“You lookbeautiful.”
My face heats a thousand times over, and my body breaks out into a sweat. I’ve been called a lot of things by boys in my life, but beautiful isn’t one of them. Our eyes lock for a strangulating moment as my heart does its best to knife its way from my chest. I’m pretty sure a date at the morgue isn’t quite what Levi had in mind, so I make the first move toward the door. Another second alone with him might have led to a myocardial infarction that would have sent me to heaven and not in the way I’ve been fantasizing that hewould.
Levi drives us out of Hollow Brook Hills and into Hollow Meadows, another ritzy area that borders Hollow Brook. All signs of humble houses are long gone as we enter the arena of the mega mansions, row after exasperatingly long row. I knew Raven came from money, but I had no idea she sprung from royalty or at least as close as you can get in North Carolina. We pull up to a circular drive with a bevy of different, pricey rides all parked in a row. Levi leads me in and takes up my hand as soon as we walk through the oversized glass doors leading into thepalace.
“You mind?” He winces through a smile, but his touch warms me straight to my toes, and I would pay him all of the spare change I’m currently deficient in to have him hold me like this allnightlong.
“Evie would be pissed if you didn’t.” I nudge my shoulder playfullyintohis.
Levi leads us to the back of the marbled-floored, limestone-walled ode to all things wealthy home. If the foyer, the grand sweeping double stairwell, the oversized family portrait—Raven’s hair looks impeccable by the way, Levi and Chip look startlingly handsome per usual, and my heart goes pitter-patter for the both of them because I can’t tell which one is which—anyhoo, if none of the architectural details of the home gave it away, it’s clear the Mastersons are exorbitantly wealthy. It’s all a bit over-the-top in the luxury department, but it screams old money, and now that’s something new moneycan’tbuy.
Levi stops us shy of the rear yard, where dozens of people mill around swilling champagne flutes in their hands and noshing on what looks like shrimp the size of your hand, and suddenly the pescetarian in me is very gladIcame.
Levi steps in close, his chest searing over mine, and I can feel his minty breath blowing softly over me as he pumps out a drysmile.
“We’ll be quick,” he whispers it hot over my lips, and my heart implodes on impact. I’m betting Levi isn’t quick when it comes to the important things. He lifts my chin gently until I’m snared into his gaze. “Inandout.”
That tender spot between my legs gives way to a spasm, because holy hell—a littlein and outsounds like something I would very much appreciate rightaboutnow.
“In and out,” I whisper breathy without meaning to. I give a quick glance at the patio and spot Chip—handsome as he might be he’s still a grade A asshole in my book. I see Bonnie, Raven’s lookalike mother, holding the baby whose christening gown might just double as her wedding dress one day—it’s that long. Just past her sits a stunning brunette with full, vampy red lips, eyelids smoldering to perfection that alert me to the fact she knows how to wield a mean makeup brush. It’s not easy to pull off that look and not come out on the other end of it looking like a raccoon. “Who’s the girl next to your mother?” Normally, I wouldn’t divert the attention of someone I’m interested in away from me, but let’s face it, Levi is basically off-limits and I’m curious as to why that smoky-eyed beauty queen just took the baby and shoved her under that expensive blouse of hers. Bonnie seems completely content to let the supermodel smother hergrandchild.
“That’s Mer.” He grunts and sodoI.
“Are you sure that’s Mer? What happened to the girl I met at the hospital?” I stop shy of adding the factMeris supposed to be plain as a pancake both on the maternity bed and off. Crap. It looks like she chose to forgo a bagful of Sephora’s goodies on D-Day and completely tricked me into believing she wasn’t any competition in theleast.
“I’m positive.” His fingers glide over my back, warm and commanding, but I’m still stuck on the fact I too have been duped by hisshadyex.
“Oh, wow.” It comes out slow and catatonic. “She’s stunning.” I’m not sure why, but the urge to claw at her feels like a real one. It’s as if she’s pulled the beauty queen card when I wasn’t looking, and suddenly it’s me that feels plain aspaper.
Levi wraps his strong arms around my waist. His Caribbean blue eyes needle into mine. “Honey, she’s not the stunning one—youare.”
My stomach squeezes tight when he says those words, and all I can do is blush like a sillyschoolgirl.
He touches his forehead to mine a brief moment and sets off a wave of lust in me. “Trust me, you are every bit beautiful inside and out. She doesn’t have a thing on you.” He ticks his head to the side wistfully as we make our way out among themasses.
Bonnie and Chip scuttle right over, and we exchangeniceties.
“You’re still here!” Bonnie’s eyes grow wild as if this were a feat. “Outside of Meredith, Levi hasn’t had a steady girl. If I see you again, I’ll expect an engagement ring.” She gives my nose a playful tap while chortling up astorm.
“The sooner, the better.” I wrap an arm around Levi and bat my lashes up at him expectantly. He’s built like a monster truck, and with those pearly whites and baby blues, I’d say yes on the spot before ever taking this bad boy for a test drive. I’m guessing he knows exactly how to use his ample equipment and handle mine. Come to find out, underneath that rugged, grumpy exterior he’s pretty much a softie. I’m even betting he’d make sure I got to the finish linefirst.
“What’s this?” Meredith pops up, and upon closer inspection she looks less supermodel and more runner-up at a Goth beauty pageant. Okay, so I might be a bit resentful of her sudden need to look like a stunner, but only because my heart wrenches at the thought of Levi wanting her back. She’s poison. She slept withChipfor God’s sake. Ergo she’s rotted out her vagina with his brother’s semen. She’s completely off-limits to him, but men aren’t ruled by logic. They’re ruled by their smaller far more stiffer and greedy for pleasure flesh-coveredswords.
Chip nudges her in the arm. “They’re talkingengagement.”
Meredith tips her head to the sky and belts out a laugh. “Please.” She blinks back the moisture building in her eyes from what I’m guessing are the comedic circumstances. Doesn’t she wish. “Levi, you’ve got to be kidding me. Please don’t string the poor thing along.” She leans in, and I hate myself for secretly admiring that glow of her complexion. My God, Ihaveto get the name of her esthetician. “Do yourself a favor and find someone in your age bracket.” She glances down to my feet, then right back up again as if she wants to add my financial bracket as well. “Levi is just some old pervert looking for agoodtime.”
Bitch. I shed anaughtygrin.
“Lucky for him I’m looking for a good time myself.” I reach up and curl a finger under his chin, stealing a moment to scratch that scruff he’s been wielding my way like a psychological weapon of sexual warfare. “And a good time is had by all,dirtyand often. Isn’t that right,Boobear?”
“That’s right, Peaches,” he grits it through his teeth. I’ll admit it might be uncomfortable trying to prove your virility with your mother around. And just like that, Bonnie takes off for a group of friends across the yard as ifoncue.
“In fact—” I hike up on my tiptoes. Even in heels I can hardly lift my lips to his cheek. “Levi here really knows how to take that whole bedroom rodeo thing to a whole new level.” I tap my fingers over my lips as I return my attention to Meredith and her obnoxious good looks. “But you know all about that,don’tyou?”
Both she and Chip attempt to choke out a response, but it’s clear I’ve rendered them speechless and hopefully with enough rompin’ stompin’ naked cowboy boot-wearing visuals to last alifetime.
I graze my finger over Levi’s lips, and he gently bites down over the tip. “That’s right,” I sing. “This boy can tie my arms and legs up to the bedpost in less than ten seconds flat.” I poke my finger back into his pie hole, past those full, perfectly formed lips, and feel the heat of his mouth melt over me. An entire series of warm vibrations echo off that one heated exchange, and I’m ready for far more traction that will hopefully lead to some serious mattress action. That bedpost thing sounds like a good startingpoint.
