Page 53 of Heartbreak Hero

Was he once again going to become the cold-as-ice bodyguard? A knot formed in her throat when she thought about the first time she’d met him and of how he’d treated her so coldly.

The encounter had been after her stalker boyfriend had attacked them and run. It had been while the cops had been milling about inside and outside of her house.

Levi had been standing in her kitchen, and Sara had tried to convince him not to go out when he was wounded.

“Get out of my way,” Levi had snarled down into her face, but Sara stayed firm. She couldn’t have him out there getting hurt more, and she hadn’t fully understood why at the time. They hadn’t known each other all that well, but Levi had made an impression on her with his cold, stony exterior and blistering blue eyes.

“You got hit in the head with a gun,” she desperately pointed out.

“Look, I have to go after Chris and stop him before he hurts Lily. And nothing you say or do can stop me,” Levi snarled.

She gripped him, but Levi jerked her hands away and put distance between them.

Sara felt like crying, but she held it in and tried one last time. “He has your gun.”

“Keep your voice down. If you’re trying to protect him, you can fucking forget it.”

Protecting her best friend’s stalker had been the last thing on Sara’s mind, and it had been a knee-jerk reaction when she slapped Levi in the face.

Her wrists were caught and he had backed her up against the wall, lifting her arms over her head. Bowing her back, her breasts had pushed against his muscled chest. Her nipples had tightened, and she felt the heat gather between her legs.

That had been her first rush of desire for him.

When she gasped and searched his cold blue eyes, he tightened his grip around her wrists as he spoke.

“Now stay the hell away from me,” he snarled, released her, and walked out the door.

“Asshole!” she yelled after him.

His rejection had sent her into a spiral. Which was ludicrous because they had been nothing more than acquaintances.

Looking at him now as he squatted near her feet in the cool San Francisco weather, she slowly released his shirt and glanced away.

She had to remind herself that Levi was already spoken for, that he and Rebecca had a baby on the way.

Humiliation stung her cheeks.

Levi pressed first one band-aid and then the other on her heels.

“Sara,” he said softly, but was interrupted from saying more when Ana’s aggressive voice came from behind them.

“What the hell do you think you’re doing!” Ana snapped.

Levi pinched the bridge of his nose and Sara almost smiled, but she held it back.

Good! She hoped he was uncomfortable.

Maybe Levi needed a good dose of Ana. Because if he thought he could have sex with her when he and his girlfriend argued, then he had another think coming.

Which reminded her of everything he’d done.

She shoved him hard and Levi fell on his ass on the asphalt. Sara scrambled out of the SUV and hurried over to Ana.

“If you think you can come sniffing around her, you need to get your head checked!” Ana’s eyes were fiery, and Sara thought for a moment Ana was going to hit Levi.

“It’s not like that.” Levi kept his eyes on Sara. “Rebecca is—”

“A bitch,” Carla said, coming up to stand next to her and Ana.

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