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  Presley chuckled. “Actually, I’d forgotten what it was like cooking for an athlete. I have to remember to make double next time if I want leftovers.” She winked.

  “Well, it was really good. Thank you again.”

  “You’re welcome.” She smiled.

  Here we were seeming to get along again. I had to wonder if this was all part of her “kill him with kindness” plan.

  After Alex went upstairs to his room, Presley became suddenly anxious. I turned to find her looking like she wanted to tell me something.

  I slapped the hand towel over my shoulder. “What’s up?”

  “I’ve been doing a lot of thinking about our conversation earlier.”

  I took a seat across from her at the kitchen table. “Okay…”

  “What you said definitely made some sense, but my gut is still telling me selling The Palm Inn isn’t the right decision.”

  Damn. The first part of her statement had gotten me excited for a moment; I’d thought she was coming around.

  “It’s one thing if you think it’s a lot of work for me. That’s my problem, and shouldn’t be a concern for you. But I do understand your worries about lack of demand. Still, I feel like you could be wrong.” She licked her lips nervously. “So, I have a proposition.”

  My brow lifted. “What is it?”

  Presley rubbed her hands together. “Once we get this place presentable, if I can sell out the first month, I think that will be a good indicator of how things will go. So, what I’d like to propose is that if I can sell out August…you agree not to sell.”

  I twiddled my thumbs as I thought about it.

  She prodded. “We can always sell later if we need to, Levi. At any point.”

  It didn’t make sense to invest too much in making this place nice if the developer was just going to tear it down anyway. But he wasn’t pressuring me to close the deal fast, so I had some time to let Presley have her way—for now. In any case, this was going to be the easiest win ever because there was no freaking way she could sell out the first month. I felt completely confident in agreeing.

  “You got a deal.”

  Her eyes widened. “Really?”

  “Really.”

  Presley got up from her seat and wrapped her arms around me. “You’re the best.”

  Something happened to me in that moment, as I felt the warmth of her arms around me, smelled her sweet scent. I hadn’t been hugged by a woman in God knows how long. I’d kissed plenty. Screwed plenty. But this? Just having someone’s arms around me? It felt foreign. And nice. It felt nice.

  And I had to wonder whether it was the hug or the woman giving it.

  Either way, I needed to check myself before I wrecked myself. What the hell are you doing even thinking about your brother’s ex this way, Levi?

  I pulled away. “I, uh… I’m actually late. Supposed to be meeting some of my old high school buddies at Dale’s Pub.”

  Disappointment crossed her face. “Ah. Okay.” She took a few steps back and smiled. “Have fun.”

  “Yeah. Thanks.”

  Now, I’d have to call my friends and actually get the hell out of here. I’d completely made that shit up to avoid the tension in this room.

  CHAPTER 5

  * * *

  Presley

  Levi agreeing to my proposition left me on cloud nine for the rest of the night, so much so that I had the worst time sleeping. Well, it wasn’t only Levi’s decision that gave me insomnia. Alex had also come to my room and fallen asleep in my bed. He’d had a nightmare and asked if he could lie with me. While I was always happy to let him do that, my son was a restless sleeper and kicked a lot. So anytime he slept in my bed, I had to accept that I’d be awake most of the night.

  I did need to get at least a few hours of sleep since I had a full day of house chores and errands tomorrow. I decided to leave Alex here and move to the empty bedroom I’d cleaned out earlier today.

  As I lay my head down, I realized Levi was right—this mattress was definitely pretty comfortable compared to others in the house. It didn’t take long for me to fall right asleep.

  Sometime in the middle of the night, though, a train in the distance woke me up again. Except this time, when I rolled over, I felt something next to me. It took a few seconds to realize it was a warm body.

  Someone’s in the bed!

  My first instinct was to scream. After my loud yelp, the body jerked and fell to the ground in a loud thud.

  “Ow, what the fuck?” I heard him growl.

  I grabbed my phone and activated the flashlight. I pointed it to find Levi rubbing his head with one hand and his knee with the other.

  Levi? What was he doing in bed with me?

  Not only that, he was virtually naked aside from his tight boxer briefs.

  My pulse raced. “What are you doing in here?”

  “Me?” He stared up at me, his eyes groggy. “What the hell are you doing in here? This isn’t your room, either.”

  “I know. I couldn’t sleep because Alex is in my bed. So I came in here.”

  He stayed on the ground and kept rubbing his knee. “I must have had too much to drink because I didn’t even notice you in the damn bed. I came back from the bar and decided to sleep in this room since I hadn’t had a chance to swap mattresses yet. The damn lights in here don’t work, so I couldn’t see you.”

  “Are you hurt?” I asked.

  “Just the knee I injured the last time you nearly killed me. No biggie.”

  “Shit, I’m sorry,” I said, bending down and placing my hand on his knee.

  He moved back suddenly and stood up.

  Jesus. I wasn’t trying to be inappropriate; but maybe it came off that way? Shit. Earlier he’d pulled back from our hug, too. Did he think I was crossing the line?

  “Don’t worry about it,” he said. “That’s what I get for scaring you.”

  “I’m sorry I caused you an injury…again.”

  “It’ll be a miracle if I make it out of this house unscathed.”

  Crap.

  When I didn’t say anything, he added, “I’m kidding, Presley. I’ll be fine.”

  Somehow I hadn’t noticed that the flashlight on my phone was pointing straight at his crotch. It wasn’t my intention; I was just so flustered. His body looked so damn good right now, and I was shining a spotlight on his cock! I needed to get out of here.

  “I’m going back to my bed,” I announced.

  He held out his hand. “No. I’ll go.”

  “I insist, Levi. I won’t be able to sleep knowing you’re injured and uncomfortable on top of that. Not taking no for an answer.”

  I ran out of the room before he could argue with me.

  Back in bed, my pulse pounded a mile a minute, and the insomnia was worse than ever. I couldn’t get the encounter with Levi out of my mind. Why am I still thinking of him, and why am I feeling so guilty?

  I didn’t owe my cheating ex the courtesy of feeling guilty about being attracted to another man, although his brother might have been the only exception to that. I cringed when I thought about how Levi had moved away when I touched his knee. Being attracted to Levi Miller was an extremely unfortunate circumstance, but one I couldn’t stop. You can’t help how your body reacts to someone. And Levi was insanely hot, even if I didn’t think it was appropriate to see him that way.

  I finally came to the conclusion that staring at the ceiling with Alex’s leg wrapped over me was getting me no closer to sleep. So I carefully slipped out from under him and ventured into the kitchen.

  I stopped short at the sight of Levi sitting at the table drinking a beer. He was still wearing nothing but his damn underwear.

  “Isn’t it a little late to be drinking?”

  He looked up before lifting the bottle. “Or is it early? Practically morning, right? Anyway, you judging me or something?”

  His gaze landed on my chest, and it hit me that I was dressed no more appropriately than he was. The silk camisole I wo
re left little to the imagination.

  “I was actually going to make myself some warm milk. That sometimes helps me get to sleep.”

  “Warm milk?” His voice was low. “I’ve got something better to knock you out.”

  My nipples hardened as I freaked out for a millisecond.

  Levi walked over to the cabinet and took out two shot glasses. I felt like an idiot for wondering if that comment had been suggestive.

  I held up my hand. “I can’t drink that at this hour.”

  “Sure, you can. It’s easy. I pour it in the little glass here, and you chug it down. I guarantee it’ll help you sleep better than anything else.” He pointed to the seat across from his. “Sit.”

  His demanding tone gave me chills, and for a moment I wanted nothing more than to hear him give me command after command. I have issues.

  “I guess it can’t hurt to try,” I said, sliding a chair out.

  As he threw his shot back, I took a moment to admire his body, the ripples of muscle lining his abs.

  He slammed his glass down and said, “Your turn.”

  I took the glass in my hand and gulped the contents. I wasn’t a hard-liquor drinker and couldn’t even identify what I’d just consumed. But nevertheless, it was down the chute.

  The alcohol burned my throat, and I let out a single cough. Then I nearly choked when Levi blurted out a question.

  “Have you been with anyone since Tanner?”

  I swallowed carefully. “That’s…sort of a random question. What made you ask that?”

  “Sorry if I’m being intrusive.” He crossed his arms. “You’re a really involved mom, obviously. And you certainly love biting off way more than you can chew. Doesn’t seem like that leaves much room for…anything else.”

  “I’ve gone out on a few dates here and there over the years, but nothing serious.”

  “No sex?”

  Whoa. “Don’t hold back with your questions. Do I ask you about your sex life, Levi Miller?”

  He smiled. “You don’t have to tell me shit. I was just curious since you and Tanner haven’t been together in so long.”

  I’d been trying to skirt giving him a direct answer, but screw it. Why not be honest? No better time to talk about sex with your ex’s brother than when he’s sitting across from you half-naked in the middle of the night after you’ve just had a shot of something, right? Ugh.

  “I’ve slept with one man since Tanner. He was a nice guy. Luke. Sort of a friend with benefits—not someone I saw myself with long term.” I shrugged. “It’s not easy to find someone you’re compatible with, want to have sex with, and who’d make a good role model for Alex. It’s nearly impossible to find all three, actually. I certainly haven’t brought anyone I’ve dated around my son, though. I wouldn’t do that unless it was serious.”

  “Yeah. That’s smart.”

  I lifted my chin. “What about you? I’m sure you have no problem finding women to pass the time with. You probably have the opposite problem I do. I mean, how do you choose when you can have anyone you want?”

  My face felt hot as it hit me that I was bracing for his answer. This jealousy was eye-opening—and uncomfortable.

  “It’s not that simple,” he answered.

  “Yeah, I would imagine it’s hard to pick.” I chuckled through gritted teeth.

  “That’s not what I meant, Presley.” He blew out a frustrated breath. “Do you have any idea how sucky it is to never know if someone wants to be with you because of who you are as a person, or just the fact that you’re a famous athlete? Some women just want to say they fucked the Broncos’ quarterback. I mean, sure, I’m not gonna complain too much. I don’t have any problem finding someone attractive to have sex with whenever I need it, but that gets old real fast. When it’s too easy, it’s just not…invigorating, you know?”

  His eyes met mine, and his stare burned the damn skin off my arms.

  “I suppose I can understand that,” I whispered.

  Levi rubbed his index finger along the rim of his empty shot glass. “When I was younger and first starting out in the NFL…yeah, the sex aspect was exciting because it was new. I didn’t care as much about what was up here back then.” He pointed to his head. “You know? But as I get older, I need more mental stimulation to get me off. Sometimes you just want to have a fucking conversation with someone, or hang out without having sex and just watch a movie. Everyone has this impression of what being with me is like, and I always feel pressured not to disappoint them. Sometimes all I want to do is to just fucking be—just talk, or sit in comfortable silence with someone I trust.” He sighed. “That’s not easy to find at all.”

  What he’d just said hit me in the feels, but I tried not to show it. Instead I joked, “You poor baby. It must be so hard being you.”

  He bent his head back in laughter. “I know. Woe is me, right?”

  “I’m kidding,” I said. “Honestly, I never gave much thought to how difficult it would be for someone in your shoes to trust. I always assumed you had the pick of the litter. But I guess that’s just on the surface, huh?”

  “You know how when you were a kid and got birthday money to go to the toy store, you couldn’t figure out what to get? You had enough to get almost anything in the place, but for some reason because you had the money that day, there was nothing you wanted? That’s sort of what it’s like. It’s too easy sometimes. I like a challenge. At the same time, if I found her now—that special person—how would I know she’d want to be with me if I wasn’t Levi Miller?”

  As much as I’d teased him a minute earlier, I did feel bad that he saw things this way. It must suck to never know who to trust or who might be using you.

  “Do you sometimes regret your career?”

  He bounced his head back and forth silently. “That’s tough to say. I don’t regret getting to play for a living. In that sense, I’m living the dream. But I could do without some of the other bullshit that goes with it. The problem is, you can’t have it both ways, and it’s futile to think about now anyway.”

  “Yeah.”

  “But I do know the right person for me would have to be someone who doesn’t give a shit about Levi Miller the quarterback. Because a career in the NFL has a shelf life. As my brother knows all too well, it can end in an instant.”

  The mention of Tanner sent a wave of guilt through me. I was enjoying this intimate conversation with his brother a little too much right now.

  Levi once again looked me straight in the eyes. “Part of my negative feelings toward you in the beginning were because I thought you’d left Tanner when things got bad—even though that never lined up with the way I remembered you, the type of person I believed you were. I’m sorry for making assumptions.”

  “I would never have left your brother, Levi. I loved him. But he betrayed me twice. And those are just the times I know of. His lying was the reason it didn’t work out. I can assure you it had nothing to do with his injury.”

  His stare was penetrating. “I know that now.” Then he shook his head, seeming to snap out of it. “Anyway, this conversation is way too deep for nearly four in the morning. You’d better get some sleep before Alex wakes up.”

  As much as I didn’t want to leave, I pretended to agree. “Yeah. I’d better.”

  “Take the guest room,” he insisted.

  “I injured you, remember? You need the comfortable bed.”

  “Not up for negotiation, Presley. Take the bed.”

  “Thank you.” I smiled.

  “You’re welcome.”

  As I turned around and headed to the room, I felt my entire body buzzing with desire. Hearing Levi say he wanted more than just sex with a woman made me want to have sex with him, if that made any sense. I was losing my mind. Then when I lay down in the guest bed, I immersed myself in his scent. His cologne had infiltrated the bedding where he’d been sleeping earlier.

  Damn.

  I tossed and turned in the sheets, moving my legs around and think
ing about our time together in the kitchen—the way he’d demanded that I sit, the way he was looking at me, the way he so very directly asked me about sex. There was something so unapologetic about it all, and somehow I knew he would be the exact same way in bed. I suddenly imagined him bending me over his knee and smacking my ass so hard it burned.

  What in the ever-loving fuck, Presley?

  Somehow the thought of that led to me closing my eyes and imagining his naked body over me. He was physical perfection. I slipped my hand down my panties and began circling my clit as I imagined what his cock would feel like sinking into me. When I’d shined my flashlight on his crotch earlier, I’d gotten a clear view of his bulge. I could tell he was massive.

  It took me all of one minute to give myself one of the most intense orgasms I’d had in ages. I continued to throb between my legs and wondered if I needed another round to calm down enough to sleep.

  Panting, I wiped the sweat off my forehead.

  You just got off thinking about Tanner’s brother. Real nice.

  And damn it, I wanted to do it again.

  Sitting across from him at breakfast tomorrow would be interesting.

  CHAPTER 6

  * * *

  Presley

  “The coaches certainly didn’t look like that when we were in high school.”

  I looked up to find my old friend Katrina walking up the bleachers toward me. We’d reconnected a few days ago when football camp started, and we realized our boys were the same age. It was nice to have someone to sit with.

  “Hey, Kat.”

  She sat down next to me, and we shielded our eyes with our hands as we looked down at the sideline of the field. Jeremy Brickson was using the hem of his T-shirt to wipe sweat from his forehead, revealing a glistening, tanned six-pack.

  Kat sighed. “Last week I saw him at the gym. I couldn’t walk for two days after. You know the machine where you put the cushioned things on your shoulders and lift up and down while standing on the edge of the grate?”

  “The calf machine?”