Page 26 of Heartbreak Hero

There had to be more to it.

His palms tingled and his hands felt empty after caressing her curves.

It was times like this that he regretted he’d quit smoking.

Back at Mandy’s house, Sara took off her dress and hung it in the closet in her room.

The upstairs bedroom had been cleared, and last Sunday, they’d even gone shopping for a new bedspread. She had splurged and hung a few seascapes on the wall.

Making her way into the bathroom, she showered, skipped washing her hair, and pulled on a pair of pale pink pajamas. The bruises on her legs had turned purple, but hopefully they would fade soon.

Sitting on the edge of the bed, she gazed around the room.

She loved it here already, and she mostly felt safe.

Not like when she was with Levi, but mostly.

Maybe feeling completely safe when she was alone would come over time? She hoped so, but until that day came, she had to be diligent.

Standing, she wandered over to the balcony doors, slid them open, and stepped outside to gaze up at the stars.

“Sara.”

Her name whispered loudly from below had her gazing over the balcony and down to find Levi Huxley.

“What are you doing here?” she hissed.

He smirked.

“Did you follow me home?” She glared, but it was probably lost in the distance.

“Would you have given me your address if I had asked?” he drawled.

She gripped the railing and curled her toes. He looked too damned sexy in his tux with the bow tie unbuttoned, shirt sleeves cuffed up his strong forearms. He’d left the jacket somewhere and she glanced around to find a black limousine parked a bit down the block.

“No, I wouldn’t have,” she finally answered. “What are you doing here?” she asked again.

“Stand back, I’m coming up,” he whispered loudly and took a running jump.

Oh, sweet Jesus! She didn’t stand back. Instead, she leaned over to watch him climb up the drainpipe on the side of the house. It should have buckled under his weight, but Levi moved so quickly that it didn’t have time, and before she knew it, he leaped up and over the railing just like a jungle cat.

She did back up then and gripped the sliding door. She found herself looking him over, memorizing his frame. His lips were firm, his jaw square, and his eyes piercing even though she couldn’t see the blue in the dark. His hands were huge—that probably accounted for the size of his…her eyes dropped to his crotch and she flushed.

Levi was too male.

He made her pulse race and her heart beat way too fast. Being this close to him reminded her of the night they’d spent together.

His nearness reminded her of the hot, aching kiss outside of the event.

Levi leaned a hip against the railing, not moving closer, and maybe that was why she released her death grip on the slider.

She chewed her bottom lip and his gaze zoomed to her mouth.

He took a slow step toward her and she backed up through the open door.

He took another step and she froze, indecisive. She could shut the door on him. In fact, she suspected that he was waiting for her to do just that.

But for some insane reason, she didn’t.

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