Page 19 of The Love Raffle

Levi’s face got hot as he listened to her, but he joined in her laughter and lifted his glass of wine. “Did I freak you out or something? With the question?”

Amber saw something change in his eyes. They seemed…brighter.Does that mean I’m doing okay?“I was a bit surprised by it.” She raised a finger. “And Ialsobelieve that it wasprettyunfair of you to change the rules. How do you think Patricia and Kate feel? They were in the lead and I passed them because what? You liked what I said?”

Levi swallowed his wine and put his glass down. “I realized that the fact that they knew so much about me would make dating one of them weird, so I switched things up by changing the question. I asked something that’d let me know who was the…”

“Deepest contestant?” Amber tried with a laugh.

Levi was enchanted.Wait, what?Why was his stomach getting all weird? Amber was an attractive woman. But he had worked with dozens of attractive women before. None of them ever did this to him.There’s nothing weird going on. I think she’s beautiful and has a perfect smile.And that was about it. “No. I’m not— We’re supposed to be talking about you. What do you like?” He was curious.

Amber scratched her cheek. He was not at all like the guy she had met at the club and on set. He was laughing and smiling, not because he had to but because…I think he’s enjoying me.She rejoiced internally. “I like acting and movies of course. Ienjoy sitting at home with popcorn and not changing out of my pajamas for the whole day and sleeping and—”

“I’m starting to think that your shifts at your waitressing job are too long. Sounds like someone just wants to laze around their apartment.”

She had a laugh with him and then tucked her hair behind her ear. “You’re right, Levi. I’m exhausted right now because, as you can probably guess, the life of a shift-to-shift worker isnotvery fun.” She swallowed. Her throat felt tight. “But I have to do it, so I do.”

“If you got a breakout role right now, would your will to lie in bed disappear?”

Amber sat straighter as she considered this. “I…I’d be excited, but I enjoy that sort of thing. Staying in.”

Levi’s brows went up. He set his elbows on the table and locked his fingers. “Wow. That’s what I spent myentiretime off doing.”

“Oh really?”

“Watching movies and staying in. I amnotan outside guy.”

“I mean I do like to take risks now and then but as a kid I was always the shy type, so I think the most real part of me sort of gravitates towards my couch and TV,” Amber joked. She watched the way he laughed. “You seem so much happier…” She caught herself before saying more aloud.

Levi noticed the stunned look on her face. He continued scooping food off his plate. “Compared to how I was on the show?” Was it him or was the skin around Amber’s mouth going red?

Amber scratched her face and her throat simultaneously. “Your eyes seem…”

“Excuse me.”

Levi and Amber brought their attention to one of Levi’s guards.

“Joe?” Levi asked carefully.

Joe seemed worried. He pointed his bearded chin towards Levi’s date. “Are you allergic to shellfish, miss?”

Amber kept scratching her throat. “I… Not that I know of. I don’t eat it often…or at all actually. Why do you ask?”

Levi gasped then stretched across the table to grab her bowl. “This is crab. Isthatwhy your face is going red?”

“Wait, what?” Amber scratched her bottom lip again. “My face is red?” She got her phone camera to look. “Oh crap.” Right when things were looking up! “Okay, maybe it’ll wear off if I stop eating this.” She surveyed the room. “Is it time for dessert? Waiter!”

Levi’s heart was racing. “Shouldn’t we take you to a doctor or hospital? You probably need medicine.” He got up, pushing his chair back. His bodyguards stepped aside too. “Allergic reactions can be fatal, you know.”

Amber didnotwant this night to end with Levi Marks driving her to the hospital. All her points would go down the drain.By that I mean my points to him liking me.They weren’t on the show anymore. “I think it’ll pass.”

Levi walked to her chair and pulled her away from the table. “But you’ve never had an allergic reaction to shellfish before. You don’t know what could happen.” Why was she so casual about this? “Come on, Amber. We’re going to the hospital.”

Amber sighed before standing. “But we’re supposed to be having a date.” She watched Levi’s guards walk to his sides. They were large and hefty. They seemed to cast a shadow on her body.

“Your lips are swelling,” one of them pointed out.

Amber covered her mouth with a hand just as a waiter came out to check on things.

“Everything alright?” the young woman said hesitantly. “Is there something wrong?”

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