Chapter 4
Arizona
I didn’t sell Levi Nixon a house that first day, or the second, or the third, or even the fifteenth.
For a guy who claimed to be happy as long as he had an ocean view, he was picky as hell. He had managed to find something wrong with every one of the thirty-one properties I’d shown him over the past three weeks, citing the issue as being a dealbreaker.
It wasn’t all that surprising that he turned his nose up at the more recent homes we’d toured because I’d purposely front-loaded his home search with sprawling mansions in exclusive neighborhoods. The ones that followed felt anticlimactic by comparison.
But maybe I was wrong about what he was truly looking for. Maybe he didn’t care about things like a home theater or a private wine cellar. Maybe the confirmed bachelor wanted something cozy, so he felt less alone.
Maybe, just fucking maybe, house number thirty-two would be the winner.
My bank account sure as hell prayed that it would be.
Giving Levi personal attention meant my colleagues were assigned more of the walk-in clients, and I hadn’t cashed a commission in over a month.
Funds were dangerously low, and the upcoming payment due to Mom’s care facility was breathing down my neck.
With the soundtrack of my heels clicking on marble flooring, I poured all my energy into making the most finicky client I’d ever had the misfortune of working with fall in love with this listing.
I gestured toward the glass wall that spanned the length of the living room. “As you can see, this house features floor-to-ceiling windows facing west, providing the most stunning sunset views over the water.”
Levi assessed the feature with an appraising nod and a hum.
I couldn’t tell if he liked it or hated it.
Okay, moving on.
“In here, we have a chef’s kitchen, complete with stainless steel appliances.”
His eyes narrowed. “Is that an electric stove?”
My stomach bottomed out.
Oh no. Not again.
Holding on to the thin thread of my patience by the skin of my teeth, I gritted out, “Yes.”
Tsking, Levi shook his head. “That won’t do. I need gas.”
For fuck’s sake, I’d buy him a goddamn gas stove if that’s what it took to close the sale.
He placed both hands on the quartz countertop, his gaze scanning the room. “I don’t know about this one, Arizona. It feels too small. I mean, it only has three bedrooms. My house in Connecticut had five.”
My jaw clenched so hard I swore I heard a molar crack.
Keep it professional. Bills are piling up, and you need this commission.
I’d half convinced myself to grin and bear it until Levi spoke again.
“And there’s no infinity pool. That’s a must-have for me.”
Fuck it. I’ve had enough of this shit.
Folding both arms over my chest, I said, “Can I be honest with you, Levi?”
My no-nonsense tone, combined with my body language, got his attention, and he straightened. “Sure.”
“I’ve shown you every available property with an ocean view. There are no more after this one. So, if you’re serious about buying a home, I suggest you find a way to get over some of your hangups on the previous listings we’ve seen.”
There was a beat of silence that stretched on for what felt like an eternity before he replied, “You know what? You’re right.”
Relief surged that this nightmare might soon come to an end.
That was, until he declared, “I’ll take the first one we saw.”
I groaned, pinching the bridge of my nose. “That one has already sold.”
“That’s too bad. Guess it’s back to the drawing board.”
Flinging my arms wide, I shouted, “What drawing board? Unless you’re willing to go knocking door to door asking people to sell their homes to you, you’re out of luck.”
To my ultimate surprise, a corner of his lips twitched. “Are we finally done dancing around this, Arizona?”
At a loss, I blinked at him. “Excuse me?”
Shoving off the counter, he tucked one hand into his pocket as he sauntered toward me, a predatory gleam in his eyes. Voice smooth as silk, he purred, “I’m prepared to purchase the most expensive home still available of the ones you’ve shown me.” There was a pause before he tacked on, “If . . .”
Mouth gone dry, I darted my tongue out to moisten my lips—a move that Levi tracked with searing intensity.
“If?” I prompted.
Levi brought a hand up to tuck an errant curl behind my ear, and I shivered when his fingertips made contact with my skin. It was almost as if I were caught in a trance—I couldn’t move, I couldn’t breathe. I was on the edge of my seat, waiting to hear what he had to say.
“If,” he repeated, “you’ll agree to go out on a date with me.”
A gasp tore up my throat as I jerked back, seething, “How fucking dare you?”
The man standing opposite me wasn’t deterred, taking a step forward to eliminate the space I’d put between us and caging me in against the island.
Ooh, if it wouldn’t cost me my job, I’d lift my knee to nail him in the crotch.
“Arizona,” Levi chided playfully. “Don’t pretend like you can’t feel the energy between us.”
That was beside the point. This was completely inappropriate. Not only that, he’d spent the last three weeks fucking with my livelihood.
With red filling my vision, I bit out, “I can’t be bought.”
Not anymore.
His amused hum filled the charged silence. “Ah, I see. You’re playing hardball.” Seriously, had this guy ever had a woman say no to him? “What if I offer you exclusivity, hmm? No other women so long as I’m with you.”
Wry laughter burst from my lips. “Wow. Is that supposed to make me feel special?” I shoved at his chest with two hands, forcing him backward just enough that I could duck under his arm and flee to the opposite side of the kitchen.
Not picking up on my sarcasm, he replied, “It should. That’s not something I’ve ever offered before.”
God, what a pig.
I shook my head, muttering, “Unbelievable.”
A cocky smirk pulled at a corner of his lips. “Thank you.”
Digging my fingers into my temples to ward off the headache beginning to brew, I dared to ask, “Are you even seriously looking to buy a house? Or was this whole thing just a game from the start?”
Levi reared back. “You think I like living in a hotel? Of course I’m looking to buy.” Tugging on the back of his neck, he added, “Honestly, I didn’t think it would take this long to drop the pretenses.”
My jaw hit the floor. “This whole time, you were waiting for me to do what? Drop to my knees to make a sale?” Bile rose up my throat, and I had to swallow it back down.
“You’re a good-looking professional athlete.
Is it really so hard for you to get laid that you had to fuck with my ability to put food on the table? ”
He preened. “You think I’m good-looking?”
That’s all he heard?
“I can’t do this anymore.” I snatched my purse off the counter on my way out of the room.
“Wait, you’re leaving?” Levi called out to my back.
I spun around. “I wish you the best of luck in your home search, Mr. Nixon.” He flinched at my switch to formality.
“But I don’t think it’s in my best interest to continue as your realtor.
When I return to the office, I’ll be passing you off as a client to one of my male colleagues.
” No way in hell would I subject one of the women I worked with to this type of sexual harassment.
“This is the end of our relationship, professional or otherwise.”
He stared at me in stunned silence, and I used that as an opportunity to make my escape.
By the time I made it to my car—thank God we’d driven separately today—I was shaking. Panic clawed up my throat as it sank in that this stunt could cost me my job if he complained to my bosses. I absolutely could not afford to be unemployed, not with how much it took to support Mom’s medical needs.
With only a GED, this was one of the few jobs I was qualified for that paid enough to cover her assisted living expenses while still supporting myself and Austin.
You know there’s one place you can go to make some fast cash that would hire you in a heartbeat.
Memories flashed before my eyes of leering men with grabby hands, of strobe lights and sexy beats, of glitter-coated skin and G-strings. My nose wrinkled, the stench of stale beer and smoke permanently burned into my brain.
No. I couldn’t go back there.
Never again.
I’d figure something else out. I had to.