“Okay...”
She gave him a long, unreadable look. “I feel a little silly. It turns out I was wrong about him using me. I guess he really did have feelings for me.”
Levi gritted his teeth. He guessed Wesley wasn’t finished with his games. “He wants you back. He’s trying to charm you back into his arms.”
“What? No, Levi. That’s not it.”
“Don’t be naïve, Mia. I mean, it’s fine if you don’t want to continue with this, you and me. But don’t buy into this guy’s lies.”
Mia’s eyes warmed as they roved over his face. “Isit fine if I don’t want to continue with this?”
His heart squeezed hard. That was a lie, and unlike Wesley, he wasn’t going to play games with Mia. Even if he wound up humiliated by his admission.
Levi’s shoulders sank, even as his eyes held hers. “No. It’s not fine at all. Not with me. But if that’s what you want...”
What? He’d understand? He’d be okay? He’d support her decision? None of that was true either. He sighed.
She skimmed her fingers along his cheek, her touch leaving a trail of fire. All she had to do was touch him, and his whole body hummed. He feared he’d never find that with someone else.
“It’s not what I want,” she said. “Wes didn’t come here to resume our relationship. And even if he did... I’m not interested in him. I’m interested in you, Levi. Only you.”
Relief filled all the spaces around his heart. Her admission made him feel like he could levitate right off the bench. Words scrambled in his brain and clogged in his throat.
Her eyes lighted mischievously as she brushed his cheek. “Now’s when you tell me you’re interested too.”
His laugh escaped on a breath. He took her hand and set a gentle kiss on her fingers. “Interesteddoesn’t begin to cover it.” He didn’t want to scare her off withI love you, even though his head was screaming with the words. It was too soon for that. But it wasn’t too soon for the kiss he placed on her lips.
A few lingering moments later Mia pulled away, a hand pressed lightly to his chest. “I think I might have a little growing to do. I seem to have a little problem opening up. I may be a little guarded. A little reluctant to let someone else in.”
“Why do you think that is? The business you’re in? Your mom? Your dad?”
“Maybe all of the above. Mostly my dad’s leaving, I think. Even now, with you, it’s so scary. My heart’s beating so hard just admitting this to you.”
“We all have issues and problems, Mia.” He held her hand tightly against his chest. “And you don’t have to be worried about anything you tell me. You can trust me with your thoughts and feelings. I’ll try my best to be a safe place to fall.”
Her eyes filled with tears. “I’m afraid I’m going to push you away like I did Wes.”
“If I feel that happening, I’ll tell you. We’ll talk about it. This is a process, a journey. Neither of us is perfect, Mia.”
“You’re so good to me, Levi. So patient.”
“You deserve all that and more,” he said. Then he lifted her chin and set a soft kiss to her lips.
thirty-six
Mia awakened to a text buzzing on her phone. She stretched, too cozy to get up just yet. Buttery sunlight filtered through the drapes, warming the room with a golden light. Familiar morning noises sounded in other parts of the inn: floorboards creaking, suitcases rolling by, air conditioning kicking on. According to the mantel clock it was after ten.
A smile curled her lips as she thought back to the evening before. Back to Levi and the sweet confession of his feelings. Back to his promising kisses. He’d had to return to work after their talk, but they’d spent the evening together last night. He’d made her dinner, and they’d eaten alone in the dining room. She’d never had a man cook for her before.
Who would know that her ex-fiancé’s appearance would actually be good for her relationship with Levi? It had forced them to declare their feelings and brought them closer together.
She frowned as she remembered what Wes had told her. She’d never meant to hold back. It hadn’t been a conscious decision but an automatic defense mechanism. She supposed a girl didn’t get abandoned by her father without certain ramifications.
It hadn’t been pleasant to hear. It was much easier to blame their failed relationship on Wes. She’d have to be more aware of that tendency going forward so she didn’t drag baggage into her relationships. Into her relationship with Levi. It would be scary, but the alternative—failed relationships—was even more terrifying.
She thought again of Levi and his patience with her yesterday. She’d originally thought he’d be a short-term thing, but that had changed for her. Her feelings had deepened, and she was no longer willing to just let him go.
She hoped he felt the same about her.
