Chapter 15 Levi
Levi
After showering, I pull my brush through my damp hair before I walk to my study. It’s Thanksgiving, but I’ll only see Kelcie later this afternoon.
Sitting down behind my desk, I turn on my laptop. While I wait, I check my emails on my phone and see one from my agent, checking in with me.
I type out a quick reply, telling him to relax and that I’m halfway done with the book. Just as I set the device down, another email pops up. The subject heading has my eyes narrowing.
One and only warning.
I open the email and stare at the two words.
Leave Verona.
My author email is on my website, and this message can be from anybody, but my initial thought is that it’s from Colby or someone in his family.
Kelcie said Colby is more bark than fight, and this is probably him barking.
Anger simmers in my chest as I read the words again before blocking the sender’s email.
Letting out a sigh, I roll my shoulders, then opening my manuscript, I read the last piece I wrote and get to work.
The words struggle to come, and after trying for an hour, I lean back in my chair and glare at my laptop.
Lick lifts her head and wags her tail.
I quickly save the little work I’ve managed to get done and shut my laptop. When I climb to my feet, Lick darts up and pads to the kitchen, impatiently waiting by the door for me to open it.
I let her out, and noticing the snowflakes floating to the ground, I take the steps down to the backyard. Holding out my hand, I catch one in my palm and watch as it melts.
It feels like a forewarning. Kelcie is fragile like this snowflake, and being with me might lead to her getting hurt in such a way that she can’t come back from it.
What if she somehow finds out I watched her like a creep for a year?
What if she learns I bought this house because it was next door to her?
What if . . . What if . . . What if . . .
So much can go wrong, and if the worst happens and she realizes who I am and what I’ve done, I know it will kill whatever love she feels for me.
She’ll hate me.
I hear Kelcie’s back door squeak as it opens, and turning my head, I see her dart out into the yard and twirl in a circle with her hands in the air. Laughter bubbles from her, the sound making a sad smile tug at my mouth.
Just thinking about losing her has unbearable pain ripping through my heart.
I want to steal her away from the world. Carry her off to our little farm, where she can milk cows and do whatever she desires.
I want to give her the whole goddamn world.
Kelcie quickly jogs back to lock the door, then her laughter fills the air again as she runs toward me. Her happiness is so bright that it shines from her, making the shadows around me retreat.
I open my arms as Kelcie launches herself at me, and when I catch her, I hug her as tight as I can while she hooks her legs around me.
I walk into my house and wait for Lick to follow before I shut the door behind us. Heading to the living room, I sit down on one of the couches, and Kelcie adjusts her legs as she straddles me.
“First snow,” she whispers. “Make a wish.”
I wish Kelcie will never leave me and we’ll be happy together forever.
Lifting my arm, I brush the tips of my fingers over her temple and cheek. I revel in how soft her skin is while I memorize every inch of her face.
I notice a scar beneath her left eye, and when she realizes what I’m looking at, her smile fades.
“I got it during the . . .” She swallows hard but finds the strength to push through. “During the attack.”
Keeping quiet, I wait to see if she wants to tell me more.
She finds a spot on my chest that she stares at, then she asks, “Memory for a memory?” When I nod, she says, “You go first.”
My teeth tug at my bottom lip while I think of something to share. Wanting Kelcie to open up to me about the attack, I decide to share one of my worst memories.
I clear my throat, and taking hold of her hand, I link our fingers.
“There’s a reason I’m antisocial.” I suck in a fortifying breath before continuing, “My parents, if you can call them that, would take my half brother out for fun days. They’d spend all week talking about their plans.
Going to the zoo. Camping. A day at a water park.
They would get all excited while I was consumed with dread.
” I shake my head and glance down at our joined hands.
“I never got to go with them. Instead, they would lock me in the guest restroom while they were out having fun. I suppose I should be thankful I at least had access to water.” A bitter chuckle escapes, then I have to shut my eyes as the memories flash through my mind.
Slamming my fist against the door until my skin turned purple and blue.
Crying until I passed out from exhaustion.
The loneliness.
Fuck, the horrible feeling of being abandoned.
Kelcie rubs her free hand up and down my chest, drawing me out of my thoughts. I look at her again, and seeing the tears shimmering in her eyes, I shake my head. “Hearing my memories isn’t doing you any good.”
“This isn’t about me.” Her hand moves up to cup my jaw. “It’s about you, Levi. Maybe if you share your trauma, I can help you bear the weight.”
Our gazes lock as I realize the memory-for-a-memory deal isn’t for Kelcie’s benefit. All this time, she’s been doing it for me.
For once, someone is putting me first, and I can’t describe how it makes me feel.
“Tell me more,” she encourages me to continue.
My eyebrows pull together. “One Christmas Eve, they left me locked in the restroom for four days. I think they went skiing. There was a blizzard on the third night. It sounded like the house was going to cave in on top of me from the strong winds. Then the power and heat went out. I was wearing a pair of shorts and a T-shirt, so they didn’t do much to keep me warm. ”
“Oh my God, Levi,” she whispers, horrified.
I remember how helpless and cold I felt.
When my chest begins to rise faster and my breaths become shallow, Kelcie frames my jaw and locks eyes with me.
“Focus on your breaths and count backward with me. Ten . . . nine . . . eight . . . seven . . . six . . . inhale . . . five . . . four . . . three . . . two . . . one . . . exhale . . .” Kelcie keeps going through the exercise with me, and when the claustrophobic sensation subsides, she yanks me into a hug, her palm cradling the back of my head.
She holds me as if I’m the most precious thing to her while cooing, “You’re not in that restroom anymore. You’re here with me, where you’re safe and loved.” She drops kisses on the side of my face. “I want you. You’re important to me. I love you.”
I tilt my head back so I can see her face, and desperately needing to hear the words again, I beg, “Please say that again.”
“I want all of you.” Her features tighten with so much love for me, it bathes me in comforting warmth. “You are the most important person in my life.” My heart squeezes in my chest. “I love you with all of my heart, Levi Graye.”
My chest expands with one emotion after another, filling the space until it feels like it might explode. I feel everything from love to damn near obsession when it comes to Kelcie.
Then there’s a moment when I wonder if this is even real. Am I dreaming? How is it possible that this beautiful creature is here with me?
To make sure this is not a dream, I press my palm to Kelcie’s cheek, then to the side of her neck, before settling it over her heart. I feel every beat, and shaking my head, my tone sounds incredulous as I ask, “How can someone as amazing as you love someone like me?”
The corners of her mouth tip up in a tender smile. “Loving you is as easy as breathing.”
Her words patch the cracks in my soul, and I know this is one of those moments I’ll think back on when I’m lying on my deathbed.
This moment is what makes life worth living.
With my eyes imprisoned by hers, my voice is hoarse as I say, “I always believed I wasn’t capable of loving another person.
” I move my hand up to the side of her neck and brush my thumb over her jaw.
“But you showed me how wrong I was.” I pull her closer until I can press my forehead to hers.
“I love you, Kelcie.” My eyes drift closed as the intensity of my emotions for her overwhelms me.
“You own every inch of my heart.” I press a kiss to her mouth.
“Only you.” My lips nip at hers again. “You’re everything to me. ”
I take her in a crushing kiss filled with desperation to show her just how much she means to me.
Kelcie’s hands move into my hair, then down to my chest, before going back up to find my hair again. It’s like she can’t get enough of touching me.
Breaking the kiss, I grab the back of my collar and rip the shirt over my head.
My woman’s eyes zero in on my chest like a heat-seeking missile, her pupils dilating with desire, and not even a second later, her palms and fingers explore every inch of my tattoo.
“So beautiful,” she whispers, looking at me as if I’m a work of art.
The tip of her pointer finger traces the scars she can feel beneath the ink, and her eyes dart up to mine, asking the silent question.
“My mother was ironing clothes when my half brother tugged at the cord. It fell and missed him by mere inches. My stepfather grabbed the iron and pressed it to my chest to show me how badly his son could’ve been hurt.”
“Jesus,” Kelcie whimpers. “And your mother did nothing?”
“She never tried to stop him. My stepfather gave her everything she wanted, and letting him abuse me was the price she was willing to pay for her comfortable life.”
Kelcie’s face crumples with heartbreak. “I’m so sorry, Levi.”
Shaking my head, I say, “It wasn’t your fault or doing.”
“I know, but someone has to say the words to you.” She closes the distance between us and gives me a soft kiss before she begins dropping them all over my neck and chest.
Her kisses and touches turn sensual, and it has me hardening beneath her. The instant she feels me, she presses down on me, and her hips swivel.
Jesus.
Pushing my hands through her hair, I grip fistfuls of the silky strands and pull her head back. Her lips are parted and her eyes hooded from desire, making her look fucking sexy.
With our gazes locked on each other, I thrust up, and we both groan at how good it feels. I do it again, and our breaths burst over our lips.
“Levi.”
Kelcie makes my name sound like a desperate prayer, and it has me yanking her against me while I crush my mouth to hers. I kiss her with every ounce of need I’ve ever had to be loved. I greedily take whatever she’s willing to give me.
Her hips begin to move at a steady pace, and as she presses down on me, I keep thrusting up.
Her palms frantically brush all over my chest, and when she begins to rub herself faster against my cock, she grabs hold of my neck and lets out a needy sound.
Pulling one hand away from her hair, I find the swell of her breast. Getting to touch her so intimately while we grind against each other has me losing my mind.
Breaking the kiss, I yank at her shirt and roughly rip it over her head before tossing it God knows where. I shove the lace of her bra down, and getting my first look at her breasts, I almost come right then and there.
I stop thrusting, but Kelcie keeps moving, pushing me dangerously close to the edge.
My palm covers her breast while I bring my other hand down to feast on all her silky skin that’s on display for me.
“Fuck,” I hiss, sweat breaking out all over my body.
I thrust harder, and Kelcie rides me as if her life depends on it, our movements turning choppy.
Even though I know the pleasure has been building, I’m totally caught off guard when ecstasy rips through me. It’s unlike anything I’ve ever felt.
My arms shoot around Kelcie, and I squash her to me while I bury my face against her neck. I come so fucking hard, my vision goes spotty, and it rips a growl from my chest.
My body jerks as I empty myself in my goddamn jeans, and I lose all sense of time.
As the pleasure begins to ebb away, my senses return one after the other.
Finally, I’m able to lift my head, and I’m met with a proud grin on Kelcie’s face. “It looked like you really enjoyed that.”
“You have no fucking idea,” I say while trying to catch my breath.
Then I realize, I held her so tight she couldn’t reach her own release because I stopped her from moving.
In a single move, I get up, turn us, and lay Kelcie down on the couch. It’s only then I see the long surgical scar down the middle of her chest.
As I bring my fingers to the swollen skin, I notice I’m slightly trembling.
“It’s an eyesore,” Kelcie whispers.
I shake my head hard. “Don’t ever say that again.” I lean down and caress her scar with my lips. “There’s not an inch of you that’s not beautiful.”
My mouth finds her nipples, taking turns to lavish each one with attention while I undo the button on her jeans and pull down her zipper.
I press kisses over her stomach before I tug the fabric off her legs. Pushing her knees apart, I look down at where she’s wet for me, and for the first time ever, I’m filled with hunger to taste a woman down there.
Grabbing hold of Kelcie’s right thigh, I pull her leg over my shoulder as I duck down to swipe my tongue over her.
One taste is all it takes. I’m instantly addicted.
Unable to get enough of her, I lick and suck, drinking every drop of arousal she gives me.
So fucking incredible.
“Levi,” Kelcie cries, her fingers gripping my hair as she holds on for dear life. “Oh God. Please. Please. Please.”
Moving one of my hands to between her thighs, I push my middle finger inside her tight warmth and groan against her clit.
Kelcie arches and tilts her head back, and a second later, I feel her inner walls grip the fuck out of my finger as she comes.
My woman unravels fast, her body shaking from the pleasure I’m giving her, and it fills my chest with pride and satisfaction.
I lap up all of her arousal until she comes down from her high, then I crawl up her body, kissing every inch of skin I can until I reach her mouth.
Lying down on top of Kelcie, I rest my forearms on either side of her face and take my sweet time kissing her.
When I eventually lift my head, there’s a dreamy look in her eyes.
“Happy Thanksgiving,” I say.
She nods while chuckling, a beautiful smile splitting over her face. “I have a lot I’m thankful for right now. Best orgasm of my life. Watching you come. You on top of me. The list is endless.”
Lowering my head, I kiss her again, and we lose track of time until Lick nudges her snout against our shoulders to get us to let her out.