Chapter 7
Chapter Seven
L evi walked inside the fruit stand just as Kasi was closing. As had become their routine, he helped her load the baskets and trays into the truck, then waited while she locked the stand.
Since Keith was using the Lucky Penny Farm’s ancient truck as he continued to chisel away at the list Kasi made them, Levi drove Kasi to the stand right after lunch, helping her open then promising to pick her up at closing time.
Waking up this morning with her nestled in his arms was the best thing he’d ever experienced. After their midnight dinner, they’d crawled into bed and fallen fast asleep. Levi had anticipated a restless night, his body clamoring for things Kasi simply wasn’t physically well enough for. Instead, he’d wrapped his arm around her and drifted off in record time. He was convinced his good night’s sleep was the result of Kasi being exactly where he needed her to be.
Safe and sound in his arms.
Unfortunately, after fourteen hours of deep sleep, Kasi had awoken with the birds, asking to return to the farm. Given the lack of dark circles and the sunny smile of her face, he gave in to her wishes. He’d made some calls yesterday afternoon, arranging for his brothers to cover his daily chores for the next few days because he refused to allow Kasi to relapse.
He was going to owe his brothers a hell of a lot more than pie for their help, but when he’d explained that Kasi had passed out and the family needed help around the farm, they insisted the Millses needed him more than they did, and that they’d keep things running smoothly in the meantime.
His family was the greatest. And the icing on this cake was the fact they all knew and loved Kasi already, given her close friendship with Remi. She’d been a permanent fixture on the farm when she was younger, an honorary Storm for most of her life. He couldn’t wait to change that status from honorary to official…but he suspected Kasi would laugh him out of town if he tried proposing to her after only a few days.
After driving Kasi home, they’d spent the morning together in her kitchen, baking. Then they shared breakfast with her father and Keith.
Levi had been pleased when Kasi insisted on her father joining them at the table. He’d noticed last night how shocked she’d been by Mr. Mills’ willingness to eat dinner downstairs with Remi. Apparently, Kasi had taken it as a sign the man simply needed a push to emerge from his room. While breakfast was a quiet affair, Levi noticed how happy Kasi had been to have her family sitting around the table together.
With the breakfast dishes washed and put away, Levi and Keith sat together going over Kasi’s honey-do list, each taking a couple items apiece to tackle.
While he hadn’t offered to chip in, Mr. Mills sat at the table listening to their plans. Levi had hoped he might want to join them, but as they rose to head outside, Kasi’s father had climbed the stairs, returning to his room.
Levi tried to tell himself that Rome wasn’t built in a day. The fact Mr. Mills had eaten dinner with Remi last night, and breakfast with them this morning, gave him hope that perhaps he was turning a corner on his grief.
“Keith still working on the fences?” Kasi asked as he shut the tailgate of the truck once it was loaded.
Levi nodded. “Yeah. Y’all have a fair amount of fenced property, so I suspect it’ll take him a couple days at least if he needs to do a lot of mending.” Lucky Penny Farm was surrounded by wooden fencing that hadn’t been tended to for a few years at least. As such, there were a lot of broken and fallen boards. It was a big job, and a hard one, so Levi had expected it to fall to him. He’d been pleasantly surprised when Keith offered to take on the hefty chore.
“I’m glad he’s doing it. Mr. Grover’s made more than a few comments about the state of our fence over the past couple of years. Maybe this will get him off our backs.”
Levi scowled. “Never will understand how a family can have so much and still be miserable.” The Grover family had moved to Gracemont over two decades ago, bringing with them a big pile of old money. With it, they’d bought up a huge plot of land and started a farm, where they bred high-quality horses. They were also looking to start a training facility, with hopes that one day a Grover Farms horse would compete in and win one of the Triple Crown races.
“They really are unhappy, aren’t they?” Kasi agreed.
“Yeah. I typically try to give them a wide berth. Of course, it’s not that hard nowadays. Not since I kicked Scottie’s ass. Since then, he’s greatly curtailed his visits to the brewery and winery, only showing up occasionally when we have a special event that he thinks the mayor should attend. As if anybody ever needs to see that blowhard,” he grumbled.
“Remi told me about the ass-whooping right after it happened.” Kasi giggled.
“The asshole was coming on too strong with Lucy. So I punched him in the jaw and threatened to call the sheriff if he didn’t get off our land.”
“I wish I’d been there to see that.”
Levi wrapped his arm around her shoulders. “Not a big fan of the mayor?”
Kasi’s eyes darted away from his briefly. “Not really.”
Levi opened her door, helping her into the truck as she rolled her eyes.
“You know, I’ve been climbing into cars all by myself for twenty years.”
Levi pulled the seat belt over her, snapping it into place. “Yeah. But if you did it on your own, I couldn’t do this.” He gave her a soft kiss, intending for it to be short and sweet. That attempt failed the second his lips touched hers. He’d missed the hell out of her this afternoon, and they’d only been apart five hours. Not even that because he’d snuck down to the stand twice during work breaks to steal a few more kisses.
Kasi’s enthusiastic response to his kisses was what kept him coming back for more. Now that the shock of his newfound devotion was wearing off, she’d stopped fighting this thing between them, accepting his kisses and adding her own heat to them. Her tongue sought out his first, and he felt the edges of her lips tip in a smile when he nipped at it playfully. Her fingers fisted his hair, holding him close to prevent him from stopping. It was a wasted effort. He wasn’t going anywhere.
The kiss lingered long enough that Levi hit a crossroads. Faced with either putting the brakes on or stripping Kasi’s shorts off and taking her right here on the front seat of his truck.
Levi pulled back, forced to adjust his jeans.
Jesus. Ten minutes in his woman’s presence and he was rock-hard, every drop of blood in his body hanging out due south.
Kasi gave him a knowing grin when he straightened and attempted to walk normally—he failed—around the front of the truck.
Once he was in the truck, Levi fired it up and pulled away from the stand. “Hey. I wanted to talk to you about something. I spent the afternoon with Pete and Paul, plowing one of the burned fields, incorporating the cover crop back into the soil. Have you given any thought to what you might want to plant there? There are some good fall crops you could put in if you want to start something now. Carrots, radishes, lettuce, stuff that can survive the first frost.”
Kasi glanced out the passenger window as they drove down the dirt driveway to the farmhouse. “I hadn’t thought about that. Maybe I should ask…” She stopped, biting her lower lip.
“You should ask your dad.” Levi had been around enough the last few days to realize it was time Kasi and her family started to fix what was broken. Keith, while still a sullen son of a bitch, had been staying home more and contributing. Levi was calling that a win because every chore Keith took on was one less for Kasi.
She remained quiet rather than respond to his suggestion. He could tell she’d dismissed it out of hand. Then…he recalled her telling him it was Mrs . Mills who’d had made the major farm decisions. Maybe if she pulled her father in on the decision, he’d start taking an interest in the farm again.
“You should talk to him,” Levi pressed.
Kasi nodded slowly. “I will.” Given the way her gaze was locked on the driveway in front of them, he knew she’d just lied. He was tempted to call her on it and introduce her to those consequences she seemed to like the sound of, but he decided to let it slide.
Not the idea but the lie.
Levi had no intention of helping Kasi maintain the current status quo with her father. Something needed to give. So, he forged on with the other idea he’d come up with while plowing.
“Hey, it’s Theo’s night to cook, which means he’s grilling,” Levi said with a grin. “That’s all he ever does. It can be twenty below zero and the asshole will still fire up the grill.”
“You guys take turns cooking?”
“Yep. With seven of us, that means we each only have to cook one night a week, so it works out well.”
“I can’t imagine cooking for seven grown-ass men,” she said, shooting him a mock horrified expression.
“It’s not that hard once you get the hang of it. Tonight, he’s making hamburgers and hot dogs.”
“That sounds good. I hope you know I don’t expect you to eat with us every night, Levi.”
He frowned, aware she’d missed the point of his conversation. “Kasi—” he started.
“I held back two pies for you this morning,” she continued. “The extra is for Jace, to thank him for fixing the tractor. They’re in the house. If you’ll wait a second, I’ll run in and get them for you before you go home.”
Levi shook his head. “I wasn’t planning to eat without you, Kasi. I’m inviting you, your dad, and Keith to join me and my brothers.”
“Oh.” She frowned. “I’m not sure?—”
“Kasi, it’s time to create a new normal. Because this current one sucks.” Levi pulled up in front of her house and put the truck in park before turning it off. He twisted to look at her.
“I don’t know what you mean,” she lied. She knew exactly what he meant. He could tell by the way she avoided looking him in the eye.
“Things changed after your mother passed away. That’s to be expected, but…” Levi raked a hand through his hair. “It shouldn’t have changed this way.”
He half expected his comment to piss her off, but he noticed her temperament had calmed considerably since her good night’s sleep.
“You’re right,” she agreed. “It shouldn’t have. The problem is, I don’t know how to fix it.”
“With baby steps.”
“I’ve already taken a few of those and they haven’t ended well,” Kasi admitted.
“Meaning?”
“Daddy started sleeping upstairs the day Mama died. He said he couldn’t sleep in their bedroom when the sheets still smelled like her.”
“That room at the end of the hall downstairs. Was that theirs?” Levi had wondered about the closed door, and the fact he’d never seen anyone go in or out of it.
Kasi nodded. “Yeah. I thought eventually Daddy would go back, but it’s the one thing he’s been decidedly strong about. He said he built it for her—her dream bedroom. He put the addition on the house when I was still in elementary school. Whatever Mama asked for, he included. He put in a big bay window that overlooked her flower garden, so in the spring they could sit on the window seat together and watch them bloom, and there was a dressing table with a mirror, just like she’d seen once in a magazine. It’s got an en suite bathroom, too, with double sinks. Mama always raved about the fact there were two sinks. I swear, with the exception of the kitchen, that bedroom was Mama’s happy place.”
“It sounds nice.”
“Yeah. But no one was there to watch the flowers bloom this spring. The door stayed closed, and the room sat empty all the way until May. That’s when I took the first baby step. The bedroom was starting to feel like a shrine, a place we all tiptoed around, careful to avoid, and I… I couldn’t do that anymore. So, I grabbed a bunch of boxes and started packing Mama’s clothes. Then I washed the sheets, opened the windows and aired the room out, trying to breathe new life into it. I hoped maybe with Mama’s things gone, Daddy might…” Her voice quivered.
“You thought if you took out the reminders, he’d move back. He’d get better.”
Whatever sadness Kasi had been fighting was gone, replaced with resignation. Which Levi found worse.
“It didn’t help. I left the door open when I was done, but the next time I walked by, it was closed again. For a few days, I played a game, leaving it open, only to return home to find it shut once more. I thought it was Daddy closing it, but the more I thought about it, the more I started to suspect it was probably Keith.”
“Keith?” Levi asked.
“He caught me loading her clothes into my car to take to Goodwill about a week after I cleaned the room, and he unleashed on me. He was angry that I’d touched her things, that I was getting rid of them. I told him he could go through the boxes and take out anything he wanted. I tried to reassure him that I was only giving away her clothes, but he… Well, he hopped on his motorcycle and sped off. He didn’t come home for three days, and I was scared shitless, worried something horrible had happened to him. I stopped opening the door after that.”
Kasi leaned her head against the headrest, the weariness that had been absent today returning with a vengeance.
Levi was going to have a long, hard talk with her brother. Very, very soon.
“I’m sorry he did that to you. And I’m sorry to ask you to try again, but…”
“You’re asking me to try again,” she said tiredly.
He nodded. “This time, I’ll take the baby step with you. It’s just dinner, Kass.”
“I guess we can invite them, but I doubt they’ll come.”
They got out of the truck and walked into the house together. Keith was in the kitchen, sitting at the table eating an apple and drinking a soda.
“Hey,” Levi said. “Would you be up for having dinner at my place tonight? My brother’s grilling hamburgers.”
Keith’s gaze slid to Kasi. “What about Dad?”
“He’s invited too,” Levi said, answering for her.
Keith smirked. “Tell you what. If Dad goes, I will.”
Levi wanted to call the little punk to task, but it was hard to do that when Kasi was looking just as doubtful. “I’ll be right back.”
Levi left Kasi and Keith in the kitchen and headed upstairs.
Mr. Mills was sitting by the window, looking out at the front yard. Levi wondered if he’d been watching him and Kasi talking in the truck.
“Hey, Mr. Mills,” he said, knocking on the doorframe.
The man turned to face him. “Hello, Levi. You still here?”
Levi supposed that, prior to her death, Mrs. Mills would have added Levi to her honey-do list for her husband, insisting that Mr. Mills pull him aside to ask his intentions regarding their daughter. And she would have been right to do so because he’d been around a hell of a lot the past few days…and he hadn’t brought Kasi home last night.
“Yeah.”
“You been here all day?”
Levi nodded. “Keith and I have been trying to take a chunk out of that list Kasi made us.”
Mr. Mills smiled sadly. “Trina always made lists like that for me.”
“There are still quite a few things on there. We sure could use another pair of hands.”
Mr. Mills didn’t respond, but he also didn’t say no. Levi figured he’d planted the seed, so now he just had to hope it took root.
“Kasi, Keith, and I are doing dinner at my place tonight, and we’d love for you to come along. My brother Theo is cooking.”
Mr. Mills was silent for a few moments. “I’m not sure…” He glanced over his shoulder, back at the yard.
“Just going to be me and my brothers. Theo’s grilling a pile of hamburgers and hot dogs, and I’m sure he sweet-talked my mom into making us a big batch of her potato salad.”
That captured Mr. Mills’ attention. “The kind with the little red potatoes and bacon?”
“Yup,” Levi replied. Looked like food might be just the motivation Mr. Mills needed.
“I do like your mom’s potato salad,” the man admitted. “She always makes it for the annual yard party at the fire station.”
Levi grinned. “Every year she tries to sign up for something different, swearing she can make other things, but the ladies in the auxiliary have a fit, insisting people would stop coming if her potato salad wasn’t there.”
Mr. Mills chuckled. “That was probably Katrina’s doing. She knew it was my favorite. Trina always tried to replicate it, but she never quite got the recipe right.”
Levi noticed the sadness that always seemed present in the older man’s eyes lifted briefly as he recalled the happier memory. It convinced him that he was doing the right thing by pushing the Mills family out of this rut. “She should have asked Mom for the recipe. She would have shared it.”
Mr. Mills shook his head. “Trina liked making a game of it.”
“Kasi’s been working hard around here, so I thought it might be nice to give her the night off from cooking,” Levi added, not above using a bit of manipulation. Because if Mr. Mills refused the invitation, he knew Kasi would too.
“She has,” Mr. Mills murmured. “I guess…I could…”
Levi got the sense Mr. Mills was giving himself some sort of internal pep talk, and it made him wonder when the man had last left the farm.
“It’ll only be an hour or so. We’ll have you back here in time for Jeopardy ,” Levi pressed, pulling out every card in his arsenal of tricks. They’d most likely be longer than an hour, but now that he’d gotten this far, he was determined he wasn’t leaving this room without the man.
Mr. Mills nodded slowly, his words scattered, as if he was struggling to gather his thoughts. “Okay. I…I’ll, um… For Kasi.”
Thank God.
Levi couldn’t wait to see Kasi’s face when he walked downstairs with her father. He waited as Mr. Mills put on his shoes and ran a comb through what little was left of his hair. He probably should have left the man alone to do those things, but he didn’t want to run the risk he would change his mind.
Together, they descended the stairs. Levi got a kick out of Keith and Kasi’s matching looks of sheer astonishment. Unfortunately, Kasi’s faded quickly, turning to something that looked a lot like guilt, which was not Levi’s intention.
“Ready to go?” Levi walked over to wrap his arm around Kasi’s shoulders.
She nodded. “Let me grab the pies.”
“I’ll get them,” he offered, picking one up to hand to Keith, who was still staring at his father like he expected the man to yell, “Psyche!” or something.
Grabbing the second pie, Levi headed for the front door. “We can all ride in my truck, and I’ll bring you back after.”
“It makes more sense for us to take our own car,” Kasi said. “That way you’re not running back and forth.”
Levi grasped her hand. “I was coming back anyway, so I’m driving.”
Kasi gave in, but not with a whole lot of grace. She narrowed her eyes, muttering, “You’re going to have to let me win some of the arguments.”
Levi chuckled. “I’ll keep that in mind.”
The drive to his place was fairly quiet but not awkward as a country station played on the radio, Kasi humming along to the old Dolly Parton song, “Here You Come Again.”
When they arrived, Levi could see the smoke rising from the grill beside the house, Theo wielding his spatula like it was some sort of magic wand.
“Hey!” Theo called out as they walked toward him. “Glad you could join us.” Levi had texted his brother earlier to warn him he was issuing the invitation and to throw on some extra meat.
Mr. Mills and Theo shook hands.
“Great to see you again, Mr. Mills,” Theo said. “We’ve missed seeing you at the brewery. Sam’s about to launch his new pumpkin ale in a couple of weeks, and we were hoping you would come and sample it.”
Mr. and Mrs. Mills used to come to Rain or Shine Brewery once a month for a “date,” both fans of trying the new flavors.
“That sounds good. We’ll… I’ll, um…” It was clear that Mr. Mills recalled who his usual tasting partner was because he paused, blinking a few times, his eyes glistening.
Shit. They hadn’t been here three minutes and it was already falling apart.
Kasi quickly intervened. “We can do a tasting together, Daddy. Maybe for your birthday at the beginning of October.”
“That sounds like a great plan,” Levi added. “We can make a party of it. Throw in a couple of those fire-roasted pizzas my cousin Mila’s famous for.”
Mr. Mills nodded noncommittally, but Levi made a mental note to make sure that happened.
Theo glanced at all of them, obviously regretting his part in making Mr. Mills sad. Then his brother shared a confused look with Levi. He hadn’t gone into a lot of details about Mr. Mills’ mental state when he’d asked his brothers to help cover his chores this week. Instead, he’d simply implied the family had gotten behind after Mrs. Mills’ death.
Fortunately, Theo didn’t let the awkwardness linger. “How do y’all like your hot dogs? The right way, or burned to a crisp like this lunatic?” Theo jerked his head toward Levi.
Keith and Mr. Mills both chose what Theo considered the right way, but Kasi said she was Team Levi when it came to hot dogs, preferring hers burned to a crisp. If he didn’t already know she was perfect for him, that would have sealed the deal.
They stood around as Theo manned the grill, chatting about the weather and the ongoing grape harvest. Several of Levi’s brothers joined them, enjoying the cooler air. Today’s weather was an August unicorn, giving them a break in the ninety-plus-degree days by gracing them with this one, a mild seventy-five. Maverick arrived armed with beers for Kasi and Mr. Mills and a soda for Keith.
Once the food was ready, they piled into the dining room, all of them claiming a seat around the long walnut table. Levi saved Kasi a spot next to him, while Mr. Mills and Keith sat farther down the table, conversing with Sam and Theo, though it was his brothers who were doing the lion’s share of the talking as Mr. Mills listened, nodding a great deal and occasionally adding a comment here and there. Keith had mentally checked out, glancing down at his cellphone, which he’d placed on his lap under the table.
Despite being the only woman at the table, Kasi was at ease with his brothers, which wasn’t surprising considering she’d spent a great deal of time on the farm when she was younger. She and Jace—who was close to her age—started gossiping about kids they’d gone to high school with, reminiscing about pranks they’d pulled on teachers, and the day they’d both played hooky with Remi to go see the premiere of a Star Wars movie.
When Mr. Mills chuckled at something Theo said, Kasi glanced at Levi, flashing him the most beautiful smile he’d ever seen. Unable to resist, he leaned in close, kissing her. It wasn’t a long kiss, but it certainly couldn’t be mistaken as a platonic one when he ran the back of his finger over her cheek as she blushed.
In addition to Mr. Mills’ mental state, Levi hadn’t spoken to his brothers about his feelings for Kasi. Mainly because it had only been a few days, and he’d spent the majority of that time with her. It occurred to him now, as he looked around the table, that his brothers had interpreted his desire to work on Lucky Penny Farm as him being neighborly and helping a family friend in need. That impression was shattered with his kiss, and now he felt the weight of too many eyes on him.
Given the age difference between him and Kasi, and the fact that Levi had never paid much attention to her before this week, he understood his brothers’ expressions. Jace was curious, Maverick confused, and Grayson downright shocked.
Theo, of course, was amused, even going so far as to give Levi a wink.
Once dinner was over and the pie served, Levi and Kasi drifted to the front porch. They’d dawdled over dinner too long, so when Levi suggested they watch Jeopardy here with dessert, rather than miss it, Mr. Mills was quick to agree. Levi got the sense it wasn’t his love for the quiz show that kept him watching it religiously. In some ways, it felt like the man’s tribute to his late wife, or as a way to keep her alive in his heart.
Mr. Mills joined his brothers in the living room to watch as Everett, their resident brainiac, rubbed his hands with glee, bragging he was going to clean the floor with all of them. Trash talking ensued, even though Levi was certain no one would even come close to competing. Everett was a walking encyclopedia, but his brothers were nothing if not competitive. Jace volunteered to be the scorekeeper as they started figuring out how to make a proper game of their viewing, complete with their own set of rules.
Keith, uninterested in watching, opted to take a walk around the farm on his own.
Rather than watch, Levi and Kasi decided to enjoy the night air as they sat together on the front porch swing. He tucked his arm around her as they gently swayed.
“Thank you for tonight, Levi,” Kasi said. “I didn’t think… Daddy looked happy, didn’t he? I’m kind of hoping…” She was struggling to put her thoughts to words, but she didn’t need to. Levi knew what she was thinking. She hadn’t anticipated that her father would be able to hang in there the way he had without relapsing into his sorrow, and while it pleased her, there was a part of her that still didn’t expect it to last.
Kasi leaned toward him, placing her head on his shoulder. Even though she’d gotten plenty of sleep yesterday and last night, he could see she was starting to get tired. This morning, when they were baking, he’d suggested they double all their recipes so that she could take tonight off completely. He’d done so in hopes that she could get a full night’s sleep for once, but it didn’t hurt that it had also freed her up for his invitation to dinner.
“What do your brothers think about us?” she asked softly. Obviously, he hadn’t been the only one tuned into their audience.
“I haven’t had a chance to talk to them, but I’m not worried. They love you, little bear. Always have.”
“Yeah, but that affection is based on the fact I’m Remi’s best friend. They might have different feelings about…this.”
“They won’t, but even if they did, it doesn’t matter. The only person whose feelings I care about are yours.”
She gave him a sideways glance. “You know you’re going to have to give me some time to figure out those feelings, right? You only sprung this caveman side of yours on me four days ago and I’m still not entirely sure what’s going on.”
Levi chuckled. “I’m aware of that. That’s why I’m willing to give you a few more days to catch up.”
“Wow. All of a few days. You are so generous.” Before he could reply, she raised her hand, covering a yawn.
He kissed the top of her head. “As soon as the show is over, I’ll drive you home. You need another early night. No more burning the midnight oil.”
“That sounds nice…in theory. I don’t think I realized how tired I’ve been lately until today, when I felt well-rested.”
The sounds of cheers reached their ears, and Everett’s crowing told them who’d made the most correct guesses.
Everyone drifted to the front porch, laughing. Mr. Mills stepped next to Everett, commenting that it had been like watching the show with his wife. Then the edges of his eyes crinkled, thanks to his wide smile, as he added, “Trina would have given you a run for your money.”
Levi heard Kasi’s soft intake of breath, aware she was waiting for sadness to accompany those words, but her father’s smile held as he thanked them for a wonderful night. Keith rounded the corner just as they were saying their goodbyes, walking straight to the truck and leaning against it with an impatient, bored demeanor. Several of his brothers gave Kasi a hug, the others shaking Mr. Mills’ hand, telling him he was welcome back anytime, then bragging about whose dinner menu for this week would be worth the drive up the mountain.
The trip home was just as quiet as the one to Stormy Weather Farm, everyone pleasantly full and drowsy.
When they arrived back at the farm, Mr. Mills excused himself, proclaiming it was past his bedtime. Keith, who’d apparently hit his limit on spending time with adults, hopped on his motorcycle to go “chill with some buds.”
Levi and Kasi walked to the living room, sinking down on the couch together.
“You planning to come back tomorrow?” she asked.
He nodded, resting his arm along the back of the couch behind her. “Yup,” he said, leaning closer so that his lips were near her ear. He gave her a soft kiss on the cheek.
“You don’t have to, you know,” she said, not for the first time. Kasi was still struggling with accepting his help. “I’m sure you have a million things you need to do on your own farm.”
“In case you didn’t notice tonight, I have a big family. All of whom are happy to cover some of my chores while I help you.”
“Yes, but that’s not fair to them,” she insisted.
“Kasi,” he murmured in her ear.
“Yeah?”
“I’m coming back. My plan is to put a big-ass dent in that list of yours before harvest time really kicks in at the vineyard.”
“It’s too much.”
“It’s not much at all, little bear. So just say thank you and kiss me.”
She turned her head toward his. “Thank you,” she whispered, placing a too-quick kiss on his lips.
Levi had spent most of the night looking forward to spending time alone with her. Now, he had her right where he wanted her. Leaning in, he let go of the reins, taking what he wanted, gripping the back of her neck, showing her how long a good kiss should last.
The best part was, Kasi was right there with him, just as hungry, just as needy as he was.
Their kiss was no gentle thing. There was no slow build-up. Their lips clashed together right at the crescendo, the kiss so overpowering, Levi couldn’t believe the windows weren’t rattling in their sills.
Her hands made their way to his hair as he grasped her waist, needing her closer.
One second, he was sitting beside her; the next, he’d pushed her to her back, caging her beneath him on the couch, kissing her relentlessly, endlessly. It would never be enough for him.
Kasi was the first to break their connection, turning her head to suck in several large gasps of air. Levi didn’t need to breathe, so he put his lips to better use, drawing them down the side of her neck, his tongue teasing the racing pulse point he found there.
Kasi parted her thighs, her legs wrapping around his waist so that his crotch was nestled in her heat, muted only by the denim of her shorts and his jeans. He rocked against her, letting her feel the bulge, letting her know what kind of effect she had on him. Levi loved the soft moans and whimpers coming from her, especially when she started tilting her hips, trying to add more fuel to the fire.
He hadn’t intended to let things go this far. Shit, he hadn’t planned to do more than steal a good night kiss from her.
Now, like always, what Levi expected to happen never materialized the way he envisioned. Because in just four short days, she’d become his obsession, and his desire for her had reached fever pitch.
In. Just. Four. Days.
Kasi turned her face toward him, peppering his cheek and neck with desperate kisses as Levi tried to regain control.
If they didn’t stop now, he wouldn’t be able to pull back, and there was no way he was taking her here on her family’s couch, with her father right upstairs. No, when he took her for the first time, it was going to be somewhere private, where they would be free to yell each other’s names, pound the headboard of the bed against the wall, and squeak the mattress as loudly as they wanted.
And God help him, that time better come really fucking soon.
Kasi tightened her grip in his hair when he tried to push off her.
“Not here,” he murmured. “Not yet. You still have to catch up to me, remember?”
“I’m there,” she panted.
Levi chuckled, reaching up to untangle her fingers from his hair. “Physically, maybe, but I’m talking about emotionally. And uh, locationally.”
Kasi blinked several times, and Levi watched as his words penetrated. Then he saw her gaze dart to the entryway to the living room. They were in plain view of the staircase.
“Oh,” she breathed, blushing. “Oops.”
Levi kissed her cheek. “Yeah. Oops. At thirty-seven, I don’t relish the idea of getting my ass kicked by your dad for defiling his daughter in the family living room.”
Kasi giggled. “Like that would happen. He likes you.” Then she quickly covered her mouth, trying to hide another yawn.
“You need to go to bed. You’re tired, little bear.”
She released a long, slow, very regretful sigh. “I might be tired, but I can assure you, I’m way hornier.”
Levi groaned, his cock unhappy at being denied yet again.
Still…
He sat, pulling Kasi up as well. Then they rose together, Kasi slipping into his arms, while he held her tight.
“Not going to feel right sleeping without you,” he murmured.
She released him, smiling. “You better go before I throw myself at you.”
Levi narrowed his eyes. “You don’t fight fair. Because damn, Kass, I do like the idea of you throwing yourself at me.”
Kasi grasped his hand, tugging him toward the front door. They shared another kiss, and then he forced one foot in front of the other, all the way to his truck.
Kasi remained at the door, waving to him as he pulled away.
Four days in and he was a goner.
She’d captured his heart.
Hook, line, and sinker.