4

Chapter Four

Damn, she was fucking beautiful.

Levi kept his expression amused, careful to keep the lust crawling through

his balls under control. He’d been hard since he’s first laid eyes on this

woman, and he was damned tired of aching for her.

“Brake line was loose. I tightened it up and checked everything out. You

shouldn’t have any more problems.” He couldn’t help but be concerned by

that brake line, though. According to Jacob, he and one of his cowboys had

changed those brakes themselves.

“Come on in.” She huffed out a heavy breath as she stepped back from the

door to let him in. “I’ll get you a beer and a plate.”

This was going to hell in a handbasket, Levi thought, He’d never begged a

woman for the time of day and he was damned if he was going to start now.

“So gracious.” He chuckled with a shake of his head. “Tell you what, I’ll

stop at a drive-thru somewhere. Enjoy your pizza.”

“We had a deal.” A frown furrowed her brow and her hands propped on

slender jean-clad hips.

At that Levi paused. Glancing down at her bare feet and the soft pink

polish adorning the nails, he found himself having to force himself not to

touch her. This wasn’t going to work. As much as he wanted it to, it wasn’t

happening.

“Yeah, we had a deal.” Lifting his head, he caught her gaze again. “You’re

a scared little girl, Lily. You watch me like I’m going to attack you any

second. Shit’s hell on my ego, so I think I’ll just roll out. I’ll let Jacob know

about the brakes.”

Her eyes widened, incredulity and anger filling her expression as he

leaned against the doorframe and watched her struggle to hold on to her

temper. From what he’d heard since coming to Deer Haven, Lily rarely tried

to contain the fireworks. It was obvious she was working at it now.

“A scared little girl?” She all but snarled the accusation back at him.

“Where the hell do you get off saying that?”

He tilted his head, watching her curiously, wondering how far he could

push that temper of hers. If she fucked like she fought, then she’d burn down

the night.

“Observation,” he replied with a shrug. “You hung around that bar last

week, but wouldn’t dance. Word is, you used to close the place down on that

dance floor with your sister. You stopped dating, stopped dancing, stopped

doing all the fun things a woman likes to do.” He frowned back at her.

“What surprises me is that Jacob hasn’t figured out yet that someone hurt

you.”

She flinched and paled. He saw the fear that flashed in her gaze as well as

the instant rejection that he could know anything.

“You’re crazy!” she snapped back at him. Taking a step forward, she

suddenly stopped herself before stepping back once again.

His lips tilted knowingly at the action.

“What happened, Lily?” he asked her then. “What made the fun-loving,

dance-till-dawn hellion too scared to do what she loved doing? Or should I

say who?”

“Well, since you’re so fond of gossip, why don’t you tell me?” Anger

suffused her voice and her expression. But at least she wasn’t throwing him

out.

“Don’t worry, Lily, your secrets are safe,” he assured her, his tone

lowering as he watched her eyes darken and saw the fear flash in her

expression. “No one knows why, but it’s been noticed. And commented on.”

Levi had to force himself not to reach out and pull her into his arms, to

promise her that everything was going to be fine. To allow her to keep her

secrets. She was destroying herself, locking herself in her home or

maintaining a frozen distance between herself and the activities she enjoyed.

“I have no secrets,” she assured him, that anger still vibrating her voice.

“Now do you want the goddamned pizza and beer or not?”

“No, that’s not what I want when I step into your house. But I have a

feeling what I do want would scare the hell out of you.” He didn’t move

from his position against the doorframe, nor did he let his hands drop from

where he’d hooked his thumbs in his pockets.

He watched her. Her eyes, her body language, the flush on her cheeks, the

anger that bloomed in her gaze. She was scared, but not of him. At least not

yet. The problem was, he didn’t want her scared of him, but he wanted her.

Her touch, her kiss, all that wildfire he sensed burning inside her. And he

wanted to give her the same in turn.

“I’m not scared of you either, cowboy,” she sneered.

What she did then he hadn’t expected. Should have, but it wasn’t

something he’d ever thought she’d do to counter his unspoken dare.

She stepped forward; one hand was behind his neck as she lifted herself

and her lips were on his. Sharp little teeth nipped at his lower lip, and an

inquisitive, silken tongue licked over the bite.

Self-control was never so hard to maintain as it was when Lily’s lips

moved over his. He wanted to throw her against the wall, lift her to ride the

hard ridge of his cock, pull her hair and take her kiss and show her all the

ways he wanted to taste her, pleasure her. Instead, his head lowered, his

hands went to her hips, and he let her have her way instead.

And she was destroying him.

Her lips rubbed, her tongue licked against his, her nails scraped along his

neck, and she explored every second of pleasure she found in it. Her

breathing roughened along with his, and she pushed him to the very edge of

control. That place where he knew he’d never make it another second. And

yet he did.

Lily needed someone to trust. She was a woman who needed touch, ached

for it. And she could deny it till hell froze over, but she wanted his touch

above all others’.

He could work with that. He’d make himself work with that.

Just as his fingers tightened, as the need to grip her hips and jerk her to

him was overriding every other impulse, she drew back slowly, hesitant, as

though uncertain she wanted to break the contact. She stepped back,

releasing him just as slowly as he slid his hands back from her hips.

Her lips parted as though to speak, closed, and parted again.

“I think I’m ready for that pizza now,” he told her, aware his voice was

rougher, deeper. “I could definitely use that beer.”

As she turned and led the way from the living room, he blew out a silent

breath.

Hot enough to singe. She’d end up burning him alive and he knew it.

Knew it, and he sure as hell looked forward to it.