but lightly so, fun, not in a way that made her feel out of her element.
“Guess we should head out.” Levi paid their bill, refusing to let her pay despite her protests that she owed him for saving her life. “Since you saved me from dining alone, we’ll call it even.”
She snorted. “As if you ever dine alone.”
“Everyone dines alone occasionally. Even me. Although, admittedly, not often since I’m such great company.” He waggled his brows, then grinned. “Regardless, I’m paying so just say thank you, Madison.”
“Thank you, Madison,” she repeated with feigned obedience, loving the way his gaze lit on her, on the way his lips curved upwards, on the way her insides felt so alive. Who’d known she could feel this way? And why the heck hadn’t she ever felt this way in the past? Her love life would have been a lot more exciting if either of her two serious relationships had been able to elicit half as many tingles and sparks.
Maybe it was the whole playgirl attitude that had freed her inner spirit.
Maybe it was because she wasn’t going into this thinking wedding bells and white picket fences.
Maybe it was because she only wanted one thing from Levi.
The way he was looking at her at this moment, well, she might just get it before the night ended.
That made her both happy and extremely nervous. Was she really ready to fully embrace her new persona?
He laughed, shaking his head. “You always this full of sass?”
“Not usually.” She hadn’t felt comfortable enough to relax enough to be herself. Not even Simon. Which was a sobering thought, but not one she’d permit to encroach on her evening with Levi. She deserved one night of fun. One night because anything more than a single night and her heart might get attached.
“Must be something about you.” Which was the truth of the matter. There was something about Levi that got to her and reminded her of happier times. Times before life had got so complicated. Times when she’d smiled and laughed freely and often. Times before she’d let Simon use her heart for target practice.
“Must be.”
Madison bit the inside of her cheek when Levi opened the passenger door of his SUV, waited for her to get inside, then closed the door. Simon had never opened doors for her.
“What’s your street address?”
Absently, Madison told him, still contemplating Levi’s many charms. The man was a charmer, pure and simple. She’d do good to remember that. He went through women the way a smoker went through cigarettes. A pack at a time.
Men like Levi and Simon should come with warning labels that they were hazardous to a woman’s heart.
Or would be if she hadn’t decided to join their ranks. Thank goodness she’d become a player herself.
He started his SUV and backed out of the parking place. “We’re practically neighbors. That’s only a few streets over from where I live.”
“Really?” That surprised her. She’d figured he lived in some fancy neighborhood for doctors and lawyers. Then again, that stereotypical image didn’t fit. Levi didn’t fit into any box.
“You ever run at the park?”
She nodded. Running was her stress relief. She’d never excelled at sports, but running didn’t require any special skills or co-ordination. Running was just her and the wind and her thoughts. Since moving to Angel Creek, running had involved her, her motivational downloads on her iPod, and her overactive imagination as she’d fantasized about Levi.
She told him about her early morning runs—excluding her downloads and fantasies, of course—and how she’d walk the greenway sometimes at night after getting off work to unwind.
“Sounds like we miss each other by about thirty minutes each morning,” Levi mused, scratching his lightly stubbled chin.
“Sounds like.” If only she’d known, she’d have crawled out of bed earlier just to get a glimpse of those legs of his each and every day. Who needed sleep? She’d sleep when she was old.
“Well, if you ever make it out earlier, you’ll have to look for me. We could run together.”
Exactly. She’d be looking for him. His legs. His narrow hips. His—She turned and looked out her window, willing her thoughts away from his body yet again. How could she keep relegating him to the physical when he’d been interesting and gallant and the perfect date?
Except this wasn’t a date. Not really.
He’d saved her life, X-rayed her ribs, taken her to dinner, and was now driving her home. Not a date. Except…except when he looked at her, she felt like she was on a date. Or on the set of a movie where the two characters were on fire for each other and could barely keep their hands to themselves, where just one tiny spark would send them up in flames. Poof.
She wanted to burn.
To smolder.
To go up in smoke.
“This the right place?”
Blinking, Madison glanced at the pretty little white frame house with its navy shutters. “Yep, this is me and Karen. You know Karen. She’s the charge nurse on the medical floor.”
Lord, she was babbling like an idiot. Of course he knew Karen. They’d talked about Karen and her at nursing school quite a bit that evening. Doh!
Be smooth, cool, sexy, Madison. Not a dork.
He just smiled though. “Nice.”
The park and close proximity to the hospital had been major selling points Karen had used in her arguments to get Madison to relocate. Madison liked the house well enough, too.
“Thanks for dinner and for driving me home…” Madison’s mouth dropped open and she shook her head in dismay. The man really messed with her mind. “Only I’d appreciate it if you drove me back to the park so I can pick up my car.” She looked him square in the eyes, willed herself to be strong, to be a modern woman and go for what she wanted. “Unless you’re planning on staying the night and dropping me off at my car in the morning? “
Levi pulled his car into the parking spot next to Madison’s powder-blue convertible VW beetle. He’d thought the car an odd choice for her the first time he’d noticed her driving it. Now, after spending the evening with her, he’d reconsidered. The convertible was the perfect combination of practical and impractical.
A car that would last and get great gas mileage, but that had a bit of whimsy and a generous helping of spunk.
A car that said, Put my top down and take me for a ride.
Just like Madison.
He shook the thought away just as she turned to him and smiled so brightly that he was certain she’d outshine the sun.
“I’ll have to try that pizza place again some time. Everything was delicious.” She licked her lower lip.
Nervously or in a seductive move? Either way, he swallowed, wondering if something had lodged in his throat that Madison was going to have to rescue him from.
“The food was good.” He managed to sound normal. “But, then, that pizza place is one of my favorites.”
He ran his palms over the steering-wheel, counted to ten. He wanted to lean across the distance between the driver and passenger seat, to pull her into his arms and taste those full pink lips.
But what would that accomplish? That is, other than him completely losing his head and taking her up on that offer to spend the night?
How he’d managed to put the SUV into reverse and drive to the park rather than bust her front door down in a rush to get her into bed he had no idea. Definitely he deserved