CHAPTER 5
Dear Levi, sometimes I dream of just resting my head against your chest and listening to you breathe...
So much for going to the post office this morning, Natalie thought as she hurried through her shower. After talking to Winnie last night and turning her friend’s advice over and over in her head, she hadn’t been able to sleep. Rather than lie there in the dark, tossing and turning, she’d done what she normally did when insomnia occasionally struck. A grin stole over her lips.
She’d worked.
The stag was coming along nicely. Though she didn’t know precisely why, this piece of art was quickly becoming her favorite. She was more driven, had a clearer vision of what he was supposed to look like than any other project up to this point. There was a grace, a masculinity, and an energy about him that was curiously familiar, and yet she couldn’t quite put her finger on where that sense of recognition was coming from. The more she worked, the closer she came to figuring it out, and were it not for Levi going with her to the beach this morning, she’d much rather stay home and work on him a bit more. As it were...
She quickly lathered and rinsed her hair, then squeezed a bit of her favorite bath gel--Hawaiian Ginger--into her loafah. The scent was fresh and a bit exotic and came from a shop right here in Bethel Bay. She’d been so enchanted with it, she’d bought the lotion and body spray as well. Though her hair could use a bit of conditioner, Natalie decided she’d settle for the spray-in variety this morning. She didn’t have time for the traditional method.
Because--she glanced at the clock on her vanity--Levi would be here in exactly thirty-two minutes. Eek, Natalie thought. Though she ordinarily didn’t put on makeup and fix her hair to go beachcombing--hell, half the time she only managed to brush her teeth and throw on a ball cap--today she’d decided to make an exception.
If by some bizarre, exceedingly rare chance Levi had been flirting with her yesterday, then she didn’t want to blow it by looking like a troll. The outfit couldn’t change--it was dirty work--but at the very least she could look presentable and she was just vain enough to want to try.
Natalie turned the water off, grabbed a towel and stepped out of the shower.
It was at that precise moment that she heard her doorbell ring. Panicked, her gaze flew to the digital clock again. Seven-thirty on the dot. What the-- Surely he wasn’t early, she thought, wrapping the towel around herself. Her heart rate kicked into a swifter rhythm and the toast and jam she’d had for breakfast gave a threatening churn in her belly.
“Hold on!” Natalie called, frantically searching for her robe. Shit. Where had she put it? She darted around her room, kicking yesterday’s clothes out of the way and finally found the worn chenille stuffed at the foot of her bed. She dropped the towel, shoved her arms into the garment and belted the sash, then made her way to the front door. A quick view through the privacy hole concluded that it was indeed Levi.
Thirty-minutes early.
Pasting a smile on her face, Natalie finally opened the door. “Good-morning,” she said a bit breathlessly.
Levi bared his teeth in a grin. “I’m going to kill him,” he said.
She blinked. “Kill who?”
“Adam. He told me last night that you’d try to shake me. That I’d better get here early and, fool that I am, I listened to his advice.” Looking adorably self-conscious he jerked a thumb over his shoulder. “I can come back. Or you can pick me up, as you’d originally suggested. I’ll just--“
“Nonsense,” Natalie said. She opened the door wider so that he could come in. “You’re here now. I’ll only be a few more minutes and we can head out.”
He shoved his hands into his pockets and gave her a sheepish smile. He wore cargo shorts paired with a brown t-shirt that pulled out the darker flecks in those amazing eyes, and a pair of trendy sandals rounded out the outfit. Strangely, he still looked every bit a soldier. A veritable badass. Her belly gave a little flutter and it suddenly occurred to her that she was naked beneath her robe.
Which was the exact moment her nipples pebbled.
His gaze dropped and darkened, before jumping back up and tangling with hers. Levi cleared his throat. “Are you sure?”
The tops of her thighs burned. “Certainly. Come on in.”
She moved aside, allowing him over the threshold. Two steps later, he paused, sniffing the air. Something shifted in those toffee-colored eyes. “You smell nice.”
“Thanks. It’s a fragrance from Bayside Soap Company. I try to buy from our local vendors and I happen to really like this scent.”
His gaze sharpened. “Local, you say?”
It seemed an odd question, but she answered anyway. “Yes. The Winterman’s have operated the company for the past three generations. They’ve recently added candles to their stock.” She gestured to the one sitting on her coffee table.
He smiled, but it seemed a bit awkward and left her with the impression that she was missing something. “I, uh... I should pick up one for mom.”
“I’m sure she’d like that. Can I get you something to drink? Tea? Coffee?”
Levi shook his head. “No thanks. I’m good.” He looked around her ground floor. “You’ve got a beautiful place here.”
A blush of pleasure moved through her. “Thanks. It suits my purposes.”
“Do you mind if I look around while you finish getting ready? I’d really like to see that studio Adam mentioned.”
“Not at all. Make yourself at home.”
Exactly seven minutes later, after aiming the hair dryer at her head for a couple of minutes and an obligatory swipe of the mascara wand, Natalie found him in her studio, admiring the stag. Seeing him next to the piece--the angle of his head, the breadth in the shoulders, the very way he stood--felt strangely like deja vu and when he looked up, recognition bolted through her.
He was the stag.
Sweet Lord, how could she have missed it? How could she--
“Natalie, this is beyond amazing,” he said, an unbelievably beautiful smile sliding over those sinfully crafted lips. Morning light spilled in from the floor to ceiling windows, bathing him in a golden glow, glinting off that light brown--almost fawn-like--hair. Desire and longing suddenly broad-sided her, making her knees go weak and her breath go shallow. Every depraved scenario she’d written to him suddenly flitted rapid-fire through her mind, a little mini-porn show of her own desires. Them naked and tangled in her sheets, him taking her against her front door, sliding her hands over his perfect flesh, his fingers threaded through hers...
Without warning, Winnie’s advice came back to her. What if this is it? What if this is your only chance? Are you going to waste it trying to intercept a letter?
Natalie swallowed hard. No, she wasn’t.
“Thank you,” she finally managed, though it was damned difficult. Struggling to gather her composure, she strolled over to join him and pretended to admire the way the stag was coming together. “I worked on him until three this morning.”
A line emerged between Levi’s brows and confusion cluttered his forehead. “This is going to sound crazy, but there’s something familiar about him.” He glanced at the doe. “Her, too.” He shook his head. “But the stag. It’s strange. I get the feeling that I should recognize him.”
It was all she could do to keep her lips from twitching. “I’m glad. The true measure of all art isn’t just that we appreciate it, but can identify with it as well.”
He arched a skeptical brow. “You mean I’m identifying with your deer?”
She grinned. “In a manner of speaking. It’s making you feel, right?”
“Gets me right in the chest,” he murmured, putting a fist against his.
Her too, Natalie thought. Every time she looked at him. Or more importantly, at Levi.
A sheepish smile slid over his lips and a rubbed a hand over the back of his neck. “I hope you don’t take this the wrong way...but I had no idea you were this talented. It was really a shock yesterday to see all those things in your gallery.”
A bark of laughter broke up in her throat and she rolled her eyes. “Thank you. I think.”
“No, no,” he said, as though he were making a mess of things. “Damn, I’m not good at this. It was--is--a compliment. You’ve truly got a gift.”
Natalie nodded, moved beyond words. She’d been lauded in various magazines and art circles, had participated in gallery showings from L.A. to New York and had been blessed with more than a few celebrity clients--particularly the handsome heart throb who had essentially put her on the radar--but curiously, Levi’s backhanded compliment meant more to her than any of those things ever could.
He glanced around the room and gestured toward the various bins stacked with driftwood. A hint of a grin tugged at the corner of his mouth. “And no shortage of your material, either.”
No doubt he was wondering why she liked to go to the beach every day, Natalie thought. She smiled, a bit self-consciously. “It would seem so, but I’m always afraid I’m going to miss that special piece, that perfect part I’m going to need to make something come together.”
He nodded knowingly and crossed his arms over his chest. “Ah, I see.” He grinned. “Sort of.”
Natalie chuckled. “It’s a quirk, I’ll admit. But...” She pulled a helpless shrug. “It’s the method to my madness.”
Admiration along with something else, something less easily defined, sparked in that golden gaze. “It’s obviously working.” He straightened. “Speaking of which, we should probably get going.”
Right, Natalie thought. It was time to get going...on a relationship that could go no where.
But, perversely, she looked forward to the ride.
* * *
While Natalie paused to chat with a couple on the beach, Levi took the opportunity to call his brother and ream his ass.
“Lying bastard,” he hissed into the phone.
Adam chuckled. “What? Is there a problem?”
“She was home, dickweed,” Levi said. “Just like you knew she would be.”
Home and naked and moist and my God, she’d smelled like heaven. Had been floating in the same scent that accompanied each and every one of his letters from Ms. X. A local product, one that could be used by any of Bethel Bay’s residents and yet...
Levi let his gaze drift over Natalie. Damn, she was gorgeous. Lean and lightly tanned. He loved the pert angle of her nose, the adorable stubborn tilt to her chin. And that mouth. Absolutely the sexiest thing he’d ever seen.
This morning when she’d opened the door, it had been all he could do not to walk right in and devour her, take her hard and fast against her door, just like the description in his most recent letter from his hometown admirer. She’d been who he’d been thinking of when he’d read the letter in the first place, so seeing her this morning was just heaping temptation on an already tempting situation. Between those deep brown eyes--eyes that seemed to see right through him, know him, even--and that luscious mouth...
Dear God, how was he going to resist her?
“She’d just gotten out of the shower,” Levi told him, instantly going hard again. “I looked like a damned fool.”
“She looks good wet, doesn’t she?”
“What?”
“Natalie looks good wet. She might be my friend, but I’m allowed to recognize sexy. Lots of girls can’t pull it off. No make-up, hair plastered to their heads.” He made a sound of disgust. “But not Natalie. She doesn’t need make-up and she’s got the bone structure to pull it off. And her hair. Brings out the caveman tendencies, doesn’t it?”
Had he lost his friggin’ mind? Levi wondered. What sort of conversation was this? “Adam, I don’t know what the hell you’re playing at, but I’m about to--“
“--make a play for her, I hope,” Adam interjected cheerfully. “Hell, Levi, it’s obvious that you’re interested in her. Why don’t you stop pussyfooting around it and man up?”
Shit. A shock of disbelief followed quickly by quiet acceptance moved through him. How long had he known? “Who said I--“
“Nobody had to say it. I can just tell. I’ve always been able to tell, even when you were trying to shackle yourself to that frigid, unfaithful slut. I tried to talk to you about it then, but you wouldn’t listen to me.”
True, Levi remembered. Adam had never liked Sabrina and had made many veiled references to her being the wrong girl for him. He’d sure as hell been right about that. Could he be right about Natalie as well?
“I’m not exactly sure what you’re waiting on,” Adam continued, “but if it’s my permission then you’ve got it, okay? Stop wasting time. You’re only home for a few days. Make the best of it.” He chuckled, but his voice suddenly developed an edge. “Just don’t hurt her or I’ll have to kick your ass.”
A grim laugh bubbled up Levi’s throat and his gaze slid to Natalie. Another firecracker of heat detonated in his loins. “Those are conflicting orders, little brother. If I make the best of it, you know she’s going to get hurt when I leave.”
“Natalie’s a big girl. She knows how you feel about your career. She’s not going to ask you for a damned thing you don’t want to give.”
His gaze found her once more. She was smiling, her face alight with laughter, a piece of driftwood in her hand. A soft breeze toyed with the ends of her hair. Caveman tendencies was right, Levi decided. He’d like nothing more than to wrap his hand in her hair, drag her back to her house and make love to her until his balls burst or he died, whichever came first.
“What makes you even think she’s interested?” Since Adam’s intuition had been dead on with him, it only stood to reason that he knew Natalie well enough to pick up the vibe from her. Still...
Adam hesitated. “It’s just a feeling I’ve got.”
Not good enough. He didn’t want to make a play for her, only to have it backfire. Talk about awkward. She was one of his brother’s best friends. She wouldn’t simply “go away” when this was over. And, eventually, it would have to end. He had a career he loved and she had a home she wouldn’t want to leave. “I don’t know if I want to risk humiliation based on ‘just a feeling,’” Levi continued. “You’re going to have to do better than that.” For whatever reason, he got the distinct impression that Adam was holding back on him. His hesitation practically screamed across the line.
Adam released a pent-up breath. “I think she’s your Ms. X,” he finally admitted.
Shock jolted through him. “What?”
“I’ve suspected it for a while, but she’s never said anything, and I kept asking to see the damned letters so that I could compare the handwriting to the ones I’d been getting from her--which incidentally happened to arrive on the same day your letters did--but you wouldn’t let me see them, you stubborn ass, so--“
“I thought you were just being a nosy bastard,” Levi growled threateningly. “If I’d had any idea you might know who they were coming from I would have let you seen them!”
His raised voice attracted attention, most notably Natalie’s. Her brow knitted with questioning concern. He offered her a reassuring smile, then turned and continued to hiss into the phone at his brother. “I can’t believe you’ve kept this from me. What the hell were thinking?”
“I was thinking that it was fun,” Adam said. “I like rattling your cage. Furthermore, I wasn’t sure how you would feel about the letters being from Natalie. I wasn’t sure you were still into her, you know? If you weren’t, then I didn’t want to ruin it for you. But after seeing you with her yesterday... I dunno.” His sigh echoed over the line. “I just hate to see either of you squander this opportunity. Life’s short and you and I know that better than most people do at the moment.”
He was right. Still...
“You’re sure they’re from her?”
“No. I’m not,” Adam clarified. “I have a very strong suspicion that they are.”
“What about the letters she’s written to you? Do you have them so that we can compare?”
“Not all of my stuff is here yet,” Adam told him. “But I would recognize her handwriting if you want to show any me any of your letters.”
Levi hesitated, torn. He didn’t want to share the letters--they were private. She’d written them to him, not to anyone else, and somehow the idea of sharing any part them--even with Adam--felt like a betrayal of her trust.
He couldn’t do it, Levi decided. As much as he wanted to know for certain whether or not Natalie was Ms. X...he couldn’t do it.
Adam chuckled knowingly. “Noble bastard.”
“You just want to read the letters.”
“I’d give my left nut to read those damned letters,” his brother freely admitted, startling a laugh out of him.
“Yeah, well, save your nut because you’re not going to get so much as a peek at them.”
His gaze slid to Natalie once more. Could it be her? Levi wondered. Was it possible that Adam was right? Or was it merely wishful thinking.
While his manipulative, greedy subconscious had dubbed her into the starring role, the idea that it could really be her was almost surreal. Almost more than he dared to hope for.
And it also gave a whole new meaning to every word she’d written. Every dream, every fantasy.
They were hers...of him.
He went hard just thinking about it.
Could it be really be her? he wondered again, almost afraid to hope.
A slow grin slid over Levi’s lips as a plan surfaced in his reeling brain. His letter writer typically checked mail around four, eh?
In that case, a trip to the post office this afternoon--together--was in order.