“Now, if you don’t mind me taking charge, Ella, I would very much like to bury myself inside you.”
“I don’t mind at all, Levi.” She giggled at the formality of his request, while she lifted her long legs and wrapped them around his waist. He bent to quickly kiss her as he entered her welcoming warmth, sliding deep.
He paused, searching her face. All Ella could do was smile and nod her head. She was so full—the tremors were already starting again, and she could see Levi was very near losing control. Tightening her legs around him, she held on while he thrust into her again and again.
“Yes, yes,” was all she could say as passion swept through her again and she clenched around him. She thought she heard him cry out as he emptied himself into her. Then they were still.
Levi’s forehead rested on hers, briefly, before he kissed her and disengaged. His welcome weight disappeared and she felt alone. She closed her eyes to hold back the tears that sprung unexpectedly from her eyes. The bed moved as Levi got up and headed to the adjacent bathroom. Ella wiped at her eyes with clenched fists. Now was the part she hated the most. After intimacy, the emptiness and awkwardness of a lover leaving her bed.
But not tonight. Levi returned with a cold bottle of water and a warm washcloth. He left the Evian on the nightstand and gathered her to him, bathing her face and neck and then the apex of her thighs. Dropping the cloth on the tile floor, he reached down and pulled the feather-light comforter up and over them both, wrapping her in his arms and the silken warmth of the bedding.
“Shhh. I’ve got you. Get some sleep, I’d like to stay and make love to you again in the early morning light if that’s what you’d like.” Levi’s voice was an erotic promise in her ear.
Ella nodded her head slightly even as sleep took her into sweet dreams of him.
Chapter Eleven
Cranking up the car’s sound system, Levi’s fingers beat a tattoo on the steering wheel of the Jaguar as he sped up the coastal road to home. Nothing like a little Springsteen to get the juices flowing early in the morning. He laughed out loud. The Boss’s music was magic but it was awakening with Ella that had revved him up and emptied him out. Her kisses along his chest then trailing down to his navel and below had definitely started his day on the right note. He was singing along to “Glory Days” when he pulled up in front of his house.
Hersch came crashing through the undergrowth and took the porch steps two at a time. While he was scratching the Lab’s ears and crooning endearments to him, he heard Missy’s screen door slam. With an abashed look on his face, he laughed again at the pursed lips and raised eyebrows of his housekeeper, tapping her finger on her watch as if to remind him that he had to get a move on to get to the office on time.
Levi could have gone directly to the clinic—he always kept a change of clothes there and he had showered at Ella’s, after she had gone back to sleep. But he wanted to see Hersch and to check on his latest purchase. After tossing the ever-present tennis ball for his eager dog, he crossed the porch to the carport next to the garage. There it was. A brand new bright orange ATV.
He was walking around his newest toy, whistling softly at all the bright chrome when Missy sidled up beside him.
“Where are you gonna put this thing? There’s no space left in the garage.” She clucked her tongue as if scolding him for his spendthrift ways.
“It can share the bay with the Harley. But mostly I’m going to leave it here. That way I can jump on it whenever I want and take Hersch down to the beach for a romp.” He looked over in time to see her smirk at him. “And I like the way the orange looks next to the turquoise trim on the house.”
“Sure you do. You bought it as a yard ornament, did you? No intention to be tearing up and down the beach with that crazy dog?” Missy laughed, deep and gravelly, probably at the foolishness of a middle-aged man and his toys. “You better stop drooling over your new toy, Doc, and get inside and clean up or you won’t have time for breakfast before you head into work.”
“Ha, ha. Just keep laughing at me, woman, and I’ll dock your pay. I’ll be changed and in the kitchen in fifteen minutes.” Hearing her sniff, he continued, “I’ve already showered.” Her laughter followed him into the house.
Good as his word, Levi appeared in the kitchen in a shirt, tie and pressed navy slacks, within twelve minutes, his briefcase in hand. And Missy, not to be shown up by her employer, had his travel mug on the island, full of steaming coffee, next to two breakfast burritos wrapped in aluminum foil. The perfect on-the-go breakfast earned her a hug from Levi.
He grabbed the keys for the Mercedes from the key hooks on the wall, talking over his shoulder to Missy as he headed for the front door. “Hey, Dan will be by sometime today to take pictures of the ATV so he can make up some sketches for the mural in my OR.”
Missy drawled, “I’m not going anywhere.”
Levi let Hersch in the house on his way out, knowing the dog’s sandy paws were going to earn him a scolding from Missy. Well, that was one battle Hersch was going to have to fight on his own. His good mood followed him into the office and through his morning appointments. It disappeared around noon. His cellphone rang just as he entered his office. Hoping it was Ella, who had told him not to call in the morning as she was going to try to put in some serious writing time, he grabbed the phone off his desk. Not Ella. It was Anne.
“Levi. I tried calling you last week. Didn’t you get my messages?” She sounded irritated, Anne always sounded irritated lately.
“No, I did not. I was in Haiti.” As he started to explain about poor reception and long hours, she cut him off.
“Of course you were. Some other disaster that only the great Doctor Gould could handle.” Her annoyance was readily apparent. “You’re supposed to let me know when you leave the country.”
“I know, but it was sudden and was only supposed to be for a few days. But some things came up when I was down there so I had to extend my stay.”
“Same story you always tell. You’ll never change. In any event, I went ahead and made the plans that needed to be made for the girls.” Her voice was dismissive and brisk, as if talking to him was just one more item to be checked off her to-do list.
“Wait. What plans? What is going on with the girls?” He had spoken with them just a few days before he left for the Caribbean.
“If you contacted them with any regularity you would know. They’ve decided they don’t want to go with me to Colorado for skiing in March for their Spring Break. It’s been such a bitter winter here, they are sick of snow. They want some sun. So I bought them airline tickets to Naples. They can stay with you.”
“You had to go ahead with this before talking to me? It’s not like there wouldn’t be plenty of time to make their travel arrangements after you spoke with me.” Levi was thrilled that he was going to have time with his daughters but it was so like Anne to orchestrate his life to suit her needs, he felt he needed to give it back to her a little.
“Levi, we don’t go off around the world at a moment’s notice like you do. We make our plans well in advance; our calendars are quite full, which you would know if you paid attention to anyone other than yourself. If you don’t want the girls, they can stay with my parents in Hilton Head. But they wanted to see you and you certainly have enough room.” It was so like her to use her parents as a threat—they had never really approved of him.
He wasn’t going to argue with her anymore. The bottom line was Levi really wanted Katlyn and Kara to stay with him. He wrote down the details of his daughters’ flights and hung up as quickly as he could. His mind was already racing with plans for his girls. Maybe I’ll get another ATV, one for them to use. Maybe hot pink like Ella’s toenails. He smiled at the thought of anything having to do with Ella. His fingers punched in her number. She answered on the first ring.
“Hi, Ella. It’s Levi. Is this a good time?”
“It is. I’ve been writing since eight this morning. For some reason, I had a ton of energy and
the words were just flowing. I’m taking a break for lunch. How are you doing?”
“I’m great. And I’d love to see you again. Are you free later in the day?”
“I want to write until four. What do you have in mind?” Her low chuckle made it clear what she was thinking about.
“It seems with you, I always have that in mind.” Levi’s voice was full of mischief. “But I have surgery early tomorrow morning so tonight will be an early evening for me. I was thinking perhaps you’d like a walk on the beach, finished with a drink and some light dinner on the deck outside Junonia.”
“I’d love that. See you around four on the deck.”
****
The late afternoon breezes were cool so Ella had wrapped a loose aqua scarf around her shoulders when she set out to walk up the beach to meet Levi. As planned, he was waiting for her at an umbrella table with a stunning view of the water. “He makes for a pretty stunning view, too,” she thought, “all professional and relaxed in his crisp business shirt with the collar loosened and sleeves rolled up. He really has the sexiest hands and arms.”
Soon they were settled in, a small pitcher of white Sangria on the table and a variety of tapas on order. Levi poured some of the fruity wine into Ella’s glass and then his own. Though smiling as he toasted her, there was some worry in his eyes.
“Hey, Levi, what’s going on? You seem concerned about something? Is it a patient?” She certainly knew about doctors bringing home their worries after growing up with a cardiologist for a father.
“No, nothing like that. I got a call from Anne today about my girls.”
“Are they okay? What’s wrong?”
“They’re fine. They just don’t want to go to Colorado for Spring Break, they want to come here. To work on their tans.” He was frowning.
“Well, I can certainly understand that. The wind whistles pretty cold from the Hudson River up to the slopes of Mount Ida. We used to count the days ’til Spring Break because everyone in public school got breaks in February and April. We just got the one break in March. It was a long wait from January to March, especially during a rough Troy winter.” At Levi’s confused look, Ella added, “Did I forget to mention that I’m an Emma girl?”
“Yes. What year did you graduate?”
“1987. Then Vassar, then NYU Law School, mom’s alma mater. My brother followed dad into medicine but then headed south after med school. He’s at NIH, buried deep in medical research so complicated I could not even begin to describe it to you.”
“My ex-wife was an Emma girl, Class of 1985.”
“I know. I knew her. I mean, I knew of her. We ran in different circles.” Ella reached for some of the spicy olives and walnuts that had arrived at the table. “So, your daughters—Kat and Kara, right?—are coming for Spring Break and you, what, you don’t want them?” That didn’t sit with the way he had talked about his children at their lunch.
“Of course, I want them! I’m thrilled they want to come even if it is more to get a tan than to spend time with me. I just get so pissed at the way Anne handles it, like I’m a back-up babysitter when she is too busy for them. And I spoke to them just before I left and they were all excited about going to Colorado. And I’m not sure how to entertain them, I guess.”
Ella’s musical laugh floated across the deck causing a few heads to turn for a look at the pretty blonde woman who was so amused by her tall, dark and handsome dinner companion. “Men. You really are idiots sometimes. Girls that age change their minds on a whim. Who knows what made them decide they wanted to bail on ski time with Mom. Maybe it was the weather, maybe they’re sick of Mom or maybe they wanted to spend time with dear old Dad.”
Levi sat back in his chair, fingers interlocked under his chin as she noticed he did when considering a new idea. “Listen. All you have to do is be yourself. And make sure there is plenty of food and fancy bottled water. They’ll have to make do without Starbucks but I bet they find Charity’s coffee to be an interesting change. Do they drive?”
“They’re 17, they have those conditional NY licenses. But they’re not driving my cars!” She laughed again at his male indignation.
“Of course they are. Let them drive the Volvo. It’s cool and it’s safe. They’ll be fine and where are they going to go? Ms. Icey’s and the Mini-Mart and maybe Pleasure Pointe.”
“That’s easy for you to say, you don’t…” He cut himself off before he finished the sentence.
“I don’t have kids. I know. And that’s okay, I’m okay with that. But, you are in luck, because I happen to be a kick-ass aunt and I have two teenage nieces to prove it! I know exactly how to entertain them.”
“Ella, I didn’t tell you about my dilemma to guilt you into babysitting my daughters. You have plenty to do—I wouldn’t dream of asking you to take care of them. Between Missy and me, we’ll manage. We have the few other times they’ve been here.”
Now he had hurt her feelings. “Well, if you don’t want me to meet them, I certainly understand. It’s not like I’m…” What had she been about to say? I’m not your lover, girlfriend, significant other?
Levi interrupted her before she could pose the question. “That is not what I meant at all. God, I seem to be misspeaking all the time today. It’s like garbage just keeps spewing out of my mouth. I’ve been saying the wrong thing since I spoke with Anne earlier.” He reached across the table to take Ella’s hands in his. “Listen. I certainly would love for my daughters to meet you. I am positive they will adore you and you are a great role model for them. Anything you want to do with them I am sure will be great. I’m happy they are going to be here—I’m thrilled, in fact.”
He paused, shaking his head. “And I shouldn’t have given Anne a hard time. She was right to be angry. I should have told her I was going to be in Haiti and I should have checked in with the girls when I returned.” Levi planted a warm kiss on her hand before he continued. “I’ve been tied up in knots since I met you. I was so attracted to you and couldn’t really act on it ’til yesterday. I’ve been in a bit of a fog or something for weeks.” He squeezed her hands. His voice was low and sexy now. “I like you. I like you more every day—more than anyone I’ve met in years. I’d like to get to know you even better because I’m pretty certain if I do, I will more than like you. So, can we continue to see each other? Are you willing to explore where this will go?” There was naked need in his eyes now, not worry, not regret, but desire and something more.
“Yes. And yes. And yes. I like you, too. There’s more to you than I thought and I think there is even more for me to discover about you, Levi. I’m interested in seeing you, but I don’t fool around, so I’ll be seeing just you. And I’d like the same consideration.”
“You’ve got it. We’re it for each other, for now and for, well, as long as you want to continue.” His wide smile was wistful and there was hope in his warm brown eyes.
“I’ve got a three-month lease on Rockrose with the option for three more months. It should take me that long to finish this book and do the edits, assuming the publisher goes for it. So, I guess I’m here until at least June.” Ella smiled when he blew her a noisy kiss from across the table. “Besides, I need to talk to you about how to make love in a hospital bed.” Her outrageous statement lightened the mood and their conversation.
When they finished their meal in early evening, Levi insisted walking Ella back to her villa. Heading up the beach in the last light of the day, he held her hand, occasionally reaching around her back to pull her in close for a sweet kiss. Ella’s ocean-colored scarf, whipped around her slim shoulders in the breeze, her short blonde hair flying around her face in silvery strands, and the sexy man beside her, kept her from paying attention to the uneven footing. Walking barefoot in the sand, she stumbled once on a small shell. His arms tightened around her, catching her before she could fall, and he cautioned her again about walking on the beach in the dark. She responded to his worry by sticking her tongue out at him.
They came up
to Rockrose from the beach. At her patio door, Levi turned Ella into his arms. His kiss was the proof of every word he had spoken to her at dinner. Like the line from Bull Durham, his kisses were long, slow, deep, wet and she would have liked them to last for three days. They were both breathless when he finally raised his head to gaze into her eyes.
“I’m about to throw caution to the wind and beg you to let me come in and make love to you all night. But, I’m going to turn you around and ask you to walk through that door so I won’t be tempted to grovel at your feet. Believe me, if I did not have surgery at 7:30 tomorrow morning, I would be inside you right now.”
Ella shuddered at the raw need in his voice, at the desire weakening her knees and her resolve. She reached out to open the patio door and stepped inside. Turning to him, she said, “Go home, Levi. Get some sleep. Dream about me. I’ll be dreaming about you. Good night.”
He called her as soon as he reached his car parked in Casa Blanca’s main lot. Ella was already in bed, aching for him. They shared sweet, silly, sexy words until Levi told her he was home. Like kids in high school, both waited for the other to end the phone call. Finally, laughing, Ella hung up, but not before she teased him. “Go sleep with your dog, Levi, I can hear him barking. At least you won’t be sleeping alone.”
Chapter Twelve
When Levi left for surgery, he saw a dusty black Jeep parked near Missy’s cottage. He knew the Jeep and he knew its owner. Don Smith, local artist and photographer and a good friend. After Levi had discovered Don’s small gallery and studio on his way to Pleasure Pointe one day shortly after he moved to Mimosa Key, Don became a frequent visitor to Levi’s property. Many of the artist’s paintings graced the walls of both Levi’s office and his home. And the ever changing OR mural was a source of much ribbing from the artist. Monthly, at least, Don would e-mail Levi a picture of some outrageous sports car or massive piece of construction equipment with the suggestion that the good doctor buy it so the starving artist could make a few bucks painting it into the mural that Levi so loved.
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