Tempting Levi (Cade Brothers Book 1) Page 8
Emily petted the light gray fitted dress, which accented her eyes. Spaghetti straps held up the modest neckline, but the rest of her feminine goods were covered. One would think that made it modest, but the gown was tight, with a light shimmer, and draped all the way to the floor. “You’re right. I would have worn a simple black dress that probably didn’t fit well. This fits me…”
“Like a glove,” her sister said with a wicked smile.
Emily’s mouth twisted and she bit the inside of her lip. “I’m super grateful for your help, but you promise it’s not too much?”
Lisa slapped Emily’s ass. “No, now get out of here and knock ’em dead.”
“What about my makeup?” Emily reached for a tissue to dab off some of her lipstick.
Lisa swiped the tissue and shoved Emily toward the door, handing her keys and a wrap at the same time. “It looks perfect. Goodbye.”
Emily spun around outside, only to find the door shoved closed in her face. Damn her sister!
But Lisa was right. If Emily looked at herself in the mirror one more time, she might change her mind. And at this point, she was about to be late.
She rushed to her car and drove to Club Tahoe, pulling up to the entrance. She wasn’t wearing spiked heels this time—Emily managed to veto that one—but she wasn’t walking a quarter of a mile through a darkened parking lot in a formal gown, either.
She handed her keys to the valet, and the young guy skipped around the car to the driver’s side. He took off in her hybrid faster than she’d ever dared push the little car.
Facing the entrance with its massive glass-and-wrought-iron chandelier, Emily felt like a glamorous guest and not simply an employee. She let that sink in.
Her job was kind of amazing. But it couldn’t last. She had ambitions, and spending her life as an assistant wasn’t what she’d envisioned. She also didn’t want to forever be under Levi’s thumb. He’d never respect her. For some reason, that was important.
Emily hurried to the employee offices. The space was deserted, workers having either gone home for the evening or wearing their finest to help host Shin Electronics and its clients.
She draped her wrap over her desk chair. And froze.
Spinning in a circle, Emily glanced frantically, patting down her body. “Where’s my bag?” Her heart raced. “Shit!”
“Problem?”
She swung around. Levi stood in the doorway. When did he walk up? “Yes. I left my workbag at Lisa’s.” She pressed her fingers to her forehead, mentally cursing herself and the dress that had preoccupied her.
Levi checked the time on his phone. “Getting late. You can pick it up tomorrow. Won’t be needed tonight anyway.”
“It has my ID, my phone, and my tablet. My life and the life of Club Tahoe are on those two devices.” Sadly, she’d rather be without her ID than her phone.
“We’ll survive without them for one night.”
“But—”
“Here.” He handed her a small black swath of silk fabric. “This should take your mind off things for a minute. You said you do bow ties?”
And that was when Emily moved past her phone panic and really took in Levi. He wasn’t wearing the slacks and dress shirts that pulled against biceps too large for the average businessman, fitting him in all the right places. Or even the sexy suits that had her drooling. No, Levi wore black tie tonight, and Emily questioned whether her heart could take it.
The whooshing in her ears was deafening, her face flushed to stinging levels, and her hands had turned clammy. In short, her adrenal system was freaking the hell out. “Who dressed you?”
Stupid, stupid—what was she saying?
Levi chuckled. “I dress myself these days. But I could use a hand with…” He gestured to the tie again.
She let out a careful breath, which came out hot on her lips. “Let me just…” She walked over and grabbed a stepping stool she used to place books on the tops of shelves.
Moving the stool in front of Levi, she stepped up, putting her nearly at eye level with him. Which wasn’t helping her adrenaline rush. She avoided his eyes. “That’s better. These ties are a little trickier.”
Levi’s hands came up and held her hips in place, as though to steady her.
Her hands halted. Her breath too.
Breathe. “Thank you.” She cleared her throat and wrapped the tie around his neck and below the collar of his white tuxedo shirt. The lapels of his jacket were thin and refined, the shoulders squared and fitting his naturally larger build. “You even smell good,” she murmured, frustrated.
It wasn’t right. Her attraction to Levi was supposed to decrease after they spent more time together, not grow stronger.
“Thank you, I think.” His voice was lower than normal, a touch gravelly. “I guess I should come clean about the penguin suit. Adam picked it up for me. Sent over some Italian guy to take measurements. My brother knows me a little too well. I would have rented one.”
“Adam’s the brother I met with his fiancée the other night?”
“The one and only.” His eyes seemed to drop, taking in not only her hands as they busily worked the tie, but her dress as well. “You know—you look lovely tonight. And you always smell good.”
She glanced up to find his blue gaze on her face—her lips.
Her eyes were gray. Not blue or green. Just gray. But Levi had light blue eyes that swirled with shades of green. She swallowed. “You smell me?”
She did not just say that. Because if she said that out loud…
His warm palms on her hips pulled her closer, and he leaned in, pinning the hands working his tie against his firm chest. He paused a hairsbreadth above her mouth. “Every chance I get.”
And then he kissed her.
There was no tongue, and the kiss was barely long enough to be defined as more than a graze of lips, but his mouth was firm yet super soft and his arms were still holding her to him.
She blinked, staring at those blue eyes that had suddenly grown darker. “You kissed me.”
“Yes.” His eyebrows pinched together, but he didn’t look away.
“I’m Lisa’s little sister.”
His body stiffened. “I don’t need the reminder, but…does that matter?”
“Does it matter to you?”
He didn’t answer right away. Then his gaze fell to her mouth again and his hands slid up her back, causing all kinds of heated, electrifying sensations to spiral down her spine.
Her adrenaline was already heightened. This was just driving her crazy. Fight or flight? The urge to attack him with her mouth and kiss him with all the pent-up lust that had built since she started at Club Tahoe was overpowering. Or she might jump off the stool and run. Either was possible.
She closed her eyes briefly. “When you touch me, I can’t breathe.”
His gaze slid to her chest. “Your chest seems to be rising and falling just fine.” Levi’s focus in the vicinity of her breasts did more funny things to her equilibrium.
“And now my heart is hammering.” The bow tie slid from her fingers, falling half-tied against his tux as she gripped those slim, refined lapels of his for balance.
Not flight, then. If he wasn’t careful, there would be an attack of the hormone variety. “You should have someone else do your bow tie. I’m too jittery.”
He slid his hand farther up her back and tangled it in her long hair. “How can I calm you? I’m a master, you know.” He peppered her jaw with delicate kisses. “Calming during times of crisis. It came with my old job.”
Calming during times of crisis? Oh God. She had ideas. Lots of ideas. Ones that ended in a climax for the ultimate calm.
The expression on her face must have given her away, because he leaned forward and kissed her again, this time cupping her jaw and parting his mouth.
Emily wrapped her arms around his shoulders and pulled his firm chest against hers, the heat of him sending shivers through her. Levi Cade was kissing her. Her. Emily Wright.
“Because you’re kissing me.”
He looked up devilishly. “And I’m enjoying it.”
Knock, knock, knock.
Emily jerked back at the sound of someone at the door. But forgot she was on a stool. Her balanced failed, her body heading backward—
With his arms still loosely around her, Levi tightened his hold and caught her. He lifted her off the stool and set her on the ground.
Her chest rose and fell rapidly. “Shit.”
“Who is it?” he called out, a light smile on his face as he gazed at her. He seemed more relaxed than he should be. They were at work, making out in her office. Why wasn’t he freaking out right now?
“Levi? Is that you?”
Levi’s head swiveled to the side, his body going rigid at the same time Emily recognized the voice beyond the door.
She glanced once more at him, but his face had smoothed of its temporary paralysis to something resembling calm. But she’d caught it. That look of shame, or pain—she wasn’t sure. And the seductive smile he’d worn earlier had disappeared entirely.
Emily walked over and opened the door.
“Hey.” Lisa looked past Emily to Levi. “I didn’t realize… Here.” She shoved Emily’s black bag at her. “You left this at my place. I thought you’d need it. I’ve never seen you without your phone.”
“Thank you.” Emily held the bag with stiff fingers, unease washing over her.
She glanced at Levi. He was staring at her sister.
And Emily was suddenly an outsider. Invisible.
This was Lisa’s boyfriend. Not Emily’s. Never hers. What did she think she was doing kissing him?
A retching sensation cramped her stomach. “I’ll let you two get reacquainted.”
Emily swept out the door and practically ran down the hall in her attempt to get away.
Chapter 14
There wasn’t time to consider the ache constricting her heart after Levi kissed her then heard her sister’s voice and turned cold. Reality sank in fast. Levi was still hung up on Lisa, and whatever connection existed between him and Emily was irrelevant.
She numbly entered the ballroom and the Shin Electronics party. And that was when everything else started to fall apart.
Bran strode across the room, meeting her partway. His typically ruffled blond hair was combed smartly to the side and back, but his eyes were overly bright and panicked looking. “I just heard from hospitality that someone has food poisoning. They’re claiming one of our restaurants is to blame.” He ran his hand through his smooth hair, rumpling it. “We’ve got to do something. Can you fix it?”
For the first time, Emily truly considered the situation she was in. Club Tahoe’s financial crisis, Ethan Cade’s sons running the place, and her position among them. Why had she ever thought this was a stepping stone to her future?
Ethan had asked her for a favor and she couldn’t say no. She still couldn’t. No matter what happened, she owed the man. He’d been the father figure she never had. But she was on a sinking ship.
The Cade sons had taken on jobs they weren’t qualified for. Emily believed Levi could manage it with his leadership skills and intelligence, but even he needed to get up to speed, and fast, if he was to save this place.
Prior to Club Tahoe, Wes had been a golf instructor, Bran a waiter, and Hunt—well, Hunt’s new job was a bit of a promotion as well. He’d always owned a boat, giving booze cruise tours on the Lake. Now he ran the entire outdoor beach and boat program at Club Tahoe. None of them were qualified to run this place, and for the first time since she started working at Club Tahoe, Emily doubted her skills in assisting them.
She pressed her fingers to her forehead and took a deep breath. “You want me to smooth things over…in a food-poisoning incident?”
“I’m almost positive we didn’t cause it.”
“But they think we did?”
Bran nodded tensely.
Her hands shook. She had a job to do. It didn’t matter that her love life sucked. It had sucked before she started working here. Would she be held accountable if Club Tahoe went out of business? Not likely, but Levi would. Despite any lingering feelings Levi might feel for Lisa, and Emily’s strong feelings for him—most messed-up love triangle in existence—she couldn’t let that happen without a fight. She didn’t want to succeed only for herself or for Ethan Cade. She was in this for Levi too.
Even if she wanted to hurl every time she thought of him kissing her while still having feelings for her sister, he was a good man. She wasn’t going to stop giving him her best just because he didn’t love her… God, and when had love come into the equation? She had a crush on the man. No need to start thinking crazy when what was required was a level head.
Levi had a right to his feelings. He’d been in love with Lisa for years. And Lisa had been, at the very least, in deep like of Levi.
Emily had no claim on him.
She dropped her hands and straightened her shoulders. “Are you sure the food didn’t come from one of our restaurants?”
“No. But I doubt it originated here. We haven’t had an issue in over a decade, and that was from an E. coli contamination that affected multiple restaurants in the area. I’ve looked into it, and none of my employees or the front desk have received word about another food-related illness. If there was food poisoning, it most likely would have affected more than one person.”
“But they’re blaming us?”
He shrugged. “They’re staying here. They assume we caused the problem.”
Emily asked for the sick guest’s name and pulled out the phone her sister had been thoughtful enough to bring to her. She texted the hospitality manager and asked him to personally send up more towels and a selection of beverages and soup on the house.
Apart from that, there wasn’t much else she could do, except monitor the situation. “Have your workers gone through all the food and checked dates and looked for contamination recalls?”
“My assistant keeps up on the recalls and I already have him going through every scrap of food we have, but so far nothing.” Bran’s gaze rose, and he scowled in the direction of the entrance.
Adam walked in the ballroom in a dark suit, looking as dashing as he had the night she’d met him at Esther’s going-away party. He slapped Bran on the shoulder and peered around. “Looks good in here.”
“You decided to show?” Bran said. “Should be helping us run this place. You’re the only one who knows what you’re doing. The shit is hitting the fan while you’re playing manager at Blue Casino with your fiancée.”
Adam’s smile dropped. “First, leave Hayden out of this. Second, I said I’d make it tonight. And for the record, I already put in my time at Club Tahoe. It was you four jackasses who never did. But just so you know, shit going wrong comes with the territory in hospitality. Where’s Levi? I wanted to see if he actually wore the tux I sent him.”
“He’s wearing it.” Emily’s voice came out tight. She cleared her throat, but it was too late.
Adam’s head snapped in her direction. “My brothers aren’t giving you a hard time too, are they?”
Giving her a hard time? Did kissing and ditching count? Technically, she had done the ditching, but only because she’d been the third wheel in Levi and Lisa’s stare-down.
Emily plastered on a smile. “Everything’s fantastic.”
Hunt walked up next, and Emily rolled her eyes. Did they all have to converge on her at the same time? Handsome Cade men were a plague.
“What’s this about Levi in a tux?” Hunt asked.
Emily spoke while she texted one of the party coordinators to bring up more champagne. They were starting to get low. “He’s with Lisa.”
Hunt’s eyes widened. “Lisa’s here?”
At least this Cade brother didn’t go stiff at the mention of E
mily’s sister.
“Sure is,” she said, and glanced at them. “Anything else I can do for you gentlemen? I have a ball to run.”
Hunt winced. “Yeah, actually. I’ve got a drunk woman on the dock who keeps reaching for my junk—not that I mind, but she isn’t exactly fit for the ballroom. And my orders from the big guy were to stick around.”
Emily sighed and stared at the ceiling. Was it just this evening she was telling herself how great it was to work here? “She can’t be with the Shin group, or she’d be at the party. Call the woman a cab and send her home.”
Hunt looked disappointed. “That’s what I thought you’d say. Fine, I’ll be good tonight.” He started to walk away.
“And every night,” she called out.
He held up his hand without looking back. But somehow she didn’t think he’d take her seriously.
“Uh-oh.” Bran was looking over her head. Spending so much time around these brothers was beginning to make her feel short.
Emily’s phone vibrated in her hand, and she snarled at the text message. No more champagne? What the hell? “Please tell me whatever you’re uh-ohing about is something minor.”
Bran rubbed his jaw. “Depends on your definition of minor. Wes is talking to one of the Shin employees.”
She glanced back. Wes was indeed schmoozing with one of the guests. “And?”
Adam looked over as well. “Ahh. Yeah, that could be a problem.”
Bran gave Adam a knowing look. “Exactly.”
Emily made a slicing motion near her neck. “I’ve had it up to here with you Cades. One of you tell me what is going on before I lose it.”
They stared at her.
“Touchy,” Adam said. When her eyes widened in a deadly look, he said, “All right, the reason Bran pointed out Wes putting the moves on the Shin employee is because Wes is a bit of a dog to women these days.”
“Why is that a problem?” She glanced back at her phone, frowning. “They’re adults. They can do what they want. Maybe if she leaves here with a smile, she’ll be more inclined to come back.”
Bran rubbed the back of his neck. “See, that’s the thing. Wes isn’t in a good place.”