Lucy Ellis - Mistresses - Just One Night - Never Stay Past Midnight / A Dangerous Solace / One Secret Night

Her forehead pressed against his chest, finding the center shallow that seemed made just for her. “He hasn’t recognized me for months. Every time I see him, he’s slipped further away. I barely recognize him as the man who raised me and—Levi, when they got home, my mom had a black eye. He’d gotten so agitated this afternoon—she said she couldn’t calm him down and it was just an accident, but …”

Levi’s hand stilled where it was, his whole body seeming to tense around her. And then his arms slipped tighter, holding her more securely than she could ever remember being held. “Has that happened before?”

She shook her head. “My dad? Never.” Her throat constricted. “He wouldn’t raise a hand to any of us. Which makes it all the worse. This disease has stolen him from us. From me. Taken the constant he’s always been and turned it into something else.”

“No. What your father’s been to you isn’t something that can be taken away. Your dad may not have the ability to remember it, but you will. He’ll always be with you. A part of you. That relationship is the foundation of who you are. No matter how you build on it, that love is always going to be there. Even when he can’t be anymore.”

Fingers smoothing the fabric of his shirt, she whispered the only words she could manage. “Thank you.”

Levi held her a minute longer, then ducked down to catch her behind her knees.

Cradled in his arms as he carried her back to her bedroom, she peered up at him. “You don’t have to do this.”

“You’re light. I’m strong. It works,” he offered, deliberately misunderstanding her.

“I’m a mess. You don’t have to stay.”

Levi’s chest rose and fell on each breath. His heart hammering a steady rhythm beneath her ear.

“Yeah, I do.” He hit the hall lights before turning into her room.

“I’d be okay.”

“I wouldn’t be.” Levi sat on her bed, his back against the headboard, legs outstretched, arms holding her against him. “I’d worry, wondering if you’d been able to sleep. I’d spend the night thinking about how much better it would have been if I were holding you instead. For now, just let me take care of you.”

Her throat tightened around a well of emotion she didn’t want to try to name and she nodded against him. In that moment, she realized he was everything she’d been telling herself she wasn’t ready to have. He was kindness and understanding. Humor and support. Tender strength and unfailing generosity. The kind of man who would be there for her—if he weren’t leaving in less than a month’s time.

AS DAYS of the week went, Sundays were a long-standing favorite with their slow pace and quiet vibe. Elise worked most of them, usually covering four classes split between two studios catering to the morning crowds, but by noon she was free and clear, and today she couldn’t wait to get home.

When she’d left at six, Levi was still in bed—all naked, stubble rough, and sound asleep—and, more than anything, she’d wanted to crawl back under the sheet and close her eyes. Let the strong arms that had held her through the night close around her again, and give into the bliss of Levi in her bed. Only as tempting as that enormous masculine body was sprawled across the too small expanse of her bed, she knew better than to risk getting within arm’s reach. A semiconscious Levi, intent on getting her body tucked back against his own, was not as receptive to reasoning about work commitments as she might need him to be.

On her first attempted break from her bed that morning he’d offered to write a note excusing her from class. When she’d mentioned a note wouldn’t get her paid, he offered to cut her a check. For a thousand bucks.

Rounding the corner, her smile spread wide and her pace picked up as she remembered the sound of that low growl of satisfaction when he buried his nose in the curve of her neck. Somehow—even with the emotional turmoil of moving her father into a special care facility this week, the hours of paperwork, and nerves running rampant through her family—Levi had kept her sane. Reminded her that she could smile. Shown her she wasn’t alone.

A flash of white caught her eye and Elise squinted down to the far end of the block. To Levi, walking her way with what looked like a paper and pastry bag in one arm and a drink tray with two coffees in the other. She wanted to blame the acceleration of her heart on her hastening steps to meet him, but it wasn’t true. More and more, it was just Levi. Doing things to the center of her chest with his grin, the strength of his arms around her, that look he gave her when she caught him off guard. His candid talk about business strategy, that easy laugh, and the way he made her feel so intensely wanted by somehow finding a way to touch her nearly every minute they were together.

Levi pressed a quick kiss to her lips and held his bounty up for display. “Hey, beautiful.”

The way he said that pushed her belly into another round of acrobatics. “You got food?”

Levi dug into the bag with a nod. “Doughnuts. From the place you like. Let’s sit in the park.”

Elise nodded, always fond of Printer’s Row Park and the small fountain there.

Seated on a bench, he passed her a chocolate-glazed doughnut, napkin, and coffee, then asked about her classes. “Mrs Fitz there this morning?”

Coffee halfway to her mouth, Elise paused. She’d told him about the sixty-eight-year-old eccentric—with form and strength that put hers to shame—weeks ago. And he remembered her name .

“She was.” And wearing one of the skimpiest yoga get-ups Elise had ever seen.

Absently sorting the sections of the paper, Levi grinned. “This is the class over at the athletic club, right?”

“Yeah, you should get a day pass just for a look at her. Or maybe not. Even closing in on seventy, she kind of blows me away.”

Levi chuckled. Elbows resting on wide-slung knees, he flipped open the entertainment section of the Trib . “Not possible.”

A warm breeze rustled the edges of the paper and teased through the strands of his dark hair. Elise leaned into the right side of Levi’s broad back, felt the vibration of his gruff, “Nice,” against her cheek where it rested on his shoulder.

Closing her eyes, she told herself to just take this moment. To hold on to it for the beautiful simplicity it offered and not to let the panicked emotions pushing at her throat free. Not to give in to those thoughts fast on the rise that were suddenly demanding to know what she was going to do when Levi left.

Because somehow, against all her best intentions, in spite of all her defenses, she’d gone and fallen in love with him.

She was over her head, and getting deeper every minute … even knowing that every day was one day closer to the one where he left town for good.

Suddenly it was all too much. The loan, the studio, her parents, her future, and the one thing that felt so totally right on the cusp of being over. Her head spun and her stomach seized. The open air around her turning thick and stale in her throat.

She jerked to her feet, stumbled back.

“Elise?” Levi was on his feet reaching for her as she desperately fumbled her keys.

Get inside. She had to—

Too late. Her stomach heaved and she lunged for the trash bin.

Inside, Levi wrung cool water into the sink and then pressed the washcloth to the back of Elise’s neck where she sat on the side of the tub, head bowed.

“I’m fine, Levi. Completely better now, though I’m not sure I’ll ever recover from the humiliation of you seeing me get sick. And in public.”

“Glad you’re recovered.” Only not really. Staring down at Elise’s slender back, the silky curls tied out of her face, and the delicate hands pressed against her eyes, Levi would have felt a hell of a lot better if Elise were still hugging the porcelain bowl, cursing a sketchy breakfast sandwich consumed some time in the last few hours. But no, the nausea that hit her out of nowhere was gone as quickly as it had come. And the only reason she was still sitting in here was because Levi hadn’t let her up yet.