Chapter 15
FIFTEEN
Zephyrine
I’m not ready for his brother’s fiancée.
She’s stunning, effervescent, and so incredibly easy to like.
Worst of all, I’m pretty sure it’s all effortless for her.
From her makeup and hair down to her clothes and teal cowboy boots, she looks like she just wakes up this way.
I think I might already love her a little bit as she spreads out the clothes on the table in front of me.
Apparently, she came prepared and determined to dress up the dowdy captive woman from the convent.
“He gave me your measurements, but I wasn’t sure what your style was.
Or if nuns even have a style. I got you some very simple things if that’s what you’d prefer,” Dakota explains.
I note the comment about my measurements to discuss it with him later.
I’d like to know what stalking he did that led to him getting that information.
“I’m sure whatever you’ve got is perfect. I’m just excited not to have to keep rewashing the same thing while I wear one of his T-shirts.”
“His T-shirt, huh? That sounds a little scandalous for a nun,” she teases me with a smile.
I smile back and shake my head. I don’t know how to read Levi.
One second, I think the attraction’s mutual, and another, I think he’s barely noticed that I’m a woman.
I’m an asset first, and everything else is second in his world.
Which at least meant he'll work to keep me safe. I just hope he can convince the rest of his family that I’m willing to work with them.
“He’s very set on keeping everything aboveboard. So I think I’m safe there.”
“Ah, that sounds like Levi. Very practical and rules oriented. Sometimes they’re his own brand of rules, of course, but…
” Dakota trails off as she pulls out bras and underwear from another bag.
They run the range from plain cotton granny panties to fancy-looking lace.
My eyes must go wide because she suddenly gives me a sheepish grimace in return.
“Again, I wasn’t sure, and I wanted you to have options.
I know that sometimes when you have strict religious requirements for your clothing, you like to get a little experimental with the details.
I went to Catholic school for a while.” She adds the last bit in as if to reassure me I’m not a complete conundrum to her, despite our disparate circumstances.
“You did? Did you like it?”
“Yeah. It wasn’t my favorite. I got in trouble in my teens. My older brother raised me and thought I was getting a little out of hand. Too wild and too much freedom, he said. He wanted to make sure that I didn’t end up dropping out or getting pregnant. He thought the nuns would set me straight.”
“Did they?” I’m curious because I can only imagine she was a handful then, if now is any indication.
“Well, no kids and a degree is tucked away in the safe. So I guess you could say they did enough to get me through it.” She grins at me as she pulls a couple of shoeboxes out.
“Oh, I’m sorry it wasn’t a better experience for you. And you really didn’t have to do all this.” I press my hand to my lips as she shows me the cutest pair of shoes I’ve ever seen. “But I appreciate it so much.” I grin and then pull out a pair of ballerina flats. “The flats!”
“Us tall girls have to stick together.” There’s another soft smile from her. “I didn’t think heels were very practical anyway, but if you want some, I know a woman who knows the best places to get them.”
“I do love a good heel. Or I did at least, before the convent. They're not very practical now. Especially not where Levi has me.”
“That’s fair. Which brings me to the last, but certainly not least thing, a pair of boots.
” She holds up a gorgeous pair of black cowboy boots with pink details.
“I know you’re from Colorado originally.
I didn’t know if that meant downtown Denver socialite or if you were a cowgirl like the rest of us down here.
I figured it couldn’t hurt for you at least to have the option available if you wanted it. ”
“Thank you. That’s so sweet of you. All of this was so sweet. I feel like I’m on a holiday rather than being held hostage.” I laugh.
Dakota grimaces through a smile and looks over me. “I’m really sorry about all this. I wish there were another way. But when the guys get an idea in their minds, the rest of us are just along for the ride. But I’m here if you need someone besides Levi. I imagine he isn’t the easiest company.”
“I appreciate that.” I’m sure she'll be reporting back everything I talked about or did, but it's still nice to feel like I've had someone who could at least find me some cute underwear or a nice functional set of boots in my corner.
We work our way through the rest of the afternoon sorting through the clothes and making small talk about our favorite things.
“Are nuns allowed to drink? Recreationally, I mean? I know communion wine and all, obviously.” Dakota looks at me from across the room as she pulls out some glasses and whiskey.
“We can. As long as we don’t get too wild.”
“Well, that’s unfortunate. I was thinking it might be nice for you to get a little wild.” She gives me a conspiratorial look that has me laughing.
“A little wild is fine, as long as it's not too wild,” I reason.
“All right then. Favorite drink, or do you want a surprise?”
“Surprise me.”
Those turn out to be famous last words because an hour later, after flipping through all the streaming services to find absolutely nothing we’re interested in watching—apparently, I’m not missing much at the convent—we’re doing a taste test of all of Dakota’s favorite drinks to keep ourselves entertained while we wait for Grant and Levi’s return.
“Oh, and this one.” She grabs a bottle off the shelf. “This one is Levi’s favorite. Just in case you ever need that information for any reason.” She winks at me.
“And why would I need that?” My brows knit together.
“Birthday. Christmas. Anniversary date.” She shrugs, and I burst into laughter.
“Yeah, I don’t think we’ll be celebrating any of those together.
I’ll be lucky if he lets me survive. I think he’s halfway between wanting to strangle me and reminding himself that he needs me for his plan most days.
” I grimace as I take a sip of his favorite whisky.
It’s strong, peaty. Not my favorite, but I suppose if you had a refined palate for those sorts of things, you might enjoy it.
“That’s just how Stockton men show their affection. They can’t just say they like you, they have to act like you’re the bane of their existence and torture themselves over whether or not to admit they might just have a little crush.”
The idea of Levi having a crush has me lost to the giggles for several moments before I can return to rational conversation.
“A crush? I don’t think that man knows the meaning of the word. Bane of his existence, maybe.”
“Grant would definitely have described me that way before, and now we’re engaged.” She flashes her ring as she takes a long draw off her drink, and I reach for her hand, steadying it so I can stare at the ring.
“That’s gorgeous!”
“It was his mother’s. I loved her so much.”
“Were you close?”
“Before she died. Yes. She took me in when I was a teenager after my brother died. Grant was my guardian, but he had his own demons at the time.”
“Wait. Grant was your guardian?”
“Not for long, but technically yes. I didn’t have any family, and he was my brother’s best friend. He made him promise. I don’t think he would have volunteered for the task. I’ve always been a pain in his ass.”
My eyebrows make their way north.
“He didn’t touch me for ten years after that, so don’t do the judgy-eyebrow thing.”
“It's not judgment, just curiosity.”
“I get it.” She takes the last of her drink and then looks at me. “Have you slept with Levi yet?”
“What?” I practically choke on my own drink. “No.”
“That’s too bad. He needs to get laid. I swear he’s so uptight he’s going to snap one day from the stress of it.”
“I think he might need to find someone who isn’t a nun.”
“So you’ve never thought about it? I mean, Grant’s taken, I know, so you’ll have to settle for the lesser version. But still. He’s pretty, right? With the glasses and the serious-stare thing he does when he’s deep in thought? The girls at the bar always liked it.”
“He’s pretty. Yes.” I could admit that much, couldn’t I?
“So why not?”
“The part where I’m a nun, and he’s uptight?”
“It’s not like the other nuns are going to find out. Purgatory Falls can be your small-town Vegas. What happens here can stay here.”
“Even if I were tempted…” I trail off, staring down into my glass.
It’s not an if, it’s a when, and these days it’s pretty much every hour of every day since we’re stuck in each other’s constant presence.
The smell of his cologne. The way his brow furrows when he concentrates.
The way he makes me coffee with extra cream and sugar in the morning.
“Even if?” Dakota looks at me with the question as my brain stalls out in a Levi-induced spiral.
“He wouldn’t. I’m the enemy’s daughter. I’m everything he hates. He doesn’t even trust me to be alone.” I point to the space between us. “He thinks I need a babysitter.”
“He trusts me to look out for you when he’s not around.
That’s because he cares. If he didn’t, he’d have left you up in that cabin again.
His guys wouldn’t fuck that up twice.” Dakota pours us another round of drinks along with two glasses of ice water.
“And you being off-limits is part of the appeal. Men want what they can’t have.
They like being tortured like that. They just hate to admit it.
” Her lashes lift to reveal a devious smile.
“So all you have to do is let him know it’s safe for him to admit it. ”
I sigh. “I wish it were that simple. He already knows I have a thing for him, and he doesn’t care. He’s too focused on my father and everything else to care about something as silly as a crush. And he’s probably right. I’m silly for having one. Who crushes on the person holding them captive?”
“Oh, honey, I don’t think anyone is blaming you for crushing on him. There’s a whole list of women in this town who would pay for him to hold them hostage,” she muses.
My stomach flips at the thought of other women in this town.
When he was a priest there was no opportunity for other women.
But now… The creep of jealousy winds its way up my spine.
I'm not in a position to be envious. But I hate the idea of him with someone else the second the images start to appear unbidden in my mind. So I am, whether I like it or not.
“How did you even begin to get over the intimidation factor with them?” I ask abruptly. “I mean, I suppose you’re not intimidated by them. You’re so…” I wave my hand in her direction. “Everything I wished I could be when I was growing up.”
A laugh tumbles out of her, and she shakes her head.
“Having a nun tell me she wishes she could be more like me is probably the best compliment I’ve ever gotten in my life.”
“Well, it’s true.”
“You just fake it until you’ve actually got it. Confidence takes time. Especially with them. They’re like angry bulls, stomping around, snorting, and demanding things all the time. You just have to hold your own. Show them you’re not scared of them.”
“Show him I’m not scared. Noted. Easier said than done.”
“And if you want him, you’ll have to make the first move. He won’t press his way over a line he thinks you’ve put in the sand, but if you give him permission…” She tilts her head like she’s remembering something, and it must be a fond memory given the way her face warms.
“The first move,” I repeat, and she nods, clinking her glass against mine in a mock toast.
“Just try it. I promise you won’t regret it. And if you do, you can just blame me.” She shrugs, grinning as she tops off my glass, and we take another long sip together.