wide-eyed with wonder and excitement. She reveled in each new experience and glowed with sexual satiation. There’d been no denials, only anticipation.
Just as there was now.
“Levi,” she said again, and he knew what she wanted, what she needed.
“Let me help you, honey.” He put one leg between hers, cupped her bottom, and snuggled her in close. She shivered as she dropped her head back in wanton acceptance.
Levi guided her, one hand helping her keep a rhythm against his thigh, the other dipping into her shirt so he could touch the bare skin of her breast, really get to her nipples and—
A shrill whistle pierced the thickening air of the storage area.
Levi straightened in shock. Well, shit.
Knowing they were about to be interrupted, he looked at Beth’s face. She looked relaxed in the way of rising release. Panting breaths puffed from between her parted lips. Her unfocused gaze and heavy eyelids, her warming skin, proved she wouldn’t have needed but a few minutes more.
What to do?
The whistle sounded again, and Beth blinked into reality. “Levi?”
Damn, damn, damn. “I’m sorry, honey.” His hands remained on her, but still now. “We’re about to have company.”
Confusion gave way to horror, and in a flash, she jerked free. “Ohmigod.”
“Easy, honey. It’s just your brother. I think.” Keeping Beth shielded by his body, Levi half turned. He saw no one. “Ben?”
“Sorry to interrupt, kids.”
The voice came from near the door—out of sight, but audible. Levi wanted to clout him. “What is it?”
“We’re all ready to head to bed, so unless you two want to sleep in your vehicles, I need to know if I should put your coats and bags in two rooms…or just one? I have vacancies, so they’re on the house, but I wasn’t sure of your plans.”
Levi said, “One room,” at the same time Beth snapped, “Two.”
“That’s clear enough,” Ben remarked, and he sounded amused.
Levi quickly cupped Beth’s face. “I’ll promise not to touch you, if that’s what you want.”
“Ha!” she said loudly, and then slapped a hand over her mouth. In a lowered voice, she whispered, “You know what I want, and you keep using it against me.”
That almost made Levi grin—because it was partially true, although there were times when he just plain lost control. “You have my word, Beth. Unless you beg me, I won’t touch you. But please, we do need to talk. I’m staying the night whether you hear me out or not. Tomorrow your family will cluster around you again and it’ll be impossible to get any privacy without making an issue of it. Is that what you want?”
Ben rattled a pan, the bastard.
“Give us a minute,” Levi snarled.
Beth hesitated, but Levi could see her weakening.
&nb
sp; “I’ll stay ten feet away from you,” he cajoled, “if that’ll help.”
All morose, Beth admitted, “It probably wouldn’t.”
“You see,” Levi teased in a whisper, “that’s why I’m getting conceited.”
Finally, she relented. “Ben, we’ll take one room, please. But with two beds.”
Levi let out a long breath.
“You got it,” Ben said around a laugh. “You can have the same suite you always use when you visit, Beth.”
Levi raised a brow. “A suite?”
“Ben saves it for family.”
Proving he’d been able to hear their every word, Ben said, “Actually, I give it to family to use because most of my guests are only interested in a one or two-night stay in an economy room, which makes the suite available more often than not. But don’t expect anything fancy. Being a suite just means you get a couch, microwave, and tiny fridge.”
“It’ll do,” Levi told him. “Thanks.”
“I’ll get your bags to your room, but you’ll need to come to the front desk for your keys.”
Beth twisted her hands together. “Would you mind getting the keys from Ben?”
Levi raised a brow. Did she plan to slip out on him? “Ben parked my truck, honey. He has your coat and your purse. And your father and brothers have agreed to let me know if you try running out on me again.”
“Traitors.”
“I convinced them that I wanted only the best for you.”
She made a face. “Great. If only I knew what the best might be. And no, Levi, don’t say it.” She scowled at him in reproach. “You’ve shown enough conceit to last a month at least.”
She ignored his laughter.
“I’ll have you know that I wasn’t planning to sneak off anyway. I intend to be with my family for the holidays.”
“So why the delay, then?”
“I want to talk to the women before we…retire.”
That made Levi a little suspicious. “Talk to them about what?”
Beth looked frazzled and on the verge of losing her temper. “None of your damn business. Now go get the keys. I’ll meet you at the room in a few minutes.”
Rather than push his luck, Levi agreed. “Don’t be too long, okay? After chasing you across the state, I’m a little on the skittish side. I’d hate to call out the National Guard if you’re just sitting in the kitchen lamenting the Fates with family.”
“Ha-ha.” Beth flipped a quick wave in his direction and went in search of reinforcements.
Feeling success on the rise, Levi watched her go with a smile. He’d have the night with her. Surely, that’d aid him in making headway.
He could hardly wait.
3
When Beth entered the dining room, only her father and Noah were there, and Noah had already donned his coat, ready to leave. Undecided on what to do, she stalled. It wasn’t that she really wanted more time with the women; she just needed more time to prepare herself for the night with Levi.
It was herself and her own lack of restraint that scared her.
As Noah went out the door to the parking lot, her father said, “Come on in, honey.”
He hadn’t even looked up to see her. It seemed no matter how old she got, her dad always stayed one step ahead.
“We’ve got a few minutes,” he assured Beth. “Grace is in the car waiting for Noah, Sierra has already turned in, and Brooke is just saying good-bye to Ben. Come sit with me.”
Dragging her feet, Beth did just that.
“So,” Kent said, “you and Levi, huh?”
There’d be no point lying to him, but that didn’t mean she wanted to make confessions, either. “What exactly did Levi tell you?”
“That Brandon is out of the picture, that he’s now in the picture, and that if you’ll stand still long enough, he intends to marry you.”
“Oh.” Beth put her elbows on the top of the booth and propped up her chin. “I caught Brandon cheating, so he’s definitely out of the picture.”
“How do you feel about that?”
Beth smiled. Leave it to her dad to hold off on the sympathy until he knew where she stood on the matter. “It’s a little confusing, but in a way, I’m relieved.” She thought about that, and felt compelled to add, “Humiliated and majorly peeved, too.”
“Peeved I understand. You have every right. But why are you relieved?”
That one was easy enough to explain. “I keep thinking how close I was to tying myself to him. But what if I’d married him, and then found out he was a cheater? Everything would be so much more complicated.”
“True.”
“Obviously we weren’t meant to be together, and this forced the issue sooner rather than later, when our lives might have been more entangled.”
“Divorce, joint property, kids?”
“Exactly.” Beth shuddered at the thought of so many legal and emotional ties.
“So it’s a good thing then?”
Beth snorted. “It would be, except I really am too humiliated for words.” And Levi refused to let her deal with that, blast him.
“I don’t see why,” Kent said. “Brandon is the one who shamed himself with his behavior. He’s the one who cheated, not you.”
Her father definitely didn’t know about her wild weekend with Levi, or he wouldn’t be able to say that. “I suppose.”
“How did you find out? Did Levi tell you?”
“No. Levi didn’t know any more about it than I did.” If he had known, Beth knew in her heart that he’d have found a way to tell her—after he gave Brandon hell for being a jerk. “He was shocked when I told him.” And even more shocked when she shared her plan for getting even.
“You’re blushing, Beth. Want to tell me why?”
No, never. “It’s a curse of my fair skin, Dad. You know that.”
“If you say so.” But Beth could tell he didn’t believe her.
She quickly distracted him. “Brandon and I were invited to a party with some of his colleagues. I had to work that night, so I told him to go on without me.”
“And he did?”
She shrugged. “It didn’t make any sense for us both to miss it.” A dull throb started behind her eyes. “But then I got off earlier than expected.”
“Let me guess. You decided to drop in and surprise him.”
“It seemed like a good idea at the time.”
Getting a mental picture of the ensuing fiasco, Kent made a face. “Ouch.”
“Yeah. Ouch is right.” Beth trailed her finger along the edge of the booth tabletop. “There were so many people there, and at first, I couldn’t find Brandon. People kept looking at me funny, especially when I asked if they knew where he was. I suppose that should have been my first clue.”
Retelling the story brought back the burn of embarrassment. “Finally one woman told me to check the hot tub. That didn’t make any sense. It’s winter and freezing cold, and Brandon was never that interested in anything to do with water. Whenever we went to a lake or the river, Levi and I would swim and Brandon would sit on the shore and read.”
Kent’s interest sharpened. “You three hung out together a lot?”
“Well, yeah.” Why did her father look so funny about that? “Levi and Brandon were best friends.”
“Did Levi bring a date to these little excursions?”
“Maybe a couple of times, but not usually.” Frowning a little, Beth asked, “Why?”
“Hmmm.” Kent reached for his empty coffee cup, tipped it up to get the last sip, then said, “No reason. Go on with your story. What happened at the party?”
He definitely had a reason for asking, but the hour grew late and she didn’t want to hold him up, so Beth finished her tale. “I went around to the back of the house in the direction the woman had pointed. There was an enclosed porch and a fancy hot tub, and sure enough, I found Brandon there.”
Kent plunked the coffee cup back down. “With company, I take it.”
“He was making o
ut with a woman I’d met several times, but didn’t know well.”
“One of his colleagues?”
“Another doctor. They might have had their underwear on, but with the churning water, it was hard to tell. They sure weren’t wearing much more than that.” Beth flopped back in her seat. “I saw them, they saw me, and the woman screeched.”
“Screeched?”
“Loudly.” Beth snorted. “Then she started scrambling out of the tub. I don’t know if she thought I’d cause a scene or attack her or what, but she was wrapped in a towel and running away before I could blink.”
Her father coughed, probably to hide a laugh. “I reckon Brandon was surprised, all right.”
Beth smirked, too. “No kidding. You should have seen his face.”
“Comical?”
“Oh yeah. I’ve never seen him look like that because he’s usually so self-assured. But then, I guess my face looked pretty ridiculous, too. And I had to go back through that whole room full of people so that I could leave. It was like walking the gauntlet. I could feel everyone watching me.”
As the memory of it scoured through her, Beth squeezed her eyes shut.
“That was the worst part of it, the fact that everyone there saw me as this sad victim. Most of them were mutual friends.”
“Were?”
“I don’t think I could ever face any of them again.”
“Then they must have been more his friends than yours.” Kent put his muscled forearms on the table and gave her a direct look. “Just think about the fact that the other woman went through there first, wet and in a towel.”
“Believe me, I’ve thought of it. It helps only a little.”
Kent reached for her hand. “Want me to sic Noah and Ben on Brandon? You know they’d be happy to show him the error of his ways.”
Beth shook her head at his teasing. Whenever possible, her father had always allowed her to fight her own battles. This time wouldn’t be any different. “No. Brandon’s not worth the trouble, especially during the holidays.”
He nodded acceptance of that. “So where’s Levi fit into this?”
Looking away at nothing in particular, Beth said, “I don’t know yet.”