But, for reasons that could only be explained by the safety I felt when I broke down in Sam’s arms, I announced, “My name’s Levee.”
He tipped his head to the side in surprise. “Really? Levy, like the tax or the pop princess?”
Shit.
“Levee, like the embankment used to prevent the overflow of a river.”
His head snapped back as he barked a laugh. “True story.”
I didn’t quite understand his reaction, but I steeled myself for worse.
Squeezing an arm between us, I pulled my sunglasses off and quietly finished, “And the pop princess.”
His eyes, not surprisingly, flashed wide, but his words were not at all what I’d expected.
Cupping my jaw, his callused thumb rubbed over my cheekbone. “No bruises,” he breathed, visible relief paining his face.
My mouth quirked in confusion. “What?”
Placing his other hand on my cheek, he framed my face. “Your shades—they weren’t to cover bruises.”
“Jesus, Sam. I told you no one was hurting me. I tripped down some stairs.”
“Yeah, but everyone uses that excuse,” he said through an infectious smile.
“I fell off the stage during rehearsals the other night. Some asshole leaked the video. It’s probably trending right about now if you need proof.”
He laughed. “That’s really fucking good news. I was worried about you.”
I was worried about him.
“Well, don’t. I’m fine.”
He angled his head, giving me a side-eye that told me he wasn’t buying it. He was probably right, but I rolled my eyes. Once again, he laughed, but this time, he brushed his lips against mine.
“So, the guy in the car?”
I pressed to my toes and grazed my lips against his again. “Bodyguard.”
Nipping at my mouth, he pulled me even tighter against his firm body. “You should fire him”—kiss—“for letting you go up a bridge every night alone.” Kiss.
I smiled against his lips. “I’d fire him if he followed me.”
“I follow you.” He smirked. Kiss.
“Every celebrity needs a stalker I guess. The good news is I happen to like mine.”
“That definitely makes my job that much easier.” He licked his lips in a way that sent tingles over my body. A soft moan escaped my mouth when his tongue retreated.
“Kiss me,” I whispered.
He stared at me for a moment, his eyes searching mine for something. There was nothing to be found except lust.
“Kiss me,” I repeated.
He all-too-willingly obliged my plea and crushed his mouth to mine. It wasn’t timid or laced with concern like the kiss from the night before. It was deep and filled with indescribable relief.
He was kissing me.
“I’m sorry I taste like smoke,” he murmured against my mouth. “Damn it, I’m ruining the mango.”
I giggled, sliding my hands up his sculpted back. Sam might not have been thick, but taut muscles curved his lean body.
“It’s just gum,” I said. “I’ll give you some next time.”
“Definitely.” He stopped kissing me and leaned his forehead to mine. “Levee, it’s really fucking good to meet you.” He sighed and then punctuated it with another kiss. “Now, let me buy you some of the best rice and beans you will ever taste at midnight on a Wednesday.”
“Okay,” I replied, reluctantly stepping out of his embrace.
“So, how does this work?” He shoved a hand in his pocket and rocked to his toes. “Do you have an entourage or just the bodyguard you need to take with us?” He teasingly poked my ribs.
It was my turn to give him the side-eye. He was acting entirely too nonchalant about my little identity reveal.
“Did you know it was me all along?”
“What? No! I would have immediately tried to have sex with you if I’d known,” he answered frankly.
“Great. Is that supposed to be reassuring?”
“No, it was supposed to be a joke, princess.”
I leveled him with a glare. “Don’t.”
He laughed and threw his hands up in surrender. “Hey, you were trying to get in my pants way before I was trying to get in yours.” Then he grinned something so beautiful that my eyes dropped to his mouth before I could even stop them.
“Can we just go eat?”
Quirking an eyebrow, he fought a smile. “Is that disappointment I sense? Levee, do you want me to try to sleep with you?”
“No,” I scoffed, looking away.
When my gaze drifted back to his face, he was sporting another huge grin, and just like it had earlier, it did some seriously warm things to me.
“Then I won’t.”
“Good,” I replied quickly.
“Good,” he repeated, but his eyes bounced to my mouth and his smile spread confidently.
“Oh God, can we just get some food now? This is getting awkward,” I huffed.
“More awkward than making out with your stalker?”
I swayed my head in consideration. “It’s getting there.”
His shoulders shook as he chuckled until something caught his attention over my shoulder. “I think you’re being summoned.” He pointed to the headlights flashing at us across the parking lot.
“Yeah, that’s Devon, my um…bodyguard.”
“Soon-to-be ex-bodyguard?”
“Uh, no. He’s been with me for years. I hated him at first, but now, he comes to my house for Christmas dinner. I’m not firing him for respecting my decisions.”
He huffed. “All right. All right. I get it. He’s your Kevin Costner.”
“Wow. You were so much more charming from behind my shades.”
I actually adored that he wasn’t acting stiff or freaking out on me. He was just…Sam.
“You’re full of it.” He winked.
I rolled my eyes. There was no use arguing with him. I really was full of it. Sam was even better now—and he was already intoxicating. Thankfully, that remained locked in my own head.
“Come on. Devon can drive.”
He rested his hand on my lower back. Only, this time, I didn’t even pretend not to arch into his touch as I returned his flirty wink.
Leaning forward, he brushed my hair off my shoulder and whispered, “Game on,” into my ear as he slid his hand down a fraction of an inch, moving it from respectable territory to just above my ass.
But, as far as I was concerned, not nearly low enough.
AFTER MEETING HER hulking bodyguard—who, thankfully, didn’t resemble Kevin Costner in the least—he drove us both the mile and a half to Raíces. When he parked us out back, I tried to open the door to lead Levee inside, but he slammed it in my face. Levee laughed and informed me that Devon needed to “scope it out first.” The man would let her wander up the side of a bridge nightly, but God forbid she walk into a tiny hole-in-the-wall restaurant where the biggest worry would be stumbling down the steps after too many sangrias.
However, I didn’t argue. I assumed they had a system. And besides, Levee was curled up under my arm with her head resting on my shoulder. As far as I was concerned, we could have waited in the back of that SUV all night. During those twenty minutes, we didn’t talk much. I’d drawn circles on her arm, and even though she later denied it, she’d fallen asleep at one point. I was absolutely in no rush.
When we finally made it inside, Raíces was strangely empty. The place wasn’t usually packed, but it was never a ghost town. I had a sneaking suspicion Devon wasn’t paying for our dinner as he stood with the owner, swiping a black American Express.
I gave Levee a suspicious glance as she peeked up at me through her lashes, embarrassed. Tossing her a reassuring smile, I kissed the top of her head. It wasn’t like I was going to complain about some quiet time.
Two beers, three sangrias, and an order of mofongo and plantain chips later, I was sitting across the table from one of the biggest celebrities in the music industry.