I love that you don’t take shit from anyone.
Your next card is at my other thinking place. No worries. You don’t have to go near the edge. Look for the pink zinnia in the greenhouse.
Forever yours,
Levi
The rooftop? Levi wants me to go to the rooftop? Oh no, I don’t think I can do that. But the card said it isn’t near the edge, and I’m hoping that’s the truth.
I run out of the rink, clutching my beautiful jersey, go back to my car, and I head across campus.
I open the door to the building and climb the stairs. Even with the greenhouse there, it is still cold on the rooftop. As I open the greenhouse door, I see the pink zinnias and my card. I pick it up and it reads:
This flower means so much to me because it was my mother’s favorite kind. I can’t see it without thinking of my mother and the night we came here. I told you that we all have to face our fears sometime.
I love that you aren’t afraid of challenges.
I love how you drive me crazy.
I love that you own up to your actions and you make me do the same.
I love that you’ve trusted me in this adventure so far.
Don’t hate me, but you need to go to the Royal and meet your parents. Don’t lose faith in me, Smarty.
Forever yours,
Levi
I groan. It was going so good and then he wrote “my parents”.
“Well, fuck,” I say aloud to no one, but the flowers. Well, I’m not changing my clothes, that’s for sure. I’m going in jeans and a hoodie. I stick my chin up and head out the door.
I valet my car at the Royal and the hostess just stares at me when I ask where my parents are sitting. I’m sure her snobby ass is not happy with my outfit of choice. I see my parents sitting in the private room. They probably figure it’s best, in case I lose my mind again.
“I’m here.” I sit down in my seat, as my parents look back at me.
“Levi went through a lot of trouble for this to work out today,” Mom points outs.
“May I just take my card and go?”
“No,” Dad’s voice is stern.
I huff as the waiter comes. I just order something to drink since I already ate with Trevor.
“Levi came and talked to us, explained this big plan and we thought it was really sweet. It shows that he cares a lot about you.” Mom’s voice chokes up a bit.
“He’s an amazing guy,” I say, smiling when I think of everything that has happened today, and how much I love Levi.
“Your mother and I have been talking a lot since that night at your apartment. I think there has been a misunderstanding on both of our parts.” Dad’s face is somber as he speaks to me.
“I don’t think-,” I’m about to argue my point, but Mom interrupts me.
“May we tell you a story?” After a moment, I nod and sigh in defeat. My parents look at each other for a moment and then look back at me. My mother has tears in her eyes, and my father begins to tell the story.
“I fell in love with your mother the moment I saw her. She was this independent and carefree, beautiful woman. She was the opposite of everything that I was. One night at a party in college, I told my buddies that I was going to marry her and I didn’t even know her name. I just saw her and I knew that I was going to be with her. So, I went up and used every charm I had on her. Some of it worked and some she could see right through.” My mom smiles big at the story he is telling. “Our time together, in the beginning of our marriage, was perfect. We both had great jobs and everything anyone could want. Then your mom told me she was pregnant and I thought my heart was going to explode with happiness. Then we found out there were twins and I cried.” My eyes grow wide. My dad cried. There was no way. My dad never shows any type of emotion, let alone crying.
“He was sobbing like a baby when the doctor told us,” Mom confirms.
“Anyway,” Dad shifts uncomfortably from the attention and continues. “The night your mom went into labor, I was a crazy man. I mean, I almost forgot where the hospital was and I worked there at the time. But we finally made it.” Dad stops and takes another deep breath.
“Presley, when you were placed in my arms.” Dad chokes up and I can feel the tears building in my eyes. “I never thought I could love anything so much in my whole life.” My tears fall down my cheeks at my dad’s words.
“Sweetie, he couldn’t speak when you came into this world. He was just beaming with pride when he held you.” Mom dabs the corner of her eyes.
“Presley, you are so much like your mother. You’re so independent. You have always been that way. Trevor needs guidance, but we never worried about you. Over the years, I think our focus lost its path from letting you being independent to forgetting that you need reassurance that we are still here.”
“We love you and you mean as much to us as Trevor.” My mom has tears coming down her face.
“We are very proud of you and we know that whatever you want to do in the future, you will be successful.”
My dad and mom are proud of me. I can’t believe it. We all three sit there for a moment before I’m able to speak.
“May I ask a question?”
They both nod.
“Why did you divorce? Why did you separate us?”
“I can answer that.” Mom pats Dad’s hand. “It’s my fault. My damn independence and goals that I had for my career got in the way of my obligations at home. We decided to send Trevor with your dad because he needed that guidance. You didn’t. That is the reason why I wanted you to stay with me. I was selfish. I’m thankful that your dad and I have talked and we are working on our relationship.”
“What made you tell me this story?” I wipe the tears from my eyes.
“That night when we all were here with Victor, he seemed to know more about you than we did and we knew then that something needed to change.” My mother’s voice is sad, and my dad keeps his head down.
Again, we sit there in silence. I can’t help the feeling of being loved by my parents. We’ve all made our mistakes, but they love me, and they are proud of me. I get up, as do my parents, and we hug. It’s an amazing feeling.
“I think Levi needs to be a family coach,” I say as we all laugh.
“I think you deserve this.” Mom pulls the card from behind her back.
I open it and it says:
Hopefully, that went as planned. If they were mean to you, I’ll kick their asses.
I love your personality.
I love your loyalty to those you care about.
I love that you speak your mind.
I love that you care about so much.
The list will never end. It’s always set on ‘to be continued’ because you never cease to amaze me with how wonderful you are. Your final card is where today’s journey started.
Forever yours,
Levi
I quickly hug my mom and dad again, and head back out to the valet. Once I’m in the car, I was thinking about my day. Every part of the journey was with someone I loved, and now I’m going to the one that I love the most. Never has anyone made me feel so special. My heart is pounding as I pull into my parking lot. I grab my box that has my jersey in it, and head up my stairs. I open my door to see Levi standing in the middle of my living room. His sexy smirk makes my knees weak.
We don’t say anything, even though I want to leap into his arms and never let him go. In his hands is my last card. I walk all the way in, sit my box on the couch, and reach for the card. I open it and begin to read his beautiful words.
Chapter Sixteen
Levi
I love how I am with you.
I love that you love me. Down to the every perfectly hard muscle. ;)
I love you with everything that I am and I mean it every time I say it.
I love that you were the one to change everything for me. You were exactly what I needed, exactly when I needed it. Meeting you, learning about you, and knowing you changed me. That’s the kind o
f person you are, Smarty. You change the lives of those around you, just by being in it and being you.
Because of you, I am the man standing before you today. Because of you and what I learned from you, my parents are proud of me. Because of you, I’m happier than I’ve ever been.
I’d do anything for you, Presley. Anything.
My love for you will live forever.
Forever yours,
Levi
My eyes are trained on Presley. Her hands are trembling as she holds the card in her hand, but she hasn’t looked at me yet and it’s been two minutes since she opened the card. Why hasn’t she said anything yet? Does she hate it? Does she hate everything? Why hasn’t she looked at me?
“Presley,” I say softly, tentatively.
Suddenly, she jumps into my arms, hugging me tightly with her face buried in my neck and her legs around my waist. I hold her against me, and she whispers, “I love you. Thank you for today.” Presley pulls back to look at me, her eyes watery as she gives me a small smile. “But I thought that Valentine’s Days are supposed to be spent with each other.”
“We’ve got all night, Smarty.” I smirk.
She laughs before crashing her lips against mine. Her kiss is urgent, but I have no plans whatsoever to fuck her tonight. I step forward until her body is pressed between a wall and me. Presley moans when I nip her lower lip and slow the kiss down. I want to savor the taste of her and how it feels when her tongue entwines around mine. Every sensation, I want to cherish and treasure as if I’ll never experience it again.
I pull Presley’s tongue into my mouth, barely grazing my teeth along it and suck on it hard before allowing it to play with mine again. Fuck, I’m getting off course here. With every fiber in my being, I somehow manage to end our kiss. It takes everything in me not to get sucked into those brown eyes and those red lips.
“Why’d you stop?” Smarty says breathlessly.
“Because if I didn’t, I wouldn’t be able to stick to my plan.”
“There’s more?”
Dipping my head to kiss her neck, I whisper against her skin. “So much more.”
She grips the back of my neck, her lips brushing against my ear. “But I only want you, Levi.” After a pause, she adds, “Fuck me.”
Groaning, I softly bite the crook of her neck. “No.”
“What?”
The sound of her shock makes me look at her, that damn pout on her lips begging me to pull it between my teeth and bite down hard. “I’m not fucking you tonight, Presley.” I step away from the wall and let her slide off my body, confusion and something else overtaking her pout turning it into a full blown frown.
Her hands are propped on her hips when she says, “Why not?”
Oh, no. She’s hurt by what I said. Quickly, I take her face between my hands, kissing her softly. “Because I’m going to love you instead.” She’s still confused. “We’re slowing things down. So, no. There will be no fucking, Smarty. Only slow, sweet loving. But I have something for you first.”
I leave her to retrieve the box from the kitchen, returning moments later to where she’s now sitting on the couch. Taking a seat beside her, I give her the box. Her fingers slip underneath the edges to tear the tape, but she glances up at me before she opens it.
“Okay, you gave me that amazing jersey, so is Sidney Crosby in here waiting for me?”
Chuckling, I shake my head. “Not a chance. Just open it already, Smarty.”
She removes the top and inside is yet another jersey, but this one is a little different than the other.
“Oh my God, Levi. Is this real? I mean, is it really yours?”
“Of course, it’s real, Smarty. I don’t know if I’ll have that number or not, but it’s mine for you.”
I customized the back of the jersey to have 10 and Carr on the back. Then I signed it for her with a message. Just as I’m about to tell her to read it, she says it aloud.
“For when I win the Cup…For you. Forever yours, Levi.” Presley pauses and looks up at me, her voice caught in her throat. “I love you more than you know.” She leans forward to kiss me, and it takes everything I have to not get swept away in it. Reluctantly, I pull away once more.
“Let’s shower, Smarty.”
Standing, I hold out my hand. Her smile is wicked and I hope I don’t disappoint her. I lead her through her bedroom where she softly gasps. Candles are everywhere and give off enough light that I don’t have to turn any on, even in the bathroom.
“Levi,” Presley starts, but she seems at a loss for words as I turn on the shower.
“No more talking,” I tell her once I have faced her again.
She watches me carefully as I smile my cocky, lopsided grin. I grab the neck to my shirt with both hands and pull it up over my head, dropping it to the floor. Her eyes absorb my torso with a sultry fascination, and I can’t help but chuckle. My fingers meet at the front of my pants, so I can unbutton and unzip them, pulling them and my boxer briefs off at the same time.
Stepping out of them, I take a step closer to Presley, grabbing her shirt and lifting it up and off. I dip my head to gently kiss her shoulder before kneeling to take off her shoes and then pants. It’s my turn to admire her body. I love that she stands there boldly as I look at her. Before I get too worked up and throw the Not Fucking Plan out the window, I reach around her to unclasp her bra, her breasts coming free. I let go of the bra and hook a finger on each side of her panties.
With much more control than I expected, I kiss and nibble down her chest and stomach as I tug down her panties. Presley steps out of them and I step into the shower, waiting for her to follow, which she does. The water rains down on Smarty. I twirl my finger to instruct her to turn all the way around so she will get completely wet. Presley catches on to what we’re going to do and tilts her head back to soak her hair as well.
While she does that, I soap up a rag. She’s ready now, and her eyes are gleaming. I start with her shoulder, slowly moving across her collarbone to her other shoulder. My eyes leave hers to focus to my task. Suds mark my path as I caress farther down her skin. Slow and gentle have never been my forte, and I’m amazed by how different it is, and how much I want to be this way for Presley tonight.
Wordlessly, I lather up every inch of her skin with such a slow pace that one would think every single inch needed my attention. And it does. After Presley rinses off and soaks her hair again, I get to what may be my favorite part. She steps out of the water as I pour the shampoo in the cup of my hand. I rub my hands together and then dive into her hair, massaging her scalp. When Presley lets a small moan slip between her lips, I know why this is my favorite part. Her eyes are closed with her head tilted back, and her eyelashes cast a shadow on her cheeks. Those lips part slightly like what my hands are doing feels so damn good. I hope so because I don’t have a damn clue. Other than once before with Presley, I’ve never washed anyone else’s hair. Or body for that matter.
I guide her back under the water and run my fingers through her hair as I rinse all the shampoo out. Then it’s my turn. Presley and I switch places and the water pours over me. Smarty smirks as she watches me while lathering up the rag.
“No funny business, Smarty,” I tell her. “I mean it,” I add when her grin widens.
She shrugs and then starts, running an identical path as I took on her. Unlike on my turn, Presley keeps her eyes mainly on mine. I can’t get over how aware I am of the texture of the rag and its path. Might have something to do with the fact that it’s in Presley’s hand. With hooded eyes, I watch her.
Chapter Seventeen
Presley
My day has been a crazy day of emotions. Levi’s jersey is the most amazing thing I’ve seen in a long time. Now, standing here in the shower with him is so incredible. He has touched every inch of body with love and care. Never have I felt so loved or so special.
I stared at him loving because if I didn’t, I’d push him against that shower wall and ride him to the moon. I didn�
�t want to ruin everything that he has planned for us. I want this to be perfect for him too. I know Valentine’s Day is more of a girl thing, but he went through all this trouble, and I want him to feel special too.
After Levi rinses his hair of shampoo, because I’m short and was having trouble, we get out of the shower. Levi very gently towel dries my body and hair. He pretty much just air dried himself. He wraps the towel around me and leads me to the bedroom. The room is warmly lit from all the candles and smells like the ocean. I love it.
He removes the towel and picks me up, fireman style, and lays me in the center in the bed.
“Now, you’ll get your real gift.” His cocky grin makes my insides flutter.
“You’re pretty sure of yourself, Captain Carr,” I quip back at him.
He doesn’t answer me. He just covers my body with his. I can already tell how hard he is as he pushes into my thigh. He kisses me, softly and gently. I run my fingers through his damp hair and down his neck.
He pulls away from my lips and kisses my jaw and down my neck. He swirls his tongue at the base of my neck and heads towards my breasts. A warm sensation overtakes my body as I moan his name.
I feel him smile as he takes my nipple in his mouth. He uses his teeth to pull and nips, but never bites hard. He does the same with my other breast. I can’t breathe from the anticipation of what will come next. He kisses down my stomach and kisses each hip.
“Levi,” I breathe out, as my body tingles under his tongue.
“Yes?” He kisses my inner thigh.
I can barely breathe through my own sexual fog as I moan his name again. He kisses my other thigh. He licks me and I almost come undone. His tongue knows exactly where to go to drive me to the brink of losing my mind. He pushes two fingers inside of me, and my hips begin to rock against him. He sucks and licks me as my body shakes for him. I’m right there. I’m about to release right then, and I grip his hair, wanting more.
He stops.
He stops when I’m right there on the edge.
I groan. “Levi.”
“Yes, Smarty?”
“I need you. I need you inside of me.”
Off the Ice (The Penalty Kill Trilogy) (Volume 2) Page 9
