His gaze slid to her chest. “Your chest seems to be rising and falling just fine.” Levi’s focus in the vicinity of her breasts did more funny things to her equilibrium.
“And now my heart is hammering.” The bow tie slid from her fingers, falling half-tied against his tux as she gripped those slim, refined lapels of his for balance.
Not flight, then. If he wasn’t careful, there would be an attack of the hormone variety. “You should have someone else do your bow tie. I’m too jittery.”
He slid his hand farther up her back and tangled it in her long hair. “How can I calm you? I’m a master, you know.” He peppered her jaw with delicate kisses. “Calming during times of crisis. It came with my old job.”
Calming during times of crisis? Oh God. She had ideas.Lotsof ideas. Ones that ended in a climax for the ultimate calm.
The expression on her face must have given her away, because he leaned forward and kissed her again, this time cupping her jaw and parting his mouth.
Emily wrapped her arms around his shoulders and pulled his firm chest against hers, the heat of him sending shivers through her. Levi Cade was kissing her.Her.Emily Wright.
“You’re thinking too much,” he murmured against her lips, sliding his mouth down her throat and sending a shockwave of sensation south of her waist.
“Because you’rekissingme.”
He looked up devilishly. “And I’m enjoying it.”
Knock, knock, knock.
Emily jerked back at the sound of someone at the door. But forgot she was on a stool. Her balanced failed, her body heading backward—
With his arms still loosely around her, Levi tightened his hold and caught her. He lifted her off the stool and set her on the ground.
Her chest rose and fell rapidly.“Shit.”
“Who is it?” he called out, a light smile on his face as he gazed at her. He seemed more relaxed than he should be. They were at work, making out in her office. Why wasn’t he freaking out right now?
“Levi? Is that you?”
Levi’s head swiveled to the side, his body going rigid at the same time Emily recognized the voice beyond the door.
She glanced once more at him, but his face had smoothed of its temporary paralysis to something resembling calm. But she’d caught it. That look of shame, or pain—she wasn’t sure. And the seductive smile he’d worn earlier had disappeared entirely.
Emily walked over and opened the door.
“Hey.” Lisa looked past Emily to Levi. “I didn’t realize… Here.” She shoved Emily’s black bag at her. “You left this at my place. I thought you’d need it. I’ve never seen you without your phone.”
“Thank you.” Emily held the bag with stiff fingers, unease washing over her.
She glanced at Levi. He was staring at her sister.
And Emily was suddenly an outsider. Invisible.
This was Lisa’s boyfriend. Not Emily’s. Never hers. What did she think she was doing kissing him?
A retching sensation cramped her stomach. “I’ll let you two get reacquainted.”
Emily swept out the door and practically ran down the hall in her attempt to get away.
Chapter 14
There wasn’ttime to consider the ache constricting her heart after Levi kissed her then heard her sister’s voice and turned cold. Reality sank in fast. Levi was still hung up on Lisa, and whatever connection existed between him and Emily was irrelevant.
She numbly entered the ballroom and the Shin Electronics party. And that was when everything else started to fall apart.
Bran strode across the room, meeting her partway. His typically ruffled blond hair was combed smartly to the side and back, but his eyes were overly bright and panicked looking. “I just heard from hospitality that someone has food poisoning. They’re claiming one of our restaurants is to blame.” He ran his hand through his smooth hair, rumpling it. “We’ve got to do something. Can you fix it?”
