Chapter 18
Chapter eighteen
Levi
“What should I avoid doing?” she asked, closing her car door. “Sherly seemed fine with me one minute and then not.”
“What I want you to do,” I said, running my thumb across her full lips.
Her cheeks flushed. “She probably thought I was attacking you.”
Probably. The sound I made when Everly kissed me didn’t help. To an unsuspecting pig, with a hermit for an owner, a groan of pleasure was too much like a sound of pain.
“I get the kiss,” Everly said, shifting on her feet. “What made her hate me when I arrived?”
“Well, either she was territorial like you said, or she picked up on how nervous I was before you came.”
“I made you nervous?” she asked.
“You know you did,” I said as we climbed the porch steps. “I could barely put two words together every time I saw you.”
“You don’t seem nervous anymore,” she said softly.
I stopped with my keys in my hand, poised at the lock. I wasn’t nervous. I should be terrified. I was on the highest stakes date of my life with the woman of my dreams. The woman who could stop me in my tracks and render me speechless with one look.
I’d been a wreck all week, not for the date, but waiting for Everly to back out. When she hadn’t by Friday morning, I’d gone to Chief and pulled myself from the Wythers case.
I didn’t tell him why. The smirk he gave me suggested he had an idea. Chances were half a dozen people saw Everly and me in Centennial Park last weekend and word had gotten back to him. Even though we’d kept a respectful distance from each other, the attraction between us was palpable.
“It’s hard to be nervous when something feels so right,” I said.
She sighed. “That was way sexier than you probably intended.”
“You sure about that?” I asked with a wink.
“Attack. Pig.”
I laughed and opened the lock. Sherly let out a happy squeal from the living room where I’d gated her in. I’d pig proofed the entire room, but the rest of the first floor had things she could get into, and for an animal without hands, her ability to get into things was shocking.
“She’s gated,” I said, holding open the door and motioning for Everly to go ahead of me inside.
“Where?” Everly asked, peeking her head inside.
“Back in the living room,” I said. She finally crossed the threshold, and I followed her in and shut the door. When I turned, I found her standing in the middle of the hall with her arms wrapped around her waist.
“Hey,” I said, touching her arm. “I won’t let her headbutt you again. She’s a sweet pig. She just misunderstood the situation.”
Everly looked up at me, and the air between us shifted, becoming charged, magnetic.
“I’m confident I can win your pig over,” she said. “Another time.”
“OK,” I said, my stomach sinking. I guess Everly had changed her mind about lunch, yet something in her expression kept me from saying more.
It was like she was having an argument with herself. Emotions fired rapidly across her face at a speed impossible to decipher.
“This is against all my rules,” she said, taking a step closer. “The truth is, there’s no way I can face Sherly feeling the way I am.”
“And how’s that?” I asked, uncurling one of her hands from her waist and holding it. Her fingers were ice cold again. They’d been warm during our hike, and I realized it was a tell of the nerves she disguised so well.
She blew out a breath. “Like I’m two seconds from kissing you again. No, that’s a lie. I want to do more than kiss you.”
I let go of her hand, taking her face in both of mine.
“Everly,” I said, placing a kiss on her forehead.
“We can do whatever you want.” I took a step back, putting some distance between us to keep myself from touching her.
“I can walk you to your car and thank you for the best date of my life. We can stay here and talk for however long you want. Or I can take you upstairs and show you why this is worth the risk.”
“I don’t kiss on the first date,” she said, her eyes widening. “I mean, I know we did, but I can’t sleep with you on the first date.”
It sure as hell didn’t feel like a normal first date to me. It felt like the last first date I’d ever have. “You can do whatever you want.”
“Wanting isn’t the issue,” she said, worrying her bottom lip again.
I nodded. Fuck if that wasn’t the truth. It was taking everything in me not to throw her over my shoulder and run upstairs, but the hesitation on her face made my chest ache. “I understand. We can’t uncross that line, professionally.”
“It’s more than that,” she said, wrapping her arms around her waist again. “You make me feel out of control. I know all the reasons I shouldn’t want you this much, but when I’m near you, I can’t stop myself.”
“Do you regret it?” I asked, my chest tightening. “Kissing me? Agreeing to this date?”
“I should,” she said, her voice small.
I stepped so close her exhales brushed my skin. “Do you?” I asked, my voice rough.
“What would you think if I said I don’t?” she asked, looking up at me, her eyes pleading.
That I was the luckiest guy in the world. That I’d make her feel so good she’d be incapable of worrying about the what-ifs of being together. “I’d tell you I’m happy to help you break any rule you want.”
Her breath became labored. “You never gave me a full tour of the house. Is the rest of it as nice as the living room?”
I fought a smile. “Feel free to look around upstairs while I get Sherly settled. My room’s the first door on the right, if you want to start there.”
She turned and headed up the stairs. My cock swelled with each step she took.
Sherly let out another squeal, no doubt pissed that I hadn’t come to see her as soon as I arrived home. Everly stopped mid step.
“I’ll just be a minute,” I said.
When she kept walking, I went hard as steel. Fuck, this was happening. I adjusted myself before hurrying to the kitchen, where I grabbed a bag of sunflower seeds. Sherly squealed as soon as she heard my footsteps approaching the living room.
“I’m begging you,” I said, ripping open the packet. “Keep quiet a while longer.”
She tilted her head and let out a muted snort. I flung the seeds all over the floor, knowing she’d be content for a while hunting each one.
I made it upstairs less than a minute after Everly. She stood in my room with her back to me, looking out the window.
I walked to her and ran my hands lightly down her arms. “We can stop anytime,” I said before kissing her neck. She shivered, and I gently turned her to face me.
“You’re so beautiful,” I said, fisting my hands at my sides. I wanted to take this slow, to give her every opportunity to change her mind. If I touched her, I’d lose the control I was clinging to by a thread. Her eyes lowered to where my cock strained against my pants, and her lips parted.
“You want to see what you do to me?” I asked, watching her closely.
She nodded without lifting her eyes.
I undid my pants, slipped my hand beneath my boxers, and gripped my throbbing cock, hard. The pain took the edge off enough that I could stroke myself without falling apart at the way she watched me. She sucked in a breath and pressed her thighs together.
I released my cock and walked past her to the bed. After I tossed back the covers, I sat on the edge of the mattress, facing her. “Are you wet for me, Everly?”
She nodded, her gaze locked with mine.
“Show me,” I said. “Slide your fingers into that sweet pussy, then come here.”
She blushed, and I fell a little more in love with her. I thought I might have taken the dirty talk too far, but then her hand disappeared into her leggings. A moment later she sucked in a breath, her eyes sliding closed.
“Come here,” I said, my tone sharper than I intended. Because, fuck, I needed to taste her more than I needed my next breath.
She pulled her hand from her leggings and crossed the room with shaky steps until she was standing between my legs. I lifted her hand to my lips and breathed deep her scent before placing one finger in my mouth and sucking it clean. By the time I moved to the next, her eyes were wild.
“Levi,” she breathed.
I tugged her closer, my control stretching to the breaking point as I flipped her onto the bed.
She stared up at me, her eyes wide with shock. “You’re going to ruin me.”
“Good,” I said, hovering over her. “You ruined me the first time I laid eyes on you.”
I rocked against her, and she let out a moan that went straight to my balls.
I slid off her body and lifted her feet one at a time, removing her shoes before gently placing them on the floor.
She watched me, her chest rising and falling in bursts as I rolled off her socks.
Her toenails were painted dark pink with tiny purple polka dots.
I doubt anyone she faced in court would ever suspect something so fun hidden inside her high heels.
I couldn’t wait to see what else she hid beneath her clothes.
“Take off your sweatshirt, but leave your bra on,” I said quietly.
She fumbled with the hem of her sweatshirt, and seeing such a capable woman so unraveled by my touch made me feel ten feet tall. All that pride evaporated the moment her shirt was off, and the sight of her stole the air from my lungs.
An elaborate tattoo wrapped around her ribs with the words Every Breath Is A Second Chance surrounded by dandelion seeds blowing into a flock of birds.
I’d seen images like it before, a few times on repeat offenders, though never one as colorful as hers.
It was so vibrant that it had to be newer or recently touched up.
I traced my thumb across the image before dragging it against the pale pink lace covering her breasts.
Her nipples pebbled to sharp points at my touch, and her eyes slid shut.
I took my time sliding the straps from her shoulders before unhooking the front clasp and letting her breasts spill free.
They were full and soft, her nipples the same rosy pink as her lips.
“You’re even more beautiful than I imagined,” I said.
Her eyes opened wide at that, and I couldn’t stop the smile on my face.
“Yes, I’ve imagined you naked, Everly. I should be embarrassed by the number of times I’ve come to thoughts of you.
Nothing compares to this. Touching you,” I said, sliding my hand down her stomach and peeling her leggings from her waist. She lifted off the bed, so I could pull them down her legs, my mouth following my hands as I kissed down her thighs and back again.
Her delicate lace panties were soaked, and I wanted to drown in her scent.
I flattened my tongue and licked her through the fabric, again and again, the taste of her addictive.
She arched off the bed, her hands gripping the sheets.
I hooked my fingers into the waistband of her panties and paused, lifting my head to lock eyes with her. I may have brought us to this point, but it was as far as I’d go without her explicit consent. She stared down at me, her eyes slightly unfocused. “Tell me you want this.”
“Yes,” she said, her voice tight.
I slid the lace slowly from her body, baring her pussy.
“Please,” she panted, her legs beginning to shake.
So damn responsive. I’d planned to take my time, edging her. The desperation in her voice made it impossible to deny her release. I dipped a finger inside her tight heat, stretching her, before sliding in a second.
“Oh,” she breathed, and her legs quaked harder.
She was so close already. I reached up with my other hand and played with her breasts while I pumped in and out of her, twisting my fingers in a spiral.
She threw her head back and came, her walls tightening around me. I quickly pulled her clit between my teeth and sucked, drawing out her orgasm until she screamed my name. Her hands gripped my shoulders, and I eased her delicate skin from my mouth before placing a gentle kiss on her inner thigh.
Her eyes were still closed when I lifted my head, her cheeks flushed. I sat back on my heels and waited while she caught her breath. Watching her come had my cock painfully hard, and I hoped she was up for a second orgasm, ideally one with me buried inside her.
When she finally opened her eyes, she looked down at me, and the red in her cheeks deepened. “You barely touched me,” she said. “I’ve never—”
She seemed embarrassed, which made me uneasy. I didn’t want her to feel ashamed of letting go. I kicked off my shoes, climbed onto the bed, and pulled her against me. “You’ve never what?”
“You still have all your clothes on, and I came harder than I ever have in my life,” she said, burying her face in her hands.
I couldn’t see how that was a problem. “Good. Misson accomplished.”
She huffed out a laugh but refused to look at me. “You’re so—”
I pulled her hands from her face when she fell silent. “Hey,” I said, brushing aside a piece of hair that had fallen across her cheek. “Tell me,” I said, gentling my voice.
“It’s like you knew what I needed before I did.”
“Is that a bad thing?”
She shook her head. “Just unusual. I normally have to tell guys what I want, and even then, it takes a while, if I get there at all.”
“I just paid attention to what you liked.”
She placed her hand on my face and smiled. “You were remarkably observant.”
I pressed our foreheads together, too afraid of what she’d see in my eyes. That I was already in love with her. That maybe I had been since the first time she strutted into my interview room and handed me my ass. “I always am with you.”