Mia pulled a handful of books from the shelves and added them to the stack on the floor. She and Levi had already looked behind every wall hanging in the inn, and now they were in the library, clearing the shelves. The scent of lemon wood polish mingled with the musty smell of old books.
She glanced at Levi, who was working on an adjacent shelf. “I always thought it would be cool to find one of those secret library walls.”
“Well, I hate to be a dream crusher. But this is a corner room, bordered by a hallway and lobby, so I don’t think it’s going to happen today.”
“I’d settle for a secret safe containing that necklace.”
“Wouldn’t we all.”
They were running out of places to look. He’d mentioned a crawl space under the house, but neither of them could imagine Dorothy putting the Carolina Breeze in that damp, dark space.
Mia pulled a stack of Lee Child books from the next shelf. “Somebody likes the Jack Reacher series. There must be twenty of them here.”
“Those were my dad’s. He liked to read as much as Molly.”
He hadn’t talked much about his parents. It must be a painful subject. “What was he like, your dad?”
“He was an attorney here in town. He really liked helping people, though that’s not something he ever would’ve admitted to. He was a congenial guy, but he was quiet about it. He had this great dry sense of humor—I didn’t really appreciate that until I was in my late teens. I guess most of it went over my head before then. He sure loved my mom though. I used to moan and groan about the way they were always touching each other. But man . . . That’s pretty great to be so in love after all those years.”
“He sounds terrific. I can’t imagine what it would be like to even have a dad. I mean, some of my friends did, of course, but—” She shook her head.
“You were five when he took off?”
It warmed her that he’d remembered. “Yeah. That’s pretty young, huh?”
“What happened between your parents? Did your mom ever say?”
“She said he couldn’t deal with the realities of the business. He was jealous of the men she was with on-screen and jealous of the attention she got in public.”
Levi paused in his task. “And you never heard from him again?”
Mia shrugged. “Nope.”
She didn’t want to talk about her dad anymore. Maybe she’d come to grips with the abandonment, but it still wasn’t a pleasant topic.
“What about your mom?” Mia asked. “What was she like?”
“She was pretty great too. She was more free-spirited than Dad. She was the outgoing one—everyone liked her. We couldn’t go anywhere without her running into someone she had to chat with.”
“Sounds like Molly.”
“Yeah, Molly takes after her a lot. And I guess Grace got our dad’s dry sense of humor.”
“What did you get?”
He paused, a thoughtful look on his face. “They were very different, my mom and dad. I guess I got my mom’s conscience and my dad’s pragmatism—and his height.”
They’d both moved toward the bookshelf corner, bringing them closer together.
She gave him a look from the corner of her eyes. “I think you got your dad’s looks too. I saw the photo hanging in the lobby. He was very handsome.” Almost as handsome as Levi, with that dark hair and those sky-blue eyes.
Levi turned those eyes on her now, his lips quirking. His arm brushed hers as he pulled books from the shelf.
His touch made a strange energy hum through her. Made her mouth go dry.
“So . . . you think I’m handsome, huh?” Levi said, his tone teasing.
Men. Hadn’t she already told him as much? Mia pursed her lips and went back to work, all nonchalant. “You’re okay, I guess.”
Levi sat back on his heels, giving her a sly grin. “Just okay?”
The scent of his cologne was yummy. She drew in a deep breath of it. Her hands were suddenly shaky under his perusal, and she was glad for the task at hand. He made her nervous. Made her stomach swarm with butterflies.
* * *
Levi watched Mia unshelving books and tried to remind himself of all the photos he’d seen online last night. Mia, with all those famous men on glamorous dates. Mia, smiling at her celebrity ex-fiancé.
But Molly’s words kept popping into his mind instead. Movie star handsome. Amazing. Very special.
Mia Emerson had said all those things about him. It was enough to make a man a little heady. And with her here, sitting close enough to smell her hair, he couldn’t resist thinking about it.
Nor could he resist teasing her, just a little. “So you don’t think I’m . . . I don’t know . . . movie star handsome?”
Mia’s gaze darted to Levi. She searched his eyes for a long moment, those moss-green eyes fixed on his.
“And I’m sure you don’t think I’m amazing or anything,” Levi continued, watching her closely. “Definitely not at all special.”
Mia’s eyes flickered with realization. Her lips twisted. “Molly.”
Levi couldn’t stop his smug grin. “Don’t be mad at her. She meant well.”
He hoped Mia couldn’t see how hard his heart was pounding beneath his shirt. It had been a bold move, making her own those words. He hoped he didn’t regret it.
Maybe Mia had only been giving Molly lip service. Knowing his sister, she’d probably put Mia on the spot. Shame he hadn’t thought of that till now. He opened his mouth to tell her he’d just been teasing, but she spoke first.
“I’m not mad at Molly.” Mia tilted her head up at him. She was so close, just a breath away. Something in her eyes shifted as they locked onto his. “I would’ve told you myself if you’d just asked.”
His pulse sped. His chest tightened. She was looking at him like . . .
“Would you now?” His eyes fell to her lips. They’d parted—an invitation? He leaned forward slowly, giving her a chance to back out.
His heart beat up into his throat as their lips met. He brushed them softly, tentatively.
His breath caught at her immediate response. At the way she pressed her hand to his neck. There was no photographer this time. No camera to perform for. It was just Mia and him, alone with their thoughts. With their wishes and wants.
And right now he wanted her more than he could say. He went back for seconds because, suddenly, he needed her kiss more than he needed his next breath.
Her hand moved up on his neck, warm and urgent, making desire course through him. Her fingers delved into the hair at his nape, sending a jolt of pleasure through him. He pulled her to him, both of them rising to their knees in a mutual need for closeness.
Levi put everything he felt for her into the kiss. Feelings he couldn’t quite cop to just yet. Words he couldn’t yet formulate. All of it was there in the way he touched her, the way he kissed her. He couldn’t help himself. He could no sooner have stopped it than he could’ve stopped a ripple on the lake’s surface.
Somewhere in the distance the phone rang. Off duty. Not his problem.
He ran his hands over her back as he took the kiss deeper. Her response made blood rush to his head until he could hear his own heartbeat pulsing in his ears.
The image of those online photos flashed unbidden through his mind like a slideshow. So many men. Famous men. Mia could have anyone she wanted. Why would she want him?
And what was this to her anyway? A diversion? Her life was somewhere else. And his was here in Bluebell for the foreseeable future. Was he getting in too deep? Was he setting himself up for heartbreak?
Reluctantly, he pulled away. The half-lidded look on her face about did him in. Her lips looked bee-stung, ripe and tempting.
His palms were damp. His blood raced through his veins, carrying chemicals that urged him to “fight or flight,” and he wanted to do neither.
“What’s wrong?” That vulnerable look was back in her eyes.
He hated that he’d put it there. He didn’t want to see her guard go back up. He wanted to kiss her eyelids and work his way back down to that delicious mouth.
But that wasn’t logic talking. Even if she actually wanted him for more than a stolen kiss, what kind of future could they have?
He was still framing her face, and his fingers twitched reflexively. “I probably shouldn’t have done that.”
“Why not?” she asked.
Unable to stop himself, he brushed a thumb across her cheek. So soft. “Sometimes I forget who you are, Mia.”
She turned her face into his palm, nuzzling the tender flesh.
Have mercy.
“What do you mean?”
Despite how she was responding to him, he was a fool to think she’d ever choose him. She was so far out of his league it was laughable.
He shook his head. “You’re Mia Emerson. What could you want with an average guy like me?”
Her brows charged together. She grabbed the hands that were on her face and held them with both of hers. “Levi . . . you’re not an average anything. You don’t see yourself the way I do.”
He gave her a droll look. “I went online and looked you up, Mia. Okay? I admit it. I knew you were engaged to Wesley Hughes, but I didn’t know you’d dated so many other celebrities. I’m just a regular guy here. How can I measure up to that?”
“They’re just regular guys too, Levi. Don’t be blinded by all the hype. I go out with other celebrities because it makes sense to date men in the industry, that’s all. They understand the craziness that goes with my life.” Her chin came up. “And sometimes a girl just needs a date for the Oscars, you know.”
He gave a dry chuckle at the absurdity of that sentence. They were from different worlds. He supposed that was her way of saying the relationships had been casual.
“Levi, you’re an incredible man. I’ve been watching you around here. You’re loyal and hardworking and steady . . .”
He gave a wry smile. “That honestly sounds kind of boring.”
She was shaking her head. “No. A girl like me—a girl who didn’t have so much of that growing up—values those things an awful lot.”
He regarded her for a long moment. “Fair enough. Can I ask what happened between you and Wesley?”
“You didn’t read about it online? There are hundreds of articles.”
“I want to hear the truth, and I want to hear it from you.”
She gave him a long, steady look. Then she sighed and sank to the ground amid the piles of books.
His body groaned at the distance she’d put between them, but he was to blame for that, after all. He made room amidst the book piles and sank onto the floor beside her.
“We met at a mutual friend’s New Year’s Eve party, and he asked me out. We dated a while, had a lot in common. My career was on the verge of exploding. His hadn’t quite taken off yet. But he was tenacious, and he seemed patient enough to wait for his big break. He didn’t seem jealous of my success—something I’m really sensitive to because of my parents’ relationship.
“Anyway, we fell in love, and when he eventually asked me to marry him I said yes. We started planning the wedding—and the honeymoon—” She gave him a dour look. “Then I heard about this role I thought he’d be great for. I knew the producer and got him an audition. He got the part and soon after that—very soon—he dumped me.”
“Do you think . . . ?”
“He used me? Oh yeah. I mean, he never owned up to it. He gave me other reasons. We ‘weren’t a good fit.’ But I couldn’t help but notice that insight only came along after I’d gotten him the role of his career.”
Levi clenched his jaw. He wanted to pound the guy. No wonder Mia was so guarded. “I’m sorry. It must’ve hurt to be used that way by someone who was supposed to love you.”
She gave him a wan smile. “Sadly, it’s just part of the business.”
“Don’t let him off the hook that easily. Using people is wrong. Using their feelings against them is even worse. He asked you to marry him. That means something where I come from.”
She placed her hand over his, and he realized he’d balled it into a fist. “We’re from two different worlds, I’m afraid.”
Clearly, they were on the same page. “Another reason that kiss was probably a mistake.”
She squeezed his hand, then leaned onto her arm, bringing her closer. “That doesn’t mean we can’t enjoy the time we have, though, does it? I mean, I understand your reservations. I have some too.” Then she looked up to him with those wide, luminous eyes of hers. “There’s only one problem.”
He swallowed hard, his upper body swaying closer of its own accord. “What’s that?”
Her hungry eyes were intent on him. Tension hovered in the space between them. “I can’t stop thinking about you.”
His breath caught in his chest. His lungs forgot how to function. He was completely lost, and moreover he didn’t want to be found. He was only human, after all. He leaned in and pressed his lips to hers.
She responded in kind.
It was only when Levi heard feet tromping down the hall sometime later that he finally pulled away.