Did he even have a label for what they were?
He settled for taking her hand instead and led her to the washing station.
“I’ll wash you,” Annie, one of the other stylists, said.
“I got this, Annie.” Levi turned on the water and tested it with his fingers before directing Shelly to lean back.
“You’re going to wash hair?” Annie put a hand on her hip and gave him that look—the one she’d used when he was a kid and she thought he was up to something.
“I know how. Remember that summer I broke a window and Lolly made me work it off washing the neighborhood dogs?”
“I’m not a dog!” Shelly gasped.
“I know, baby.” He quickly kissed her face as he took the spray hose and wet her hair. “You’ve got to trust me. I’ve dated a few shampoo girls in my day. They gave me a few tips.”
“I think you’re full of crap,” she said as she shut her eyes.
“You trust me, Shelly?”
She opened those green up and looked into his. “I trust you.”
“You shouldn’t,” Bertie snorted. “Don’t ever trust a man, honey. I was married to my husband for well over fifty years and couldn’t trust him as far as I could throw him. I would never let him touch my hair.”
“Sometimes you have to let go and let God,” Shelly replied before she closed her eyes again.
“I’m glad you said that. Do you have any green hair dye, Annie?”
“What?” Shelly’s eyes flew open.
“It will go with your eyes.” He grinned at her and she grabbed his shirt, pulling him down toward her. She kissed him. It was just a quick full-lipped peck, but it managed to turn him and on and told him a lot about them in that moment.
She didn’t give a shit who saw, and he was glad for that.
What did that mean for him?
He still wasn’t sure, but he kissed her again before he went back to shampooing her hair.
He didn’t want to stop kissing her. He didn’t think he would be able to at the end of the month.
Chapter 16
Shells,
I’ve got to score brownie points with your old man where I can.
I’m a grown man and I haven’t seen him in years, but he still scares me a little.
A few hours later the shop had cleared out and Levi’s fingers were numb and sore. It had been a surprisingly fun day, working side by side with his brothers. Duke stood behind the register cashing customers out, looking more like a bouncer than anyone who belonged in a hair salon.
But he was good for business, booking people for return appointments and encouraging the clients to tip the stylists well before they walked out the door. The stylists had worked their butts off all day turning the women of Destiny into pinup girls.
Levi couldn’t take his eyes off Shelly, which wasn’t out of the norm, but Zanna had turned his sweet little Shelly into a glamorous bombshell. She looked like Marilyn Monroe or Veronica Lake, and it took everything in his power not to pull her out of there and into the nearest bed.
They were all in the back of the salon in the break room, eating the feast of Chinese food that Grace had brought in.
“That’s spicy,” Shelly said as she chewed. “But I like it. What is that?”
“General Tso’s chicken. I can’t believe you haven’t had this before.”
“We don’t eat Chinese food in my house. Everything gives my father indigestion. But I like this. Thanks for taking me for a walk on the wild side.”
He grinned at her. “This isn’t a walk on the wild side, baby. I eat this junk so much back in Vegas, my local place knows my order by heart and gets worried when I miss a couple of days.”
“You have a problem, Levi.”
“Maybe. Wait till you try snake and alligator and ostrich meat.”
“Where am I going to get that here?”
“You won’t. I’ll take you someplace to try it. Another thing to cross off your bucket list.” He wanted to take her so many places. The whole world was open to her. She just needed someone to show it to her.
“I would like that.” She leaned in to kiss his lips.
“Get a room, you two,” Duke said with a slight smile.
Levi had nearly forgotten that they weren’t alone. He wasn’t sure how it happened, but their chests were pressed together, her arms were now wrapped around his waist. He had been feeding her. He didn’t care what anybody thought. He’d spent a day away from her and really missed her.
“Getting a room is a good idea, Duke. Let’s go home, Shelly.” He took her by the hand and led her out of the room, quickly saying his good-byes to everyone.
He took her back to her house and straight into her bedroom without stopping.
“You must be tired.” She kissed the side of his neck as she slid her hand up his shirt.
“I worked harder today than I have in years.”
“That’s not true.” Her lips moved to his throat and she kissed from his Adam’s apple up to his chin. “You might fool people into thinking you’re a slacker. But I know you aren’t.”
His eyes drifted shut because her lips felt that damn good on his skin.
“I’m sorry that I haven’t been able to keep my hands off you.”
“Why the hell are you apologizing for that?”
“I don’t know.” She looked up at him and then away. “Maybe you don’t like to be touched in public or maybe you don’t want people seeing me touch you in public.”
He gripped her chin between his fingers, forcing her eyes back to him. “Did I act like I was uncomfortable with you touching me?”
“No.”
“Do you think I care if anyone sees you touching me? Or me touching you? When have you ever seen me care about that?”
“Never. It’s just … I thought … Never mind.”
“Yeah, I never mind your hands on my body and I’m going to strip you naked and show you how much I don’t mind you touching me.” He pushed her against the wall and kissed her as he reached under her dress to pull down her underwear.
“Are you having sex with me because you want to or because I want to?”
“What kind of question is that?” He pressed her hand to his bulge. “Do you feel that?”
She nodded and swallowed hard as he slid his hands over her smooth behind, cupping it tightly in his hands.
“You’re sure you’re not too tired?”
“I’m missed you yesterday. I thought about you all day today and the only thing I wanted to do was get to this moment and be with you. It would take me being fatally wounded for me not want to be with you tonight, and I’m not sure even that would stop me from wanting you. ”
Her eyes widened, the emotion in them clear. “That’s the sweetest thing anyone has ever said to me.”
“We love each other. It’s natural that we want to make love to each other.”
And it was then he realized that he didn’t just love her, he was in love with her. Incredibly in love with her. He had been since the moment he had first spoken to her. Why the hell had it taken him so long to realize it?
“I got really turned on when you put rollers in my hair. I never thought having a man do my hair would be so sexy.” She pulled the shirt off over his head and kissed his chest. “If this whole TV-hosting race-car driver thing doesn’t work out, you can do hair for a living. You would always have a customer in me.”
All those years wasted.
“What’s wrong, Levi?”
“Nothing.” He felt choked.
He wasn’t going to waste any more.
He was going to have to marry her.
“Are you sure?” She cupped his face in her hand. He could see the concern in her eyes.
“I’m with you. Of course I’m sure.”
“Why do you look like you ate a bad egg then?”
He grabbed the straps of her dress, pulling them down to reveal a black strapless bra. And that’s all she had on. Her glamorous hair, her curvy
body, the way she looked up at him. He pulled a condom out of his pocket and freed himself from his pants. “I just don’t think I can’t wait long enough to get you to the bed.”
“Oh.” She put his fingers between her legs so that he could feel her wetness. “Teach me something new.”
He couldn’t even speak after that. He just grunted and pushed himself inside her.
*
Shelly’s eyes flew open the next morning. She could tell from the position of the sun that she was awake much later than usual. She blamed the sleeping giant next to her. She had lost count of how many times they’d had sex last night.
There was a definite change in Levi. She didn’t know what it was, but she could feel a shift in him and he rewarded her by making her totally incoherent and orgasmic for the rest of the night.
She pushed his arm off her, but he tightened it. “Where are you going? I’m not ready to let you out of bed yet.”
“What time is it?”
“Almost ten.”
“Ten!” She hopped out of bed. “I’m late. Holy crap. I’m late.”
“Late for what?” he called after her as she ran into the bathroom and turned on the shower.
“I’m supposed to be setting up for the reading party at the library,” she yelled back at him as she got in and took the world’s quickest shower.
There was no time to wash her hair. She just had to get the smell of Levi off her body. If she didn’t have to go anywhere, she would stay all day in bed with him, wrapped his arms, smelling his scent, feeling otherworldly. But she had to go be a teacher for a few hours, stuff herself back into a life she wasn’t sure she liked anymore.
She got out of the shower, ran to her closet, and looked at all the clothes she had worn to work. Oversized and shapeless, everything was brown or tan or white. No color. No happiness.
Levi was right. She had been hiding.
“Wear the blue sundress,” Levi said from behind her. “You look so pretty in that.”
She listened to him, not really having the time to think more about it. Levi got out of bed, naked as the day he was born and sporting a huge erection.
“You put that away! I don’t have time for him now.”
“Can’t help it. You’re naked and your body is wet.”
“Levi,” she said, warning him. “You keep yourself away from me.”
“Stop looking at it. My eyes are up here.”
“Can’t help it. It’s … impressive.”
“Are you sure I didn’t hurt you?”
“No pain. Only the good kind. Stop worrying about it.”
She ran back to the bathroom and got a towel to dry herself off. He followed her and watched her as she slapped lotion on her barely dry skin. “I never want to hurt you.”
“I know, Levi.” She turned to him and kissed him, which was a mistake because he wouldn’t allow just a simple kiss. He pulled her to him and gave her a very long, very deep kiss, the kind that made her knees buckle.
“Stop that!” She slapped his arm. “In fact, get out! I can’t get ready with you here.”
“Can I come with you, Shells?”
“To the reading party? You want to?”
“I do.” He nodded. “I want to be with you today.”
Ugh.
He said things like that and it made it impossible for her to think of going back to a life where he was hundreds of miles away from her. But she had to, and this time when he left she wouldn’t be left behind depressed and waiting in vain for his return.
“Meet me there. Go home. Get showered and get rid of that look in your eyes.”
“What look?”
“The one where I can read every dirty thought in your mind.”
“Oh.” He grinned at her. “That’s going to be hard, Shells. All my thoughts are dirty when it comes to you.”
“Go. Now. Before I’m any later.”
She had to pull her eyes off him as he walked away. He had a set of muscular thighs and a tight behind that made her feel things.
She finished getting dressed and rushed over to the library to see Judy already there placing tablecloths on the picnic benches.
“Hey, I’m sorry I’m late.”
Judy glanced at her watch. “Sweetie, we said ten fifteen. It’s only ten twenty. You are forgiven. Your hair looks amazing by the way.”
“Oh, thank you.” She touched it self-consciously, knowing that she’d barely touched it before leaving the house. “Levi and Zanna did it.”
“I didn’t believe it when they said the King boys were doing hair.”
“I think half the town came because they thought it was a joke, but women kept lining up because all three of the King men in one room is incredibly sexy. I don’t think I’ve felt that much testosterone in my life.”
Judy fanned her. “Down, girl. You were sexless Shelly in June and now you’re a little minx.”
“Really?”
“Yeah, girl. It looks good on you. Levi makes you happy.”
She paused for a moment, not sure how to respond to that. “He does. I wasn’t unhappy before. I would never be one of those women who says that a man makes her complete, because that’s not true. I’m complete myself. But when I’m around him I feel more alive.”
“You should tell him how you feel. You should tell him that you love him.”
“I can’t.”
“Why not? What could you lose?”
Her heart. She would lose her heart if he told her that he didn’t love her the way she loved him.
“Hey, Judy.” Levi walked over to them, preventing Shelly from answering. “Why didn’t you come to the shop yesterday?” He tugged on the end of Judy’s long dark ponytail. “We could have hooked you up.”
“Shelly was just telling me all about it. You should do it again. Make it an annual event.”
“That’s not a bad idea. We could film it for the show. Although we would probably have to film my funeral, too, because Colt would kill me.”
“Oh, he was mad yesterday.” Shelly shivered. “I would hate to be Zanna.”
“For some reason I think she’s going to like whatever punishment Colt has in store for her.” Levi wrapped his arm around Shelly and kissed her forehead. “I’m here to help. Put me to work, baby.”
“There’s enough baked goods to feed a small island nation in the back of my car,” Judy said to him. “Why don’t you get them for us and treat yourself to a cupcake while you’re at it?”
A few hours later the party was in full swing. There were a lot more families than she’d expected. But then again there really wasn’t a lot for families to do in Destiny. Especially during the summer months.
Shelly had watched Levi in between reading books to the kindergartners and making crafts with the third-graders. He’d said he was there to help and he really was. He led the trivia battle and helped kids pick out new books to read.
She was impressed with him. When he’d asked her if he could come, she wasn’t sure he’d be more than a hot distraction. She should have known better. He always surprised her.
She walked over to him as the party was winding down. He was talking to the little sister of one of her former students, a cute girl with a missing front teeth and a lisp.
“Do you live here?” she asked him. “I’ve never seen you around here.”
“No, honey. I live in Las Vegas.”
“Las Vegas? My grandmama says that’s where sin goes to grow.”
“Does she?” Shelly could see he was trying not to laugh. “I try to behave myself there.”
“My brother says you’re on TV. But he lies to me all the time. He told me if I barked like a dog I would grow a tail but my mama says that’s not true.”
“No, that’s not true, but I am on TV.”
“Oh.” Her eyes lit up. “I like TV. My favorite show is about princesses. What’s your favorite show about?”
“Kelly Lynn McCormick, you leave that man alone. You have been talking his ear o
ff.” Kelly’s mother came over with her youngest child in her arms.
The last time Shelly counted there were six kids in the family.
“I was just being friendly. Jackson said he was on TV. I was just trying to find out.”
“Hi, Levi. Yes, Kelly, this man is on TV. I went to school with his big brother. And I’m sure he is done talking to little girls.”
“I really don’t mind. I’m kind of a stranger in here. Kelly was making me feel welcome.”
“Mama, I have to go to the bathroom.”
“Again? I just took you.”
“No.” The girl shook her head. “You took Bobby.”
“I guess you’re right.” Mrs. McCormick handed her baby girl over to Shelly. “Would you mind watching her for a bit, Ms. Walker? I’ve got to take her inside.”
“Of course I don’t mind.” Shelly’s arms were full of soft warm baby. She didn’t have a lot of experience with them, but when she held the little brown-haired girl she felt a weird tug that made her pull the baby close and smell her. “She smells like heaven!” she said as the mother walked away, apparently trusting her. “Oh, and look at these eyes and these little tiny fingers and these cute little toes.”
“I remember her,” Levi said, looking after the woman. “Good Irish Catholic family. She’s one of five. I had a thing with her sister. The girl knew things.”
“I don’t want to hear that,” Shelly said automatically, remembering when Levi told her he had lost his virginity right before he left town. She didn’t want to hear it then, didn’t like the idea of him with another girl. She should have realized how in love she was with him then.
She buried her nose in the baby’s curls and the little girl cooed. Holding a baby was an experience she could only describe as delicious.
“Sorry.” He grinned at her before he leaned in to kiss her. “You look good with a baby, Shelly.”
“I feel good with a baby,” she admitted as she bounced the little girl in her arms. “I’m stuck with fifth-graders who frankly start to get a little stinky by the end of the year.”
“Yeah. They’re in that morphing-into-teenagers phase. I feel sorry for you.”
“You should.”
“I do.” He kissed the side of her face, just below her ear, and part of her knew she should step away, because half the school was there and there would be talk, but she didn’t care. She wouldn’t pretend there was nothing going on. “You let me know when you’re ready.”
Heart of a Bad Boy (Bad Boys of Destiny #3) Page 20
