Chapter 27
Chapter twenty-seven
Everly
“Will Sherly be OK in here by herself?” I asked as Levi kissed a trail down my neck. I probably tasted like sweat after all the lifting and running around I did at the event, yet he licked and sucked my skin like it was the best thing he’d ever tasted.
“It’s her favorite room in the house,” he said, “but I’ll pen her in the living room, so she doesn’t try to come upstairs after us.” He took my hand and together we moved Sherly into the living room and shut the gate.
“We’ve been gone all day, and now we’re leaving her alone again,” I said. Sherly snorted as if she agreed.
His eyes softened. The way he looked at me created an odd swirl of excitement, desire, and something powerful that brought with it a touch of fear.
I wouldn’t have risked my career if I thought our relationship would be superficial.
Still, the strength of my feelings for him, so soon, scared me a little.
“We’ll be back down,” he said. “She likes to nap right after she eats, anyway.” Sherly let out another snort and headed straight for her bed. Levi gave my hand a gentle tug, and I followed him to the hallway and up the stairs.
I suddenly felt nervous, which was ridiculous.
We’d been together plenty of times, yet before we even walked into the house, I knew this time would be different.
For starters, I was gutted by Levi’s story about his partner.
It’s no wonder I’d lost it on the doorstep.
I’d judged him for not fully embracing Springboard without considering everything he must have experienced at work.
I wasn’t na?ve. I knew some people I defended committed crimes again.
The firm relied on repeat clients. I also knew the crimes affected society negatively, and for the first time, those crimes felt personal.
The entire conversation had left me feeling raw.
Though I’d calmed down during dinner, my emotions were still heightened.
“I don’t know about you, but I’m covered in dirt and sweat,” I said as we walked into the bedroom.
Shower sex was fun and would hopefully shift the serious mood between us.
He detoured past the bed to the bathroom and turned on the water. I pulled my shirt over my head, and he helped me remove the rest of my clothing before quickly removing his. The bathroom filled with steam, and for a moment we just stood outside the shower, eyes locked.
He stepped closer. “You’re so beautiful. Especially here,” he said, kissing my forehead, “And here.” He brushed his lips across my chest, and my heart pounded as though speaking directly to him. Something was definitely different this time.
We got into the shower, and he held me close as the water poured over us.
His body reacted, his cock hardening between us.
Still, he held me, unhurried. Before I could reach down to stroke him, he stepped back and grabbed his shampoo.
He worked it through my hair, massaging my scalp.
By the time he’d moved on to the conditioner, all the tension had left my body.
As soon as my hair was clean, he took a step back.
“What are you doing?” I asked, my voice breathless.
“Giving myself a chance not to fuck you against the shower wall.”
“What’s wrong with that?” I wanted to beg him to take me hard under the water before remembering we didn’t have a condom. “I know we haven’t talked about it, but I’m on the pill, and I’ve had a checkup since the last time I was with someone.”
“All the more reason to wait,” he said, handing me the soap. “I want the first time I have you bare to be in my bed.”
He ducked his head under the water and washed his hair while I finished showering.
I handed him the soap and watched while his hands moved across his body, the suds and water sluicing down each muscle.
His eyes were heated while he watched me watching him, but he kept his distance.
I pressed my thighs together, debating if I should step closer and caress every inch of his skin.
In record time, he snapped off the water and reached outside the shower to grab a towel.
He rubbed the soft fabric on my body, drying me off completely before grabbing another towel for himself.
I did my best to squeeze the water from my hair before he scooped me into his arms and carried me to the bed.
He laid me down gently before hovering over me, his eyes so intense my breath caught. “I can grab a condom if you want, but I’m clean too.”
Instead of answering, I tipped my legs open and brought his lips to mine.
We held the kiss as we came together, the feeling of him without a barrier so intense my legs shook.
He pulled away enough to watch my face as he went deeper.
Once he was fully inside me, he lifted my hands over my head and twined our fingers together as he began to move.
He set a languid pace, each thrust prolonged and deep.
But it was the way he looked at me that made my body coil higher and tighter.
“Everly,” he said with such tenderness my eyes stung even as my orgasm unfurled.
I said his name as I came, and his pace quickened.
He closed his eyes, lost in the pleasure he pulled from my body and building me back up again.
His mouth crashed to mine as his movements became erratic.
I wrapped my legs around him, drawing him closer.
He came, pulsing his release inside me and tipping me over the edge once more.
“Everly,” he said. “I —”
Instead of speaking, he lowered his face to my neck and breathed deeply. After a moment, he pulled away, leaving me desperate to hear the words he hadn’t said.