“Right. I better get going.” He strode to the side table near the door and grabbed his keys and phone. He paused, looking around. It seemed strange to leave Emily in his home…and also comforting.
Next time he’d hire a professional dog sitter. Even if they were friends, he was havingveryfriendly thoughts about his assistant. Of the naked variety, and it wasn’t helping his restraint. She was trying to do him a favor, and all he could think about was pulling her into his arms and running his hands and lips across her skin.
“We’re taking a small plane into SFO,” he said. “I’ll be back around eleven. Grace will be fine for a few hours on her own, so don’t feel you need to stay late on her account.”
“Sure. Fly safe.” She sat on the couch, and Grace joined her. Emily immediately started petting and rubbing her, making his dog as happy as he’d ever seen the old girl.
Levi nodded and got the hell out of there before he did something stupid like kiss Emily goodbye. And why did walking out without touching her feel like torture?
This was a bad idea. A stupid, no-brained plan. All for what? To get closer to Emily outside of work? Which he’d decided was a bad idea anyway, because they’d never be a couple. She was his most important employee, helping him more than she could know, with her clever ideas and knowledge that made Club Tahoe run smoothly.
“Don’t screw it up,” he mumbled to himself as he walked to his SUV.
He climbed into the driver’s side wearing dark jeans and a button-down. Thank God he didn’t have to wear a suit. Dressed-up casual was good enough for Wes’s buddy, even if this was a working dinner. He pulled out of the driveway and tried to not think of the beautiful woman he’d manipulated into watching his dog. He’d kick himself for it later.
Once he got home and had a stern talk with himself about boundaries.
Chapter 20
Levi openedthe car door and stepped out, yawning and stretching his back. The meeting with Wes’s golf pro buddy was a bust. They’d made it into the city and had just sat down for dinner when Wes and his friend started slamming shots. Work talk quickly went out the window, and Wes ended up taking a woman home. Which left Levi to listen to giggling and other noises he’d rather not have overheard on the small jet he’d paid an arm and a leg for. Levi didn’t care or want to know how Wes planned to get the girl back to SF. He was too pissed at his brother for setting up what amounted to an expensive hookup, and on the company’s budget, no less. It had been a total waste of Levi’s time.
He headed for the house, and stopped in the middle of the driveway. He frowned at Emily’s small silver car still parked there. In his exhausted state, he’d somehow missed it when he drove in.
He checked the time. It was nearly midnight. She should have gone home hours ago.
He opened the front door and slowly walked inside. The lights were dimmed, and at first he didn’t see her. And then he glanced at the couch.
Someplace deep in his chest, his heart pulsed and expanded, warmth spreading throughout his limbs. Emily was lying on her back asleep—with Grace on top of her. Just like he’d found them in her office the other day. Only this time, Emily didn’t wake. Her arm lay across Grace, and their heads were close together.
Levi stared at the ceiling. If she were only attractive, he could stay away. He’d been able to keep his distance from beautiful women for months and it hadn’t been difficult. But with Emily, things were different. This show of beauty had nothing to do with appearance, and he was defenseless against it.
He hadn’t planned for her in his life. Nor had he mapped out their future the way he had with Lisa, visualizing something bright and shiny, never to be achieved. This business with Emily was messy, and also the most real thing he’d experienced in a long time. Maybe in forever. He hadn’t planned on her, but she’d become an important part of his life regardless, and not simply at work. She’d hooked him without him realizing it, and now he teetered on the edge of doing something more stupid than the stupid shit he’d already found himself in lately.
He had to wake her. Get her out of here, before he acted on his impulses. Because nothing had changed. Club Tahoe was still his top priority. But he didn’t want her driving home tired…
He set his keys and phone on the side table, and Grace looked up. She challenged him with her doggy eyes to take her from her new cushion.
He shook his head and walked toward the back of the house and his bedroom, Emily still sound asleep. He’d change, then wake her and drive her home. Or offer for her to stay the night—no, that wasn’t a good idea. He’d toss and turn on the couch thinking of her in his bed.
He’d drive her home and that was that.
Levi closed the bedroom door partway and grabbed a pair of sweatpants and a T-shirt. He unbuttoned his shirt and tugged it off, pulling his jeans off next. He’d just gotten the band of his sweatpants around his hips when he heard a creaking sound outside the bedroom door.
He turned and Emily was standing there, not four feet away, staring at his bared chest.
Her face flushed, and he hastily reached for the T-shirt. But she wasn’t looking away. Instead, her gaze rose to his.
Levi swallowed and took a step closer.Bad idea. Leave the woman alone.
She still didn’t turn or step back, which would have made his decision easier. Nope. Instead her tongue darted out and she wet her lips.
No man was this strong. Not when a woman like Emily was staring at him with desire in her eyes.
“Sorry…I heard something and came back to see what it was. I’ll just…go,” she said.
“You came back here because you heard a noise?” He frowned, bracing his fingers on his hips. “What if I had been an intruder?”
Her gaze was locked on his body. “I couldn’t leave Grace,” she said absently.
