Second Chance Temptation

Carrick started to speak but was interrupted by another knock on his door. Marsha opened it and behind his middle-aged, short and ruthlessly efficient PA stood a tall blonde.

“Carrick, your three o’clock appointment is here. This is Dr. Sadie Slade.” Marsha stepped aside to allow a tall, modern Cinderella look-alike to walk into his office. Tumbling honey curls framed a triangular face dominated by big, round blue eyes holding more than a trace of violet. Tanna looked from the Sports Illustrated model to her eldest brother and her eyes widened at the look of profound—Was that shock on his face?

It was either that or Carrick was having a heart attack. Since she knew her brother was a workout junkie, she figured she didn’t need to call for an ambulance. Thank God, because the thought of giving him mouth-to-mouth made her want to gag.

Then again, the blonde—judging by her flushed face and her inability to pull her eyes off Carrick’s face—wouldn’t hesitate.

Chemical reaction.

Tanna looked past Carrick to where Marsha stood in the doorway and she caught Marsha’s eye, fighting not to return her grin. So, she wasn’t the only one who’d caught the zings between these two.

Ha ha, karma is a bitch, Carrick.

He’d laughed at her for her Levi predicament. She couldn’t wait to watch him dealing with Dr. Sadie Slade, acting like the cool, reserved CEO of one of the premier auction houses in the world while fighting his fierce attraction.

Tanna had no idea how he was going to act cool with his tongue on the floor.

Four (#u582c7859-541e-55ac-a237-41a142853759)

Tanna, leather tote over her shoulder, rapped briefly on Levi’s front door and stepped inside. Pulling her suitcase into the hall, she dropped her duffel bag to the floor and looked up to see Levi shuffling down the hallway.

He stopped, stood on his good foot and relaxed his arms, regarding her with eyes that instantly made her want to spill her secrets.

Even dinged and dented, you are so hot.

I’ve missed you.

It’s weird and wrong and right to be here.

“Hi.” Scintillating opening line, Murphy.

“I didn’t think you were coming back,” Levi said, his voice extra growly. And, strangely, extra sexy.

“Miss me?” Tanna asked, aiming for jokey but hitting breathless. Honestly, what was wrong with her? She just had to look at Levi and her brains, and ovaries, exploded.

Not good.

“I survived. Just I like I survived the past decade,” Levi replied, but his words didn’t hold the bite she expected. He just sounded tired.

Tanna glanced at the antique, freestanding clock in the corner, wincing when she saw it was later than she’d realized. “Yeah, I’m sorry I’m a bit late. I meant to be here earlier, but I had to go see Carrick, tell him I was moving out of his house into yours—”

Alarm skittered across Levi’s face. “Ah, I meant to call him, to explain the situation, but I fell asleep. How did he take the news?”

Tanna thought about her brother’s reaction. She couldn’t forget his amusement.

“Strangely, he said that I should help you. He, kind of, agreed that I owed you. But he didn’t say very much on the subject at all.”

She really hoped her big brother wasn’t trying to play matchmaker. That ship had sailed.

And sunk.

Levi frowned and instantly looked suspicious. “That doesn’t sound like Carrick.”

“I thought so too.”

Levi ran his hand over the scruff on his jaw. “Huh. Should I call him and ask?”

Tanna shook her head. Why borrow trouble? “No...hell no. Let sleeping dogs, or noncommunicative brothers, lie.” She glanced down at her bags. “Where can I dump these?”

“There’s a guest bedroom up the stairs on the right. I have a cleaning service. They come in once a week and they keep it in a state of readiness.”

“And I supposed your overnight guests stay in your bed and don’t use the guest room.”

Tanna winced when the words left her mouth and she wished she could haul them back. Dammit. His sex life had nothing to do with her, nothing at all. But if he did have a live-in or a steady girlfriend, why wasn’t she here, tending to her man?

And if he did have a girlfriend, how would she react to Tanna’s presence in his house?

But if he was seeing someone, Tanna would have the perfect excuse to leave. She could just pick up her bags and walk out the front door. There was only one way to find out and Tanna bit the conversational bullet. “So, should I be worried about some girlfriend showing up here, ready to scratch me stupid?”

A smile touched Levi’s mouth. “Jealous?”

She was not going to dignify that with an answer. Mostly because, yes, she was. But she was allowed to be. This man had once considered spending the rest of his life with her. But she’d left him, bailed out in a spectacular fashion. She’d forfeited her right to feel jealous.

Or any other emotion.

Tanna, because she knew she was digging a hole for herself, just lifted her chin and waited for him to answer her question, and Levi finally put her out of her misery...