resisted him, pulling this way and that.
“No-No-No!!!” She tried to writhe away.
Levi laughed, hanging on to her as she leaned away
from him and when she slipped—a combination of her angle and the
snow beneath their feet—he fell to his knees beside her, pinning
her to the snow. Holly thrashed and squirmed, shrieking as he held
her down with one hand and scooped snow with the other.
“Now I have you! I’ll teach you to make fun of your
betters.” Fingers-outstretched on her upper chest, he braced her to
the snow, kneeling next to where she lay prone on the snow.
“No! Don’t! Let me go, you gorilla!” She grasped
ineffectually at the snow, flinging it up in sprays.
Her laughter mingled with Levi’s and he felt his
breathing slow and his body quicken. She was beautiful, her cheeks
pink from the cold and their tussle. Her cap had come off in the
struggle and her flame-dark hair now splayed out around her
face.
Before he realized what he was doing, he bent and
kissed her. Her struggles ceased immediately and—lost in the warmth
of her soft lips—he kissed her long and thoroughly. She deserved it
for the grief she’d given him and he didn’t want to stop. After a
startled second, he felt her response, her mouth moving under his
for long, slow minutes. She tasted so good—
And then she caught him completely off guard and
pushed him with a sudden thrust that had him on his back in the
snow next to her, Holly now pinning him.
“Gotcha!” she said, her breath fast.
His chest rising from the excitement that was now
centered below his belt, Levi didn’t even try to resist.
Her brilliant hair making a halo around her grin,
Holly said with satisfaction, “That’ll teach you to beware of
Fitzgerald women!”
***
Her clothes still dripping snowy water, Holly juggled
the mass as she went down the hall from her bedroom. She wished her
mom had an upstairs laundry room. Making her way to the staircase,
she mused on the startling fact that Levi Harper had kissed her.
Really kissed her. Their tussle in the snow had been fun up to that
point, but his kiss had turned chilly fun to steamy pleasure. Good
grief, the guy could kiss better than he had a right to. She wasn’t
quite sure what to make of it, but she’d enjoyed the hell out of
it.
Rounding the corner, her damp clothes in her hands,
she was just coming to the room her mother now shared with Michael,
when her mom’s upset voice reached her ears. Holly paused.
“…can’t believe you did this! What were you
thinking?”
Any child learned to recognize the angry, upset sound
in a parent’s voice and she knew immediately that her mother was
both irritated and distressed.
Holly knew also that standing beside her mother’s
door eavesdropping wasn’t really kosher, but she couldn’t just walk
on past and ignore it. What if her mother needed her?
“I thought you’d be happy! My God, woman! Don’t you
girls like surprises?” It was her mother’s new husband’s voice.
“We just went on a cruise, Michael! The tickets cost
a ton of money--”
Straining her ears, Holly tried to understand her
mother’s muffled words.
“What are you doing?”
Startled in an act she wasn’t completely comfortable
with, she jumped violently.
Levi lounged against the door jamb of the guest room
on the opposite side of the hall. Before she could answer, angry
voices were again raised in her mother’s room.
“Oh!” he said, lowering his words. He stepped into
the hall to stand next to her outside the door.
“Watch out for the wet spot on the floor,” she
murmured, glancing down at the puddle from her thawing jeans.
Her warning had come a second too late. “Thanks.”
Levi stepped back, shaking the moisture from where the droplets had
fallen on the toe of his elegant shoe.
“…we can’t just throw money around. You should have
asked me…”
“They’re fighting, huh?” he shifted around the wet
spot on the floor to move closer to her mom’s
“No-No-No!!!” She tried to writhe away.
Levi laughed, hanging on to her as she leaned away
from him and when she slipped—a combination of her angle and the
snow beneath their feet—he fell to his knees beside her, pinning
her to the snow. Holly thrashed and squirmed, shrieking as he held
her down with one hand and scooped snow with the other.
“Now I have you! I’ll teach you to make fun of your
betters.” Fingers-outstretched on her upper chest, he braced her to
the snow, kneeling next to where she lay prone on the snow.
“No! Don’t! Let me go, you gorilla!” She grasped
ineffectually at the snow, flinging it up in sprays.
Her laughter mingled with Levi’s and he felt his
breathing slow and his body quicken. She was beautiful, her cheeks
pink from the cold and their tussle. Her cap had come off in the
struggle and her flame-dark hair now splayed out around her
face.
Before he realized what he was doing, he bent and
kissed her. Her struggles ceased immediately and—lost in the warmth
of her soft lips—he kissed her long and thoroughly. She deserved it
for the grief she’d given him and he didn’t want to stop. After a
startled second, he felt her response, her mouth moving under his
for long, slow minutes. She tasted so good—
And then she caught him completely off guard and
pushed him with a sudden thrust that had him on his back in the
snow next to her, Holly now pinning him.
“Gotcha!” she said, her breath fast.
His chest rising from the excitement that was now
centered below his belt, Levi didn’t even try to resist.
Her brilliant hair making a halo around her grin,
Holly said with satisfaction, “That’ll teach you to beware of
Fitzgerald women!”
***
Her clothes still dripping snowy water, Holly juggled
the mass as she went down the hall from her bedroom. She wished her
mom had an upstairs laundry room. Making her way to the staircase,
she mused on the startling fact that Levi Harper had kissed her.
Really kissed her. Their tussle in the snow had been fun up to that
point, but his kiss had turned chilly fun to steamy pleasure. Good
grief, the guy could kiss better than he had a right to. She wasn’t
quite sure what to make of it, but she’d enjoyed the hell out of
it.
Rounding the corner, her damp clothes in her hands,
she was just coming to the room her mother now shared with Michael,
when her mom’s upset voice reached her ears. Holly paused.
“…can’t believe you did this! What were you
thinking?”
Any child learned to recognize the angry, upset sound
in a parent’s voice and she knew immediately that her mother was
both irritated and distressed.
Holly knew also that standing beside her mother’s
door eavesdropping wasn’t really kosher, but she couldn’t just walk
on past and ignore it. What if her mother needed her?
“I thought you’d be happy! My God, woman! Don’t you
girls like surprises?” It was her mother’s new husband’s voice.
“We just went on a cruise, Michael! The tickets cost
a ton of money--”
Straining her ears, Holly tried to understand her
mother’s muffled words.
“What are you doing?”
Startled in an act she wasn’t completely comfortable
with, she jumped violently.
Levi lounged against the door jamb of the guest room
on the opposite side of the hall. Before she could answer, angry
voices were again raised in her mother’s room.
“Oh!” he said, lowering his words. He stepped into
the hall to stand next to her outside the door.
“Watch out for the wet spot on the floor,” she
murmured, glancing down at the puddle from her thawing jeans.
Her warning had come a second too late. “Thanks.”
Levi stepped back, shaking the moisture from where the droplets had
fallen on the toe of his elegant shoe.
“…we can’t just throw money around. You should have
asked me…”
“They’re fighting, huh?” he shifted around the wet
spot on the floor to move closer to her mom’s
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