15. Rob
15 ROB
What the hell was I thinking?
I trimmed asparagus and baby carrots, asking myself why I decided to make dinner for Levi instead of recruiting any one of the women in Holiday Grove who actually cooked regularly. Because you like him, dummy. Yeah, there was the small matter of me wanting to impress Levi for some reason. The man had seen every inch of me, tasted every inch, and put a baby in me to boot, and I was worried about impressing him.
“It’s totally unfair being a woman.” Speaking of which, I looked down at my outfit and then the clock on the stove and let out a shriek. I had less than thirty minutes before Levi was set to arrive, and I still had on yoga pants and a ratty old t-shirt. “Yeah, that’s not going to work for me.”
I rushed up the stairs and took the quickest shower of my life, moisturizing and perfuming while I went in search of something to wear that didn’t make me look like I was trying too hard while also making me look amazing. Oh, and it had to fit because that was already a problem. Eventually, I settled on a dark green dress that hit right above the knee and a pair of black heels that, thankfully, made my ass look incredible.
Not that I expected anything to happen, I mean, would Levi even be attracted to a pregnant woman? Were men attracted to women when they were pregnant? Great, another thing for me to worry about. I fixed my hair and applied a thin layer of makeup before I rushed downstairs to check on the roast chicken. The kitchen smelled delicious, the scent of rosemary spread across the whole space, making it feel homey and welcoming.
I hoped.
My heart raced when the bell rang, but I realized I wasn’t nervous but excited. Even though we had dinner last night, I couldn’t wait to see him again, and I sped up as much as the heels allowed before I pulled the door open with a breathless smile.
“Levi. Hey.”
“Hey yourself,” he said and let his gaze rake over my body in slow, unhurried, naked appraisal. “Lookin’ good, Rob.”
I paused for a moment to let his words wash over me. As a model, I was used to people commenting on my looks, but those people rarely saw me, just the parts that make me a suitable model. When Levi looked at me, I felt as if I was being seen, truly seen. “Thanks,” I said in a hushed whisper and stepped back, taking my time to appreciate the way his jeans hugged his ass and, good god, his thighs. He wore a lightweight gray sweater that did amazing things for his broad shoulders, thick arms, and of course, those sparkling green eyes. “You look hot too.”
He smiled at me over his shoulder, knowing and delighted. “The better to tempt you with, my dear.”
His words pulled a laugh from somewhere deep in my belly. Down, girl. Oh, how I wished that I was talking to my libido. Okay, I was totally talking to my libido, but she wasn’t listening, so I was trying to make my heart listen.
“I brought dessert,” he said from somewhere in the kitchen, and I shook off the lust and the worry and met him in the kitchen.
“What did you bring?”
“You’ll find out after dinner.” His teasing smile sent my heart racing, but that moan he let out? It was low and growly and sexy as hell. “What is that amazing smell?”
“Dinner. Fresh rosemary.” I couldn’t stop smiling about that moan. It was wicked, but more than that, it was impressed. He was impressed.
“Wine?”
I nodded. “For you. Alcohol-free sparkling cider for me.”
“Fancy.” He wiggled his auburn brows. “You didn’t have to do all this for me, Rob. I’m a simple guy.”
“Dinner is simple, trust me. But I did put in the effort because I wanted to.”
His smile was gentle, but the look in his eyes was hot enough to scorch my skin. “I appreciate it already.” His gaze skated over my body again, and I shivered.
“Dinner is almost ready,” I told him and filled each of our glasses. “How was your day?”
He shrugged. “Uneventful. Mostly I thought about you and new menu ideas.”
My brows shot up. “Me before food? That makes me feel special.”
“You are special, Rob. Really fucking special.”
My whole body lit up at his words, and suddenly, I was in the mood for something other than food. Very in the mood. “Are you trying to get me to skip dinner, Levi?”
He arched one brow. “Trying? Not at all. Let’s just say I make a killer roast chicken sandwich.”
“There’s also mashed potatoes and veggies,” I shot back as my smile grew.
“Sounds like roast chicken shepherd’s pie, then.”
My breath caught in my throat as heat filled up every part of my body until I found myself darting from my chair and pressed up against Levi’s impressive body. I looked up and found him wearing a brilliant teasing smile. “I love shepherd’s pie.”
“Fuck, Rob,” he growled, and then his mouth crashed down on mine, hot and intense. This man didn’t do anything by half-measures, and when he kissed me, I felt like I was everything to him. The center of his universe. The sun to his harvest. I felt consumed by him, and there was no place else I wanted to be. He growled, and I held on to his strong shoulders.
My hands slid around his back and up to tangle in his thick red hair. Levi groaned again, and my legs wobbled.
He held me tighter and deepened the kiss, his tongue flicked against mine, tempting me to join in the dance, which I happily did. He tasted faintly of wine, but there was still that hint of something that was uniquely Levi. His hands left my hair and slid slowly down my back until his big hands cupped my ass and lifted me up.
I squealed. “Levi, I’m too heavy.”
He grinned. “Am I even lifting you right now?”
His teasing tone went a long way to ease my fears, and soon enough, my legs were wrapped around his waist while his feet carried us up the stairs and to my bedroom. The minute my feet hit the plush carpet, I reached for the hem of my dress, hungry to have him again.
Levi stopped my hands.
“It’s been too long,” I whined.
“I’ll do it,” he replied and slowly peeled the dress off my body, going even slower when he got to my bra and then my panties. “Gorgeous,” he growled and kissed me all over. His kisses were hot and wet, leaving a trail of fire on the tops of my feet, my ankles, my hip bones, my side, my breasts. No inch of my skin was left untouched by his lips or his tongue.
“Levi,” I moaned as my body shook with desire.
Still, he took his time, taking me to my first orgasms with his lips and his tongue. His face wasn’t just beautiful; it was a magical, orgasm-giving contraption. “Goodness!”
He grinned, sliding one finger through the moisture he’d caused between my thighs while he undressed. “I love hearing you come apart.” His voice was low and husky, and he smiled when his words had the desired effect on my pussy. “Maybe I love praising you.”
“Levi, please!”
His green gaze darkened, and in an instant, he hovered over me, his strong arms bracketing my head as the blunt head of his cock pressed against my opening. “Ready for me?”
I nodded. “So ready. Oh!” He slid in slowly, but it was one long, slow stroke before he filled me completely. “Yes!” Having him inside of me like this felt good. Felt amazing, in fact. Even scarier, it felt right. Like he was home to me, where I belonged.
Like he was my happy place.
His gaze remained fixed on mine even as he started moving, pumping in steady strokes that tap-danced on that one spot guaranteed to take me to the heavens as quickly as humanly possible.
Maybe I imagined what I saw in his eyes as he pumped into me, but I thought maybe it was something more than lust. Maybe it was just hope that told me I saw affection mixing with the lust. Or maybe it was my own damn hormone-riddled body that had me tilting at sex windmills.
But it didn’t matter what I thought I saw in his eyes, but I knew exactly what was shining in my own. Without a doubt, as our gazes stayed locked together and my own orgasm shot up my legs and out of every pore in my body, my feelings for this man coalesced into something deep and significant. “Levi, yes!” I held onto his arms while he thrust harder and deeper, grunting at the pleasure caused by my body pulsing around him.
I watched the twist of emotions on his face, fascinated as my own heart clenched, aching with something I tried hard to deny, refused to name. “Rob,” he moaned and dove down, kissing me while his orgasm roared through his body. His kisses stole my breath, and I clung to him as if he was my lifeline, the one thing keeping me grounded to the earth.
And that’s when I couldn’t refuse the truth any longer. Things were complicated enough, and now I had to go and fall in love with my baby daddy. One lone tear pricked the corner of each eye, and I let each one fall, accepting the truth I tried to deny.
“Oh fuck,” he grunted when he pulled back and rolled onto his back, taking me with him until I sat on top of him, his cock still buried deep. “I can’t get enough of you. I don’t want to let you go.” Those words seemed to shock him as much as they shocked me.
I felt it too, but my mouth wouldn’t move, wouldn’t work. So I let my body tell him the words my mouth couldn’t speak. With his big hands on my breasts and that look of adoration in his green eyes, it took no time at all before another shockwave of pleasure knocked me around until I was limp and satisfied.
And reeling from my feelings for the sexy bartender.
My mind raced with this new information as I slid off Levi’s body, and he tucked me against his chest, holding me as he drifted off to sleep.
It was as perfect a night as I’d ever had with a man, and when we woke up later and did it all over again, he transformed my dinner into something amazing while we swapped life stories, shared laughter, and reveled in our growing connection.