Chapter 11
Lennie
Levi is careful to turn the horse around slightly when he speaks to me from on top of it.
I watch his profile in the sunlight, as the sun starts to go down.
What makes Levi even more beautiful is the fact that he doesn't know just how beautiful he really is.
The way he smiles, the way his eyes smile with the rest of his face.
Tufts of his soft-looking sandy brown curls stick out of the back and sides of his Stetson, while his Adam's Apple bobs up and down as he talks.
Muscles that are lean but prominent enough to get my attention from under his flannel shirt.
Don't even get me started on his perfect ass. The way he wears those jeans, goddamn.
He rides by my side, talking me through how to ride Sprout a little harder, and then I lose myself.
We take off at a soft trot, and I notice that the horses follow each other, almost like they're on auto drive.
Like I don't have to do anything other than hang on.
I can feel my hair blowing in the breeze, bobbing up and down with each step.
The vibrations from the horse's hooves I can feel in my chest. Adrenaline rises in my body, bubbling up into small giggles as we ride even harder, and I find myself in another dimension.
In a place where there is no hurt, no stress, no work, nothing but nature and peace.
It's an incredible feeling. Nothing will ever match it.
Levi directs us to the wooded area, close to where I took that picture the first night I met him.
He looks at me, recognizing it, and it's like I read his mind.
I watch him pull Digger to one tree, hop off, and help me down off Sprout, even though he and I both know that he doesn't have to.
"Show me how you took that amazing photograph. "
"I don't have my camera with me. Just my phone. But I suppose that'll do."
I don't ignore the rush of electricity that hits me when his hand touches mine.
The look in his eyes says that he feels it, too.
But he averts his gaze to the horse. As he ties both horses to a tree, I walk to the exact spot where I took the photo.
When I look behind me, Levi has a blanket, that was tucked into the side of the saddle.
He lays it on the ground, and we both lie on our backs.
"This is the wrong time of day, of course, since I took that one late at night, and the sun isn't poking out that tiny bit, either. But this is how I did it all the same."
I can feel his breath on my cheek as he watches through the screen.
The heat from his body is up against mine, and it's taking everything in me to keep my imagination at bay.
The memories I have conjured up in my mind of him pleasuring me in my dreams are something that are mine and mine only, but they like to inject themselves into my conscious mind again sometimes.
And not always at the best of times, either.
Trying not to squirm, I position the lens right where I had it when I snapped the shot.
"See how the trees are not quite centered?
Just so that the sun can poke through at that angle? "
"Yeah, I see it."
My belly is rumbling with nerves and from the very cheesy lunch I had.
Lying down is making the bubbles stay at bay, but as I sit up, the force pushes one out, and I can never be sure if it's audible, since, well, I can't hear.
Trying to keep a straight face, I scroll back to the photo I took just now, but I can see the change in Levi's expression.
Shit.
He pulls my gaze to his with his finger on my chin. "Did you just fart?"
He's trying to hide a smirk, but his eyes betray him.
I look away, trying to think of a lie, but he brings my gaze back to his. "Well, that's one serious advantage that I never thought of."
My brows wrinkle.
"Y'all will never know if I cut one, unless you smell it." He looks away, shaking his head. "God, what I could get away with."
I play along. "Are you saying that you find it to your advantage that I'm deaf?" The words come out as I slap him.
His shoulders vibrate as he mocks me, rounding his shoulders as he laughs, making like he has to protect himself from me. "You, Levi Paxton, are wicked."
He fans his face, which is all red from laughing. "No, ma'am, I do believe that you are the wicked one here."
I lose it. I start laughing. I'm sure it comes out sounding strange, since that natural reaction is the only thing that can't be taught.
Trisha's and the special school's lessons never taught me how to sound like a hearing person when I laugh, cry or have any sort of emotional reaction.
But Levi laughs with me, as I keep hitting him in the shoulder.
And as I laugh, I'm sure another one creeps out, sending him reeling.
I keep beating on him, as he feigns protecting himself, while we both all but roll around on the blanket, laughing hard enough to split our sides open.
He's mewling, wiping his eyes, as we lay back down on the blanket. "God, I don't believe I've laughed like that in a while."
"Me neither." I've lost track of where my camera is. My head rests on the blanket, but my eyes are facing him, so I don't miss a beat.
He turns to face me and it's dangerous. His eyes search mine. "You know, Lennie, one of the things I really enjoy about you being deaf is that y'all are always paying attention. Most people are bored of me after a sentence or two. Not that I have much to say, anyway."
Nobody has ever said something so sweet to me before.
I feel tears pricking the backs of my eyes, and a lump forming in my throat.
I just smile softly. He sees that my eyes are glossy with unshed tears.
"If things were different, I think that you and I could really be something special together, you know? "
I nod. "We already are something special." I swallow.
He searches my eyes and kisses my forehead. I can feel him mouthing. "Yes we are."
Then he rests his head on his hand, propping it up on his elbow. "So, Lenora, huh."
"Yeah. My daddy's name is Leon and my mama's name is Amora, so they combined the two. Think of how ticked off they were when everyone started calling me Lennie instead."
He chuckles. "I love the name Lenora, actually. It's beautiful."
"Okay, but don't ever call me that."
He laughs out loud.
"I hate Lenora. I only ever sign it on my art pieces because mama and daddy would die if I didn't."
He's still laughing. "I'll remember that." He pulls his face closer to mine and teases me. "Lenora."
I smack him again, and we end up play fighting on the blanket again, laughing and fooling around. When he stops, his eyes are on my lips, and my heart is racing.
God, he's going to kiss me.
God, he's going to kiss me.
Part of me is screaming, and that voice inside my head is Trisha's, chiding me, telling me not to be the other woman.
But before I can pull away, he just rests his forehead on mine and closes his eyes.
He's battling with himself. I throw him a bone.
"We should get back, Levi. I've got a mountain of work to do before Saturday. "
He pulls his head off mine. "Yeah. Me, too. Did you decide what pieces you'll bring?"
"It all depends on what I sell before then."
"Good point."
We get up off the blanket, and before I can stop him, he wraps his arms around me.
I'm reluctant at first. But then I let myself melt into him, letting him envelop my whole body with his.
It feels so good I want to cry. Aside from my daddy, I've never felt anyone so close to me before.
In junior high, I got to dance with a boy, but his hands only touched me just above my waist. There was two inches of space between us.
Levi's chest is against mine, so I can feel his heartbeat.
It causes a rush between my legs and I'm sure that I whimper.
He snuggles his head into mine, nestling himself in there, like we're a perfect fit.
His large hands caress me tenderly, making me feel things I've never felt before.
I'm so turned on but so enthralled, I can't imagine something feeling any better.
He kisses my cheek, sending a shockwave of pleasure down my spine, before he releases me. "Thanks for tonight. I really needed that."
"You're welcome." Is all I can manage. The ride back to the stable, with the constant thumping down below, I feel a very small but thrilling orgasm, and then another one, as my body releases all what Levi awakened in me.
When we arrive back at the stable, my panties are soaked, and I excuse myself to use the washroom.
Piper is still up, insisting that I try her pie.
Levi joins us, having worked up an appetite. "This is delicious."
"It's my mama's recipe."
"My mama’s recipe is nothing compared to this one.” Levi comments.
He winks at me, setting my heart fluttering again.
Every nuance, every expression, everything about this man, it’s just sucking me in.
I have never been so enthralled by anyone in my entire life.
And I’ve only known him for a short while.
It’s scary to think that I’m going to feel like this for the rest of my life, knowing that he can never be mine.
It does give me a slight comfort, knowing that he also seems attached to me, so I believe that he’ll always come around in some capacity. I’ll take what I can get.
“Let me take you for a walk and show you the resort area." Levi offers.
“Sure. That sounds great."