by A. K. Evans
The wetness had pooled between my legs and, attempting to relieve the ache there, I squeezed them together.
“Let me see you, sweetness,” Levi urged.
I parted my thighs and allowed him to look at me.
His dark blue eyes were pure ink when they came up to meet mine. The intensity of it all was too much.
“Be my hero and save me from this torture, Levi. Put your mouth on me.”
He moved quick and settled himself between my legs. With one hand wrapped around my leg, Levi’s lips trailed kisses all along my inner thigh.
I moaned in agony.
This was cruel.
I needed his mouth on me and he thought teasing me was the way to go. I couldn’t take it anymore.
“Please,” I begged.
He didn’t oblige me.
I desperately needed him to relieve this ache.
“Levi?” I called as I propped myself up on my elbows.
His eyes came to mine. I gave him the sexiest, bedroom eyes I could muster up and hoped that what he said to me earlier was true. Sure, I said I’d never exploit that weakness, but he was tormenting me. I figured it was only fair.
Thankfully, my plan worked because within seconds of delivering my bedroom eyes, Levi’s mouth was on me.
I moaned loudly in relief before I heard the sounds coming from him. He was thoroughly enjoying himself and I was thoroughly enjoying what he was doing.
“Oh, fuck,” I groaned.
Levi’s tongue licked and tasted me before he sucked on my clit.
Never.
Never in my life had I felt something so incredible.
So intense.
So phenomenal.
It was all Levi.
I moved my hips, looking for more.
He knew it and he gave it.
Levi’s tongue pushed inside me and worked me while I reached down, wrapped my hand behind his head, and held his mouth against me. He continued working until I climaxed, my body shattering at the sensation.
I barely had time to think. Levi stood and removed the rest of his clothing. He sat back down on the couch, picked me up, and situated me so that I was straddling his lap.
“Are you on birth control?”
“Yes.”
“I’m clean, Elle. Promise you. Are you good with nothing between us?”
“I’m more than good with it.”
“Ride me, sweetness.”
Bringing my hand down between my legs, I lifted my hips and positioned him at my entrance. I gave him my eyes before I lowered myself onto him. His fingers sunk into the flesh of my thighs.
“Fuck, sunshine,” he started. “You taste like honey and feel like Heaven.”
Considering he had done such a remarkable job with his mouth mere moments ago and was now saying all kinds of sweet stuff, I decided it would only be right if I gave him what he deserved. With that, I began riding him.
I moved my hips and worked myself over his length. He felt unbelievable and I loved that I was having this experience of nothing between us with him.
His couch had deep cushions, so while Levi was sitting, he was still leaning back quite a bit. I moved my hands from where they were resting on his shoulders and placed them on either side of his ribcage. Then, while shifting my weight into my hands, I moved my hips faster. He brought his mouth to mine and consumed me.
Levi’s hands roamed my body.
First at my thighs.
Then at my ass.
Up my back and over my shoulders.
Down to my breasts.
It wasn’t long before I was there again.
“Levi,” I rasped as I tore my mouth from his and threw my head back.
It was coming.
I moved quicker, seeking my release.
When I was nearly there, Levi ordered, “Eyes, Elle.”
I dropped my head and gave them to him.
Levi kept his hungry eyes on mine.
We never dropped our gazes as we came apart together, the heat of his release now inside me. I loved it. Even though I was always so caught up in how I was feeling when we were having sex, I loved that Levi always made me give him my eyes. The connection to him only grew stronger in those moments. I liked that he gave that to me.
I collapsed on top of him, my head falling to his shoulder. His arms wrapped around me and held my heated body tight against his.
After several minutes, I managed to regain control over my breathing. I lifted my head and looked at him.
“I’m sorry,” I whispered.
Thoroughly confused, he asked, “For what?”
“For exploiting your weakness before. You were doing too much teasing and I was certain I’d die from the torture of not having your mouth on me.”
Levi chuckled and reassured me, “I’ll let it go this time considering I’ve never tasted something so damn sweet. Maybe you won that battle but, I’ve got to be honest, I think I’m the one who reaped the greater reward.”
I gave him a soft kiss on the lips and let him believe he’d won. When I pulled back from him I wanted to make sure he knew how I felt about us.
“We got a bit side-tracked there, but I want to know that you know how I feel about the two of us together. It is everything good and special and wonderful. I just don’t like how it came to be, that’s all.”
“I know, Elle. I need to assume some responsibility here. You expressed interest in me back when we first met and, even though the attraction was mutual, I didn’t pursue you. My reaction earlier doesn’t fall on you.”
I held his eyes and nodded.
“I feel sleepy,” I announced as I brought my head back down to his shoulder.
Levi laughed and pointed out, “That’s because you’ve just had two orgasms.”
“Hmmm.”
A smile spread across my face as my eyes drifted shut.
That’s when I felt movement.
“Wrap your legs around me,” Levi instructed as he sat up on the edge of the cushion. “I’ll carry you up to bed.”
“I can walk,” I replied with my head still resting on his shoulder.
“You can’t even pick your head up, sunshine. I’ve got you.”
He was right. I was spent.
I wrapped my legs around him and he carried me upstairs.
He stopped just outside of the bathroom and asked, “You want to get cleaned up?”
I nodded.
Levi set me down on my feet and once I was steady I walked into the bathroom to take care of business.
When I walked out a few minutes later, I found Levi in bed with the blanket pulled up to his waist. I walked over to the drawer newly cleaned out for my nighties in and pulled one out. After slipping it over my head, I walked to the bed and climbed in. Levi watched me the entire time.
I settled in next to him on my back. He was on his side with his head propped up in his hand looking down at me.
“What?” I asked.
His eyes lit up and he gave me a warm smile. It melted my heart.
“Just feeling happy,” he admitted. “I loved being with you that way. Nothing between us.”
I closed my eyes briefly trying to recall that feeling of him inside me for the first time with nothing between us and my body tingled at the thought.
“I loved it, too,” I confessed when I opened my eyes. “I’ve never been with anyone like that before. I’m happy that I had that with you.”
Levi lowered his head and pressed a gentle kiss to my lips.
After a bit, he asked, “What day are we leaving for Denver?”
“I’m planning to fly out on Thursday afternoon.”
“Ok,” he began. “Tomorrow, I’m going to need to go over the schedule with you. I’m going to need the details on the Denver flight. I need to be booked on it or you don’t fly it. I’m also going to need to know what days we are traveling, what hotels you have booked, and at what venues you’ll be performing. Depending on the size of the venue and how many people
each one can hold, I might have one of my guys meet us for a few of the stops on your tour.”
“Levi, are you sure about this? You already won’t bill me for this and you are planning to drop everything to come with me. Now you are talking about flying one of your guys out, too? It’s too much and I feel like I’m taking advantage.”
“Elle, we’ve had this discussion already. You aren’t paying me. I’m doing this whether you want me to or not. Let it go.”
I let out a frustrated sigh.
Then, I figured I’d try one last thing to get him to see reason.
I closed my eyes briefly, thought about something naughty, and opened my eyes to look at him.
Sexy, bedroom eyes.
I was hoping I delivered just that and, thankfully, didn’t have to wait too long for an answer. Unfortunately, it wasn’t the one I wanted.
“Sweetness, I’d do anything for that fuckin’ look in your eyes. Liquid honey and sexy as fuck, but it’s not going to work this time.”
I harrumphed.
“Care to enlighten me on what put that look in your eyes?”
“No,” I pouted. “I’m angry with you right now.”
Levi laughed.
“Ok, so you’ll share with me later when you are no longer angry?”
I turned away from him in the bed.
“I’m going to sleep,” I informed him.
“Like hell you are,” he protested as he snaked an arm around my waist and hauled me back against his body. “You aren’t going to bed angry at me, especially when what you’re angry about is ridiculous.”
“It’s not ridiculous.”
“Elle, listen to me,” he said softly as his arm tightened around my waist. “I’ve already told you that you’re someone I’m beginning to care a great deal about. Seeing this sassy little side of you is cute and something I’m hoping I’ll see a bit more as the days go by because it’s a huge fuckin’ turn on, but don’t throw an attitude with me about your safety. Your life is non-negotiable.”
I tensed hearing those words.
Levi didn’t stop.
“I know you don’t want to hear me say that, but it’s the truth. I’m busting my ass and I’ve got my team busting their asses to figure out who’s after you. We’re going to do it as quickly as we can so that you can feel safe again and your life can return to normal. By normal, I mean the new normal, which includes me in your life and you in my bed. Don’t be bitter about this and don’t fight me on it. You won’t win.”
I didn’t respond.
My body was still tense.
Levi’s arm stayed tight around my body.
“It feels like I’m trading my body for your protection.”
Now it was his turn to go solid.
“Sunshine, that is not what’s happening here. I thought you would know that considering there was clearly an attraction long before this. If that’s how you really feel, then I’m not having sex with you again until your situation has been dealt with and your safety is no longer a concern.”
My eyes nearly popped out of my head and I turned to look back at him.
“You aren’t serious.”
“Absolutely. If you’re truly uncomfortable with us being together like that because I’m not charging you, then this is how I rectify that. If I’m being honest -- it’s going to suck, but I am not ok with you thinking I’m viewing your body as some form of payment for me to make sure nobody harms you. That’s not fucking what it is at all, Elle, and I’m pretty pissed that you believe I’m the kind of person that would use a woman like that.”
My lips parted at the harsh reality he just delivered.
Suddenly, I wasn’t so sure I had a problem with him not charging me. Unfortunately, I was not going to admit that just yet.
I swallowed hard as his hold on me loosened and his arm left my waist.
Levi fell to his back and stared up at the ceiling.
I was going to cry.
The wave of disappointment flooded through me and I knew I had to get out of there. I rolled away from Levi and sat up on the edge of the bed.
When I stood and walked to the door, he called, “Elle?”
I didn’t answer. I stepped through the open door and walked into the guest room.
The second I crawled onto the bed and collapsed on the pillow, the tears flowed. This was going to be an ugly cry. I let the tears fall as I thought about how I made Levi feel. That’s what this was about. I was crying because Levi was disappointed with me. He had been nothing but good to me from the moment he knew I was in trouble. And because he wouldn’t let me pay him for the use of his firm’s services, I shelled out payment in the form of insults.
I’m not sure how much time went by before I stopped crying, but I knew it had been quite a while. After, I just stayed there with my head buried in the pillow for a long time wishing I could fall asleep. Every time I closed my eyes all I could do was hear Levi telling me that I wasn’t going to go to bed angry at him. Hearing those words replay in my mind I realized I also didn’t want him going to bed angry with me.
Even though I knew he had probably already fallen asleep, I climbed out of the bed and walked back to his bedroom. I tapped lightly on the door and walked in to find I was wrong. The light on his nightstand was still on and he hadn’t moved from his position lying on his back, looking up at the ceiling. Standing next to his side of the bed, I looked down at him and struggled to speak past the tightness in my throat.
“I don’t want you to go to bed angry at me either.”
He held my eyes a moment before he held his hand out to me.
I placed my hand in his palm and fought to keep the tears at bay.
Levi tugged gently on my hand and pulled me toward him. I fell forward onto him. His arms wrapped around me and his body turned to the side.
“You ok?” he asked tenderly.
I was going to burst into tears again. I made him feel like shit and he was worried about how I was doing.
I shook my head and answered, “No. I said something horrible to you. I know you aren’t that kind of person, Levi. I don’t know what’s wrong with me. My mind is all out of sorts over this whole thing, but that’s not an excuse to treat you the way I did. I don’t like feeling like I’ve disappointed you and I’m sorry for what I said.”
“Are you done telling me you need to pay me for this?” he asked.
I nodded into his chest.
He didn’t say anything else, so I repeated, “I don’t want you to be mad at me. I’m really sorry, Levi.”
His hands sifted through my hair as I felt his lips touch the top of my head. He kissed me and said, “It’s ok, sunshine. I’m not mad.”
I let out a breath I hadn’t realized I was holding and snuggled into him. His arms tightened around me in response.
We stayed like that a long time and I was still feeling tense, unable to find sleep.
“Levi?” I whispered, unsure if he had fallen asleep.
“Yeah, Elle?”
My voice was a hair over a whisper when I asked, “Can we still have sex?”
I felt his body vibrate with a bit of a laugh.
“Are we good on what us having sex means?”
“Yeah,” I breathed. “It’s not about what I insinuated a little bit ago. It’s all about what happens when you make me give you my eyes just before we come together.”
“Fuck. You were bitter not too long ago and I wasn’t sure how it was going to go after that. But now I’m thinking if it’s like this, I’m ok with it because when you get sweet, it’s so fuckin’ good.”
“Is that a yes?” I pressed him for a definitive answer.
“Yeah, sweetness, that’s a yes.”
Chapter 9
Levi
It was finally Thursday morning.
Finally.
Yeah, right.
Saying it like that made it seem like I was relieved we had gotten to this point or that it was something I had been looking forward
to.
Not in the least.
My reasoning had nothing to do with Elle singing or touring either. It had everything to do with her stalker. There hadn’t been any activity since the flower delivery at Lou’s, but I knew that a person like this would not just simply stop. I just hated to think that they’d act when we were out of town.
I was overly concerned and worried about her, but did my best to hide it from Elle. I couldn’t stand seeing the stress and anxiety in her face whenever she thought of or talked about the whole situation.
Currently, I was standing in the doorway to the guest bedroom watching her franticly pack her suitcases. One suitcase was already overflowing with clothing; the other was halfway there. She also had a large bag sitting on the bed that looked as though it was coming with us as well.
Elle turned her head and saw me standing in the doorway.
“I don’t think I can do this,” she fretted.
“What’s the matter, sunshine?” I asked keeping my voice calm hoping to relax her a bit.
“I don’t like this. I don’t do well with deadlines and schedules. I’m certain that this is not going to be the lifestyle for me. Everything it requires is everything I hate: living out of a suitcase, packing my things, traveling by plane. It makes me overwhelmed and I don’t like it. I like it here. In Wyoming. I love my life here. I love singing. That’s all I want to do.”
I had to admit that deep down it felt good to hear that. The more time I spent with Elle the more I was beginning to feel something for her. In the back of my mind I wondered what would happen if she went on this tour and decided it was something she wanted to continue to do. I knew I was the kind of person that wouldn’t be able to let her go alone on tour unprotected, even after her current situation was resolved.
I pushed off the doorjamb I had been leaning against and walked to her. I wrapped both arms around her and pulled her against my body. She immediately melted in to me.
“I’m cool with whatever you decide to do, Elle. I think if you have the slightest idea in the back of your mind that this is something that you want to do down the road on a larger scale, then you should not pass up this opportunity to test the waters. If you don’t want to do it, though, you don’t have to do it.”
