Chapter Eight
D ana lost count of the times she and Levi made love during the night. It was amazing. She could almost call it magical, but that was hyperbole. Wasn’t it?
But now it was morning and back to real life. Levi was snuggled up behind her, his arm across her chest, his hand cupping one breast. He kissed her ear and murmured, “I know you’re awake.”
She rolled over to face him. He looked ridiculously sexy for first thing in the morning. The stubbled face gave him a rakish air that the devilish expression in his eyes only added to. Damn, she’d missed him. More than she’d thought possible. “I guess we can’t say, ‘Oops we made a mistake’ and avoid each other this time, huh?”
Levi laughed. “Looks like. We’re stuck with each other, at least for the duration.”
For the duration. Don’t think any farther ahead than the next few days. She could do that, couldn’t she? “Do you mind?”
“Are you kidding? You can ask me that after last night?”
“Good sex has never been our problem. ”
“Amazing sex.”
Her lips twitched. “It is, isn’t it? But that isn’t the point. How are we going to do this?”
“We start with this.” He kissed her. “And then we do this.” He rolled her on top of him. “Or maybe this.” He rolled them back over until he was on top. Grinning down at her, he cupped her bare breast and caressed it. “Add some of this—”
“Stop,” she told him laughing. “Seriously, Levi. What are we going to do?”
He rolled onto his back, leaving her on top again. “Have you ever thought that maybe we’ve been too serious? Too worried about the future? Why can’t we just enjoy each other’s company without worrying what’s going to happen?”
“Enjoy each other’s company? You mean, like have sex.”
“Definitely. But that’s not all. We do have some things in common. We like the same kind of music.”
“True.”
“We like the same type of movies. Mostly.”
Dana laughed out loud at that one. “No we don’t. I like scary movies and you won’t watch them at all.”
“Minor point. There are other types of movies we both like.”
She started to argue but decided it didn’t matter. “Don’t you think we need to talk about the past? We never really did.”
“I think that’s the last thing we need to do. We need to live in the here and now. Let’s leave the past in the past. Where it belongs.”
“You really think that will work?”
“It’s damn sure worth a try.”
“Maybe you’re right.” She rubbed his cheek and smiled at him. Maybe this was a mistake but it sure felt good.
Levi turned his face into her palm and kissed it. “You must have thought about what was going to happen before you came over last night.”
“Not really. I mean, yes, I thought about being with you, obviously.”
“Obviously,” he agreed, smiling. “Or you wouldn’t have worn that dress.”
“It worked, didn’t it?”
“Oh, yeah. Big-time.”
“But I didn’t think about the future. I’ve missed you, Levi.” So much. Not just the sex, but simply being with him. Talking to him. Loving him.
Levi put his hand in her hair and brought her head down so he could kiss her lips. “Good. Because I’ve missed you too.”
Levi’s phone barked. He reached over to silence it. “That’s the workmen. Minerva, unlock the side door.”
“Unlocking side door, Levi.”
“They’re early, aren’t they?”
“They’re working overtime, remember?”
Dana scrambled off the bed, looking around a little wildly. “ Where is my dress?”
“Try the middle of the floor. That’s where I took it off of you.” Levi grabbed his jeans and stepped into them.
“Minerva’s voice is ridiculously sultry,” she said, finding her bra and putting it on.
He grabbed his jeans and put them on, yanking them up over his hips. “Yeah. I like it. Reminds me of you.” He went into his closet and came out with another T-shirt, this one with the Devil’s Rock Airport logo on it.
“Me? I don’t sound like that.”
“Oh, yeah. You do sometimes.”
Better not to ask when those times were. She had a feeling she knew. She found her dress on the floor, shook out the wrinkles, rather pointlessly, and stepped into it. She turned her back so Levi could zip up her dress. He took his time, drawing the zipper up slowly, a lingering touch of his fingers now and then.
Dana turned around. “Where are my panties?”
Levi grinned and patted his pocket. “Right here.”
“I need them.”
“Why?”
“What do you mean, why? I’m not driving home commando. And I’m not staying here and talking to the workmen in a dress I obviously wore the night before, wearing no underwear.”
“When did you get so stuffy?”
“I am not stuffy. Now give me my panties. Don’t make me hurt you,” she warned.
“On one condition. Come over here and kiss me.” He pulled her panties out of his pocket and dangled them from his fingers.
She walked over to him and tried to grab her panties but Levi held them out of her reach. With his other hand he tapped his lips. Dana wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him, pulling back before it got too intense. Levi handed her the underwear and she slipped them on. She put on her shoes, which she’d found under the bed and looked in the mirror. “Please tell me you have a brush.”
Levi ran a hand over his hair, which while longer on top still wasn’t terribly long. “I have a comb. It’s in the bathroom.”
Dana went into the bathroom and did her best to make herself look presentable. It will have to do.
When she came out she saw that Levi had put on his running shoes. “Are you coming back?” he asked.
“Yes. To work.”
“Want to swim after the workmen leave?”
“Sure. I’ll bring my suit.”
“Don’t bring it on my account.”
She leveled a stern look at him. “Very funny. I’ll see you later.”
She opened his bedroom door and he followed her. At the bottom of the stairs they went in separate directions but not before Levi stopped her with a hand on her arm .
“I’m really glad you came over last night,” he said. “And that you wore that dress,” he added with a grin.
“I am too.”
They stood there a moment looking at each other. She wondered if she had the same satisfied smile on her face that he had on his.
Oh, yeah, she did.
“Aren’t you going to kiss me goodbye?” Levi asked.
“No. Because if I do I won’t want to leave. Bye, Levi.”
“Bye, Dana.”
*
The first person Levi ran into after Dana left was Rocky.
“Levi, do you know where Dana is? I need to talk to her about this walk-in tub. I saw her car earlier but now it’s gone.”
“She’ll be back. She said she had something to do.”
“All right. Tell her I want to talk to her. We’re almost finished with the demo in this part of the house.”
“Great.”
“Are you planning to put your smart house system in here too?”
“Yes. Asher’s will be geared to him specifically, though.” Ash could get his own sexy-voiced lady. He wasn’t giving him Minerva. “I’ll be in my workshop if you need me.”
Levi had a hard time concentrating on his work, which was unusual for him. But he kept thinking about Dana and the night before. Amazing didn’t touch it. Mind-blowing, fantastic. He could think of a number of words and none of them quite described what he’d felt like finally making love to Dana after all these months. Sure, part of it was because he hadn’t been with another woman since Dana all those months ago. He’d had the opportunity, several during that time, in fact. But he simply…didn’t want another woman. He wanted Dana. Always had.
Was it a mistake to try to forget about the past? He didn’t think so. They were two different people now so why not approach their relationship with a fresh start? They’d never had much of a carefree relationship. They’d gone from dating, to sex, to serious damn quickly. And serious had been a disaster.
Someone pounded on his door. “It’s open,” he called out.
Zack came in. “Figured you’d be out here. How’s it going?”
“It’s going. They’re about to finish the demo of Asher’s rooms.” He looked up. “Why aren’t you at the airport?”
Zack grimaced. “The new manager is there and Travis convinced me she needed to fly solo.”
“Fly solo. Cute. How’s she working out?” Zack had hired a Whiskey River native, Valentina Alvarado, to manage the airport. While Zack would still be in charge it would give him a chance to spend more time with his family. Which since his wife Laurel was having twins and already had two kids, was pretty much a necessity.
“Val not working out?”
“No, she’s great. Smart. Young. Energetic. Hardworking.”
“Then what’s the problem?”
Zack didn’t answer. Instead he ran a hand through his hair and walked over to one of Levi’s workbenches and picked up a set of tiny screwdrivers. “How do you even hold these things? They’re so little.”
“Practice. Give. What’s the problem?”
“You’ll think it’s stupid.”
“Yeah, so?” Deciding he might as well get comfortable, Levi sat down.
“I feel old. Val is so freaking young and she has all these new ideas and I feel—”
“Useless?”
Zack shrugged. “Yeah, maybe.”
“Zack, the airport is yours. It wouldn’t exist, at least not in its current incarnation without you. Relax. Maybe some of her ideas are worth trying.”
“That’s what I’m afraid of,” Zack said heavily.
“When are your babies due?”
“What does that have to do with anything?”
“When?”
“January. Why?”
“I think you’re freaking out about the twins and since you can’t admit that to Laurel you’re compensating by freaking out over hiring another manager for the airport.”
“Oh, bullshit. That’s just dumb.”
“Is it? Look, Zack, you went from a single guy with no kids to a married man with two kids and two in the oven in the span of a few months. Any sane person would be a little worried.”
“It’s not because I don’t love all of them.”
“No one said it was.” If there was one thing Levi knew, it was that Zack loved his family. Wife, adopted kids and babies on the way.
“What if I screw up?”
Now they were getting to the heart of the matter. “All parents screw up. Some worse than others.” His mother who deserted her family when he and Asher were little and his old man, who was an abusive, drunk son of a bitch came to mind.
“Ah, shit. Sorry, Levi. I didn’t think about—”
Levi cut him off. “It’s possible to have really fucked-up parents and still turn out okay. So I wouldn’t worry about your imagined failings.”
“Thanks. I hope you’re right.”
“I am,” Levi said firmly.
Someone knocked on the door. “Come in,” Levi called.
Dana poked her head in. “Levi, do you have a minute? Oh, hi, Zack.”
“Hi, Dana. How’s it going? ”
“Good. How are you?” She spoke to Zack but she was looking at Levi. Smiling.
Levi suspected his expression mirrored hers. Smiling because he was thinking about the night before. And the night ahead.
“I can come back if you’re busy.”
“No, no,” Zack said. “I was just leaving.” He gave the two of them a speculative look and left.
“I thought he’d never leave,” Levi said.
“Was it that bad? Is there a problem at the airport?”
“No and no.” He walked over to where she stood. “I wanted him to leave so I could do this.” He pulled her into his arms and kissed her.
Dana returned the kiss with enthusiasm but she pulled away before things got too heated. “Work, remember?”
“You can take a five-minute break, can’t you?”
“Yes. But if you keep kissing me like that I’ll be on break a lot longer than five minutes.”