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Almost a month later.
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Summer had reached its full peak in Fairview and it was hotter than it had ever been before. Cold showers and dips in the pool became completely pointless because as soon as you toweled off you'd would be drenched with hot clammy sweat again. The heat was fiercely unforgiving. Claire spent her days lounging around her home, taking walks with Sally and occasionally going into town for a movie. The days were slow and time seemed to crawl by and she had never been unhappier.
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She missed Lauren everyday and Levi even more. Time and again she would find herself wondering what he was doing, where he was, who he was with and if he thought about her at all. She knew he had done the right thing by cutting off her contact to Lauren. It was were they'd been heading all along. As he'd said, there really was no point in prolonging the inevitable. It would have still hurt the same, maybe even more so.
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It was late in the afternoon when a soft knock roused Claire from her thoughts. She paused the movie she had been pretending to watch and got up. She looked down at her light grey skirt and off white blouse. It was casual home wear, nothing fancy and certainly not something to entertain guests in. But she hardly ever had anyone visit her anyway so she knew it was probably Sally. She opened the door and to her surprise it was David.
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"Hello, Claire." He walked in and gave her a very tight hug, "How are you?"
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She hugged him back, "David what a surprise!" She said and ushered him into the living room.
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"Your home is beautiful." He commented as he looked around. He turned and faced her, "And you're even lovelier than before." He added and sat on one of the lounge chairs while she sat on the opposite couch.
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"Thank you. But what are you doing here? I thought you were in the city?" He was the last person she'd expected.
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"I was. I came to visit Sally. But I also wanted to apologize for the way our date ended." He looked chagrined.
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Claire smiled, "Oh don't worry about it." She replied and waved it off with a hand. "How did everything go with..." she paused as she tried to remember. "....with Steve?"
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David grinned, obviously pleased that she remembered, "He tried to visit his children without permission. Messy divorce and custody case you see, so his ex wife called the police."
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"That's horrible. Is he alright?" She asked, concerned.
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"He's fine now. But how have you been? Sorry I never called. At first I was swamped with work then I was afraid you wouldn't answer even if I did call."
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"There's no need to apologise David, really. I understand. I've been well, how have you been?"
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"Great. I was worried you'd never want to see me again. Not a day went by that I didn't think of you Claire."
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Unable to come up with an appropriate answer to his comment, she brushed it off and asked him about his work then the conversation naturally turned to safer topics like the weather and Claire was glad to have some company. Even if it was for only a little while her mind wondered away from Levi, giving her some sense of relief. She offered him some cool lemonade and cookies which he graciously accepted. As they enjoyed the light snack, there was another knock. This one hard, almost impatient and Claire thought in amusement that it was probably her lucky day to receive not only one but two callers. She was laughing at something David had said when she opened the door.
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But the laugher immediately died on her lips when she saw Levi standing there with his fist raised as if to knock again. He was wearing a dark grey expensive looking, three piece business suit, only without a tie and a jacket. The first couple of buttons of his crisp white shirt were undone and she could see the dark tan of his chest. His dense dark unruly hair was in disarray as if he'd run his hands through it multiple times. He looked absolutely great, she loved him in his usual jeans and t-shirts but in a suit!! God, he was all hard powerful lines and picture perfect, masculine sophistication. Her breath halted as a fierce, inexplicable need to throw her arms around him surfaced from somewhere deep inside her.
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"Hi." She said and gripped the door handle so hard that her knuckles turned white.
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"Claire." He said in way of greeting.
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"What are you doing here?"
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"I need you to watch Lauren tonight." His cool, focused expression gave nothing away.
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Claire blinked in confusion as she tried to assimilate what little he'd just said. It didn't make any sense, why did Lauren need watching and why he would ask her to do. "Why?"
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"I have an important function to attend this evening. As a matter of fact I should be there right now." He stated as he checked the costly watch on his wrist.
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"What about Pam?"
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"She had a family emergency. Will you do it or not?" He asked impatiently.
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"Of course." She replied without having to think twice. "Please wait while I grab my bag." She opened the door further and he stealthy followed her into the living room.
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Claire saw David stand up and she glanced back at Levi whose gaze quickly moved over David, then to the lemonade and cookies on the table before his hard icy stare heavily settled back on her. She looked away and felt the tension in room increase until it was so thick you could cut it in half with a knife.
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"David this is Levi Pierce." She introduced them, "Levi this David Sutherland, my neighbour's nephew."
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The two men only nodded at each other in acknowledgement. She walked over to David and laid a hand on his arm. "I'm sorry but I have to go David. I really enjoyed your company." She said kindly, smiling at him.
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He smiled back, "It's quite alright Claire. I should get going myself. I'll call this time, I promise." He said and lightly kissed her on the cheek, dangerously close to her lips. He then left the sitting room without a word to Levi who watched him with a visible, barely restrained violence in his eyes.
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Claire quickly went into her bedroom and grabbed her handbag. And in less than five minutes she was sitting beside Levi in his truck as he drove them to his house. She had at the last minute thought it wise to leave Charlie with Sally just in case something came up. Although she doubted anything would.
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Ever since she had gotten in the car she'd been chancing discreet glances at Levi. She couldn't stop looking at him, it was as if she was making up for all the time she hadn't seen him. When he caught her staring again, she flushed and asked, "Why didn't you leave her with your parents?"
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"They're out of town."
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"And if I hadn't been available?"
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He cast her such an intense look that made her feel as though she was suddenly undressed, beneath him her body pliant and his for the taking. She swallowed and willed her heart to slow down its thudding beat.
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"I would have made another plan."
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Right! So he would have. She couldn't explain why but she instantly felt a hot inexplicable anger rise up within her. How dare he just show up from no where and disrupt her life again when she was trying so hard to move on and forget she had ever laid her eyes on him. How dare he not even show any emotion or reaction towards her when her heart leaped and soared at the sight of him.
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"Why would you want me of all people to watch your daughter? I thought you didn't like her attachment to me." She asked in an uncharacteristically snarky manner.
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"It's not a matter of want Claire. You're the only other person I trust with her."
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Sure! That made logical sense but the unreasonable part of her didn't want to let it go just yet. "Aren't you worried that this will only strengthen the bond between us. I know how much you simply can't stand it."
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He looked hard at her, "It's only one night."
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"I'm surprised Levi, its just unlike you to be so cavalier about your child's psychological well being." She tsked and looked outside the window, "Who knows what kind of damage one night can do."
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He suddenly braked and parked the car on the side of the road and said, "I don't have time for this goddamn shit Claire!" His voice rough and dangerous.
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He then came closer to her and braced a hand on the top of the passenger seat, right above her head and leaned into her. Claire inhaled his warm, musky scent, with a faint hint of expensive cologne.
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"If you'd rather be back cozying it up with your boyfriend tell me right now and I'll take you back." He gently stroked her cheek.
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"Looked to me like y'all were having a good ol’ time too. I hated like hell to break up such a tender scene." He added, a dark sinful fire burning in eyes that held no remorse whatsoever.
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She swallowed nervously as devastatingly familiar sensations made her body ache. "He's not my boyfriend."
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"No?" He asked in mock surprise. "What then? Just somebody you call when you need a particular itch scratched huh?"
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She flushed hotly, "You're disgusting!"
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He smirked, "Right ..." Claire held her breath as he gazed down at her breasts. She blushed because she already knew what his eyes would find.
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She felt the heavy tightness of her breasts even as he said, ".. and that's why your nipples are hard? You're just begging to be fucked aren't you!"
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Claire gasped in outrage and without thinking she raised her hand intending to slap him but he caught it, restrained and pulled her to him.
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"I'd have to be in a different mood to enjoy that kind of kinky foreplay baby." He said, purposefully misinterpreting her action. "But we can give it a try if you like. In fact ..." he boldly caressed her nipple with his thumb though her blouse and Claire bit her lower lip, unable to tear her eyes away from his mouth. "... I'd be more than willing to scratch whatever itch you've got." He ended on a soft, low note.
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His head came down and his lips barely brushed against hers when his phone rang in a loud, obnoxious way that effectively killed the moment.
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Levi viciously cursed and impatiently reached for his phone which was in his pocket, "What!" He barked at the person at the other end of the line.
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He listened for a few seconds and said, "Fuck!" Then ran a hand though his hair. "Alright, just keep them there dammit. I'm on my way."
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He hung up and planted a brief but still powerful kiss on her lips that left her whimpering for more, "Later then." He said with a sardonic smile and Claire wanted to scream and rip her hair out. God, the man was insufferable!
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He started the car again and quickly drove to his house without another word. As soon as they walked inside Lauren came running straight into Claire's arms as if she'd been anxiously waiting for her.
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"Claire." She cried in unabashed happiness. "I've missed you so much."
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Claire hugged her tightly, her heart filled with joy. "Don't cry honey, it's alright." She looked at Levi and almost flinched at the unexpected anger she saw in his eyes.
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"I'll be back later." He said and walked out the door.
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After she had calmed Lauren down, they made dinner since it was already becoming night time. Afterwards they watched Lauren's favourite cartoons and Lauren told her about all that had happened in the month they'd been apart. Later in the evening Claire gave Lauren a bath and got her ready for bed. A few hours later when Lauren was already fast asleep upstairs in her room, Claire sat in the living room. Feeling uneasy and on edge as she waited for Levi to return.
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He probably hated her. She'd never seen him look at her that way before. He probably blamed her for allowing his daughter to get too close to her, he probably thought that she had deliberately wormed her way into Lauren's heart. The thought of Levi hating her filled her with so much distress that it almost brought her down to her knees.
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It was around midnight when he finally came back. As he entered the living room Claire stood up. He walked in and carelessly threw his briefcase and jacket on one of the chairs. They stood facing each other in the dimly lit room. The look in his eyes reminded her of the day he'd first kissed her all those years ago. There was a dark, lethal desire in his eyes that frightened and aroused her all at the same time. And as before Claire held her breath as he came to her.
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