I'm Your Santa (9 page)

“She's his wife. If she doesn't tell him everything, then she should.”

Beth scowled. “So you're saying that you think she should have told him?”

Levi held his head. “I think you should have talked to me about this instead of telling them.”

Damn it, Beth hated feeling guilt, and Levi had made her feel more guilt in a week than she'd felt in her entire life. “I'm sorry.”

“Don't be.” He dropped his hands. “We're here talking about it, and that's a big improvement to me chasing you. However we got to this point, I'm grateful.” He came back to his seat. “So, you feel like a sex fiend, huh?”

Now he was smiling! Beth cleared her throat. “My point, before you started strangling to death, is that none of the women were surprised.”

“You know why? Because what we did was perfectly normal.”

“I didn't tell them anything we did.”

“No?” He relaxed a little. “Then what did you tell them?”

“That it was more than I'd ever done before, and that it—
you
—made me feel so much more.”

Levi absorbed all that before smiling again. “And they told you that was a good thing, right?”

“They told me to own up to my feelings, which is what I'm trying to do.” To keep Levi from interrupting further, Beth shoved a cherry Danish toward him. “Now, since we've just established that I enjoy you, and you haven't denied enjoying me, I think we should continue to…enjoy each other.”

Levi knew if he took a single bite of the Danish, he'd start choking again. He set it aside on one of the small plates that had come with the tray.

So, did Beth want to commit to him? Or just sleep with him?

It was a first, but damn it, he felt used. Insulted. He wanted everything, not just sexual satisfaction.

After a long look at Beth, he went to his overnight bag and withdrew a small wrapped package. “Here.”

Rather than take it, Beth stared at the ribbon. “What is it?”

“A Christmas gift.” Levi took her hand and pressed the package into it. “I know it's not Christmas yet, but close enough, so open it.”

Excitement twinkled in her eyes. “Okay.” Careful not to rip the shiny paper, Beth opened the present. “A CD? Oh, by my favorite artist! I was going to get this next month.”

“I know. I heard you mention it. You'd already spent so much on Christmas shopping that something for yourself wasn't in the budget.” He went back to his overnight bag and withdrew a larger gift. “Open this one, too.”

“But—”

“Just open it, honey. Please.”

Happy to oblige, Beth tore through the tissue paper. “The decorating book I mentioned.”

He tossed the next present to her, and without argument, she opened it, and then laughed. “Socks?”

“Special socks to keep your feet warm.”

“Because I'm always complaining of being cold?”

He nodded. “That's right.” Digging deeper into his bag, he withdrew one more gift. “I wrapped this up after.”

“After?”

He looked into her beautiful blue eyes and said, “After you were no longer Brandon's. After you were no longer off limits.”

Her lips parted. “Levi…”

“After you became mine.” He handed her a beautifully decorated, slender box.

For long moments, Beth just stared at the package. Finally, with infinite care, she opened the red-velvet ribbon, parted the silky paper, and lifted the lid.

“Oh Levi.” In no more than an awed breath of sound, Beth lifted out the delicate bracelet with a dangling pearl held inside a three dimensional heart-shaped pendant. “This is the exact bracelet that I fell in love with last summer.”

Levi crossed his arms over his chest. “I know. We were downtown for a play that Brandon wanted to see, and you stared at it in the jewelry window.”

Slowly, Beth brought her gaze from the bracelet up to Levi. “You noticed that?”

“I notice everything about you. I always have. I just didn't let you or Brandon notice me noticing you.”

Beth hugged the bracelet to her chest and gave a tremulous smile. “I've always noticed a lot about you, too.”

“I know.” He crossed the floor to sit beside her on the bed. “Sometimes it worried me, because I didn't want to be the cause of problems with you and Brandon. I kept wondering when the two of you would marry, and I didn't know how the hell I was going to handle it.”

“Now you don't have to handle it, because Brandon and I are over and you had nothing to do with it.”

Levi took her hands. “You like your gifts?”

“Yes, very much. All of them, but especially the bracelet.”

“While you were still engaged to Brandon, I didn't dare give it to you. CDs and books were platonic enough, but jewelry…”

“It was so long ago, I'm surprised you were able to get it.”

“After seeing you admire it, I bought it the very next day.” He shrugged. “You wanted it, so I didn't want anyone else to have it. I'm glad I can finally give it to you.”

Beth grinned. “It's so beautiful. Thank you.” She reached for him.

He said, “Marry me, Beth.”

She went still.

“You admitted to wanting me.”

Nervousness replaced her elation. “I do.”

“You admitted to liking my company.”

“I don't think there's anyone I'd rather spend time with.”

“Then marry me. Right now. The sooner the better.”

She wavered. Levi could see it in her eyes. She wanted to say yes, but fear of condemnation held her back.

Tentatively, she asked, “Don't you think it's a little too soon for that?”

“Not for me.”

“But…what will I say to everyone? I was just engaged to Brandon, and then poof—I'm marrying you.”

“I don't care what anyone else thinks.”

“Well, what about Brandon? Do you care what he thinks? How will he react to you, his best friend, wanting to marry me?”

Levi was about to reply to that when their phone rang. They looked at each other, Beth shrugged, and Levi reached out his arm to snatch up the receiver. “Hello?”

Beth watched him as he listened to the message from the front desk. Knowing she wouldn't like this new turn, but that perhaps it was for the best, he held her gaze.

“Okay, thanks. Tell Ben we'll be right there.” Levi hung up the phone. “You're worried about Brandon's reaction? Well, now's our chance to find out what he thinks.”

Beth's face went pale. “What do you mean?”

“Brandon's in the lobby, waiting for us.”

“Oh no.”

“Oh yes. And once again, your whole family is there. Seems they all came over to have breakfast with you. Only now they know that Brandon cheated on you.”

“Oh no.”

“Better yet, the desk clerk says it looks like Brandon tied one on last night, and he hasn't sobered up yet.”

Beth rubbed her forehead. “Dad's reasonable enough. He won't meddle in my business.”

“No? Well what about Ben and Noah?”

Beth jumped up from the bed and made a mad dash toward her clothes. “Hurry, Levi. Get dressed.”

He narrowed his eyes and watched as she threw off her pajama bottoms and stepped into her jeans. He waited, but she turned her back to him before shrugging off her top and yanking on a sweatshirt.

“Are you so worried about Brandon's welfare?”

While stomping her feet into shoes, Beth scowled at him. “Don't be an idiot. I have no romantic feelings for Brandon anymore. It insults me for you to even suggest otherwise. But that doesn't mean I want someone else trying to punish him.”

“You're sure about that?”

Beth stopped dressing long enough to stomp over to Levi, bend down close and snarl into his face, “I know I've been a little wishy-washy here, but don't insult my pride, damn it. Brandon burned his bridges as far as I'm concerned.”

“And what about me?”

“I want you.” Beth grabbed his ears and kissed him hard. “Only you.”

His tension eased. “Okay then.” In less than a minute, he'd pulled on a sweatshirt and socks, and tied up his boots. He took Beth by the hand. “Come on.”

 

Before they reached the lobby, Levi could hear Brandon's loud drunken voice. The idiot. He picked one hell of a time to start drinking.

Worse, every word out of his mouth was an insult to Levi.

Looking down at Beth, Levi said, “Given his attitude, I'd say Brandon already knows about us.”

“But how?”

“You spent a weekend with me, Beth. Plenty of people could have seen your car there.”

She made a face. “Great.”

“Did you tell anyone you were coming here?”

“My neighbors, so they would get my mail.”

“And they would have told Brandon if he asked. And he would have seen my truck out front.” So the cat was out of the bag. “Stay out of sight, honey.”

“Why?”

“Because neither of us wants Brandon to say something stupid to you. If he does, your family will maim him.”

“Oh, right.” Beth stayed around the corner as Levi went into the lobby.

“You miserable bastard!” Brandon staggered toward him. “You fiancée stealing ass. You pretended to be my friend.”

Levi stepped in front of Brandon to keep his attention away from Beth. Normally well suited and groomed, Brandon looked like hell warmed over.

Levi felt sorry for him. After all, he'd just given up the very best thing in his life. “I am your friend, Brandon.”

“Bullshit!” He almost fell over with that outburst. “You stabbed me in the back.”

Levi glanced around and saw the fury gathering among Beth's relatives. “Why don't we take this someplace private?”

“After you just publicly took her from me? Why bother. Let's settle it right here, you traitor. You Benedict Arnold. You—”

“Just calm down, Brandon. Let me explain.”

“Explain!” Being drunk didn't suit Brandon at all. “You're not good enough for her and you know it.”

Levi stiffened. He could feel everyone looking at him.

“You're a gym teacher, for God's sake.” Brandon stuck his nose in the air. “She was going to marry me, a doctor.”

His anger sparked. “Until you cheated on her.”

“One time! Just that one itty-bitty time.” Brandon listed to the left, then caught himself. “It was only a little indiscretion. Marcia isn't anyone important. She didn't mean anything to me.”

The females in attendance all grumbled over that.

Hoping to divert the topic, Levi said, “You didn't drive here drunk, did you?”

“Like you care?”

“Did you?”

Brandon hiccupped. “I came down here last night, but the desk clerk refused to tell me which room Beth was in. Then I saw your truck, and I remembered everyone saying that her car was at your place for the whole weekend.” He stabbed at finger at Levi. “Then I started drinking.”

Damned fool. “Because you thought that would somehow help?”

Brandon's face fell. “Tell me that you didn't touch her. Tell me, Levi.”

Levi clenched his jaw, but said nothing.

Brandon howled. “Where is she? I need to talk to her.”

“No. Not like this. Not while you're crocked.”

“Beth still wants me, I know she does. She deserves a doctor. A man of money. An educated man.” He curled his lip at Levi. “She deserves a man who can give her anything she wants.”

She deserved love, but Brandon didn't understand that. “She's mine now, Brandon. Accept it.”

Screeching like a wet cat and looking just as pathetic, Brandon took a half-hearted swing at Levi's head.

Levi dodged him, and then had to catch him so Brandon didn't land on his face.

Brandon shoved him away, or more to the point, he shoved himself away and into a wall. “What do you mean, she's yours?”

Levi stood over him and gave him the truth. “I'm going to marry her.”

Brandon's mouth fell open. “But…she loves me!”

“No, she doesn't.”

“You're lying. She won't marry you. You barely make a middle-class income. You live in a cracker box, not a real house, not the type of house I was going to buy for her.”

“Shut up.”

Everyone turned to look at Beth.

Her hands were fisted at her sides and she looked furious.