Page 18 of Entwined Hearts
I let out a breathy sigh as I rode my hand, getting lost in the memories that began to blend with the present.
The ghost of his touch ran along my skin until it was his hand I was grinding against and not mine. I bit my lip, careful not to make any noise, and imagined the way he’d lavish me withpraise for being quiet like he had in the past. Sweat prickled my skin as I moved faster, chasing after the pleasure building in the pit of my stomach. I imagined his body hovering over mine, pinning me to the mattress while driving into me relentlessly from behind, his hand tangled in my hair.
My toes curled, a strangled cry leaving me at the image of his teeth biting into my shoulder to muffle his groans while he came.
And when my orgasm passed and reality bled back in, the guilt hit me hard and fast. I had said goodbye to him years ago. It was my choice to end things. I wasn’t supposed to still want him like this. But I did. God help me, I did.
Despite the lack of sleep,I was at the courthouse bright-eyed and bushy-tailed when the security guard unlocked the doors, and it seemed I wasn’t the only one. A man in a sharp gray suit walked in just moments after me, his shoes clicking on the tile floor. He was carrying a box of donuts with a coffee on top and made small talk with the security guard.
He looked like Stewart and the kind of guys he hung out with: clean-cut and polished, with sophistication and stature that bordered on arrogance. Except this guy didn’t seem arrogant at all. He seemed kind.
“Good morning,” he said as we stopped at the clerk’s desk together. His eyes were a bright hazel green, framed with black eyelashes that matched his well-styled hair.
I gave him a tight smile. “Morning.”
He glanced at his watch. It was a Rolex. “Gladys is usually ten or so minutes late, so I hope you don’t mind waiting.”
I rocked on my heels. “That’s fine.”
The silence dragged between us as people began shuffling in. My mind drifted to Weston, and heat rose to my cheeks,remembering what I did last night. That could never happen again.
“Sorry, are you new in town?” The man asked as if he couldn’t help himself. “I just don’t think I’ve seen you before, and I know everyone.”
“No, I’m not new. Not really,” I replied. “I’m Savannah Hayes.”
His eyes went a little wide at that. “Oh! You’re Tess’s sister. She mentioned she had a lawyer for a sister.”
My eyes narrowed, protective instincts flaring. “How do you know my sister?”
He chuckled and extended his hand. “Right, sorry. I’m Levi Hollis. I’m actually here to get the ball rolling on Luke’s custody agreement.” He slid a manila folder out from under the donut box and waved it around.
I saw him in an entirely new light now. Of course, he looked so put together; he was a Hollis and came from money. I didn’t take his hand. “I’m filing a SLAPP motion against your grandfather and brother,” I said, my voice icy.
He sucked his teeth, his hand dropping. “Ah. I see.”
“Yep.”
“Well, if you need office space to work on things, there’s room for you at Wild Creek Law.”
My head reared back. What the hell? I told him I was working against his family, and he offered me office space to do it? Who was this guy?
He must’ve seen the shock on my face. “I don’t approve of what they’re doing,” he said, the pleasant expression from his face gone. “I don’t really associate with them unless I have to.”
“I still don’t trust you,” I said bluntly. I might’ve been shy and tongue-tied around Weston, but he was the exception, not the rule. Always had been. Otherwise, I usually wasn’t afraid tospeak my mind. “And I don’t like that you’re working with my sister.”
I had enough experience with smooth-talking, well-dressed men who didn’t actuallyseeme, and I didn’t want the same for Tess.
Levi laughed at that, pushing his glasses up. “Totally fair and understandable, but the offer still stands.”
A middle-aged, plump woman finally sat down behind the desk, powering on her computer. She must’ve been Gladys. She looked at the donuts and coffee. “Those for me, sugar?” she asked Levi, grinning at him and ignoring me.
“Yes, ma’am, but Miss Hayes was here first.”
I filed my paperwork and went on my merry way without saying another word to Levi. And when I glanced over my shoulder as I left, he was grinning with Gladys and asking her about her family, something I wouldn’t have expected a Hollis to do.
Maybe he wasn’t all that bad. I still didn’t trust him, but there could come a point when I’d need his help, so I couldn’t write him off completely.
7
