Page 39 of Tormented Billionaire Romance Series

“So, are you mad?”

I shrugged. “A bit, but I think I'll get over it.”

“See, that's a different response than Levon.”

“Wait, what was his response?”

She laughed. “Well, as I said, he threw a tantrum. He said he would never get over it or something like that. He was being a huge drama king.”

“I bet it was funny to watch.”

“He was really in over his head about you walking with him. Like he went on and on about you disliking him and stuff.”

I raised my eyebrows. “He never mentioned that. We encountered each other a few times, too. I mean, we just ran into each other the other day. Wait, does he think I hate him?”

“Did I say that?”

“You said something about me disliking him.”

She shrugged nonchalantly. “Well, he didn't say any of those words out loud or anything.”

“Jennifer, stop acting like a high school cheerleader. Does he think I hate him?”

She gave me a playful grin, shrugged, and then disappeared into the sea of bridesmaids occupying the dance floor. When she was gone, I tipped back the water bottle. The heat had at least left my cheeks. I was worried about how it might ruin my whole demeanor if I stayed blushing.

I studied Jen. She was talking with her girls and telling jokes, making them all laugh heartily. She had a way of doing that. She was always the popular one back in high school. It was cute to watch her do it all over again. And she was right—the drama was still pretty juicy.

I had to admit it was rather arousing to be near Levon again. I felt like a teenager. Even though I didn't want to see him, there was an allure there that I couldn't deny. His eyes, his skin, the smell of his cologne—all of it brought back memories that crashed into the clearing of my mind. It took over the land of my brain and brought goosebumps to my skin, to the very places he used to touch.

I turned away from the gaggle of girls in the middle of the dance floor. I stared at the ladder in front of me, wondering if stepping forward was a good idea. I crouched down and started plucking tacks from the fabric and reaching carefully underneath to find more. I located the box. I held it in one hand as I searched for more tacks with the other, unwilling to just leave them laying around.

As I shuffled through the ocean of fabric, the world went quiet around me. I was back in my own mind. It took me to a place where I had first met Levon: the baseball field. The boys had gone for a joyride and picked us up along the way. Levon was driving. I remember being crammed into the front seat of his truck while the boys and a few of my friends rode along in the back.

He held my hand that night. He squeezed it. And he never did anything else. He was such a gentleman about everything and I wished hard that I could go back to that time. He paid me all the attention in the world. He took me on dates and gave me gifts that he had created. Even the lousy bone necklace was a finer gift than any bit of jewelry some average Joe could have handed me.

I instinctively reached for my neck, smiling.

That thing fell apart as soon as he wrapped it around my neck, I recalled fondly.He wanted to get into taxidermy. He was learning how to utilize all parts of an animal.I shook away the memory.See, this is what he wants—he wants me to get sentimental and run back to him. Well, I just won't fall for it.

I almost dropped the box again. When I felt like I had gathered all the tacks, I stepped over the sea of fabric to set the box on the table. I grabbed one and went back to the ladder, ascending it with the silk curtain I had been holding. I tacked it to the wall and descended with a smile.

“Better,” I said. “Now, I just need another.”

“Do you want me to help?”

I turned to find Jen with her hand on her hip.

“I mean, if you want,” I replied. “I didn't expect you to return.”

“I wanted you to think a little bit and cool down.”

“Well, thank you for that.”

She smiled wide. “Are you feeling any better?”

“A little.”

She took the tack box from the table and strolled up next to me, holding it up as I ascended the ladder again. I pinned the curtain in place and reached down for a tack.

---