12. Levi
12
LEVI
H ope’s soft laugh spreads through the room, making everyone smile when she does. I don’t think she has any idea of the effect she has on people. It’s been fascinating to watch her slowly grow in confidence as the meal has progressed. It’s as if I’m talking to a totally different person.
Having to sit next to her throughout dinner has been both amazing and agonizing. I’ve wanted to grab her hand or put mine on her thigh the entire evening. Anything to create a connection between us that’s more than just the tension sparking in the air.
I know she felt the same thing I was feeling when she arrived. Standing so close to her in that tiny hallway was a test of my self-control. I was two seconds away from grabbing her and kissing the fuck out of her, so I’m glad she broke the connection when she did.
Ever since then, I’ve had to almost sit on my hands to keep from touching her. I wish I could understand her allure. I’ve never had such a strong need to be close to a woman before. They’ve always been either a distraction or an energy release. No one has ever created a buzz inside me I never want to expel .
“You should come out with us sometime! The girls are a riot,” Quinn says to Hope, and I smile at the invitation. I can only imagine what will happen when Natalie gets her hands on Hope.
“I think I’d like that,” Hope replies.
“I’ll make sure the girls keep things low-key at first.” Quinn winks.
“There’s no way Natalie Carlisle can be low-key.” I laugh.
“Facts.” Cooper points at me in agreement. Our entire group has been friends since we were in kindergarten, and despite being a year younger, they included me in all their plans. I was lucky to have an older brother who actually wanted to hang out with me.
“Megan and I can help keep her reined in, Hope. Promise.”
Hope grins, nodding her head.
“How is Natalie doing?” Mom asks. Natalie got trapped in a house fire set by a lunatic arsonist, and we weren’t sure she was going to make it. It was a scary time for all of us.
“She’s healing up really well. Home now from the hospital and already back to being her spitfire self.” Quinn grins, shaking her head.
“Good. I hope you guys can get together soon,” Mom says, looking at Hope with a great big smile on her face and a gleaming look in her eyes. I suddenly understand exactly why this little dinner was planned. The crazy, scheming lady. She knew Quinn would invite Hope out with the girls if given the opportunity, and her plan is falling into place exactly how she wanted.
“Hope, have you put up any decorations in the new house?” Mom asks.
“There’s already some up from Quinn, but I was thinking about buying some others.”
“Oh, what a great idea. Make sure you get Levi’s help hanging them. You don’t want them to break if they fall. ”
Hope’s brown eyes flick up to mine, apprehension and desire swirling in them. Seizing on Mom’s continued scheming, I say, “I’d be happy to help. Here,” I lean over to grab a business card from my wallet, “this is my cell, so give me a call when you’ve picked out some things.” I hand over the card, being careful to give her plenty of room to grab it without having to touch me.
“Thanks.”
“We need to head out,” Cooper says, looking as if he can’t wait another second to get Quinn home. He stands, taking their plates to the kitchen. Since dinner has been over for a while, we all follow suit, standing with our dishes to put them by the sink.
“Shouldn’t you be exhausted after the honeymoon, Coop? You just got back a few weeks ago. Maybe you’re not doing it right. I’d be happy to give you some pointers,” I tease. Cooper punches me in the arm as I laugh. I glance over at Hope, a blush blooming in her cheeks. When her eyes find mine, I can’t help but wink at her. Her smile grows, and I’ve officially won a gold medal for the evening.
Dad, Cooper, and I quickly clean off the table together as the girls talk. Something about this scene feels incredibly right. Like all the pieces of the puzzle are finally where they should be.
Cooper gives Quinn another look that says he’s dying to get her home, and a little niggle of jealousy worms its way through my stomach. What would it be like to have a person you want to spend all your time with? To have someone who, with just one look, knows exactly what you’re thinking. I stopped believing I was ever going to have it until I met Hope. Now, it feels like my future is only standing a few feet away.
My eyes find her across the room, laughing at something my mom is saying. I could watch her laugh all day and not tire of it .
“You should ask her out,” Cooper says from my left.
“I did; the ball’s in her court now.”
“When have you ever waited for someone else to tell you what to do?”
His words make me pause. He’s right. I’ve always been the one to jump in headfirst instead of waiting around.
“She’s different, man. Treat her that way,” Cooper continues, then slaps me on the shoulder.
“See you later, Levi.” Quinn gives me a quick hug, then walks over to Hope to say goodbye.
Cooper’s advice unlocks something in my brain. Hope is different from any other woman I’ve ever encountered, which means my actions need to be different than they normally would be. I’ve never had to work hard for a date, which only solidifies the point. My dating history has been flighty at best and playboy at worst. If I want Hope to know how special she is to me, I need to woo the shit out of her until she has no choice but to say yes.
“Hope, would you and Levi mind doing the dishes for me?”
“I don’t mind doing them by myself,” I offer, giving Hope an out.
“No, I should help since I got to enjoy the meal without making it.”
“Thank you so much, dear,” Mom says, leaving us in the kitchen alone. Her matchmaking tactics hit me the minute she leaves. She’s devious.
Hope and I work together to gather all the dishes, then make a game plan for how we want to tackle the massive pile. It looks like we’re going to be here awhile. Thank God.
“Popcorn or candy?”
“We’re starting this again?” She raises her eyebrow, one of my favorite expressions of hers.
“Of course. How else am I supposed to learn everything about you? ”
Hope looks at me for a bit, almost as if she’s trying to get a read on me. “Popcorn for movies. Candy for road trips.”
“Interesting distinction. But I’d have to agree with both. Beach or mountains?”
“I don’t know. I’ve never seen either.”
“What? Seriously?”
Hope shrugs her shoulders, keeping her face blank. I make a plan right then to take her to a beach as soon as possible.
“Which one would you pick?” she asks.
“Beach all the way. Although, I do enjoy the mountains, as well.”
“Books or movies?”
I grin, happy she’s joining the game with her own questions. “Movies.”
“No way! The books are always better.”
“I wish I had the attention span to read.”
“You should try an audiobook. You could do it while you work,” Hope suggests. It’s an incredibly insightful idea. I shouldn’t be surprised. Hope seems to be the kind of person who would notice every detail about you, cataloging it to use later, if needed.
“What do you like to read?”
Hope’s cheeks grow pink, and I raise my eyebrow back at her in anticipation of the answer. “I like a lot of different things, but my favorite is romance.”
“Well, I never would’ve guessed.” I grin at her. An image of Hope reading sexy books pops into my head. I wonder if she ever gets turned on by them. I clear my throat. I do not need to be thinking about her like that while she’s standing right next to me. It’s hard enough to keep my hands to myself without any dirty thoughts in my head.
“You should try them. I bet you’d like some of the military ones. They’ve usually got quite a bit of action in them.”
“If you send me an audiobook, I promise I will try it out. ”
Hope looks at me for a moment, trying to gauge my sincerity. I genuinely meant what I said. If she sent me the book, I really would try to listen to it.
We keep the game going back and forth while we finish up the dishes. I’m learning so much about Hope that I would’ve never gotten to know if it weren’t for Mom. I’ll have to thank her for it sometime.
We have a lot more in common than I thought we did. Each topic we bring up seems to provide more interests we share, but our answers vary slightly. We both love coffee entirely too much, but I drink mine black while she likes it sweet. Neither one of us enjoys playing sports, but she likes watching baseball, and I like watching football. Italian food is both of our favorites, but she’s a red sauce fan whereas I prefer white sauce.
This connection growing between us is something I’ve never experienced before. The more I learn about her, the more I want to keep digging to get at the heart of who she is as a person. I want to be the only one she shares her deepest desires with.
Disappointment flows through me as we finish up the dishes. With our task done, we’re both going to have to leave soon. I’m not ready for the night to end, but there’s no way Hope would be ready to go somewhere alone with me. Plus, I don’t want to push her too far too quickly. I want to do this right. Prove to her that I can be someone she can trust to take care of her.
We both gather our things and walk toward the front door. I holler up the stairs to say goodbye to Mom and Dad, who shout a goodbye in return. Opening the door for Hope, she steps through, and I follow closely behind her. As I walk her to her car, the cool evening air feels refreshing after being inside for so long.
Hope stands next to her car, keys in hand, looking up at me through her dark lashes. For the first time since I met her, I feel like I can get a read on her, and I don’t think she wants to leave any more than I do. I step closer, mere inches between us now.
“When you get your decorations picked out, give me a call. I can help you put them up.”
“I will. Thank you for offering.”
“Just don’t want you to smash a finger or something.” I grin down at her.
Hope’s eyes hold mine for a minute, the whole world reflecting back at me. Without much thought, I gently wrap my hand around her arm, tugging her toward me. I want to kiss her with everything I have, but instead, I slowly wrap my arms around her shoulders, embracing her in a hug that feels more intimate than any sexual encounter I’ve experienced.
Hope’s body is stiff for a second before she melts into my arms, wrapping hers around my waist. We fit so perfectly together as if we were always supposed to find each other.
I place my nose to the top of her head, inhaling her flowery scent, then gently press my lips against her head. Hope drops her arms and steps away from me, my body chilling from the sudden loss of her body heat. I shake my head, trying to get my raging body under control. How one moment can send me into a tailspin will never be clear to me. Nothing even happened.
“Good night, Levi,” Hope whispers, then quickly gets into her car.
“Night,” I say as her door closes on my words.
Stepping back, I watch her pull out of the driveway. In all my dating history, a hug has never affected me the way Hope’s body against mine did. There’s something inside her calling to the heart of me. Something wild and free that she’s holding close, too afraid to let it out.
I’m determined to be the safe place for her to soar. To prove I have what it takes to set her free.