Page 4

S ara stood beneath the hot shower in her tiny studio apartment and cursed herself.

“Why! Why!” Why had she screwed Levi Huxley of all people?

Because he was sexy?

“No, no, no,” she hissed and aggressively washed her hair and rinsed.

Snapping off the water, she grabbed a towel for her hair and then wrapped another around herself before she made her way to her closet.

Pulling on a pair of black dress slacks, she slid into a crisp red button-up blouse and started on the process of drying her long hair.

Levi crept into her thoughts once again. Who was she kidding? She hadn’t stopped thinking about him all night into this morning. The guy was like a fine wine, and he sure knew how to heat up the sheets. Her nipples tightened when she thought of the way he had skillfully played with her.

She shook herself. Damn, she wanted him again.

“Nope,” she told her reflection and wiggled the blow dryer to send her damp hair flying.

Levi was just a one-night stand. He was probably halfway back to Seattle right now.

So what if she screwed him last night? She was entitled to have a wild night once in a while.

Shit, her eyes widened. They hadn’t used protection.

She would stop by the pharmacy and grab some Plan B on the way to work.

She hated the idea. She had promised herself that if she ever became pregnant, she would cherish the child. Tears stung her eyes.

“Oh, Sara,” she sighed as she shut off the hairdryer and slid her feet into a pair of black pumps. “You’re supposed to be making better choices.”

Mandy called her just as Sara stepped outside to wait for her Lyft.

“What’s up, hon?” Sara said.

“Oh, thank god. Can you cover for me? I’m supposed to be there in ten minutes, but I’m going to be an hour or more late. My sitter called in sick,” Mandy said.

“Of course,” Sara said and walked to the curb just as her Lyft pulled up. Sara checked the license plate before sliding into the backseat of the car.

“I’m on my way now,” she told Mandy.

She could run into the pharmacy on her way to work. No, that wouldn’t give her enough time if she needed to be there and on the clock in ten minutes.

“Can you do me a favor?” Sara asked.

“Sure thing.”

“Stop by the pharmacy and grab me a Plan B on your way into work?”

“What!” Mandy gasped and then giggled. “Oh my god! Did you and Kevin finally…”

“No, it wasn’t Kevin.”

“Oh shit. Well, I’m glad you got laid,” Mandy said with a cackle.

“Hush!” Sara snorted and then laughed.

“At least tell me if it was good!”

“Ooooh yeah.” Sara stifled her laughter.

“Okay, I’ll get you one.”

“Thank you and do not tell a soul,” Sara said, but she was smiling.

“Mums the word.” Mandy was still giggling when she hung up.

Some people might think it odd that she ended up managing the bar at an exclusive lounge instead of cutting hair. She just couldn’t bring herself to go back to anything that reminded her of Seattle or the life and beauty business she’d built there.

“Hey Jim,” Sara said, spotting one of the Velvet Room’s waiters.

“Hey, Boss,” Jim said. “I thought you worked this afternoon?”

“I did. I do, but I’m covering for Mandy until she can find a backup sitter.” Sara tied a short black waist apron around her hips.

“Hey sexy.”

Sara pasted on a bright smile before she turned to Kevin.

“Hey there…”

His eyes were glued to her chest. It was his go-to. Her red blouse was her standard uniform with the small VL logo on the right upper portion, but she might as well have been naked in his eyes. His gaze lingered several more moments before he winked and headed off to the office in the back.

Ugh. Although Kevin was handsome, he was kind of a dick.

But he was a dick she knew. She knew what to expect from him. And knowing that was what kept her around. And Kevin kept other guys from asking her out. Oh, she still got hit on while working and going to other places, but those she could deal with.

The lounge got busy and Sara didn’t take a breath until the landline rang two hours later.

“Velvet Lounge, how can I help you?” Sara said.

“Sara, I can’t get a sitter,” Mandy said, her voice a wail.

“Don’t worry, I can handle a double, but you owe me,” Sara said over the music. Someone had turned it up louder.

“You got it,” Mandy promised.

“Boss? Table six needs those drinks,” Jim called from his spot at the other end of the busy bar.

“I’ll talk to you later,” Sara promised Mandy, hung up the phone, and hurried over to fill the drink order.

There went her Plan B.

She’d need to stop by the all-night pharmacy and get it on her way home. Surely it wouldn’t be too late. She searched her phone for the cut-off time. Within 72 hours, it said, the sooner the better. There was an 81 to 90% chance of success.

She’d take those odds.

Tucking away her phone, Sara sighed and filled a small wooden bowl with pretzels from the bin.

The likelihood of her being pregnant was slim to none. She had never missed a period with Chris.

She shuddered just thinking of the guy and reminded herself that when she was with Chris, she had been on birth control pills. From high school to about four months ago, she had been on birth control.

Now, she didn’t bother with them because she vowed to never have sex again.

How’s that working out for you , she silently scolded her stupid self.

“Boss?”

“Coming!” she shouted and hurried across the room with the drinks and pretzels.

2 AM and closing time rolled around fast, and she was the last to leave at four in the morning.

Just about dead on her feet, she had the Lyft driver stop at the all-night pharmacy.

She bought the pill and a water, but stared at them before tucking them away in her purse. She could just let nature take its course, right? The decision weighed heavily on her.

Gazing out the window at the passing city, she let her mind drift. She wondered if Levi had gone to the club or back to Seattle. It wouldn’t matter if he had, she wouldn’t go to that club again.

How had he found her?

Shit. Her old phone!

It had been stolen out of her purse at work last month. She didn’t think any of the Velvet Lounge employees would steal like that, so it had to have been a customer. Even though the employee room had an automatic lock, it would only take someone coming from the bathroom to stick a hand out to keep the door from swinging shut.

So, her old phone number was how Levi had found her? Sara remembered overhearing William talking about how Levi had been a part of some secret unit in or after the military. Or something like that. Levi was former Army Special Forces, and he had served with Max. Apparently, the two men had kept in touch through the years and started a bodyguard business together.

What she did find out from that conversation was that Levi was a badass. After the military and prior to becoming a bodyguard, Levi specialized in handling some very bad people.

So, God knows how many people he knew to do whatever kind of job. He’d probably ran her information through some freaking database to find her.

Ugh, the nerve.

One thing she would be doing from now on? Calling Lily, Ana, Carla, and Michelle from the bar’s landline and make damned sure she never went to those night clubs again.

Levi would surely give up after a while.

Wouldn’t he?