Page 31 of How Sweet It Is

Ouch. I feel like a kid sent to the principal’s office and scolded. I definitely don’t want to get kicked out of the program. Victor DeLuca isn’t someone I want to meet in a dark alley. I not only found his slush fund, but I also witnessed firsthand what he does to those who squeal on him. With shaking fingers, I text Rafe.

Sorry. It won’t happen again.

My phone chimes, and I don’t want more scolding, so I ignore it and go change into my pajamas. But then I feel guilty, and I grab my phone to see what Rafe said. But the text wasn’t from Rafe. It’s Levi.

Sleep well. May you dream of thrilling motorcycle rides and sexy dance partners.

I can’t help but smile at Levi’s antics. He’s such a goofball, and I did have fun with him tonight, but I bet he takes every woman he likes to the dance studio. It’s such a charming place, and I know he’s dated quite a few girls. I shoot him a text back.

I’m sure you’re used to bringing women to that dance studio.

His answer makes me pause.

Actually, no. Just you.

Why not all the girls?

Levi takes a few minutes to respond. The dots keep appearing, like he’s typing, but then they go away. It makes me think he’s deleting what he’s typing, which makes me insanely curious what he’ll answer. The text finally comes.

The dance studio is my secret solitude. I honestly thought I wouldn’t ever admit to anyone that I like going there.

I stare at my phone. A warm feeling spreads through me. Levi shared something with me he’s never shared with anyone else. This makes me feel special in a way I don’t want to feel special. I don’t want to quiver at his touch. And I definitely don’t want to think about spending the evening in Levi’s arms.

I shoot him off a quick response.

That’s cool.See you at work.

I plug my phone in and brush my teeth. Tonight was fun, but tomorrow, I have to go back to being Amelia Bishop. I’ll stick with doing his accounting and taking social media photos. I do not want to spend more time with Levi outside of work. That was not very smart of me.

CHAPTER 16

LEVI BARRETT — WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 2

Itake the batch of gluten-free biscuit muffins from the oven, the smell permeating the air. They look good and smell even better. The consistency of the flour was different than what I’m used to. It wasn’t as powdery, but the package says I can use it as a one-to-one substitute, so that’s what I did.

As I wait for Amelia to come in, I get on my phone and scroll through photos of the electric-blue Lamborghini I ordered. It’s fully loaded, and I only had to pay half a mill, a true bargain in my book. I ordered it as soon as I got my inheritance. Tobias is going to freak. He lectured me for an hour about not flaunting my wealth. Honestly, I don’t care. Tobias needs to live a little. This beauty will be delivered to me in a few weeks.

Amelia comes in the back door, and I toss my phone down. She hugs her purse to herself and walks toward the office.

“Good morning,” she says in her all-business tone, reflecting her business pants and no-nonsense bun.

“Wait. I have something for you.”

She pauses and eyes me. “What is it?”

I pop a biscuit out of the muffin tin, put it on a plate, and extend it to her. “I made a batch of gluten-free biscuit muffins. I want you to be the first to try them.”

She smiles, and her defensive posture melts away. “I’d love to.” She reaches out to take the biscuit.

“I’ll get the butter.” I set down the muffin tin, take off the oven mitts, and open the refrigerator. I’m going to watch her eat it this time.

She takes the biscuit into the office, and I grab a knife and follow her in there. I hand her the knife. She smiles at me as she sets down her computer. “Eager to have me try it?”

“That’s an understatement.” I stare at her as she gets situated. Finally, she uses the knife to cut open the biscuit. It crumbles apart on her plate, and I frown. “It’s not supposed to crumble like that.”

“It’s okay. A lot of gluten-free recipes turn out that way, especially with the cheaper flours.”

“Oh.” I didn’t realize there were different gluten-free flours. I should have done more research. “What’s it taste like?”

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