Page 21 of How Sweet It Is (Willow Shade Island #3)

I sit on the pile of pillows and cushions as Levi does my hair. I haven’t had my hair braided since I was probably six or seven years old. It’s bringing back sweet memories of when I was little.

But Levi braiding my hair feels very different from my mother braiding it, and it’s doing funny things to my breathing.

His hands are strong yet gentle. Each time the pads of his fingers touch my scalp, it tingles.

I can’t concentrate. All I can think about is Levi and how I was pretty sure he was about to kiss me in the fort.

And I almost let him.

I can’t, though. Rafe told me I’m not supposed to date while in witness protection. Actually, that’s not exactly true. He said, “It’s complicated, and any dating has to be pre-approved by the US Marshals, so just don’t get involved with anyone because it’s a sticky situation.”

But since Rafe said the word “approval,” that must mean that sometimes, it is allowed. Otherwise, he would have just said it’s not allowed. Right?

And if I don’t divulge who I am, what harm would it do to go out a little with Levi?

The reason I’m not supposed to date is because I’m not supposed to tell anyone who I really am.

That defeats the purpose of hiding here.

But they didn’t say anything about getting involved as long as I don’t tell the truth.

Rafe’s not even here right now. How would he even know?

Levi gets done with my hair, and Skyler claps. “Turn around, Amelia. I want to see how you look like a princess.”

I do as she says, turning to face her and Levi.

Skyler jumps up and down. “You’re so pretty.”

I make the mistake of looking at Levi. His gaze captures mine, and he stares at me, an intensity I haven’t seen before in his blue eyes.

“You are,” he says quietly.

My cheeks flush, and I turn to Skyler. “Let’s do your hair now.”

“Okay!”

I take out her pigtails and braid her hair. She squeals with delight when I get a mirror and show her how our hair is similar.

“We’re princesses now,” she proclaims.

“I guess we are. What should we do now that we’re princesses?”

“Let’s have a dance party.” Skyler stands and begins to gather up the blankets, piling them on the couch.

I help her clear the floor.

“Turn on some music,” she says.

I grab my phone and open a music app, searching for something kid-friendly. I end up with a Disney playlist.

As “Cruella De Vil” plays, Skyler jumps around, flinging her arms up. “Dance, Uncle Levi!” she commands.

Levi takes my hand and pulls me close, much closer than when we danced the waltz. His hand is splayed across my lower back, and I’m pressed against his chest.

“We must do as the princess commands.”

“I guess.” My voice sounds breathless. What in the world is wrong with me? Why does touching Levi make me this way?

As we dance, all of the electricity in the room seems to gather between us. It crackles, sending my nerve endings into a frenzy. I look up at Levi, and he’s got a lopsided smile on his face, his dimple just barely showing.

“Why are you so happy?” I ask.

“I’m dancing with a princess.”

I laugh, although I have to admit, Levi looking at me like this is making me feel like a princess.

Like he has feelings for me. I try not to dwell on this thought.

Levi can’t have feelings for me. That would be silly.

He’s the flirty Barrett brother. The one who doesn’t settle down. The one who is all surface, no depth.

Yet as I look into his eyes, I can’t help but feel that I misjudged him. Like there’s more to him than I first thought. He seems to have cared quite a bit about the last girl he dated. As I ponder this, it makes me wonder how much he cared about her.

“Were you in love with Lisa?” I blurt out.

Levi’s eyebrows fly up. “What? Why would you ask that?”

Heat flushes through me at how bold that question was. “Never mind. That was inappropriate.”

Levi shakes his head. “No, it’s not inappropriate. It just surprised me, that’s all.”

I take in his pained expression, and it tells me what I wanted to know. “You don’t have to answer,” I say.

He pulls me closer to him. “I’ve dated a lot of girls,” he says quietly. “I was playing a game. Seeing who I could get to like me. I never thought about the consequences of breaking up with someone until Lisa came along. I cared a lot about her, and she dumped me.”

I gape at him. “Was Lisa the first woman to break up with you?”

“Yes, and I know how that sounds. You don’t have to tell me. I’m a jerk.”

“I was going to say cad, but jerk can fit too.”

The song changes to “A Whole New World,” and Levi slows his tempo.

His movements are mesmerizing. Being in Levi’s arms feels like the world finally makes sense.

Like all the sharp, broken pieces inside me have found a place to rest. His hand settles against the small of my back, strong and steady, and I swear I could melt right into him.

He swallows. “Lisa and I meshed really well. At least, I thought we did. She really hurt me when she told me I’d never amount to anything.”

I gasp, my heart jumping up into my throat. “She said that to you?”

“Yeah.” The pain behind his eyes is plain to see, and it makes me want to go find Lisa and slap her. What a terrible thing to say.

I run my thumb along the skin on his bicep. “Oh, Levi. She’s wrong.”

His playful grin spreads across his face. “I know. I’m worth millions now.”

“No,” I say, shaking my head. “It’s not because of that. It’s because you’re such a sweet and caring person. You’re like a ray of sunshine. You go out of your way to do nice things for people. This is why you’ll always be valuable to… people.”

Levi slows his movements. “Valuable to people in general?”

I swallow, not wanting to think about what he’s asking. “Of course.”

He knows I’m deflecting, but he lets me do it anyway. “Tell me more about your family’s business.”

I stiffen. I shouldn’t say anything, but I feel like I need to tell him something. “They struggle a lot with it. I’ve been helping them. I’m just afraid now that I’m here, it’s going to suffer.”

“You can’t help from here?”

I shake my head but don’t elaborate.

He changes the subject. “I like your hair down.”

“I hate wearing it down.”

He tilts his head to the side. “Why?”

“It gets in my way. And I don’t like taking the time in the morning to make it look good. It’s just easier to put it up.”

“Ah. I see.”

I pinch his arm. “You see what?”

“That’s the librarian in you.”

I don’t understand what he’s saying. “The what?”

He laughs. “Never mind. You’re just a very practical person.”

I nod, liking that adjective. “Yes. I’m practical.”

“What did your last boyfriend think of that?”

I’m flustered by his question. I graduated high school at age sixteen and finished college in just two years, all while working at my parents’ flower shop.

I was too focused on school and the business to do anything as frivolous as date.

Then after I got a job working for Victor, I was working full-time and continuing to help the family business.

The reality is I didn’t have time for men.

Luckily, a knock sounds on my door, and I rush to open it.

“Hey, Kiki.”

She comes into my apartment, and Skyler runs to her. “Kiki!”

“Did you get a lot done?” I ask.

“Yes, thank you. We finished all the centerpieces.” She smiles at me. “Your hair looks nice down.”

“She’s a princess,” Skyler says.

Kiki takes in the blankets and cushions all piled up, and her grin fades. “Oh, dear. Did Skyler make all this mess?”

I laugh and wave a dismissive hand at the mess. “It’s fine. We built a fort.”

Levi grabs my phone and turns off the music. “Are you ready for your wedding?”

Kiki shakes her head. “No, but I’m closer now. I appreciate the help.” She turns to Skyler. “Come on. Let’s get you to bed.”

I wave goodbye to Kiki and shut the door. I turn to Levi, and he’s grinning at me like he just pulled off the perfect prank. “What?”

“You’ve never dated anyone, have you?”