by Lee Piper
“Kitten?”
I blinked, staring straight ahead. My memory faded and I found myself looking at Levi’s reflection in the window over my left shoulder. More than anything in the entire world, I didn’t want to turn around. If he saw my eyes I wouldn’t be able to hide exactly how fragmented I’d become.
All because of him.
“Hey.” A featherweight touch trailed down my arm and I shivered. Once it reached my hand and entwined with my fingers, I closed my eyes, distractedly trying not to lean back into him for comfort. I then felt a tug and my eyes blinked open as Levi gently turned me around to face him.
“What’s wrong?”
I averted my eyes. If he only fucking knew.
My chin lifted from the pressure of his fingers and our eyes finally met. “Are you afraid of flying?”
“No. Not of flying.”
His eyes were unbelievably tender as they took in my exposed vulnerability. He slowly nodded in understanding. “Come here.” Pulling my hand, Levi led me towards a row of empty plastic seats before sitting down. He deliberately removed the handbag from my shoulder and carefully placed it on the seat next to him. I felt beyond awkward standing in front of him like this and flashes of what had happened between us in the school cafeteria flickered before my eyes, making my pulse race. He gently tugged at my hand again and drew me down onto his lap.
Cradling me like a child.
I kid you not, if it had been anyone else, I would have punched them straight in the throat. Seriously. That is, before using every last vernacular at my disposal to tell them exactly what I thought of their outrageous assumption. But because it was Levi, I cuddled in closer, my cheek flush with his chest as he wrapped his arms around me. When his chin rested on the top of my head, I felt a security that had long been absent from my life gradually descend from above and settle itself over me.
Like a second skin.
Levi’s ribs expanded as he took in a deep breath and then contracted as he slowly exhaled. His heartbeat was strong and sure, it spoke directly to my own frazzled one that gradually eased its erratic tempo in response. Once calm, I leisurely trailed my fingers across his skin, tracing the outlines and patterns of the tattoos visible on his chest. It seemed the most natural thing in the world, to be curled up on Levi’s lap in the departures lounge of Perth airport.
Some time later, I couldn’t tell you how long exactly because it felt as though we were in a vacuum of timeless space, our flight was called. I slowly untangled myself from Levi and stood, plowing fingers through my wild hair. Levi stood next to me, then bent to retrieve my handbag before placing it on my shoulder. He smiled, winked and took my hand again, leading me to the snaking line of people who were waiting for our flight.
It wasn’t at all strange that no words had been said. Truth be told, his reassuring heartbeat and steadfast embrace said all I needed to hear anyway. Now, it was just a matter of trying to figure out a way forward from here. Which was where I drew a blank. I mean, I couldn’t even put a label on what we were at that moment, let alone decide where we were headed. All I knew for certain was that something between us had just shifted and I couldn’t put my finger on where or how exactly, but it was as though we had realigned in a slightly different place. Somewhere deeper. Somehow connected.
I was screwed.
While filing into the aircraft, I chose once again to ignore the openly appreciative glances from the flight attendants, both male and female. If Levi was aware of the stares, he didn’t show it and I allowed my heart to warm to him that little bit more. He just kept moving through the galley and holding my hand until we found our seats. In first class.
Whoa.
Sophie must have really wanted to pull a number on the guy. God knows if the school had organized the flights, we’d have been in the back row next to the toilets. I couldn’t help an inward smile, Sophie would be so pissed knowing that I was here in her place. Served the bitch right for hijacking Levi each day right from under my nose. I shook my head. This burgeoning possessiveness was really disturbing.
“Window seat or aisle?”
“Aisle.”
Levi nodded and moved past me to sit down, but not before brushing his thumb across my bottom lip and murmuring in my ear, “Stop thinking.”
My knees gave a huge sigh of relief as I collapsed into the seat and composed myself long enough to stow my handbag by my feet.
We were given some refresher towels and I tried not to laugh at the disinterested face of the attendant as she ran through the safety procedures. Seriously, you’d think they’d at least look confident in their ability to survive a forty thousand foot drop in altitude. Apparently not. I didn’t care. If I was meant to die, then so be it. At least my last moments would be with Levi and there were worst places to die than in the arms of a sexy man. So I settled back, surprisingly comfortable.
I’d never traveled much as a kid. Well, not out of Western Australia anyway. On a single salary, and even one as generous as Dad’s, the cash only stretched so far. It wasn’t until Dylan took me to Brisbane last summer, that I’d even been inside a plane.
I loved them.
There was something about rocketing down the runway before being simultaneously thrust back and downwards in my seat during takeoff, that I found strangely liberating. I think it was the inevitability of it all, the fact that I had to surrender all control to the pilots and trust them not to fuck up completely. It was somehow cathartic.
Ironic really.
“You’re looking more like yourself, kitten.”
My eyes were shut and I was enjoying the way the plane had just dipped and then rose farther up in the air. It was freakin’ amazing. Levi was right, I was feeling much better. I turned to him, smiling. For once it was both wide and true. The corresponding sharp intake of his breath at my exultant expression set off a swarm of butterflies in my stomach. It felt like they were high on energy drinks.
“Fuck, Grace—”
But I didn’t let him finish. This three and a half hour flight wasn’t nearly long enough for everything I wanted to do to him if he completed that train of thought. When he looked at me like that, like I was a precious marvel, I felt undone. And there was no way in hell I would be able to control myself within the confines of an airplane seat if I didn’t distract myself. First class or no. Besides, we’d be arrested for noise complaints as soon as we disembarked at Tullamarine anyway. Oh, and there was Riley to consider. I’d almost forgotten Riley.
True friend that I was.
“You’ve been to Melbourne before, haven’t you?” It wasn’t a question. It was a desperate plea to change the subject to less treacherous waters.
Levi sighed. “Yeah, when I was nine and Dom was seven. Dad’s side of the family lives there.”
“So why’d your mum need to get away from your dad?”
He turned to look out the window, clearly not comfortable with the question.
“It’s just that you mentioned it last night and I … it made me wonder, I guess.”
Levi’s eyes met mine again but they were suddenly foreign to me. The mocking glint I’d come to know and loved to hate had disappeared completely. In its place was a cold, dead stare.
I suppressed a shiver.
“He’s a fucking asshole, Grace. Unless you want to see me completely lose my shit, we need to change the subject. Now.”
As much as I wanted to help him out, this whole Jekyll and Hyde thing had completely thrown me. “I, ah, I mean—”
“Welcome aboard. Can I offer either of you a refreshing beverage?”
I almost launched myself at the overtly gay flight attendant in elation at his timely interruption.
“Yeah, I’ll have a—” I quickly checked the time on my phone to see if it was noon yet. It had gone past twelve. I was good to go. “Whiskey neat, thanks.”
“Ah, sure.” He tried not to judge my obvious alcoholic dependence through a thinly veiled mask of professional politeness. “And for yo
urself, sir?”
“A beer. Whatever’s strongest.”
“Another excellent choice. I’ll be right back.”
As he minced his way down the aisle, I just knew we were going to be the talk of the cabin. But then I stopped myself. Let them talk, I didn’t give a shit. What I did care about was the man sitting next to me. Hear that, heart? I said it. Out loud. Now leave me the heck alone.
“Look, Grace.”
I turned to face Levi. He was rubbing long fingers across his forehead, clearly agitated at what had just passed between us. Seeing him like this was awful.
“Levi, stop.” I pulled his hand away and held it in my own, reaching out with my other to brush the worry lines from his brow. “I get it, it’s fine. We’ve all got our shitty baggage. Some of us just throw it back when we’re asked about it uninvited, that’s all.” I smiled, caressing his cheek. “Trust me, I know. I’ve had plenty of practice.”
He took the hand that cupped his cheek and turned it skyward, kissing my palm. His eyes peeked up from behind long lashes, totally rocking being simultaneously apologetic and sexy as hell. “What am I gonna do with you, kitten?”
I shrugged one shoulder, mesmerized by his lips as they made contact with my palm once again. I barely suppressed a shudder at the feel of them against my heated skin. “Simple,” I breathed, “you’re going to tell me all about it. But only when you’re good and ready.”
“I’m gonna do a lot more than that.”
There was suddenly not nearly enough air in my lungs.
“When you’re good and ready, of course.”
Chapter Eight
Under the waves, I'm heading down again,
Noise in my head, I can't let go if it.
-MONDEZ, “This Life”
I was ready.
At Levi’s last words my heart slowly unraveled and stealthily crept its way to the forefront of my mind, like the freakin’ stalker it was. Once settled there, this dawning recognition hit me like a thunderbolt in the panties. Somewhere, between Perth and Melbourne it was settled. I wanted him to know that I was ready.
Screw everything else.
Okay, so that was a slight over-exaggeration. I did care about other things, especially Riley. After all, she was my family. So to be honest, I wasn’t entirely reconciled with my decision to move forward with Levi but knew that I was going to ignore those nagging doubts. I was going to do it anyway.
Horrible person that I was.
It just truly sucked that she was going to hurt because of me and the thought weighed on my conscience like a lead balloon. She’d done so much for me. She was everything I could ever ask for in a friend, and then some.
But I was tired.
I’d had the hardest week of my life trying to be more deserving of her. All I got in return was outright misery and one very cranky liver. After all, when Levi first appeared it was like my world suddenly flipped on its axis. Don’t get me wrong, he was seriously frustrating at times. But something in him spoke directly to a part of me that I could have sworn had shriveled up and died a long time ago. Surely, people who felt this kind of pull, both physical and emotional, grew closer because they were meant to be? They weren’t all selfish pricks who were backstabbing their nearest and dearest at the first chance they got—
were they?
I sighed.
Either way someone was going to suffer. And I hoped that after one year and a week, maybe that someone could be somebody other than me. I just wished it wasn’t going to be Riley.
That thought left me with a seriously bitter aftertaste.
Levi sensed my growing anxiety and hastily changed the subject. He asked me to tell him all about what to expect at the conference and I was thankful for the distraction. To be honest, I was genuinely looking forward it. So I talked and talked, moving further away from the contentious decision I’d just made in my head and the guilt which came along with it. A small part of me couldn’t help but notice that he held on to my hand throughout it all.
Yay heart.
Levi’s eyes never left my face either and his answering grin at my growing excitement only made me lose my train of thought once or twice. When I finally ran out of steam, we had already finished our drinks long ago and the plane was descending. I now felt completely different, liberated somehow. This acknowledgment only served to quadruple my newfound energy because not only was I pumped about the conference and about what might happen between Levi and I, but I also loved plane landings too.
Levi chuckled at my embarrassingly childish behavior. I had literally just stopped bouncing up and down in my seat by this point. He slowly leaned in close and brushed his lips over mine. He was so gentle and the contact so fleeting, that I could have sworn I imagined the whole thing. It was only when he murmured in my ear afterward and a fireworks display detonated in my nether regions, that I knew it was for real. “You have no idea, do you? Of how fucking irresistible you are.”
Luckily, I didn’t have time to overthink what had just transpired. Or what I was going to do with the knowledge that he was clearly ready too. Though my poor knees did have to kick back into action as the plane pulled to a stop and we were free to disembark. While exiting unsteadily up the walkway to Tullamarine’s arrivals terminal and still slightly dazed, Levi once again took my hand. It was a good thing really, because in my current headspace who knew where I would have ended up? No doubt in the opposite direction of where I was supposed to be.
Once we’d found the luggage carousel, grabbed our bags and Levi collected his guitar from the oversized luggage desk, we headed towards the exit. It was then that I finally snapped out of my epiphany-induced stupor.
“Jesus Christ.”
Levi looked at me and then in the direction my eyes had traveled. They eventually rested on a suited chauffeur who was holding up a printed sign which read, ‘DiAngelo and Mondez’.
“That woman’s a fucking joke,” I muttered. We walked forward and explained to the driver the slight change of plans. He just politely nodded, suggested I put on my jacket since it was cold outside and carried our belongings through the glass sliding doors. To what was arguably the longest and most obscenely luxurious black limousine of all time.
I swore under my breath.
The driver deposited our luggage in the trunk while I shrugged myself into an extra layer of clothing. He was right, even in spring this place was freezing. Though most places would be when compared with Geographe Bay, I guessed. He then opened the door. As Levi and I ducked inside, seating ourselves on tan leather seats at the rear of the vehicle, I was dumbstruck. Not so much by the opulence—though given enough time I’d probably be shocked by that too—but by Sophie’s sheer audacity. After all, it was a conference we were attending in two day’s time, not the fucking school prom. I just couldn’t believe how desperately she wanted to get into Levi’s pants.
As delectable as they were.
Levi smiled at me. “You’re loving this, aren’t you, kitten?”
I narrowed my eyes at him, arrogant Levi was back. It was lucky really, because Smart Mouth was the only thing that was going to help me survive the torment of being this close to him. And with my clothes still on.
“I bet this was all your doing, deviously changing your last name of Thompson to Sophie’s DiAngelo so I’d never suspect it was you masterminding the whole thing. A perfect ruse I might add, old Conan Doyle would be so proud.”
“Yeah, because a fucking limousine is my car of choice.”
Levi laughed at my scorn. “Well, I’ve seen how you are behind the wheel and chauffeur driven vehicles are a much safer option. For everyone. Besides,” he grinned, “you’d better get used to it. Once Mondez makes it big I’m not traveling in anything less than a twelve-seater.”
“You’re such an arrogant prick, have I ever told you that?” I turned away from him, muttering, “God knows I’ve thought it often enough.”
Levi laughed at the barb and I turned back to him, my eyes n
arrowing even further.
He was sending me out of my mind.
If only it were out of my clothes.
So I changed tack and said sweetly, “Let me guess, the twelve-seater is so all of your groupies can come too? I’m sure they’d all love to line up, one-by-one and give you a blowjob on the way to a gig. Hey, maybe Sophie could go first? I bet she’s just,” I leaned in closer, “gagging for it.”
It was now Levi’s turn to lean in close to me. “There will be no groupies, kitten.” He stared at my mouth. “Just. You. And. Me.” The way he punctuated the last four words sent a thrill down my spine and I tried not to squirm in my seat.
I couldn’t shy away from his smoldering look if I tried. Maybe the cool Melbourne air had chased away the last of my inhibitions and made me crave bodily warmth—in Levi form. For once I gave my anger-fuelled desire free reign because the thought of it being just the two of us in a darkened, secluded space at long last exhilarated me beyond measure.
Maybe it was time to accept that the gravitational shift between us was a result of so much more than simple banter and chemistry. Maybe I was now far enough away from Riley to naively pretend that she wouldn’t be as affected by what was going on. Or maybe, traveling to this city had simply revealed my selfish and ridiculously horny inner bitch.
Irrespective of my justifications, I refused to look away from him and swore that this time I would have the final word. Leaning even farther forward, my lips hovering just above his, I whispered, “Levi honey, you wouldn’t be able to survive my lips on your cock.”
I slowly settled back in my seat again, a smug smile dancing across my face. Levi’s eyes glazed over, his mouth dropped open and his hands gripped the legs of his jeans like they were the only thing keeping him upright. It was a pretty awesome sight seeing him so affected by my Smart Mouth. My grin grew wider.
That is, until he launched himself at me.
I squealed. Yep, apparently I was a squealer as well as a giggler. The crash of his body threw me back against the leather seat until he was virtually lying on top of me. His lips brushed against my ear as he growled out, “So you wanna play, do you, kitten?”
