Page 4 of Levi

“Why are you blushing?” he asked.

“I’m not,” she argued.

He chuckled and shook his head. “Sure.”

Kinley sighed. “You make me nervous,” she admitted, mentally kicking herself for saying it out loud.

He turned on his stool to face her directly, raising his eyebrows. “Why? Do I make you uncomfortable?”

“Not in the way you think,” she huffed.

“How then?”

After taking a deep breath, she looked him in the eye. “I’m attracted to you...”

A slow smile spread across his face. “I see.”

“Do you? God, I shouldn’t have said anything.” She groaned.

“Why not?”

“Because you’re not interested and I’m making a fool of myself.”

“How about we have this conversation some other time, for now, we’ll get your tree together.”

“Okay. You just never acted like you were interested in me at all.”

“What man wouldn’t be? You’re a beautiful woman.”

“Then why didn’t you ask me out before?”

He shrugged. “Honestly, I don’t usually date. I’ll take a woman out once in a while, but it never goes beyond a few dates, if even that.”

“So why bother taking me to get my tree?Forget it, I’ll get my own damn tree.” She got off her stool, walked over to an empty booth, and slid onto the bench. She blinked back tears that threatened to fall. Why was she crying?Oh right, because you want him, and he’s only interested in a few dates. Fuck you, Levi Thomas.

“You have got to be the most stubborn woman I’ve ever met,” he said with a grin as he slid onto the bench across from her. The wooden bench creaked beneath his weight as he settled in.

“Go away,” she muttered.

“I said, I don’tusuallydate, I didn’t say I wouldn’t. Look, Kinley, I like you and I’d like to see you, but I can’t promise anything.”

“I’m not asking you to make promises.”

“So why get pissed when I tell you the truth?” He shook his head. “Neither of us can sit here and say what’s going to happen between us. Hell, we might not even like each other after we get to know one another, but I’m willing to take that risk Now, if you’d rather not let me take you to get your tree, I’ll get up and you’ll never hear from me again.”

Kinley studied him with a mixture of fear and desire swirling in her stomach. She couldn’t deny the attraction she felt toward him, but she was afraid of getting hurt.

“I don’t want you to break my heart,” she finally admitted.

“Do you think I want you to break mine? Just say the word and I’ll leave.”

She shook her head, unable to form any words. But then he made a move to slide out of the booth and she instinctively reached out and touched the sleeve of his coat, making him lookat her.

“I meant I can’t say the word to make you leave. I’d love to see you.”

He smiled at her and for a moment, all her fears melted away.

“Levi? Your order is ready,” Deidra called out to him from behind the counter.

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