I'm Your Santa (8 page)

After briskly drying his hair, Ben dropped the towel over the back of a chair and strode naked to the bed. “Maybe Levi won't be here that long and we won't have to worry about it. Christmas is still a few days away and Beth seems to want him long gone.”

Although, Ben reminded himself, Beth had asked for one room.

But with two beds.

Very confusing. Except that damned Levi had seemed awfully sure of himself…

“She doesn't.” Sierra continued with her perusal of holiday-inspired presents. “Want Levi gone, that is. She's in love with him.”

Ben cocked a brow over that disclosure. “You really think so?”

“I know so.” And then, distracted, “It's as obvious as it can be.”

“I'll have to take your word for that.” How was it that women always saw something different from what men saw?

“You are such a smart man.” Sierra's mouth curved in a smile.

“Since Brandon's out of the picture, can't we just give his gift to Levi?”

Her smile lowered to a frown. “Of course not. All things considered, it wouldn't be right to give the man Beth will marry a gift that was meant for the man we thought she was going to marry.”

Amused by that convoluted explanation, Ben stretched out beside her, took her catalog and dropped it on the nightstand.

It was Sierra's turn to raise a brow.

While looking at her breasts beneath the undershirt, Ben asked, “Am I supposed to understand what you just said?”

Sierra laid down on her side, facing him. “You could just trust me, I suppose.”

“That I do, sweetheart.” Leaning forward to kiss her, Ben growled, “I trust you to keep me in a fog of sexual satisfaction.”

Sierra snorted. “You're so easy, that job's a piece of cake.”

Dead serious, he said, “I'm easy for you, Sierra. No one else.” Ben drew her down over him, and Sierra got to work.

 

Standing in front of her dressing-table mirror, wearing only a camisole and panties, Brooke removed her earrings and a delicate necklace.

As always, the sight of her charmed Kent. The way she moved, her posture, and the grace of her hands never failed to mesmerize him and turn him on.

Brooke caught his reflection in her mirror and smiled. “You look pensive, Kent. Are you thinking about Beth and that brazen new man of hers?”

Kent could have laughed, but he stifled his humor. “No.” At that moment, with Brooke nearly ready for bed, the last thing on his mind was his daughter. “I think it'll work out just fine between the two of them.”

After closing the jewelry box, Brooke turned to face him. “You do? Why?”

“Because Beth looks at that young man the way you always looked at me.” The way Brooke
still
looked at him on occasion.

Laughing, Brooke reached up to take down her hair. “And how would that be?”

“With a little fear and a lot of fascination.” As her silky hair tumbled free, Kent caught her around the hips and dragged her between his legs. “It's an incredible combination that gets to me every time.”

“Fear?”

Nodding slowly, he let his hands slide down to cup her bottom. “Fear at being so fascinated.”

Brooke laughed again. “I'd say it was more awe than fear. You are such a big, impressive man, and so blatantly sexual. I've never known anyone else like you.”

Filling his palms with her lush, soft backside made it almost impossible for Kent to follow the conversation. “So you're in awe of me, huh?”

“What woman wouldn't be?” Inciting him with her gentleness, Brooke stroked her hands over his bare shoulders to his biceps. “Look at you.”

“I'd rather look at you.” Kent kissed her throat. “God woman, you are so hot.”

Brooke cupped his face so she could see him. “And you think Beth feels about Levi the way I've always felt about you?”

His muscles tensed and heated. “This is not a good time to talk about my daughter.”

Trailing one finger down the center of his chest, Brooke played coy and asked, “Why ever not?”

Kent growled, “Because I have a jones, woman, that's why.”

Her gaze dipped down his body and she smiled. “Well my, my, my. I see that you do.”

As if that wasn't reason enough, Kent rubbed his nose into the fragrant place between her breasts, whispering roughly, “And because you smell good and taste even better.”

Brooke's fingers tunneled into his hair, drawing him closer to her.

Taking that as a sign of her readiness, Kent drew her down to the bed and turned her beneath him. “And because I know Beth can take care of herself.”

After a deep breath, Brooke forced her eyes open. “I know you're right. And should she need anything, she does have Ben and Sierra in the hotel with her. It's not like she's alone—”

Kent silenced Brooke with a kiss meant to put her mind on the task at hand. He loved it that she cared so much for his daughter, and vice versa, but there was a time and a place for everything, and right now it was time to love his wife silly.

The second Kent nudged Brooke's legs open so he could settle between them, she gave in to him with familiar enthusiasm.

“That's better,” Kent whispered to her. “Much, much better.”

Watching Levi sleep proved an interesting pastime for Beth. He looked just as rugged and sexy in slumber as he did awake. Even a serious case of bed head that had his brown hair sticking up at odd angles didn't detract from his masculine impact.

Dark-beard shadow covered his jaw, and a low, even snore half mesmerized her.

Never had Beth been this fascinated watching Brandon sleep. In fact, Brandon had never really fascinated her in any way. Yet looking back, she realized that she'd always been intrigued by Levi, his connection with kids and his easy smiles, his sense of humor and his loyalty to friends.

She'd always liked being with him.

She'd always enjoyed talking to him.

Levi was a man's man, but ladies adored him, too. Only…he hadn't had a serious relationship with a woman in all the time she'd known him.

Maybe because of that, she'd never consciously considered him beyond a sexual fantasy. He hadn't struck her as the marrying kind, not when he seldom saw the same woman more than three times. To Beth, he was the quintessential bachelor—and that, along with his friendship to Brandon, had made him completely off limits for anything other than a very private fantasy.

Yet here she was, by her own volition, in bed with him. And he wanted to marry her, had all but insisted on it.

Out of guilt because he'd enjoyed making love with her? Or maybe out of that profound sense of responsibility, because she had been his best friend's fiancée and they would have eventually married.

Did he offer to marry her because he thought that's what she wanted? Or because he wanted it?

Did he hope to continue making love with her, except without the guilt?

There were too many questions, and not enough answers for Beth to consider marriage. The only thing she knew for certain was that she had it bad.

Unlike her mistaken feelings for Brandon, this was the genuine article. Love with a capital “L.” The real McCoy. Everlasting, overshadowing, “till death do us part” love.

Now that she felt it, she knew how shallow and superficial her feelings for Brandon had been. At first, she'd have given anything to do over her wild weekend with Levi. Now she cherished the time she'd had with him. She wanted to do it over, again and again.

But…did Levi feel the same?

Her sigh roused him, and he began to stir. Stretching out his limbs while scrunching up his face a little, Levi flexed all those macho muscles that never failed to make her giddy. His biceps bulged, his abdomen drew into a tight, sexy six-pack, and a deep rumble came from his chest.

Leaning over him, Beth put a peck on his mouth and whispered, “Good morning, Levi.”

He froze in a comical pose. His movements halted, his breath caught. Suddenly his eyes popped open. When he saw her face so close to his, bewilderment darkened his green gaze. Without moving anything but his eyes, he searched the position of her body over him, then the room, and then her face again.

Alert and wary, he murmured, “Good morning.”

God, he even
sounded
wonderful to her now-enlightened ears. “You look incredibly sexy in the morning, Levi Masterson.”

Keeping his gaze glued to hers, he asked, “I do?”

Beth nodded. “I've been awake for an hour.”

His brows pinched in a frown. “You should have nudged me or something.”

“No, it's all right.” She glanced down his body, but that took her thoughts in a dangerous direction so she quickly took her attention back to his face. “I stayed busy watching you sleep.”

A new awareness came over Levi. His gaze grew piercing. “Busy how?”

“Just thinking.”

His eyes narrowed. “About?”

Beth hated the watchfulness that tightened his expression. She'd been so unfair to him that he didn't know if he should expect rejection or interest.

She drew a deep breath for courage. “Levi, from now on I want to be as honest with you as I can be.”

Relaxing into his pillow, he said, “So you're admitting that you haven't been honest?”

“Not with myself and not with you.” Rather than explain that she hadn't misled him on purpose, Beth said, “I'm sorry about that.”

“You're forgiven.”

Knowing he waited for an answer to his question, Beth gathered her nerve. “Since I woke up and found you asleep, I've been thinking about how nice it was to be this close to you without you pressuring me, or me molesting you.”

The corners of his mouth quirked. “You can molest me any time you want, honey. I don't mind at all.”

That reply proved a perfect example. “There, you see? Now you're awake, so the pressure starts again.”

“It was just a joke, not a suggestion.” He encouraged her to continue by saying, “Tell me what else you thought about.”

“Everything.” Daring and brave in light of her new attitude, Beth stroked a hand over his warm chest. She relished the feel of his crisp body hair, his strong muscles. And looking at his chest instead of into his eyes made it easier to say, “Mostly, I've thought about how foolish I've been.”

Annoyance had Levi shoving upright. “Damn it, Beth—”

She threw herself over him, flattening him again. “I
have
been foolish.” A finger over his mouth quieted his protests. “In lots of ways, but mostly for thinking myself in love with Brandon.”

He bit her finger, and when she yanked it away, he caught her wrist and brought it back for an apologetic kiss that made her tingly.

“You
were
in love with him.” Levi held her hand close. “Weren't you?”

She'd always thought so, but now that she could compare her feelings for Brandon with her feelings for Levi, she knew there was no comparison. “I was probably more in love with the idea of being in love with him. If that makes any sense.”

Levi began kissing her fingertips one by one. “If you weren't in love with him, I'm glad, but yeah, it makes perfect sense. You're a mature, domestic, caring woman. You wanted to settle down.”

“Gawd, I sound like a grandmother.”

Taking her seriously, Levi said, “No, not grandmotherly at all. But you're not a partier, either, and you're not a woman who wants to spin her wheels on the dating scene. Like me, you value commitment and security.”

“Yes.” Beth wished that she'd realized sooner how much they had in common. “I'm trying to come to grips with some truths about myself.” She looked at his mouth. “Another truth is that I enjoy you.”

“Sexually?”

“Yes, definitely. But I enjoy your company, too.”

“You always have.”

Why did it sound as if he'd known that forever, when she was just figuring it out? “You're probably right.”

Her easy admission had him staring hard at her again.

“Okay,” Beth said, “so what are
you
thinking?”

“That I need up.” Those words struck Levi funny, and he turned his head on a rough laugh. “Hell, what am I saying? I've been up since I opened my eyes and realized you were still here.” He looked back at her. “In bed.” His voice lowered. “With me.”

“Of course I'm still here.” Beth pretended affront. “I told you last night that we'd talk this morning.”

“You also told me that you weren't letting me go. But you were half-asleep and I'd just given you an orgasm, so I wasn't sure how much stock to put into those words.”

“You thought that maybe after everything we did last night, I'd freak out in the light of day and dodge you again?”

“That worry did keep me awake for a while.”

They needed time to iron out all the misunderstandings and come to an agreement, one they could both deal with, Beth decided. “Well, we're here, and we're talking now.”

Levi smiled. “And I'm thrilled, I really am. Except that before we get too involved, I'd like to hit the john, brush my teeth, shave—”

“Modesty?” Beth teased. “You want to greet me at your best?”

“You deserve the best.”

He said that so seriously that she wanted to confess undying love. But before she did anything like that, she needed to figure out how Levi really felt, and why he wanted to marry her.

“I snuck into the bathroom without waking you.” She brushed his mouth with hers in a feather-light kiss. “No morning breath for me.”

His thumb skimmed her jaw. “No whiskers, either.”

“I like your whiskers, Levi.” What an understatement. She loved everything about him. “And your disheveled hair, and the warm, sleepy way you smell…” She put her nose to his neck and inhaled.

On a groan, Levi caught her upper arms, lifted her up and away from him and put her on her back beside him. “Do me a favor, will you, honey? Hold all those tantalizing thoughts while I do a rush job here, okay?”

Beth nodded.

His gaze dipped to her legs, exposed beneath the hem of her pajama top. Thanks to the cold, she'd buttoned up to keep her chest warm, but she hadn't bothered with her bottoms at all.

Levi slowly inhaled before visibly girding himself and, wonderfully naked, he strolled into the bathroom.

Beth watched him until he was out of sight, then she squeezed her eyes shut and hugged herself. Now that she'd accepted her involvement with Levi, things were easier.

And exciting beyond belief.

When she heard the water come on, she jumped out of the bed and called the front desk to request a pot of coffee and a basket of Danishes. Being Ben's stepsister got her priority service, and she barely had time to drag a brush through her hair and pull on her pajama bottoms before the knock sounded on the door.

Looking refreshed and resolute, Levi stuck his head out of the bathroom.

Beth deliberately confused him by grinning. “Unless you want to be seen in your birthday suit, you better duck back into bed.”

“Breakfast?”

“Coffee at least.”

“You're an angel.” And with that, he stepped into jeans and went to the door for her. After signing the charge and slipping a few singles to the bellhop, he turned back to Beth, tray in hand.

Beth patted the bottom of the bed. “Put it here, and we can get comfortable together.”

His jaw worked, but he gave in with a shrug. “If you say so.”

Beth went about pouring coffee for them both. “I suppose you're wondering about my change in attitude, huh?”

“A little, yeah.”

His dry tone made her chuckle. As she handed his coffee to him, she tried to explain. “Well, you know I talked with Grace and Sierra and Brooke last night?”

“Yeah.” He took the cup from her and sipped.

“We talked about…us. You and me.”

“I figured.” He took another sip.

“I told them how I felt like a marauding sex fiend with you.”

Levi choked. He looked at her, then sputtered and choked again. Quickly, he set the steaming cup of coffee back on the tray and stood.

“Are you all right?” Jumping to her feet, Beth went to the other side of the bed and started to pat his back.

Still coughing, Levi shot to the side to dodge her. “I'm okay,” he wheezed.

“Are you sure?” He didn't sound all right.

Holding out a hand, he kept her at bay while he sucked in a few strangled breaths. When normal color returned to his face, he looked at her, put his hands on his hips and opened his mouth.

Beth blinked at him.

He said nothing. His mouth closed. He frowned.

“Did I embarrass you by telling them about us?”

He shook his head, more in confusion than denial. “Sex fiend?”

Maybe she shouldn't have shared that with him. “You have to admit that I'm not really myself with you.”

“You're
exactly
yourself.”

“I hadn't been that way before.”

“Because you hadn't been with me before.”

He sounded pretty confident about that. “It's not what I'm used to. It's not how I thought things should be.”

“It's how I hope things will always be between us.” Shaking his head, Levi said, “Forget what you told your family. I don't want to think about that.”

“Not my whole family,” Beth corrected. “Just the women.”

“Ha.” He shook his head again. “They probably made beelines to tell the men. They probably shared stories. Hell, they'll all be grinning at me this morning, you watch and see.”

“They wouldn't do that!”

“No, you're right. Ben will probably want to kill me for debauching his little sister.”

Beth rolled her eyes. “I'm not really his little sister, just a stepsister, and I seriously doubt that Sierra said anything to him.”