She’s twenty yards from me, for Christ’s sake.
Without overthinking it, I march across the street and ring the doorbell.
I hear her say something from inside, but I can’t make out the words. And then she flings open the door, and her happy smile changes into wide-eyed shock.
“Hello, Starla.”
“Well, shit.”
M y eyes soak her in from head to toe. How did she get more beautiful than before? Her auburn hair is pulled up in a knot on top of her head, and she’s in a cropped T-shirt with a pair of skin-tight shorts.
My dick is immediately at full attention.
“Wh-what are you doing here?”
“I was over at Wyatt’s house.” I point across the street. “And he said you were staying here.”
She leans on the doorframe, crosses her arms over her chest, and bites her full bottom lip.
She’s sex personified, standing right in front of me.
“Am I under arrest?”
“No.” I reach out to brush a loose strand of hair behind her ear, and the slight contact of skin against skin sends a shock wave through my already energized body. “No, you basically fell in my lap, and I decided to take advantage of it.”
“If you think I’m going to lead you straight up to bed, you have another thing coming.”
I narrow my eyes. “You just insulted both of us.”
She sighs and shakes her head, pinches the bridge of her nose between her eyes, and then laughs. “I apologize. You surprised me. Come on in.”
She stands back, and I follow her in, looking around the open living space.
“Do you want something to drink?”
“No, thanks.”
“I need a water. Follow me.”
She walks ahead of me to the kitchen, and my eyes are pinned to her round ass. I remember how the globes of those cheeks feel in my hands as she rides me. I remember everything.
“Sure you don’t want some?”
I try to swallow around my dry tongue and just nod. “Turns out, I do.”
She passes me a bottle and then takes a sip of her own.
“So, is the tour over?” I ask.
“Yes, and I’m on vacation.” She frowns slightly, staring down at her water. “Forced vacation.”
“Why?”
She blinks up at me. “Because I was exhausted, and the doctor insisted.”
I narrow my eyes again, pissed that she worked herself into exhaustion. “Starla—”
“I’m fine,” she insists. “And I’m already feeling better. Also, I owe you an apology.”
That stops me short. “No, you don’t.”
“Oh, I do.” She takes another sip, then sets the bottle aside and leans on the island. I get a great view of her cleavage.
She’s too sexy for her own damn good.
“I’m sorry I didn’t reply to your messages, Levi.”
“Why didn’t you?”
She blows out a breath. “Because I was a little overwhelmed. The sex was—”
“Damn incredible.”
“Yeah. It was. Intense is also a good word for it, and I get the feeling that you’re an intense man.”
I nod once. “If I hurt you or scared you—”
“No, it’s not that at all,” she hurries to assure me. “I didn’t do anything that I didn’t want or enjoy. I’m sorry if I gave you that impression. I hadn’t been with a man in a long time, and we have some powerful chemistry.”
That’s the understatement of the year. I can feel the electricity flowing between us like a rushing river.
“That’s really all I’m comfortable saying right now,” she admits and swallows.
“That’s enough.”
For now.
“Are you safe?”
Her eyes are wide again as she stares at me, flustered by the question.
“Yeah. I am.”
“Good.” I nod and then turn to leave, but before I get to the door, I decide fuck it and turn back to her. “I’ll pick you up at seven for dinner. Casual.”
“Levi.”
I raise a brow, and she smiles.
“I’ll be ready.”
“Mer’s talked about this place,” Starla says after I park and open the door for her. “She says they have the best burgers in Seattle.”
“Red Mill is the best,” I agree with a smile and link my fingers with hers as we cross the parking lot to the front of the building. It’s tiny, usually with a line out the door. The restaurant only boasts about ten tables, so seating is a challenge.
Miraculously, we’ve come at a good time because we get right in to order, and find a corner table to eat.
“This is . . . cute.” She wrinkles her nose as she looks around.
“I know it seems like a greasy spoon place, but just wait until you taste this burger. You’ll be in heaven.”
“Do you come here often?” She braces her chin on her hand and watches me with happy blue eyes. Her lashes are long, but she’s not wearing any makeup. Her auburn hair is tucked up in a blond wig, which made me laugh when she opened the door earlier.
“Only a few times a year. Any more than that, it would become an addiction.”
“You guys have built it up so big, what if I don’t love it?”
“You will.”
My name is called, so I fetch our dinner, set the tray on the table, and we retrieve our orders.
Starla immediately bites into her burger, and I watch, waiting to see her reaction.
She chews, then sighs in delight.
“Smm gmmd.”
I take a bite and laugh. “What was that?”
“So good.” She wipes her mouth and pops a fry. “If the house next door was for sale, I’d buy it so I could eat here every day.”
“See? Addictive. I wouldn’t steer you wrong.”
“I believe you.”
We’re quiet as we eat. I was hungrier than I thought, and concentrating on eating takes the focus away from wanting to strip her bare and have my way with her.
I don’t remember ever feeling this carnal about a woman. I’ve wanted my fair share, but it’s never been a primal need.
Until her.
And it seems the weeks since I last saw her didn’t diminish the need in the least. If anything, it intensified it. But I’m not going to scare her away this time. So, even if it kills me—and it just might—I’m going to take my time with her.
“My fries are gone.” She pouts, then eyes my basket. I slide it toward her.
“Help yourself.”
“I don’t want to eat your dinner.”
“Okay.”
I move to pull it back, but she snatches it away, making me laugh.
“But if you’re going to offer, I don’t want to hurt your feelings.” She winks at me and takes a few of my fries. “You and Mer were right. This place is the bomb.”
“We’ll come back.”
Her back is to the room, and my eyes constantly move around the space, keeping a tally of who’s here and where they are.
“Do you ever turn the cop off?” she wonders as she finishes my fries.
“No.”
She cocks a brow. “Ever? Because you weren’t very cop-like that night.”
“I’m always a cop,” I say simply. “Whether I’m in my office or inside you, that doesn’t change.”
Her cheeks pinken as she takes a sip of her drink. “It’s fascinating to watch you in public.”
“Why?”
“You’re always watchful.”
“Part of that is habit, and part of it is because I’m with you.”
She tips her head to the side. “Why me?”
“Because you’re you, and your safety is always my top priority.”
“Listen, if what I do for a living makes you uncomfortable—”
“It doesn’t,” I assure her. “But you can’t deny that going out in public makes you a target. You’re wearing a disguise for God’s sake.”
�
�I wear it all the time. It’s just easier.”
“And it’s habit for me to know the room.” I take her hand. “Regardless if you’re famous or the girl next door, your safety is the priority.”
“So, chivalry isn’t dead after all.”
She smiles, lighting up the whole fucking room.
“It shouldn’t be. My mama raised me right.”
“Remind me to thank her.”
She frowns as if she shouldn’t have said that, but I bring her fingers to my lips and kiss her knuckles. “I’ll do that. Shall we go?”
“Sure, they probably need the table.”
We gather our trash and dump it on the way out of the building. One younger girl does a double-take at Starla, but I hurry her out of the restaurant and to my vehicle.
I drive back across the city to Alki Beach where Starla’s staying. The sun is about to set.
“It’s a pretty day,” she says with a sigh, watching the city pass by.
“Summer’s almost over,” I reply.
“Time flies,” she murmurs, and then we’re quiet the rest of the way to her place. I park in the driveway, but rather than lead her to her door, I stop on the sidewalk.
“Take a walk with me?”
She nods happily. “It’s too nice to go inside.”
I link her fingers with mine, and we walk the block or so down to the waterfront, wandering along the paved path. Families are having picnic dinners, couples walk and wait for the sunset.
Kites fly, boats float past.
It’s something out of a postcard.
“It smells good,” Starla says, taking a deep breath.
When we’ve reached the end of the public beach, I lead her to an empty bench. We sit, and she immediately scoots next to me, leaning into me and resting her head on my shoulder. Jesus, she fits perfectly right here next to me, like a puzzle piece.
“I’m going to take this walk every evening,” she says as if she’s talking to herself. I want to warn her not to, that she’s too recognizable to walk here alone. But she’s a grown woman, and if a walk along the waterfront makes her happy, who am I to tell her no?
I’ll just make sure I’m here to walk with her.
“The sun is slipping away,” she murmurs.
The sky is a riot of purple and orange, painting a gorgeous picture for us. I’m as comfortable and content as I’ve ever been. The exhaustion and frustration from the past few months has lifted after just a couple of hours of being with this woman.
After the sun slides into the water, we stand and start the walk back to her place. The sky is a deep purple when we reach her door.
“Do you want to come in?” she asks.
I lean on the doorframe and sigh. “I want to come in more than I want to breathe, but I won’t. Not tonight.”
I drag my fingertips down her smooth cheek.
“Okay.” Her eyes fall to my lips. I won’t sleep with her tonight, but I’m no saint. I can’t keep my lips away from her. From the look in her baby blue eyes, I’d say she wants a kiss as much as I do.
I frame her neck and jaw in my hands and lean into her. Her lips touch mine, and I’m gone, slipping into the sweet haze of lust that comes whenever I’m close to her.
She holds onto my sides as if she needs something to ground her as I plunder her mouth, exploring, reacquainting myself with her.
She’s sweet. Sexy.
Delicious.
But I slowly pull away and smile down at her.
“Thank you for going to dinner with me tonight.”
She licks her lips, surely still tasting me there.
“Thanks for asking me.”
I laugh. “I think I told you.”
“I could have said no.”
I cock a brow. “Could you?”
“I could.” She clears her throat and squares her shoulders. Her sassiness turns me on even more. “I’m attracted to you, Levi. I like you. But make no mistake, I’m a strong woman, and if I didn’t want you here, I would tell you so.”
I nod and kiss her forehead. “Good.”
She opens the door to walk into the house and glances back at me with a smile.
“I’ll text you tomorrow. I’d appreciate a reply.”
“I can do that.”
She closes the door, and I walk to my 4-Runner. I’m not ready to go home, but Wyatt’s busy with a deadline, so walking over to his place is out of the question.
I shoot our other brother, Jace, a text.
Are you home?
I pull out of Starla’s driveway and head back toward my place, a condo in the heart of downtown. It’s convenient to work.
I’m at a stop sign when Jace replies.
Sorry, no. At the hospital. Emergency?
I shoot off a quick reply. No. I’ll be over for breakfast.
Jace sends back the thumbs-up emoji. It seems I’m headed home, after all.
~Starla~
“I freaking love this car,” Meredith says while bouncing in the passenger seat of my new ride. “Jaguars don’t suck.”
“No. They don’t.” I laugh at my friend and fiddle with the air conditioning. “Summer sure is hanging in there.”
“This is definitely warm for September,” she agrees. “But I’m not complaining because soon, it’ll be cold and rainy. I’m enjoying every minute of summer.”
“Good point.” I merge onto the freeway, driving away from Meredith’s home in the suburbs toward downtown. She picked me up this morning, and we bought this new little F-Type. I like the sporty feel of the car, and that it has so much get up and go.
Once the purchase was finished, I followed Mer back to her place where we dropped off her car and hopped in my new one, ready to go shopping in downtown Seattle.
“Thanks for going with me,” I say with a smile. “Jax and Logan had something come up today.”
“Oh, it was entirely my pleasure to watch you work that salesman. He didn’t know what hit him.”
“I’m just good at getting my way when I need to.” I hook my hair behind my ear. “And if he thought I was going to pay that much over MSRP just because I can, he clearly doesn’t know me.”
“Well, he does now,” she replies. “And you have a killer car.”
“Where should we go first?” I check the time on the dash. “We lost the morning to car shopping.”
“Let’s go to the market last,” she says, referring to Pike’s Place Market. “I’ll want fresh flowers, and they won’t survive in the car.”
“Good call. Me, too. Retail therapy then?”
“Hell, yes.” She shimmies in the seat. “I told Mark I was about to do some serious damage to the credit card.”
“Does he care about stuff like that?”
“Not really, I just like to torment him.” She points to the parking garage under Nordstrom. “I’d park in there. It’s central and safe.”
“Perfect.”
Once we’re parked and inside the building, it’s like Christmas. We walk through all of the luxury shops: Louis Vuitton, Chanel, and Gucci among others. I find a gorgeous bag in Chanel but leave without it, deciding to think about it.
“I don’t know why you passed that up,” Meredith says as she sips on her Starbucks, holding her own Louis Vuitton shopping bag. “It’s seriously so you.”
“I know, but I also liked the bag in Gucci.”
She raises a brow. “Star, I don’t know if you know this, but you can afford it.”
I cringe. “I know, but it seems self-indulgent.”
“You just came off a thirteen-month tour where you worked yourself into exhaustion.” She shakes her head. “Seriously, if you want to buy the damn bags, buy them. All of them. Enjoy them.”
I’m watching her, soaking in what she’s saying. “Why am I so bad at rewarding myself for a job well done?”
“Oh, you don’t have time for that level of therapy.” She sips her drink. “I could sit here and list twenty reasons just off the top of my head.”
“That was before,” she says quietly, watching me with those big blue eyes. “Since then, you’ve done nothing but punish yourself.”
I think about Levi, that night after the show and yesterday, and feel a smile slowly spread over my face.
“You’re holding out on me,” she says, grabbing my arm. “Spill it. Right now. Or I won’t be your friend anymore.”
“Liar.” I laugh and sip my frap as we walk back toward Nordy’s and the shops where I’ve decided to spend a ridiculous amount of money. “You’d never desert me. You love me too much.”
“Okay, that’s true,” she concedes. “But you have to tell me.”
“Well, you’re right in that I’ve carried guilt. I’m still carrying it, but I think it’s fading a bit over time.”
“Get to the good stuff.”
“You’re so impatient.” I laugh as I hold the door open for her, and we walk into the blessedly air-conditioned building. “And this is not a conversation to be had while I buy out Chanel.”
“Later then. In the car. I need to know everything.”
“Deal.”
I walk to the sales associate who was helping us earlier and smile.
“You’re back,” she says warmly. I like her. She never made a fuss about who I am, even though I could see in her eyes from the minute we walked in that she recognized me.
“We are,” I agree and point to the bag that caught my eye. “And I’ve come back for her.”
“It’s such a great piece to add to your collection,” she says with a smile and reaches in a cupboard for one that hasn’t been on display.
“But that’s not all.” I smile at Mer, who nods in support. “There’s another one over here that I think I need to have.”
“Well, let’s take a look then,” she says with a broad smile.
Yes, we’re about to make her day.
Two hours and thousands of dollars later, we’re walking to the car, loaded down with bags and smiles.
“We shouldn’t leave these in the car while we walk to the market,” Mer says and frowns.
“Definitely not,” I agree and click my fob to unlock the doors. The car is small, so fitting all of the bags and boxes in the backseat is a challenge, but they fit.
And I’ve broken out in a sweat.
“Maybe we should skip the market today,” I suggest. “We can always go another day.”
Dance With Me Page 3