fall.
She’d picked herself up before when the situation got heavy. She’d do it again.
Chapter Eleven
A few minutes later, Maya pulled into Levi’s parking lot. She sighed. The baby had kicked from the moment she’d left the store. Levi met her at the bottom of the stairs. Seeing him jumbled her thoughts.
“Hey, sexy lady.” He’d dressed up in an untucked soft gray button-down shirt and dark denim. There should’ve been a law against looking so damned sexy. He hadn’t shaved a in a while, and a thin scruff dusted his cheeks. Even his hair had grown a tad longer, not that he had much hair to begin with. Her dog stood at his feet. Her tags clinked as she wagged her tail.
“Thanks for letting Peaches out. I’m sure she needed to go.” She knelt and scratched her dog behind the ears. “Good girl. I bet you had a fun time with Levi, didn’t you?” Maya turned her attention to Levi. “I should tell you all I want is a bath, a foot rub and to cuddle with you, but I have the feeling you’ve got other plans. How’s Peaches liking the apartment?” She twined their fingers and allowed him to escort her to the second floor. “She doesn’t take to strangers. You’re lucky.”
“You’d be surprised what I’ve got in store.” He winked and stopped outside his apartment door. “Peaches and I have had a great day. We got ice cream, took a drive and chilled out. Then we decided to do something nice for you.” He twisted the knob and opened the door. Candles lit the room, bathing it in a warm yellow glow. The scent of buttery mashed potatoes and gravy wafted to her, making her stomach growl more. “So did you get the job?”
“I did.”
“I knew you would. Dinner is served, then I’ve got a nice, long soak for you planned with a foot rub, then we collapse in bed for whatever else you’d like to do.”
Maya clasped her hands in front of her mouth. “There’s no way you’re for real.” Tears pricked behind her eyes. First the baby moving, then getting the job and all of his kindness…she couldn’t take it all in. Peaches danced around her ankles, her claws clicking on the floor. “Next thing I know you’re going to ask me to go steady or something like that.” She sat on the chair he’d pulled out for her. “It’s a little late for a promise ring.” Peaches plopped beside her on the floor.
Levi sat opposite her. He folded his hands, and a smile wavered on his lips.
“What?” She tipped her head. “You look a million miles away.”
“Nothing.” He flattened his palms on the tabletop. “No, it’s not nothing. It’s something.” He stared into her eyes. Even across the table, she felt the heat in his gaze. “Maya, I don’t give my heart away without a fight, and I don’t fall in love.”
“Ah.” She gripped the fork and wished her stomach would settle. “Okay.” Would’ve helped if he’d said before that he wasn’t in the market for love.
“No, it’s not just okay.” He stood, then crossed around the table to where she sat and dragged the chair beside her. “Babe, my ex, Amy, shredded my heart. I thought I loved her, and she was screwing one of my co-workers. She cut me deep. I threw myself into my work and became the clichéd best damned guardsman I could.” He slipped her hand into his and sat. “I didn’t want to try romance again until I met you.”
Peaches looked up for a moment, then stretched out and grunted.
Maya allowed herself to breathe. Not where she thought he was going with the conversation, and thank God. “I’m pregnant with another man’s kid. I’m kind of a fixer-upper model.” But I like you more than I understand and it happened so fast, I’m scared. She kept her thoughts to herself.
“I know.”
The scent of his cologne wrapped around her, comforting her. She battled the urge to climb onto his lap. “Levi.”
He closed his eyes and his smile grew. “So sexy.” Levi opened his eyes. His hands trembled. “I want to be
She’d picked herself up before when the situation got heavy. She’d do it again.
Chapter Eleven
A few minutes later, Maya pulled into Levi’s parking lot. She sighed. The baby had kicked from the moment she’d left the store. Levi met her at the bottom of the stairs. Seeing him jumbled her thoughts.
“Hey, sexy lady.” He’d dressed up in an untucked soft gray button-down shirt and dark denim. There should’ve been a law against looking so damned sexy. He hadn’t shaved a in a while, and a thin scruff dusted his cheeks. Even his hair had grown a tad longer, not that he had much hair to begin with. Her dog stood at his feet. Her tags clinked as she wagged her tail.
“Thanks for letting Peaches out. I’m sure she needed to go.” She knelt and scratched her dog behind the ears. “Good girl. I bet you had a fun time with Levi, didn’t you?” Maya turned her attention to Levi. “I should tell you all I want is a bath, a foot rub and to cuddle with you, but I have the feeling you’ve got other plans. How’s Peaches liking the apartment?” She twined their fingers and allowed him to escort her to the second floor. “She doesn’t take to strangers. You’re lucky.”
“You’d be surprised what I’ve got in store.” He winked and stopped outside his apartment door. “Peaches and I have had a great day. We got ice cream, took a drive and chilled out. Then we decided to do something nice for you.” He twisted the knob and opened the door. Candles lit the room, bathing it in a warm yellow glow. The scent of buttery mashed potatoes and gravy wafted to her, making her stomach growl more. “So did you get the job?”
“I did.”
“I knew you would. Dinner is served, then I’ve got a nice, long soak for you planned with a foot rub, then we collapse in bed for whatever else you’d like to do.”
Maya clasped her hands in front of her mouth. “There’s no way you’re for real.” Tears pricked behind her eyes. First the baby moving, then getting the job and all of his kindness…she couldn’t take it all in. Peaches danced around her ankles, her claws clicking on the floor. “Next thing I know you’re going to ask me to go steady or something like that.” She sat on the chair he’d pulled out for her. “It’s a little late for a promise ring.” Peaches plopped beside her on the floor.
Levi sat opposite her. He folded his hands, and a smile wavered on his lips.
“What?” She tipped her head. “You look a million miles away.”
“Nothing.” He flattened his palms on the tabletop. “No, it’s not nothing. It’s something.” He stared into her eyes. Even across the table, she felt the heat in his gaze. “Maya, I don’t give my heart away without a fight, and I don’t fall in love.”
“Ah.” She gripped the fork and wished her stomach would settle. “Okay.” Would’ve helped if he’d said before that he wasn’t in the market for love.
“No, it’s not just okay.” He stood, then crossed around the table to where she sat and dragged the chair beside her. “Babe, my ex, Amy, shredded my heart. I thought I loved her, and she was screwing one of my co-workers. She cut me deep. I threw myself into my work and became the clichéd best damned guardsman I could.” He slipped her hand into his and sat. “I didn’t want to try romance again until I met you.”
Peaches looked up for a moment, then stretched out and grunted.
Maya allowed herself to breathe. Not where she thought he was going with the conversation, and thank God. “I’m pregnant with another man’s kid. I’m kind of a fixer-upper model.” But I like you more than I understand and it happened so fast, I’m scared. She kept her thoughts to herself.
“I know.”
The scent of his cologne wrapped around her, comforting her. She battled the urge to climb onto his lap. “Levi.”
He closed his eyes and his smile grew. “So sexy.” Levi opened his eyes. His hands trembled. “I want to be