by Laura Brown
Levi collected the phone, not needing any acting in his response.
I already hate the guy, and I never met him. I want to help Gaby break free from what is holding her back. She’s too reserved.
Faith nodded as she responded.
Some of that is Gabrielle by nature. But Tom made her second-guess her basic desires. Don’t do the same. Be open and honest with her. I have no problem poisoning your drink.
He laughed, even though the glint in Faith’s eyes said she’d do it and blame it on the dog.
You have my word. I only want what’s best for Gaby. To see her relaxed and carefree.
It took until that moment for him to focus on the “open and honest” part. And while he wasn’t lying, not exactly, he was keeping things quiet. Gaby didn’t need to know about the continued Monica situation. But Faith now eyed him carefully. Too carefully. He resisted the urge to squirm. He was a grown man, faced confrontation with ease, and yet this woman made him want to sit and look up to her. Made him want to reveal every little shadow in his past. And he realized he couldn’t keep this a secret. Not if he truly liked Gaby, which he feared he did.
Good. I like you with her. Don’t mess things up. I’ll see you next year.
She grabbed the dessert tray, leaving him alone, wondering how they went from him not messing things up to being here next year.
What if my family wants to see us? He shook that thought free. Where the hell had that come from? The reality was Gaby would tell her family they broke up at some point in the next few months, and by next year he’d be the random Deaf guy she’d once dated.
That didn’t sit well with him, so he picked up a wineglass and filled it, needing his own form of relaxation. He was halfway through when Gaby appeared in the doorway.
“O.K.” she signed. She didn’t pose it as a question, but he understood it to be one.
He nodded. Then figured, what the hell, and switched to their text message folder.
Levi: Your aunt is worried about you.
She pulled her phone from the pocket in her dress.
Gaby: Oh, really? It’s bad enough I have one Jewish mother, but I gained a second by default. What does she want?
Levi: For you to let go of the damage Tom did to you.
Gaby blinked hard when she read, and a little of her easygoing nature faded to dust.
Gaby: Might I remind you that you are my fake boyfriend?
Levi: In a minute, you can. First, I need to type a few things.
He prepared his speech, beginning with how he’d been so quiet about his family because he had a secret to keep, and if she could hang on a bit longer, he’d be able to come clean. But out of the corner of his eye, he saw her head shake, then her hand came down over his phone, blocking him.
“No, N-O-W,” she signed. “L-A-T-E-R.” Then she rose on her toes, fitting her lips to his, and he forgot what he’d wanted to tell her, not when her taste and texture had seared into his brain after so little time, making him fear he’d never get over her touch.
His hand wrapped around her waist, but before he could pull her close, she broke the kiss and stepped back. A light shined in her eyes, and at this moment, relaxed Gaby stared back at him, with eyes dark and tempting. She backed out of the room, holding his gaze, before heading down the hall, away from the guests—an invitation at his feet.
His pulse kicked, and his dick urged him down the hall after her. Instead, he checked the living room. The three women there chatted, none giving him their attention, and no one appeared bothered by the two missing members.
He turned back toward Gaby’s closed door. His phone remained still, no messages requesting he give her time, only the look in her eyes before she left. He followed, rapping his knuckles against the door only once before stepping inside.
…
Gaby stood in her old bedroom, her body still tingling from the kiss with Levi, an entire night together ahead of them. She knew they needed to sleep, but her skin itched for his touch. If she tried to sleep, she’d spend the night counting the popcorn on the ceiling.
And all she had to sleep in was a T-shirt and lounge pants. Why hadn’t she thought about kissing when she packed? She racked her brain, trying to figure out if anything remotely sexy remained here from her youth. But even if she had anything, it would be two sizes too small, and she didn’t buy that “the tighter, the better” mentality.
Still, she checked a drawer, and then the closet, finding a little black dress that she’d never worn and couldn’t believe her mother had let her purchase. But changing into an LBD was not the same as a sexy negligée. She’d have to make do with what she had.
A knock at the door halted her progress. She closed the closet, wanting five more minutes to come up with something, anything. She could find a scarf and be creative, but the door opened, and Levi stood there, blue eyes as hot on her as if she’d changed into the LBD and wasn’t still wearing the wrap dress she’d spilled soup on.
His eyebrows rose, and he gestured to the room, then the hall, clearly asking if he should stay or go. She could send him away, gather her thoughts, and prepare to sleep alone. Or send him away and continue searching for something sexy.
Instead, she gestured for him to come in.
Chapter Sixteen
The door clicked closed behind Levi, and Gaby’s nerves peaked. Their chemistry sizzled between them, memories from those few brief moments in the bathroom heating her blood. Levi’s gaze drifted to her mouth, his tongue flicking his bottom lip, and Gaby nearly melted into a lust-filled heap right then and there.
He stepped into the room, heading straight toward her, a man on a mission. All that controlled efficiency she’d seen in the gym was on display in his trek to her, all for her, and goodness, she wanted him. Just a taste before she had to send him back into the sea. One taste and she’d put Tom behind her once and for all and try and find a non-fake date with as much potential as her fake one had.
Levi stopped inches from her, running his knuckles down her cheek, over her neck, stopping long before the fabric of her dress crisscrossed at her bust. How she wished he’d continue exploring the hem, following the path until his hand nestled between her breasts. Instead, he held still, hand close enough to her pulse she was sure he felt the rapid beat.
She angled her neck, and his fingers dipped a few inches down her exposed skin, sending a rush of excitement straight to her eager nipples. Then her skin only met air, and his hands were in the visual space between them. He signed, not so smooth anymore, and the only word she could figure out was “want.”
“Want,” she asked, or tried to ask, still figuring out what made a question or a statement in ASL.
Levi didn’t appear dissuaded, not with the way his lips curved in that tempting way of his, melting her panties and any in her bag as he shifted even closer. He pointed to himself, signed, “Want,” and then pointed to her.
Did she think his smile was panty-melting? Try downright flame-inducing. Her panties were about to melt off her body. Only he didn’t move, watching her, waiting on her.
Apparently, one didn’t need the same language for consent. Gaby nodded, then did her best to copy his hand movements, pointing at her herself, signing “Want,” and then pointing to him.
The corners of his eyes crinkled with that smile, and he wrapped an arm around her waist, meshing their bodies together in delicious torture. Delicious because his strong body pressed against her; torture because too many clothes separated them. She reached up, twisted her hands in his hair, and gave him one quick tug to get his mouth to hers.
Their lips met, and the world could explode around them and they wouldn’t care, or at least, she wouldn’t, couldn’t, with his tongue licking at the seam of her lips. She opened for him, and he tangled with her, the taste of wine lingering on his tongue, begging her to lap it up.
Levi’s
hand went to her side, making lazy circles up and down, inching closer and closer to her breast but never making contact. She squirmed, trying to urge him forward, but he didn’t relent from his slow pace, confirming her suspicions of his controlled nature. But right now, she was more interested in making him break. She used her frustration as fuel and backed him up to her bed until he fell backward, laughter lightening his face and making him even sexier. Not giving him a chance to react, she straddled him. Her wrap dress revealed more leg than anticipated, but she had plans to reveal a lot more soon. She collected his hands and held them above his head.
Levi’s eyes went wide, and she kissed him, pulling back and catching the smile. Then she let go of his hands and kissed down his hard, muscular chest, only stopping at the edge of his pants when he wrapped a hand around her arm.
She lifted her head and took him in—the hair messed up by her hands, the frequent breaths, the way his shirt wrinkled and exposed a sliver of hard abs. Her body damn near hummed for his touch, and she wanted this man in her.
He crooked a finger at her, encouraging her forward, and she shifted, pressing her throbbing center to his hard erection, only her panties and his pants in the way. They both froze at the contact. She leaned forward, and his hands roamed up her bare thighs, leaving a trail of fire from his touch, before skimming up to her shoulders and slipping the fabric down until it pooled around her waist, leaving two ties the only thing keeping her dress quasi-on.
Gaby pulled her arms from her sleeves, grateful she at least packed her sheer lace bra. Nothing was left to the imagination, but the heat in Levi’s gaze made it all worth the while. She hadn’t needed her earlier attempt to find some sexy little number, not with the way Levi looked at her. She had the right outfit on all along. Then his hands flittered up her stomach and over her breasts, the lace posing a heightened sensation to his every caress. He rubbed back and forth against her tight nubs, and she pressed into his hands, meshing them close enough she could fit her lips to his.
This kiss held no hesitance, no restraint, just raw, primal passion. Levi’s hands tightened on her, and she arched into him, rubbing against his length, wondering when she could get him deep inside her.
She knew one way to move things along and sat up, reaching behind her to unclasp her bra, and let her breasts swing free. She tossed the bra aside, and Levi’s hands came up to mold her breasts. The lace friction had been wonderful, but Levi’s hands against her bare flesh were even better.
Except he had too much clothing on. She slid off of him, her dress sliding to the floor, leaving her only in matching bikini underwear. His eyes drank her in, roaming over her body, making her feel like a goddess. She wanted a view of her own and tugged at his shirt. His grin turned crooked as he reached behind himself and, in one smooth movement, slid it up and over his head, leaving his chest bare and ready for her touch. She whispered her fingers up his abs, his warm skin tight from all his working out, keeping her eyes away from the Band-Aids on his arm. Tom had been fit, but he’d never revved her engine quite like this man did. She leaned forward and licked up his chest, then found herself on her back, with Levi kissing her until her hands fell to the side.
He shifted to her chin, then her neck, then sucked one nipple into his mouth, lavishing it with attention. She squirmed, each movement reminding her how wet she was, and at the same time, she never wanted to stop. He switched to the other breast, and the thought of anything besides them vanished.
With one nipple still in his mouth, his hand skimmed down her body and over her sheer-covered mound. She sucked in a breath, all her nerve endings focused on that one area, wanting more of those gentle strokes over her sex. Then his hand slid inside, pressing into her dampness, causing all her nerve endings to cheer, and she knew she wasn’t going to last. Her body tightened, and she couldn’t help moving against him, urging him on. He licked into her cleavage as one finger pressed inside, and that one small movement caused her to burst right out of herself. Stars dotted the backs of her closed eyelids while he pushed in and out, mouth back on her nipple, other hand everywhere and nowhere. She didn’t care as her orgasm rocked her forward.
When she calmed down, she found him sitting at her feet, eyebrows raised in a question. She wasn’t sure what he wanted until she saw the condom in his hands. Yes, please, with a cherry on top. She shifted onto her elbows, nodding, and pointed to his pants.
He grinned and hopped off the bed, shedding his pants and underwear in one movement that left her drooling. That smattering of hair and rock-hard abs gave way to a delicious V, and she had the strongest desire to nip at his pronounced hip bones. He was hard and ready, and she licked her lips, wondering how he’d taste. She reached for him, licking up his shaft before sucking him into her mouth.
He made a noise, a pleasurable moan, and she sucked further, thirsty and hungry for his silky feel. Never had it felt like this, this magic, and while a part of her knew it would be gone in the morning, she didn’t care, not when she’d have these memories to warm her lonely nights.
He tapped her shoulder, and she pulled back, only to have him reach for her underwear and pause. She nodded, and he slid the lace down and off her legs.
She wanted to be shy about being naked, but she couldn’t, not with his heated stare burning her up from the inside out. He held up the condom, and she nodded and watched as he ripped it open and rolled it on, somehow turning her on even more by that act.
He kissed her ankle, then her knee, then her mound, before sliding up her body. She opened for him, wanting to feel him fill her more than her next breath. As if he knew her thoughts, he angled himself at her entrance and pushed inside, inch by inch, until she raised her hips and met him halfway.
They both stilled, breathing heavy, their bodies entwined as much as possible. Then he pulled back before pushing inside, and all Gaby’s nerve endings turned electric. Levi set a torturous pace, all those controlled muscles proving the gym had been very, very good to him, and very good for her.
Gaby wrapped her legs around him, encouraging him forward, and he didn’t disappoint. He picked up the pace, her breasts jiggling with each thrust, their bodies sweaty and only the sound of heavy breathing and skin against skin filling the room.
She should probably worry about her family down the hall, or even next door, but she couldn’t, not when her body tightened, another climax building, and all she wanted to do was fall over the edge.
Levi bent and pressed his lips to hers, the shift setting her off. The stars returned while the orgasm rolled through her, and she pressed her heels into the backs of his legs, trying to pull him along.
Just as her orgasm faded, Levi’s pace lost its smoothness, he thrust once, twice, and then stilled, head dipped, as his body found its own release.
He rested his forehead against hers, and she brushed back his hair. They didn’t need communication, not at this moment. If anything, she felt closer to him because they could only feel, and she would bet her salary his feeling mirrored hers: contentment.
Levi pulled out, and she rolled over, wanting to curl up in a ball and sleep but knowing other things needed to be taken care of. She pulled on her pajamas, not stopping to find her underwear. She tried to think of how to handle this, but then realized she already had the answer.
“Bathroom,” she signed.
Levi nodded, and she slipped across the hall, quickly going to the bathroom and washing her face.
Back in her room, Levi was under the covers, and he pulled back a section, arms out, welcoming her in. She hesitated for zero-point-two seconds before hitting the lights, stripping off her clothes, and climbing up next to him, laying her head on his chest. He wrapped his arms around her along with the blankets, and a sense of comfort embraced her, lulling her into a contented sleep.
…
Any modicum of control Levi had evaporated sometime around Gaby taking her bra off, leaving him there an
d in the moment for every glorious detail. She’d been free and uninhibited, and it clicked off every button he had, and then some.
And now she slept in his arms, the slow rise and fall of her body completely relaxed and at ease. And cold, as the goose bumps lit up on her skin indicated. He shifted, and while he’d tried to cover them, either he failed, or they’d kicked off the blankets, because her entire backside was exposed. The moonlight glowed on her rear, and he wanted his hand there, squeezing. Not while she slept. He fixed the covers, ensuring they were both wrapped in warmth. She didn’t wake—perhaps she was a deep sleeper, he didn’t know. She did settle deeper into his embrace with the blanket over them, but he couldn’t lay down his head, not yet. He had to watch her.
Something stirred in his chest, the urge to reach out and do anything and everything he could for this woman. Something deeper than the reason he was here in the first place. Not that them lying there, naked, had anything to do with the plans. He didn’t know what it meant, but he did know he wanted to keep seeing her.
With that thought, Levi placed his head on the pillow and nuzzled into Gaby’s hair before falling asleep behind her.
Chapter Seventeen
The soft light filling the room woke Levi. He blinked the world, namely the woman lying beside him, into focus. She lay on her back, one shoulder exposed, their legs entwined. The blanket barely covered his ass or her leg, but he didn’t care, not when she was here with him.
This complicated things, and they needed to have a chat, but they could chat on the way back home. Heck, he could stop at a rest area if she seemed hesitant. He’d still have to settle things with Monica and their families, but right now, his concern lay only with Gaby. Even though they had each other’s numbers, he didn’t want to let her go before laying a few cards on the table, namely, that he liked her.
