Chapter 7: THE EXCEPTION

LEVI

A sharp knock interrupted my thoughts, and Matt walked into my suite as if he owned the place.

"Hey." He leaned against the doorframe with a knowing smirk. "You said you'd return hours ago, but you never showed up. What happened?" He spoke again before I could respond. "Who was the woman leaving your room earlier? She looked familiar."

I couldn't help but smile, revealing more than I intended, and Matt's grin widened immediately. He had known me for far too long not to notice. "No one," I replied, shrugging, hoping that was enough.

"No one?" he smirked, crossing his arms, before his eyes widened with realization. "Wait a minute! Reva, correct? That was Dr. Ricci. She works with you."

Sighing, I dragged my hand through my hair, wondering why he asked if he recognized who it was. "Yeah. She works with me."

Matt's jaw dropped. "What the hell was she doing in your room then?"

"Relax," I told him before he could turn it into something it wasn't. "She had too many drinks last night. I found her by the beach, barely able to walk. She didn't remember how to get to her suite, so I brought her here to ensure her safety. That's all."

He looked at me for a moment before leaning back with the same knowing grin. "For a moment there, I thought you'd finally broken your golden rule of not fucking staff."

"I wouldn't dare," I said firmly, despite not knowing if I believed myself.

The truth was, I preferred my simple life. I appreciated having the freedom to do as I pleased, when I pleased, without anyone expecting anything else from me. Relationships, marriages, and settling down never appealed to me. I'd seen far too many people tie themselves up in knots trying to hold onto something so fragile, only to end up miserable.

I followed one rule: no strings, no drama, no regrets, and it had been the best so far. My parents despised it, of course. They wanted a daughter-in-law, grandchildren, a legacy to carry on the Price name, and everything they had built. But I wasn't ready to give up my sanity for someone else's idea of a happy ending.

Then there was Reva.

I sank onto the couch, dragging a hand across my face. She had been a puzzle since her first day at the neurology department two years ago. She was brilliant, passionate about her job, and calm under pressure... a rare combination in our field.

She was more than just good at what she did. She was exceptional. And that made her dangerous to me because, as Matt put it, she threatened to overturn my golden rule daily.

I wanted Reva. I didn't want to date or fall for her. I wanted to fuck her. It wasn't even reasonable anymore. I had tried to suppress the desire, but it wouldn't go away. It was always simmering beneath the surface, and half the time I couldn't stand being in the same room with her without bending her over my desk.

There was another issue: she wasn’t my type, not even close. I usually gravitated toward women who knew the game, were confident, bold, and a little wicked. Women who didn't want forever and wanted the same freedom as I did. But Reva was none of that.

She exuded a silent strength that caused everyone around her to stand up straight. She was disciplined, kind, and dependable. Reva was the type of woman who believed in love, fairness, and doing the right thing, whereas the girls I messed around with did not.

She would never drag me into a dark corner of a club and blow my brains out, or whisper something filthy in my ear just to watch me lose control. She was the serious kind... the kind that didn't fuck but made love under the covers with the lights off.

And yet, I wanted her. I wanted her so bad it hurt, and I had stayed up for hours last night just watching her sleep, imagining the desperate, soft little cries I wished to hear escape from those sweet lips.

"Fuck!" I needed to get a grip.

I had not intended to stay another day at this resort. My parents were here for a company retreat with our senior staff, and I'd flown in to discuss an urgent merger proposal before heading to Aspen with Matt for our vacation. Then Reva happened, and leaving no longer seemed like an option.

Matt's voice interrupted my thoughts. “You're thinking about her, aren't you?" I gave him a look, and he grinned, holding up his phone. “Forget Dr. Serious for a moment, and look at these two."

He pushed his screen into my face, and two women in the photo smiled back at me, both dressed in barely-there bikinis. "I met them earlier," Matt announced proudly. "They'll join us for drinks before our flight."

Both were cute, just my type, and I'd normally be fantasizing about all the things I wanted to do with them at this point. However, the usual spark wasn't there. The enticing edge and pull that usually drew me in had vanished.

Getting with them would have taken the edge off and helped me forget about Reva until we got back to work. But the thought of them repulsed me.

Matt cocked his brow at me, disbelief flashing across his eyes. "What, suddenly got standards?" he joked, half-laughing, and I found my voice at that point.

"They're cute," I admitted, returning the phone, "but I think I'm going to hang out at the resort for a while before heading to Aspen."

Matt was perplexed and asked what I was talking about. I told him I'd stay for Christmas Eve dinner. I told him he could go ahead, and I'd catch up with him, but he said he didn't mind hanging around too. With another smirk, he suggested that these girls could be our dates.

"About that... I've got a date.

He paused. "Who?"

A soft knock came at the door before I could respond, and my butler entered, greeting Matt before turning to me. "Sir, Miss Ricci has confirmed she will be your date for the evening."

Matt's mouth dropped open as I nodded, dismissing the butler.

“Miss Ricci, huh?" He said, turning to face me and adjusting his seat. "So much for sticking to your rule."

I ignored him, but I couldn't stop the smile on my face. Matt and I had been friends since we were nine, but unlike me, he didn't dread commitment. He had just left a long-term relationship and was equally horny.

My mind trailed back to Reva. I wouldn't make her do anything she didn't want to. I wouldn't mislead her either. But even as I told myself that, I knew the truth.

Reva was vulnerable, heartbroken, betrayed, and trying to keep it together. I knew I should have left her alone. It wasn't fair to step in now, when she was still so vulnerable, and make moves on her.

But sitting here, recalling how she looked when she smiled through her tears earlier, I knew I wasn't going to back down.

She would be the exception to my rule.