Page 47 of This Baby Business
“I’m not fishing for compliments, and you don’t have to say that.”
“I know I don’t have to. Not like you’re going to break up with me if I don’t. This is just me…being honest. Like we said we were going to be.”
“Okay.” She let out a long breath. “Thanks.”
“But I’d seriously like to punch whatever guy made you feel like you weren’t.”
There was definitely something there, given the suddenly guarded expression in her gaze and her lack of response. Bingo. A dude. An idiot. Possibly someone a hell of a lot like…him. He didn’t want to believe it, but it made sense. It was there in the way she carried herself, with a heartbreaking bravado he saw right through.
“Here’s what you need to know. Most of us are jerks. And we wouldn’t know a good thing if it hit us in the nut sack.”
“Not all of you.” She rubbed her knee, which hiked up her dress higher, not that he should be noticing.
But okay, he did. Henoticedeverything about her. The way she subconsciously rubbed her ring when she was nervous. Scared. For whatever reason, she was still wary of him. Afraid to be alone with him, maybe. Not that he blamed her. He was a little out of his element here, too, if he was honest. He’d dated plenty of beautiful women in the past. Then there was Carly. She was nothing if not beautiful, but here was the thing. She was also…so damn real.
He stepped into her space again, drew her in by the nape of her neck and, for a moment, just stared into those liquid amber eyes. She had him feeling protective about a woman for the first time in a long while. Caring about her feelings. He’d dragged her into an office and cleaned her up so that she wouldn’t be humiliated.
He didn’t know what had gotten into him lately. “Don’t do that. Don’t ever think that you’re not perfect the way you are.”
“That’s easy for someone like you to say.”
“Like me?”
“You have a mirror, don’t you?”
“So you think I’m a hunk?” He grinned.
She wouldn’t look at him directly, as if he was the sun and she’d forgotten her shades. “You’re okay.”
He liked the way she didn’t make this easy for him. Even so, he leaned in closer. Zeroed in on her lips.
Lifting her up, he backed up and set her on the desk, hiked her dress up to her hips and stepped between her legs. The smile slipped off her face, replaced by a heated gaze in her beautiful amber eyes. He kissed her, hard, trying to communicate in one kiss all he wanted to do to her. Ravage her for hours. Listen to her scream his name. All he needed were a few uninterrupted hours and a little privacy.
She moaned when his hands lifted her up enough to cup and squeeze her behind. “We…can’t do this here.”
“Not here, no,” he said against her collarbone, nipping her. “I have big plans for you.”
Her hands came around his neck, tugging him closer. “And I have some for you.”
He pulled back and took a minute to just study her. How had he never noticed how beautiful she was? Nothingcuteabout her. She was devastating. He’d had knockouts before, but Carly was hotter than all of them put together. Sweet. Loving. So soft.
A knock on the door he’d neglected to lock had him separating from her quickly. Carly straightened the skirt of her dress.
“Levi?” Sarah’s voice.
“Come in,” he said then cleared his throat.
Sarah opened the door, and her intelligent eyes seemed to make a quick assessment that she’d interrupted something. “I wanted to check on Carly. Everything okay?”
“I’m fine.” Carly hopped off the desk and headed to the door. “Just a little muddy but I’m all cleaned up now.”
“The lines have died down, so we’re good with just Stone and Matt.”
“I should go find my friends.” Carly walked past Sarah, then turned to Levi. “See you later.”
He cracked a smile and watched her go.
Sarah caught Levi’s gaze, hands on hips. Not saying a word. Women. She wanted to say something to him, so what the hell was she waiting for?
