Page 23 of How Sweet It Is (Willow Shade Island #3)

I stare up at Levi, all sense gone from my brain.

What was I thinking? Levi’s a super-flirt, and I should have left it at that.

Why did I want to egg him on? Why did I allow a kiss that has now turned my world upside down?

My lips are tingling, and my heart is racing, and I can’t think clearly.

That wasn’t just a kiss. That was pure electricity coursing through me, capturing me and telling me something I don’t want to hear.

Levi’s looking at me like he’s about to say something very serious… and I can’t let him. I’m here for only a short time. This is not my home, and I’m not Amelia Bishop. I need to take this back three steps. Or fifty.

I force a shrug, my voice lighter than I feel. “Well, if that’s the best you can do, you might want to work more on your receipt-hoarding skills.”

Levi steps back from me as if I’ve slapped him. “What?”

My heart pounds as I grab the moment to skitter out from under his arm, every nerve firing. “I mean, it was a solid effort. But really, if you think that was mind-blowing, you might want to rethink your whole strategy. You know, maybe add jazz hands or a confetti cannon.”

Did I really just say jazz hands? I’m rambling, but I can’t stop myself. He stares at me, and the heat in that look is too much, too real, so I keep going.

“Don’t take it personally. If I’d wanted my emotional equilibrium shaken, I’d have eaten gas station sushi.”

Levi scrubs a hand over his face and forces a laugh, and relief floods over me. He raises one eyebrow. “Is that a challenge?”

“Nope. It’s a ‘too bad, bucko.’ You lose. The end.”

He takes a step toward me, but I back up, and he stops. “All right, Spreadsheet. You just keep telling yourself that kiss didn’t mean anything. And I’ll pretend I believe you.”

I’m too flustered to think of anything else to say. I walk over to the end table by my couch to get my phone, but it’s not in sight. I walk into my kitchen, but it’s not there either. “Shoot,” I say under my breath.

“What’s wrong?”

“I can’t find my phone.”

“I’ll help you find it.”

We search my apartment, and I’m glad for the distraction. Anything to stop me from thinking about that kiss. We look everywhere, but neither of us find it.

Finally, Levi pulls his phone from his pocket. “I’ll call you.”

“Thanks.” A moment later, my phone chimes from my living room, which is where I originally thought it was.

Levi goes in there to grab it, and I follow him. He picks it up from the floor. “It fell on the carpet and blended in.”

He stares at my phone a second before handing it to me, one eyebrow quirked up. “You put me in your phone as Pretty Boy?”

Crap. I’d forgotten I’d done that. I whack him on the shoulder, sister-to-brother style. “Don’t tell me you don’t know how good-looking you are.”

He just shakes his head. “I don’t know what I’m going to do with you.”

“Nothing. You’ll do nothing with me.” Especially not kiss me again.

Levi spreads his arms out and takes a bow. “All right. That’s my cue to leave. Have sweet dreams about sexy bakers.”

I walk him to the door. “I’ll try not to.”

He laughs, but his smile doesn’t light up his eyes. “Good night, Spreadsheet.”

I shut the door and lean against it, my heart pounding a zillion miles a second. I flirted with Levi, and this is where it got me. What did I expect? That I could play with fire and not get burned?

I kissed him. I let him kiss me. And worse, I wanted it. I still want it.

I squeeze my eyes shut and press my palms to the door like that’ll somehow stop the memory of his mouth on mine. The way he looked at me like I was something precious. Like I mattered.

And what did I do? I made jokes. I made fun of the kiss. I practically laughed in his face.

Guilt nearly chokes me. I’m the worst.

I didn’t mean to hurt him. I just… panicked. He was about to say something serious, and I couldn’t handle it. Because if he’d said what I think he was going to say, then I would have to admit that I’m starting to have feelings for him. That I care.

And I’m not supposed to care. Not about someone like him. Not when I’ve built my life here around staying invisible. Staying safe.

But Levi makes me feel seen. Like he sees right past my false identity and into the parts of me I’ve buried deep. The things I keep close and don’t share with anyone.

And the scariest part? I think I want him to.