25. Levi
25
LEVI
I ’m going to explode. My entire body is on fire with the press of Hope’s body against mine. Every kiss before has been slow, exploratory. This one is ravenous, erotic. Fucking fantastic.
I run my tongue down Hope’s throat, allowing us both a chance to breathe. God, she tastes good, like the most decadent dessert I’ve ever eaten. I sink my teeth into the space where her neck meets her shoulder and smile when a shiver moves through her.
I want to strip her bare and take this moment to a whole other level, but when I catch Hope’s eyes, I see lust swirling around so much apprehension. I know it would ruin the entire moment if I pushed her too far right now, so instead, I gently kiss her lips in an effort to tamp down the inferno in our bodies.
“You’re one of a kind, Hope. I’m so grateful you’ve given me a chance to prove myself to you.”
Hope sighs against my lips, the corner of her mouth tipping up. “Thank you for being patient with me.”
I lean in to kiss her once more before setting her back on the floor. The loss of her body against mine feels as if I’m missing an integral part of who I am. Like I’m no longer whole if she’s not next to me.
It’s still a little baffling how this woman became so important to me after only a few weeks of being in my life. I guess I’ve spent enough time with all the wrong women that when the right one came along, it was a no-brainer. Now, I’m determined to keep her by my side for as long as she’ll let me.
“Let’s go check out the beach. Then we can head into town to get some groceries.”
“Perfect.”
I open the back door of the cottage and follow Hope outside. The crashing of the waves greets us as we walk along the path leading to the beach. Since it’s still early in the season, I was able to get this little rental on short notice. The ocean views alone are worth the price, but having our own path directly to the beach was the reason I picked this one specifically.
Since we’re only here for a short time, I wanted her to spend as much time at the beach as possible. With direct access, we’ll be able to come out here anytime we want without it being a big deal.
The minute we’re on the edge of the sand, Hope kicks her shoes off and runs towards the waves. She looks so lighthearted, my chest aches at the sight. She bends over to roll her pant legs up to her knees, then immediately runs into the ocean waves.
A squeal echoes across the beach, making me laugh. When I finally catch up to where she’s splashing, she looks up at me with the widest grin. Her eyes dance with mischief before she kicks her foot up, sending an arcing wave of freezing cold water at me.
“You didn’t.”
“Oh, I so did.” She giggles. I run full speed at her, crashing through the water. Hope squeals as she tries to get away, but I catch her around the waist, pulling her up into my arms. I pretend to throw her into the ocean as she screams out no while laughing so hard, I’m afraid she can’t breathe.
I carry her out of the water and set her down in the sand, taking in the sight that is happy Hope. I’ve always thought she was beautiful, but right now, she’s radiant. She looks up at me, her eyes shining brighter than I’ve ever seen. I can’t stop myself from kissing her. Those plump lips are calling out to me to take them in a deep, drugging kiss. If we weren’t in public, I’d be tempted to take this kiss even further, but I pull away before we get too swept up in each other.
“Thank you so much for bringing me here, Levi. This is the best weekend I’ve ever had.”
I wrap her up in my arms as we stand there looking out at the ocean. “And it’s only just begun.”
I slide my hands through my hair for the millionth time this evening, unsure of the best move to make. I have very few options, and not a single one is good.
“You have to make a move at some point,” Hope taunts. I glare at her, but it only makes her smile grow wider. I pick up my little, plastic warrior pieces, moving them around the board.
Hope is beating me handily at Risk . At this point, I’m just trying to save my pride since I have no chance of making a comeback. “How are you so good at this game?”
“Mostly luck since I’ve had good rolls. I’m also very analytical. I examine the entire situation before making a decision.”
“I’ve always been impulsive. I make decisions entirely too quickly.”
“No wonder I’m beating you so badly.” Hope laughs, and I grin at her, happy she’s happy despite getting my ass kicked.
After we left the beach, we cleaned up from our water escapades and drove into town. We had lunch at a small café with the best potato soup I’ve ever eaten. Then Hope insisted we go grocery shopping so she could make dinner. I offered to take her out on a date, but she said she wanted to cook for me instead. Who am I to turn down a home-cooked meal?
When we got back, she wanted to go back to the beach, so we grabbed some chairs and lay out in the sun, listening to the waves. After eating Hope’s phenomenal enchiladas, we found a closet under the stairs with stacks of board games. I’ve since learned that Hope is super competitive, and stone-cold when it comes to defeating me. If she hadn’t kept the little sheepish smile on her face while destroying me, I’d be wondering if she was playing up the innocent act.
“You know, we should just call it. You’ve already clearly won, and my pride is heavily dented. I don’t know if I can take much more.”
“You have plenty of pride to spare, so I’m not too worried about you.”
I dramatically slap my hand over my chest. “Drive the knife in deeper, why don’t you?”
Hope throws a potato chip at me, making me laugh. “Fine, we can be done.” She sighs. The smile she’s hiding tells me she’s not put out in the slightest.
“How about you pick out a movie while I clean up?”
“Perfect.” As Hope heads into the living room, I gather all the game pieces, sorting them back into the box. When the game is put away, I turn to find Hope snuggled up in the middle of the couch. Her feet are tucked under her with a blanket lying across her legs. I love that she chose a spot where I would have to sit right next to her, no matter what.
“What did you pick out?” I ask, sitting down next to her.
“A superhero movie. This one has the two hot guys who start off as best friends and then become enemies.”
“First of all, I’m sitting right here. I’d rather not have my girlfriend lusting over a hot guy who isn’t me. Fictional or not. And second of all, fantastic choice.”
Hope’s head whips around so fast, I’m worried she might hurt herself. I knew my nonchalant statement would get a rise out of her; I’m just not sure which part caught her attention. The girlfriend bit or the preference that she doesn’t fantasize about other guys.
“First of all,” she echoes, a little heat behind her words. I have to fight my grin at seeing her get fired up. “I’ve never lusted after anyone else but you, however, there will be people I find attractive. I mean, I’m not dead, so you’ll have to get over it. Second of all, when did I become your girlfriend?”
So, it was the entire statement. Good to know. “Your point on the attraction thing is fair, so I’ll concede that one. As for being my girlfriend… You became mine the minute I woke up on your couch with you in my arms, never wanting to wake up alone again. Just as I became yours the minute you woke up terrified and allowed me to hold you.”
Hope’s eyes bore into mine as if the harder she stares, the better she’ll be able to read my mind. I hold her eye contact, needing her to see me, see what we could be together. “I’m yours…” she says slowly like she’s deciding how the words feel out loud.
“Just as I’m yours,” I repeat.
Hope continues to stare at me, vulnerability radiating off her in waves. I’m worried I pushed her too far too soon, but it was time she knew exactly what was going on here. I don’t want to pussyfoot around, waiting on her to decide if we’re doing this. I know she wants me as much as I want her. We can figure out the rest later.
She nods her head decisively, then suddenly straddles my lap, knees on either side of my hips. She holds my face in her hands, her gaze serious. “Don’t let me down. ”
I slide my hands up her back and into her hair. “Don’t run away from me when you get scared.”
We lean in at the same time, our mouths meeting in the middle. Her lips are soft and pliant against mine as I take control of the kiss. Everything I’ve dreamed of is in my arms right now. She’s the one I never truly believed was out there. The future I always hoped I’d have.
My hands start roaming all over Hope. Down her back, around her hips, up her rib cage. Her curves feel phenomenal in my hands like I always knew they would.
As mine continue to explore, Hope’s do the same. Around my arms, across my chest, down my sides. Her hands feel like electricity is buzzing across my body, sending blood straight to my cock.
Hope rocks her hips, grinding her center against me, making a groan rumble through me at the sensation. She boldly starts kissing my jaw, nibbling her way to my ear, then down my neck. I wrap my hands around her hips, my long fingers stretching around her ass. Gripping her hard, I pull down while thrusting my hips up to grind against her center. Hope’s moan has my body feeling like it’s going to explode.
I stand with Hope still in my arms, carrying her through the kitchen and up the stairs. The bedroom has a comfortable queen bed and a nice, attached bathroom despite its size. There was a small part of me that worried about getting a one-bedroom cottage, but I also knew Hope wouldn’t have agreed to come away with me if she was uncomfortable with the idea of sleeping in the same bed.
I lay her down on the mattress, our kisses continuing to wreak havoc on me. As my body comes down over Hope’s, my hips fitting snugly in the V of her legs, I feel her body tighten with tension. And not the good kind of tension, either.
I pull back, scanning Hope’s face to figure out what’s going on. Lust is still the forerunner in her eyes, but nerves are settling in quickly. “Tell me,” I whisper against her mouth, sliding my lips across the soft skin of her cheeks and up to her temples. Her body relaxes a fraction, which tells me it’s not me she’s worried about.
“I’ve never done this with someone who cared about me. With someone I wanted to do it with.”
My head flinches back to look into Hope’s eyes. Her words slowly sink in, realization dawning on me. “Oh, sweetheart,” I exhale. My fists clench by her head, my body taut with anger and sadness that Hope’s life was a living hell for her. My forehead drops onto hers as I try to get my feelings under control. She doesn’t need to see my anger when what she needs is gentleness.
“We’re going to need to talk about this, but not tonight.” Her tense body relaxes even more underneath me. “Look at me,” I say softly, then wait until she opens her eyes again, giving me her full attention. “Tonight, the only people allowed in this room are you and me. You tell me when you like something and when you don’t. You tell me when you need more or when it’s too much. I may lead, but you have control. Okay?”
Hope’s dark eyes melt, the vulnerability changing to something I’m not sure I’m ready to acknowledge yet. I know mine are reflecting the same things in return, but neither one of us is ready to say those particular words out loud.
“I need your words, Hope.”
“Okay,” she whispers. My lips find hers again in a slow, passionate kiss that spurs the fire in my belly into an inferno. Our tongues glide, exploring all these new feelings and desires. I slide my hand from her shoulder to the hem of her T-shirt. Her skin feels like silk under my work-roughened hand as I move up her stomach. I reach the underside of her breasts, slipping my thumb under the cup of her bra while my mouth explores the line of her neck.
The pad of my thumb rubs the underside of her breasts; the soft flesh tears at every ounce of control I have. Hope pushes her chest further into my hand, giving me every indication she wants me to keep going. I oblige, pulling her T-shirt over her head and quickly removing her bra.
My first look at Hope is more than anything I ever imagined. Her olive skin glows under the lamplight; her full tits are fucking magnificent. “You’re everything I ever dreamed about and more,” I whisper against her skin as my lips and hands continue to explore her body. My tongue glides across the slope of her breast until I hit the peak, pulling her nipple into my mouth.
“Levi,” she moans, her hands starting to get into the action. They move into my hair, wrapping around the strands at the back of my head.
I play with her nipples using my mouth, hands, and teeth. Learning what makes her crazy. Every sound she makes has my cock pressing harder against my zipper. I’m worried I’m going to come before I even get inside her.
I move down her body, stopping at the top of her jeans. I pop the button, slowly lowering the zipper to give her plenty of time to stop me if she wants. Hope looks at me with heavy-lidded eyes, her hands resting on her stomach, looking serene and fucking beautiful.
I take her jeans and underwear off simultaneously, baring her completely. Her trust in me is overwhelming.
I vow right then to never break that trust.