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“Oh I can, huh?”
I lifted my chin a little and crossed my arms. He only seemed more amused.
“I’m Leo,” he offered in a sugary tone. It was the kind of voice a man used when he was preparing to butter up a woman. Too bad I had been on the losing end of men in my life, which was why I steered clear of them. Most men could read women, and I apparently always flashed the wrong sign and attracted the wrong ones. I wasn’t a teenager looking for a guy with a fast car to save me from my life anymore. I also wasn’t the teenager left crying when that life—and that guy—turned out to be shitty.
“That’s nice.”
He took a step toward me, his gaze dropping to do that body scan thing again, leaving tingles over my skin. “I think we got off on the wrong foot here, Miss Levine.” Never taking his eyes from mine, he knelt down and picked up the candy dish. “Roman is expecting this,” he patted the box in his other hand, “and me.”
“He’s not in,” I said again.
“I’m a bit early.” He shrugged. “But I can wait. Maybe you’d be willing to entertain me?”
My jaw dropped and my forehead hurt from how hard I was scowling at him.
“I’m not here to entertain anyone. Especially—”
“A delivery boy like me?” he said, clearly not appreciating what I had called him earlier.
I glanced at my feet. “I didn’t mean to insult you,” I said, knowing how your station in society or job could be terms for people to judge you. Which was exactly what I was doing to him. I just needed to get out of this conversation and away from this man. Everything about him and his presence was a bad idea and I didn’t have the gumption to deal with it. Or the hot flush he brought out over my skin.
“Just leave it here, and I’ll make sure the governor gets it.” There was no telling when Roman would be back in considering the last I heard, he had a private meeting he was taking off the books.
“Alright, Miss Levine.” Leo set the box on Jean’s desk. “I apologize as well.” He leaned in a little. “You know, I’d be willing to entertain you.”
I swallowed hard and my scalp pricked with excitement because there was something very serious behind his eyes. This man knew how to handle a woman.
“That won’t be necessary,” I said, hoping my words didn’t sound as shaky as they felt.
He nodded. “Okay then. How about a kiss for all my trouble of coming in here only for you to send me away?”
My mouth dropped. This guy and his ego needed a big check. “You’ve got to be kidding me? I’ve heard better lines from a—”
He handed me the candy dish, effectively cutting me off, and took a Hershey’s Kiss from the bowl.
“Oh . . .” My face flared hot and I didn’t need to see it to know how mortified I must have looked. I put the candy dish on the desk and walked around to sit down behind it. Partly because my legs were a bit shaky and also because the closer this guy got to me, the more I could smell him. Hot and delicious. It made me realize just how long it had been since I’d had a man.
Stupid body.
Stupid day.
“You look stressed, Miss Levine.” He crossed his arms, leaned a hip against the edge of the desk, and looked down at me.
“I’m fine.” I kept my eyes fused to the computer screen, pretending I was not thinking about how close he was. “If there’s nothing else, you can see yourself out.”
“You’re really trying to get rid of me.” He scooted an inch closer. This guy didn’t seem to understand boundaries or the fact that I wasn’t interested in flirting. Okay, I was interested, but that didn’t mean anything.
“I have a lot of work to do and I’m confused as to why you’re still here. You made your delivery.”
“Wow,” he said. “You’re kind of sexy when you’re irritated, Red.”
I looked up at him and he winked, and I immediately went back to studying the computer. My defenses weren’t top notch against charm like his.
“Come on.” He smiled. “You have to admit that line was better than the kiss one.”
A tiny laugh escaped and my shoulders relaxed a little. It was just enough to let go of some of the tension I’d been carrying. Who was this guy? Whoever he was, he had balls to just hang around outside the governor’s office like he owned the place. He was also charismatic as hell and I wanted some of that easiness in my life.
No. Scratch that. I wanted the life I had built. The life I had worked hard for. The life that proved I was better than where I’d come from. The life he was currently distracting me from.
