Water kissed the shoreline, making a soft rippling sound. Behind her, the boat rubbed against its bumper.
She looked up at him. “I was wondering... I know I said I was just staying a couple weeks, but I was thinking of staying a while longer, here at the inn. That is, if you still have room for me and you wouldn’t mind.”
His eyes lit a fraction of a second before the corners of his lips turned up. “We do have room. And I’d like that a lot.”
Relief washed through her. “Desperate to fill up those rooms, huh?”
Those crinkles came out to play. “You have no idea. How long can you stay?”
“Well... I don’t have to be on set until July twenty-second. And I’m just not ready to go back yet. The folks here are great. They treat me like I’m one of them.” There was a lot more to it than that, but she didn’t want to scare him too badly. “It’s kind of nice.”
His lips twitched. “It’s the townsfolk you don’t want to leave, huh?”
She gave him a saucy look. “And the inn.”
“Anything else?”
“Well...” She frowned thoughtfully. “Let’s see, there’s Molly and Grace and Della. They’re pretty great too.”
He smirked. “That it?”
She blinked her wide eyes. “Am I forgetting something?”
He stepped closer, his eyes trained on hers, growing more intent.
A shiver of anticipation passed through her as she fell into his enigmatic gaze.
“Maybe I can help you remember...” he said, his voice as thick as honey.
And then his lips were on hers. She instantly forgot everything but the warmth of his pliant lips, the softness of his reverent touch, the strength of his muscled chest pressed against her heart.
“Can’t get enough of you,” he whispered against her mouth a long, delicious moment later.
“Don’t stop trying.”
His lips curved against hers. His arms tightened around her waist, pulling her closer. She hadn’t known he was exactly what she needed until he was here, in her arms, in her life. She didn’t know how she’d live without him when she left. But she didn’t want to think about it just now. Maybe they’d find a way...
Somewhere in the distance a throat cleared loudly. “Um... hello?”
Grace.
“Go away,” Levi grumbled against Mia’s mouth.
“It’s not enough I have to see this in my Facebook feed,” Grace muttered. “Listen, I don’t mean to interrupt, but Molly has to leave, and she sent me after you. So there. I’ve done my duty. I’m leaving now.”
Mia pulled away, unable to tear her gaze from the half-lidded look on Levi’s face. She brushed her thumb across his cheek. “You have work.”
“What’s that?”
She fought a smile. “Molly’s waiting for you.”
“Molly who?”
She chuckled as he gave her one last kiss, one last sexy smile, and headed up the sloped yard.
***
Levi didn’t even try to fight the goofy grin as he slipped inside the inn’s back door. He’d had a great time with Mia this morning. She was fun to talk to. Smart, sweet, a little saucy. She kept him on his toes in the best kind of way.
