Thirteen
Levi Bright was making it incredibly difficult to remain cautious. If Jillian were making a spreadsheet the way she did for work, he’d check every box. And then some.
Makes me laugh? Check.
Gorgeous, sweet, and funny? Triple check.
Kisses make me feel like fireworks are going off inside of me? Oh yeah. Definite check.
As if all of that wasn’t enough, he could cook. Like, really, probably-wouldn’t-get-thrown-out-of-Gordon-Ramsay’s-kitchen cook.
Glazed barbecue chicken, fresh potato salad with herbs, homemade biscuits that melted in her mouth, and a dessert of strawberry custard were too much for her to resist. She should just propose marriage and be done with it.
She licked sauce from her finger, ready to sing his praises, when she caught the way he was staring at her, his gaze hooded, his eyes watching the way her tongue moved over her finger. Her breath caught and she couldn’t help her smile.
“This is absolutely delicious. I’m talking best barbecue sauce I’ve ever had,” she said. She’d worried that she’d forgotten how to seduce a man, but apparently it didn’t take much, because if he stared any harder, they might both go up in flames.
Levi made a sound that was somewhere between an agreement and a groan. It made her laugh, which made him scowl.
“What’s funny?”
“I’ve been worried all morning that maybe I’m not cut out for this; flirting, starting something with you. I didn’t exactly win any awards growing up for being sexy or seductive. I sure as hell didn’t feel like either of those things by the end of my marriage. But if I’m reading your expression correctly, I don’t need to worry so much about it. Not with you.”
The farm-style dining table at the lodge sat twelve to fifteen people comfortably, but they’d sat side by side and right now, she was grateful for the lack of space between them.
He reached out, cupped her cheek with one hand, looking at her like he couldn’t believe she was real. She was pretty sure no one had ever looked at her quite the way he was right now. It made her head spin like a Ferris wheel; slow, almost dreamlike.
“I think you read me better than anyone has, which is strange given that we haven’t been around each other in a very long time. There’s this sense of familiarity because we knew each other as kids,” he said, his voice soft and serious as his thumb brushed back and forth over her cheek. “But a newness that comes from who we are right this minute, who we’ve become in the time we’ve been apart. You’re reading me exactly right, Jilly. You are the sexiest woman I’ve ever known, and you don’t have to do much more than breathe to intrigue me and make me want to get closer. Maybe it’s too soon or too much…”
She didn’t think before she responded, her hand reaching out to cover his mouth while the words fell from her own. “I’ve craved someone wanting me too much for most of my life and twisted myself into tiny, painful knots trying to make myself enough . Maybe it is too much, too soon, but that doesn’t make it any less real. Or true.” She hadn’t expected that buried truth to spring out of her.
When her phone buzzed, she nearly jumped, dropping her hand. Glancing to where it sat on the table, she frowned at the large script reading UNKNOWN NUMBER .
The client’s numbers were in her phone. She let the call go to voicemail, not wanting to get caught up before the meeting. Levi was watching her, that appreciative gaze making her skin warm. She leaned closer as he did the same. In tandem, their mouths met, his lips skimming, brushing, making her reach out for him, ready to dive all the way in. Her phone buzzed again.
Levi laughed and leaned back. She recognized the caller this time.
“That’s your meeting. I’m going to go check out the lodge. Come find me when you’re done.” He pressed his lips to her forehead, rose from the table, sliding her phone closer so she could answer.
Right. Life. Back to her regularly scheduled life and the things she wanted outside of Levi.
Taking a deep breath, she wiped her hands on a napkin, grabbed her phone, and stood up.
Swiping her thumb across the screen, she smiled at Eva Hale, the CEO of a fitness company.
“Hi,” she said happily, her pulse slowing.
“Hi, Jillian. Thanks for taking us on a tour today. We’ve got you on our big screen. I’m here with a few of my employees and a couple of my partners.”
Jillian smoothed her hair back with one stroke, hoping that going for a hike before this wasn’t a bad idea, that she looked presentable. Levi seemed to think she was, but he might be biased.
“I’m so happy to do it. I really think your team would have a great time at our lodge. Let’s get started. This is the dining room. It seats up to fifteen comfortably.”
Pride suffused her as she led the team through the cabins—all but number four, which belonged to Bernard Dayton, a guest who’d become family. She showed them the grounds, the dock that they planned to widen this season, the hot tub nestled in tall trees with twinkle lights strung around it.
“It’s really gorgeous at night with the stars and the lights,” Jillian said, trying to keep her words well paced and timed. She didn’t want to babble out all of the information in her excitement.
“What kinds of activities do you think you could organize?” Eva asked.
Jillian had spent time chatting with Presley about this very thing. They didn’t want to go more in debt, but there was a lot they could offer with what they had available, and more they could do for relatively cheap.
“There’s all of the obvious ones—boat tours, fishing, swimming, trail walks, multi-level hikes, and overnight camps at the summit. But I think we can also create some activities suited to your company. We’ve got some faux survival scenarios that I think would work perfectly for your team. As I mentioned before, we’re just dipping our toes into this area, and first and foremost, this is a family-run fishing lodge that caters to that demographic. But we’d really like the opportunity to show your team a great time in a place that will give you plenty of room for creating and strengthening connections.”
Damn… did she sound like an infomercial?
“Are all meals and snacks included in the price you quoted us?”
Jillian smiled, heading toward the back porch, which led to a door off the kitchen. “Actually, I can introduce you to the chef who would be taking care of all of your meals.”
She found Levi at the long countertop, scrolling on his iPad. When she walked closer, she saw food trucks and made a mental note to ask him more about that.
“Eva Hale, let me introduce you to Levi Bright. He’s recently returned home to Smile but for the last ten years, he’s been working in Vermont at a high-scale restaurant in the heart of Burlington.”
Levi straightened his shoulders and sent her a quick questioning glance before turning on his natural charm, greeting the team and answering all of their questions about meals and dietary restrictions.
When they finished the call, Jillian was practically vibrating. She set the phone down, stared at it, and felt Levi’s presence like a cloak of warmth and support.
“You okay?”
Turning, she nodded. “I think that went really well. I wasn’t sure if I could sell it but I think we did.”
“ You did, Jill. You did that. It’s a kickass idea and they were very impressed.”
She spent so much time working to support others, she didn’t often stop to take credit for her contributions. Which was fine. She didn’t need applause. But she’d almost forgotten what it was like to take an idea, nurture it into fruition, and see it all the way through to implementation. It was heady. Empowering.
Levi grinned at her like he wasn’t just impressed but proud. And that unlocked more of those chains around her heart.
“Everything you said about the menu, it was perfect. They’re going to email and say yes.”
He stepped closer, keeping just enough space between them to make her want. “Yes they are. We’re a pretty good team.”
She nodded, afraid to admit that out loud. Even with Andrew, whom she’d committed to fully and completely, she’d never felt like the other half of a partnership.
Because her emotions in this moment were not only inexplicable but threatening to overwhelm her, she pointed to Levi’s iPad.
“Show me your dreams.”
He held her gaze and she realized at least one of her own dreams had a very good chance of coming true. If she wasn’t too scared to let go of all her safety nets.