Perfect Risk (Mason Creek #1) - C.A. Harms Page 0,22

task at hand.

When I felt a set of hands grip my waist I jumped and screamed out in surprise. Spinning around I dropped the vase in my hand and due to Levi’s fast reflexes he caught it just before it hit the floor. “Levi,” I slapped at his shoulder making him chuckle and step back to shield himself. “You scared me half to death.”

He was holding his stomach laughing at my expense, with tears in his eyes. I noticed Miley standing at the counter her eyes widened in surprise, but her lips tilted up in a smile. She was so quiet and so hard to read. Maybe it was due to the fact that we barely knew one another, but I could never figure out what she was truly thinking.

“You need to lighten up Sadie.” Levi regained my attention. My heart was still racing fast. “You’re too wound up, relax.”

“Well, maybe if you didn’t sneak up on me when I was focused, I wouldn’t be so wound up.”

“I’m pretty sure that wouldn’t matter.” Challenging me, he waited for me to argue. One day when there was a girl brave enough to venture into Levi Land he was going to drive her mad, I just knew it.

“Ass,” I mumbled and grabbed the vase from his hand, placing it back onto the table before me.

“And to think I showed up here to offer to take you to lunch.” Levi and his charm. “I was even gonna pay too.”

Leaning my hip against the large wooden table I peeked over at Levi, fighting my own smile. One could never truly stay mad at him, it was his smile, it warmed one almost instantly. “Will there be desert?”

“Please, do you know who you’re talking to? There is always desert.” For years, every day at school Levi would bring me a snack cake, matching his own. His mom just automatically packed two, knowing that he’d need one for me too. We equally had a loving relationship with sugar.

Choosing to forgive him, because like I said staying mad at him was impossible, I said a quick goodbye to Miley. Assuring her I would be back in about an hour, I linked my arm through his and he led me outside. Everything in Mason Creek was within walking distance, which was the opposite of the city. I loved that if I wanted to go grab an ice cream I could just walk outside take a left and after a few hundred feet I would find Twisted Sisters Ice Cream Shack. Hattie and Hazel Jackson and their wonderful creations, they had a flavor for every season. Weather never seemed to phase those two ladies, come hell or high water they were there serving sweet goodness and cackling the entire time. Loved those ladies, and time hadn’t changed them one bit.

“Italian?”

“You know it.” The pizza at Sauce It Up was amazing, but then again everything was. I’d never ordered something there I didn’t fall in love with.

I ignored the curious stares of those we’d passed. I already knew what most were thinking, and this time tomorrow there will be rumors of some love affair between Levi and me. We’d gotten used to brushing off that idea long ago; Levi was like the brother I’d never had.

Tucked back in a corner booth, him digging into his huge pile of spaghetti and me enjoying my personal pizza he surprised me with a question. “What’s going on with you and Wyatt?” Practically choking on my food, I took a drink and when I felt like I could clearly breath again I made eye contact. Of course, he was smirking and thought he’d had me on something, which he did not.

“Absolutely nothing, he’s my landlord.”

“And Cole?”

“Again nothing.” Apparently my old friend was a busy body too. “He helped me find a house, and yes he stopped by to offer me a housewarming basket but nothing more.”

“Lunch, dinner, or even a cup of coffee.” The way he said those words reminded me of Cole. Levi was attempting to imitate him with a slow purr. Rolling my eyes at him I tossed my napkin, hitting him in the forehead. “I heard you shot the guy down before he even got to finish the sentence.”

“It wasn’t like that.” Okay fine, it was. Cole was nice, but he wasn’t my type. Apparently, my type are those men that break my heart and humiliate me. Ugh, why do girls always want the guys they shouldn’t. Another bit of information