Ada #3
“It was just supposed to be one night,” I answer softly, knowing there is no way I can even begin to explain all my hang-ups for him. “It was never supposed to be more than that.”
“I guess I just felt like…” His brows knit together for a moment, his hand stilling as the tattoo gun buzzes aimlessly in the air before he finally shakes the thought away, saying instead, “It doesn’t matter. You didn’t owe me anything, I guess.”
“I didn’t mean to hurt you,” I tell him truthfully.
He glances up at me for only a moment, then he just shrugs, and once again, for reasons that don’t make any sense—the nonchalance of it all makes me wither a little.
“I was actually at that exhibition too,” he tells me.
“Really?”
“Mm-hmm. Small world, I guess.”
“Wasn’t it amazing though?”
“Eh.” He shrugs one shoulder. “It was okay.”
“Okay?” I scoff. “He’s a modern-day de Kooning.”
Now it’s Levi blinking back at me. “Really.”
“I think so,” I say earnestly.
He’s quiet for another beat, and then, “You must really like him.”
“Love him,” I answer. “I wish he wasn’t so secretive. I’d love to meet him eventually.”
“Who knows,” Levi says quietly, returning his eyes to his work as I feel another sharp pain at my hip. “Maybe you will.”
He works silently for another minute or more, then wipes at my hip with the wet paper towel, the cool material soothing against my aching skin. “I think that just about does it,” he tells me. “Wanna take a look?”
I nod at him even as I push up from the table, swinging my legs over the side and standing in front of the wide mirror he has hanging on the opposite wall. I smile at the little black and gray easel resting against my hip bone, touching my fingers to it gently.
“It’s so cute,” I say.
“Yeah,” Levi agrees. “Cute.”
My eyes flick up in the mirror to meet his, but I notice he isn’t even looking at my tattoo—he’s looking at my face. The realization makes my cheeks heat in a blush, and I clear my throat as I quickly drop the edge of my shirt, covering my bare skin.
“It’s great,” I tell him. “Exactly what I wanted.”
“My pleasure,” he answers, his voice a pleasant hum.
I don’t know what to say now; I’ve been battling his intense eyes and his enticing scent for the better part of half an hour now, and suddenly the idea of losing that makes me strangely…
wistful. It forces me to remember how hard it was to leave him sleeping peacefully in his bed that first time.
So hard, in fact, that leaving him again now makes me feel… strange.
“Well, I’d better find Grace,” I say. “I’m sure she’s wondering where I—”
My voice breaks off when Levi’s large hand circles my wrist, stopping me from turning toward the door. I stare down at where he’s touching me as my heart rate picks up, not from fear, I realize, which is surprising, but from a strange sense of anticipation.
Levi drops my hand almost immediately, like he hadn’t meant to grab me in the first place.
“Sorry,” he says. “I didn’t—That is—”
“Yeah?”
His lips press together as he shuffles his weight from one foot to the other. “Do you still not date?”
My brows shoot up; I’m taken aback by the question. “What?”
“You said back then that you don’t date,” he clarifies. “What would you say if I asked you out now?”
“I…” A fluttering sensation erupts in my chest as my pulse quickens even further, and I can’t help the way my eyes greedily drink him in, from his midnight hair to the little tattoos on his fingers, which are now clenching at his sides. “I would say I still don’t date,” I answer honestly.
Levi looks out of sorts for only a second, schooling his features into something more neutral before I can even blink. “I see.” He nods, his eyes flicking to the floor before they move back up to meet mine. “I guess it’s a good thing I didn’t ask then.”
“Good thing,” I breathe. “Yeah.”
He just stands there for a moment, his chest rising and falling with a heavy exhale that he blows out through his mouth. “Well. Grace should be down the hall to the right. That’s Felicia’s room. She can handle payment out front when you guys are done.”
“Sure,” I say softly.
“I’ll see you around, Ada.”
I nod back at him before quickly scurrying from the room, recognizing how hard it is not to look back at him when I go.
I’ve never had that sort of reaction to a man like I do Levi, alpha or no.
Well…not for a long time, at least. The reminder of why that is only strengthens my resolve and my answer, because no matter how much Levi might make my stomach flutter, no matter how perfect the night we had together was, he’s still the one thing I’ve sworn off of, the one thing I can never allow myself to want ever again.
None of those reassurances stop me from thinking about the way his face fell for a split second when I told him I don’t date, just like I know they won’t keep me from thinking about him long after I’ve gone home tonight.
It’s just hormones, I tell myself. It’s just because of what you both are.
I tell myself this the rest of the night.
It doesn’t really help much.