“What size jeans do you wear?”
Sarah followed Samantha through the women’s section of Target, with Katrina trailing behind. Levi had surprised her this morning with the announcement that the two of them were having lunch with Clay and his wife, Samantha, and Mason and his fiancée, Katrina. While eating their meal at an Italian restaurant near Clay’s bar, Sarah mentioned to the women that she needed to buy jeans for her shift at Kincaid’s later that evening, and they’d both insisted on coming with her.
“Last time I bought a pair, they were a size five,” she said as they came to a wall with shelves that held folded pairs of jeans. Samantha went right for the darker pairs and started looking through the pile.
Katrina stopped at a rack of cute dresses and glanced through them while Sarah gravitated toward a nearby clearance rack to see if she could find anything there. The two women had been so nice to her, and right from the moment she’d met Samantha, she’d noticed that she was the nurturing type. She was also stunningly beautiful and well put together in a polished, sophisticated way. But she looked right at home in Target, and she seemed to know where everything was located.
Sarah had never had close girlfriends growing up because of being shuffled through so many foster homes and her fears of getting attached, only to leave people behind. Or them leaving her behind. Even as an adult, she didn’t have any close friends, so having this girl time with Samantha and Katrina was a nice change. And fun, too. She’d laughed so much during their lunch and already felt a friendship forming, even if it was just for a short while.
“The men over there look like they’re having such a deep, important conversation,” Katrina said, her tone amused. “But man, do they look damn hot all standing together.”
Sarah glanced over her shoulder, and sure enough, Levi, Mason, and Clay were in a tight circle in the aisle that separated the women’s section from the men’s, and yeah, she agreed that all three men were good-looking in their own separate ways. Their arms were crossed over their chests, and all of their expressions were serious as the two older brothers listened to whatever Levi was saying to them.
“They’re either being serious about something or annoying one another. I’m not sure which,” Samantha said with a grin.
Sarah had a feeling they were talking about her. Levi told her that lunch today with his siblings and their significant others was so that she could meet everyone before starting her shift tonight, but she suspected that Levi was letting his brothers know about Dylan. Levi was determined to keep her safe—hence his insistence that he accompany her to Target, which then prompted Samantha and Katrina to join them. Sarah really did appreciate his efforts and knew he’d do his best. But she’d meant what she said when she’d told him that he wouldn’t be able to protect her forever from someone who was highly motivated to find her.
“You know, I have to say, I’ve never seen Levi so smitten with a woman as he seems to be with you,” Samantha said as she pulled a folded pair of jeans from a stack and straightened with the pants in her hands.
“To be honest, we’ve never seen him with a woman at all,” Katrina added with a grin. “So you must be very special to him.”
Sarah couldn’t stop the warm blush that crept up her neck and over her face. The fact that Levi had never brought a girlfriend around to meet his family and friends was surprising and shocking. But even knowing she was an exception—which she attributed directly to her situation with Dylan and not having a place to live—she refused to read too much into their comments.
“So, Mason and I are getting married next month in an outdoor ceremony at Clay and Samantha’s house,” Katrina said off-handedly. “Levi already RSVP’d just for himself before you started dating, but I hope you’ll come, too?”
Sarah really liked these two women. A lot. And she knew they were trying to make her feel welcome and a part of a group. But chances were that, in a month, she’d be gone. “Thank you for the invitation. I appreciate it,” she said, but didn’t give Katrina a firm response.
“Here’s a pair of jeans in your size,” Samantha said triumphantly, just as Sarah found one on clearance.
She pulled the denim from her rack as she reached for the pair Samantha held out to her. She’d try both of them on, but with her limited funds, Sarah was hoping the cheaper pair fit better, because there was no way she was letting Levi pay for anything.
While Katrina continued perusing other outfits, Samantha walked with Sarah to the dressing room. Before they reached the counter, she lightly touched Sarah’s arm and brought her to a stop. She glanced at the other woman curiously, not sure what she wanted or needed.
Samantha’s gaze was kind and genuinely caring. “I hope you don’t mind, but Clay told me a bit about what you’ve been through lately. Being held up at the mart, then having your room broken into and trashed . . . I’m really very sorry, and if there is anything I can do to help you out, don’t ever hesitate to ask.” Then she smiled sweetly. “I’ve had a similar experience in starting over with nothing, so I understand how hard it can be.”
Sarah blinked at Samantha, stunned by her offer of help but also shocked that this gorgeous, refined woman could relate to her situation. “Thank you.”
Samantha hesitated for a moment, then decided to speak whatever was on her mind. “I also wanted to tell you that Levi is a great guy, and he’s the real deal, just in case you haven’t already figured that out for yourself.”
“I have,” she assured the other woman. But none of this was about Levi or how great of a guy he was. It was about Sarah’s messed up life and the fact that she couldn’t offer Levi even one tenth of what he was giving to her.
Samantha gave her one last smile, along with a gentle arm squeeze, then headed back toward where the guys were standing. Sarah went into her assigned dressing room, her mind spinning with everything that Samantha had just told her.
She already knew that Levi was a one-of-a-kind guy—that had been evident since the first day she’d met him at the convenience store. But what she’d learned about him over the past few days had only solidified that impression. She’d never come across a man so genuine and caring and protective. Or one with a childhood as tragic as her own.
As she took off her old, faded jeans, she thought about everything that had transpired last night. The way he’d opened up to her about his mother had nearly broken her heart, but what really got to her was the way he’d listened while she’d told him about Dylan and how quickly he’d come to her defense without judging her at all.
Levi was everything she could ever want in a man, but she’d learned time after time that anything good in her life never lasted long. If there was any real happiness for her to find, it was always stolen away right when she became too complacent. When something started to feel too good to be true, it usually was, and heartache ensued. It was a cycle she couldn’t seem to escape, so why would Levi be any different?
It didn’t matter that she was seriously falling for him, she thought as she put on the less expensive jeans and looked at herself in the mirror—grateful to see that they fit just fine. It didn’t matter that sex with him was like nothing she’d ever experienced before—and probably never would again. And it definitely didn’t matter that he made her happy and hopeful and so incredibly content when she was with him. No, that was usually the warning sign that, just around the corner, life was going to pull the rug out from under her feet. Again.
So, for right now, she just needed to be grateful for the time she had with him and enjoy every moment—even as a huge lump formed in her throat at the thought of her time with Levi coming to an end.
She forced back the emotion and stripped off the pair of jeans just as she heard a male voice talking to the dressing room attendant. A moment later, a knock sounded on her door, startling her.
“Hey, did you find a pair of jeans that worked?” Levi asked in a low voice.
The corner of her mouth kicked up in a smile, the same way her heart raced a little faster whenever he was around, and she welcomed the distraction from her too depressing thoughts. Unlatching the door, she stood behind it since she was only dressed in a shirt and her underwear, and peered out at him. “Yes, I found a pair. What are you doing in the women’s dressing room and how did you get in here?”
He gave her a sinful smile that immediately made her melt inside. “I thought you might need some help, or my opinion about how they fit.” He lowered his voice and winked at her. “At least, that’s what I told the girl out there.”
“I already took them off,” she said, not trusting that smile or devilish wink for a second.
“Even better,” he murmured, and easily pushed his way inside the room.
She was too astonished by his bold move to do anything but gape at him and step back as he entered. The moment he closed and locked the door, then backed her up against the nearest wall, she knew she was in trouble. The sexy kind of trouble she knew would be difficult to resist.
Before he got any closer and obliterated her ability to think, she pressed both palms against his chest to stop his approach. He halted, even though she knew her hand was no real deterrent for what he had in mind. “Where are the girls?” she whispered. “And Mason and Clay?” The thought of them waiting outside of the dressing room while Levi did . . . whatever he intended to do, make her cheeks warm.
“I told them that I could handle things from here, so they left.” He gently grabbed the hands she’d planted on his chest, raised them both above her head, and easily secured them against the wall with one of his own. Then he wedged his knee between her legs, forcing them a few inches apart.
Her eyes widened and her pulse hammered, in panic and excitement, when she realized his intent. “You wouldn’t dare!” she said in a low, hissing voice.
“Yeah, I would,” he replied unabashedly, and followed up that promise by slipping his fingers into the waistband of her panties. “Consider it another one of my fantasies I didn’t know I had until right this very moment. The thought of giving you an orgasm in a public place is making me hot as fuck.”
His fingers slid directly between her thighs and into her pussy, making her suck in a gasp as he concentrated his efforts on her clit, bringing it to life with a few skillful strokes. Immediately, she knew this wasn’t going to be a slow and leisurely climb. No, it was going to be fast and reckless and wild.
She bit back a moan when he pushed two fingers deep inside and rubbed his thumb over that bundle of nerves, drawing more moisture from her body. The wicked grin he gave her said it all—that he knew how aroused she already was, and he was thoroughly enjoying himself despite the pleasure being all hers.
She tried to bring her hands down to grab his head to kiss him, to smother the noises she was trying desperately not to make, which would draw attention to their room and what he was doing to her. But he merely tightened his hold on her wrists, reminding her who was in charge. He was. Always. And she loved it.
He watched her face as he dragged the tips of his fingers along a sensitive patch of skin along her inner walls, and her legs began to shake. The pressure and friction increased on her clit, and the combined sensations had her splintering apart.
She wanted to scream from the pleasure rushing through her in waves, but she couldn’t. So, instead, she closed her eyes and silently shuddered against the hand and fingers playing her so expertly and enjoyed the rest of the ride straight into bliss.
