Page 26 of Taken By Storm

She kept talking, her eyes distant as if she was replaying it all in her mind. “I don’t remember much about the days that followed. You know how it is after someone passes. There were lots of people stopping by, bringing food. Edith Millholland was here a lot, walking us step by step through writing the obituary and planning the funeral.”

Levi smiled when she mentioned Edith’s name. Edith Millholland was a Gracemont icon. If the town ever decided to elect a First Lady, she’d be it. She’d lived in Gracemont her entire life—all eighty-two years of it. She knew everyone and everything, had a sharp wit, and was probably one of the nicestpeople Levi knew. He was glad she’d been there for Kasi and her family.

“I’m not sure what I would have done without Edith because Daddy and Keith were… Well, they weren’t able to help much.”

“You did a fine job, Kasi. It was a nice funeral,” Levi assured her.

Kasi nodded slowly. “I just tried to hold it together. I had to pick out an outfit for Mama to be buried in, had to find freezer space for all the damn casseroles, had to get Daddy and Keith to eat.”

“You’re a strong woman. Like your mother,” Levi murmured, his lips pressing against the side of her head.

“Not that strong. A few days after the funeral, Keith sort of…unleashed.”

Levi frowned. “What did he do?”

“He blamed me. Said I shouldn’t have left Mama alone in the kitchen, said I should have realized she was sick. He said she was dead because of me.”

“Jesus,” Levi muttered. “Kasi, you know that’s not true.”

She nodded slightly. “I do. Now. At the time, I wasn’t exactly in a good headspace, so I locked myself in my bedroom, cried forever, then slept twelve hours. When I came out, I realized nothing had been done. Keith was gone, Daddy hadn’t eaten or done a single chore. That’s when I knew I couldn’t do that again.”

Levi frowned. “Grieve?”

Kasi looked at him and shook her head. “Stop.” Then she looked away when she added, “The grieving will always be there.”

“My little bear,” he whispered, hating her response. “So fierce.”

He didn’t know what she saw on his face, but it broke the spell as Kasi pushed herself off his lap. It took everything he hadnot to pull her back down and hold her there until she cried out all her pain, then slept in his arms for the next week or two. She needed at least that much rest.

“I need to get going on the stand food,” she said, grabbing their plates and carrying them to the sink.

Levi rose and helped her clean the dinner dishes. Then he demanded the cake recipe, even though she insisted—as always—that she didn’t need any help. Luckily, he only had to give her a look before she relented. He was sorry she didn’t push him on the issue because he thought a spanking and an orgasm might do her just as much good as a nap. She was coiled tighter than a rattlesnake ready to strike.

It was nearly eleven before they finished, and he hated that, once again, she was getting to bed so late.

They walked to the front door together, his arm hanging loosely around her shoulders. He found it impossible to be near her and not touching her.

“I can’t come in the morning,” he said when they stepped out onto the porch. “My family holds a monthly meeting where we discuss all the farm’s businesses.”

“You realize you don’t work here. You don’t have to show up at all.”

Levi narrowed his eyes. “Thought we’d already sorted that out. You belong to me, and I take care of what’s mine.”

“I don’t remember agreeing to that.” Her grin was pure mischief. Yep. This woman was going to enjoy pushing his buttons. And he was going to enjoy letting her.

“Maybe I should jog your memory.”

Levi didn’t give her a second to consider what was coming next as he drew her into his arms and kissed her. He’d spent too much time today thinking about their first kiss that morning. The memory of it kept sneaking up on him, distracting him.

Kasi hummed softly when his tongue found its way into her mouth. God, she tasted sweet, like berries and sugar. His cock thickened when she lifted her arms and ran her fingers through his hair. He pushed her against the screen door, pressing his thigh between her legs, loving the way she started riding it, pushing her pussy against him, seeking stimulation.

She was going to be a firecracker in the bedroom, and he couldn’t wait to watch her explode.

Sadly, that wasn’t going to happen tonight. For one thing, her father was asleep in the bedroom right down the hall from hers, and more importantly, the dark circles under her eyes needed to go away. His girl needed sleep way more than sex.

Dammit.

He slowly gentled the kiss, thrilled by her resistance, by the way her fingers tightened in his hair in an attempt to keep his lips on hers.

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