Chapter 18 Levi
Levi
Today was apparently the most important day on Earth: Delilah Chase’s thirtieth birthday.
I wholeheartedly disagreed, since my wedding day was clearly the most important. But when I opened my mouth to say that, she sprayed me in the face with a can of neon pink silly string that I was still picking out of my hair.
With babysitters arranged for the kids, everyone was here to join in on the fun.
And even though it was her birthday, Delilah had planned a lot for us.
There was a shotgunning contest, which I had shockingly won—a skill I’d credit my frat days at Harvard for.
And after that, she started force-feeding us shots, so we were all already a little buzzed by the time we got onto the party bus to go to the Bull Pen.
Tess was all giggly and sweet beside me on the bus, her eyes glossy with liquor, and she was in the most provocative outfit I’d ever seen her in. Delilah’s doing, naturally. She had gotten all the girls crop tops with insane things written on them and handed them out right before we left.
Brittany’s said, ‘Save a horse, ride a mustache,’ and Colt immediately laid down like a human welcome mat.
Savannah’s shirt said, ‘Cowboy pillows,’ which Weston took as an invitation to bury his face in her chest. Claire’s shirt said, ‘Bark for me,’ so Beau chased her around the ranch, barking like a dog until we were all crying with laughter. ’
But Tess’s shirt…when I saw it, dear God, I nearly got hard in front of everyone.
It was so tight it looked painted on, and in big, bold, red letters across her chest, ‘I look better bent over.’ To top it off, she was in a scrap of fabric that could barely be called a mini skirt and heels that made her legs look like they went on for days.
I look better bent over. Those five words had been taunting me all night.
We’d fooled around every chance we got this past week, doing everything but sex, and I felt like I was dying for it.
And the way she kept touching me and petting me now made me wonder if she was, too, and was just afraid to make the first move.
We pulled up to the Bull Pen, and it was packed. The music was so loud it sounded like it was trying to bust through the walls. Tess stayed close, her hand firmly clasped in mine as we walked inside. She was less jumpy now, but crowds still had her on edge, so I was happy to let her cling to me.
“To the bar!” Delilah yelled, grinning wide.
Her hot pink cowgirl hat was sparkling under the lights.
It was one of those ridiculous things with rhinestone fringe and feathers that women wore to their bachelorette parties.
Her shirt was surprisingly tame and said, ‘Buy me a drink, it’s my birthday.
’ Tess took both my hands, wrapping them around her while we followed the birthday girl turned drill sergeant.
“I’ve got a bad feeling about this,” Emmett said next to me, his eyes on Delilah leaning across the bar, ordering who knew what. “We’re all gonna have alcohol poisoning by the end of the night.”
She started passing back shot glasses of what smelled like Fireball. I kept one arm wrapped around Tess. “It’ll be fine,” I assured him and handed him the shot glass, tapping it with mine. “Drink up.”
He let out a sound of disgust, and we tossed them back. He grimaced, and I coughed. “This tastes like high school parties.”
“Think that’s the point,” I laughed, my chest warm and fuzzy.
Tess turned around, looking like Luke in the ice cream shop.
“This is so much fun!” she screamed loud enough to burst my eardrum, jumping up and down.
I smiled, pulling her against me. She tasted like cinnamon liquor and joy.
Her fingers curled in my shirt, like I was the only thing keeping her upright, her kiss sloppy and raw and perfect.
“That’s fun, too,” she said, breathless. And I couldn’t agree more.
“Can you kiss my sister somewhere else?” Emmett grumbled.
“I’ll kiss him wherever I want,” Tess said with a snarky defiance that made me want to drag her out back home.
Emmett said, “Gross,” while grimacing, and walked deeper into the crowd to probably sulk.
The night went by in a blur of drinks, dancing, and laughter. That spare cog feeling nowhere to be found. Maybe Beau had been right, and I did belong with them this whole time; I just hadn’t realized it until now.
A few of us were gathered around Whiplash, the mechanical bull, watching Weston relive his glory days even though it’d only been a month since he retired.
Tess tugged on my arm, pulling me down to her. “I’m going to pee with Claire,” she said in my ear.
“Want me to come with you?” She shook her head and kissed me quickly before running off before I could say anything else.
I watched her walk away, her arm linked with her sister.
A few guys barked at them because of Claire’s shirt, and I almost went over there until they started laughing.
Beau came next to me, resting his arms over the railing to the mechanical bull pen.
“So you two together now?” he asked, taking a long pull from his beer.
“Yeah,” I said, smiling. “I guess I’m dating my wife.” Both of us started laughing at how ridiculous it sounded.
“You tell her how you feel yet?”
My smile faded, and I watched Weston get slung around like a rag doll. “No. I almost did last weekend, but”—I let out a sigh—“I don’t know…I panicked.”
“Do you think she doesn’t feel the same or somethin’?”
“I think she’s getting there,” was all I could say, not really knowing where she stood.
I knew Tess felt something more than just attraction for me.
That much was obvious; I just wasn’t sure if it was love.
I hoped it was, but I was nervous about what would happen if I told her I loved her and she wasn’t there yet.
But I didn’t know how much longer I could hold it in.
“Get off me, you asshole!” Beau and I turned on high alert, but relaxed when we saw Emmett prying a drunk Delilah off Whiplash.
“You’re wasted, Delilah,” he snapped, muscles straining as he lifted her in the air. “You’ll get hurt.”
She squirmed her way out of his grasp. “Yeah, well, I’m not a fucking quitter like you,” she hissed, pointing her finger in his face. He stopped short, looking like she’d slapped him. I glanced at Beau, and he looked just as confused as me.
Emmett wrenched his jaw, that stunned look gone, and slung her over his shoulder like she weighed nothing. A few Pixy Sticks fell out of her shirt. Unexpected, but not surprising, considering it was Delilah.
“Oh, look! There’s the stick up your ass, you buzzkill,” she growled.
“Wouldn’t have to be a buzzkill if you’d learn to pace yourself like a goddamn adult,” he said through clenched teeth, storming out of the pen. She raged against him, beating against his back, but he didn’t let her go.
“You good?” Beau asked him as he walked past us.
“Yeah,” he adjusted his grip on her. “Gonna take her to get some air.” He stopped at the bar for some water before going outside. I should get some water for Tess when she comes back.
I frowned. She had been gone for a while, now that I thought about it.
I straightened, looking down the hall towards the bathroom.
My heart stopped, red clouding my vision when I saw a guy crowding her in a corner, Claire nowhere to be found.
The music faded to nothing, drowned out by the instant rage coursing through me.
My drink fell to the ground, and I bolted towards them, my body on autopilot.
I bulldozed my way down the hall, shoving people out of my way.
Tess buried herself further into the corner, her chin quivering when he reached out and touched her hair.
I ripped the guy away from her, pinning him to the wall by his throat with my forearm. “Get the fuck off my wife,” I growled, applying pressure.
“Shit, man, I didn’t know!” he coughed out.
I pressed down harder, and he gripped my arm, his eyes widening. “It doesn’t fucking matter. You don’t touch a woman unless she asks you to.”
“S-Sorry,” he choked.
My upper lip curled in disgust. As if he thought that single word could undo terrifying Tess. My sweet, soft, tenderhearted Tess. I wanted to kill him. I leaned in. “Don’t apologize to me, apologize to her. And you better fucking mean it.”
He turned as much as he could, looking down at Tess. “I’m sorry.” The words shook as he spoke them.
I let him go, and he wheezed before I shoved him away from her. “Now get the hell out of my sight before I change my mind.”
He stumbled away from us, holding his throat, and it wasn’t until he disappeared in the crowd that I turned to Tess. I cradled her face, looking her over. “Are you okay?” She clasped my wrists, running her shaking hands along my arms, and nodded. “Are you sure? We can go home.”
Tess looked around before she took my hand and pulled me into one of the bathrooms. “Wha—” I was silenced by her mouth, her kiss searing like a brand on my heart.
My mind lagged for a second before I fell into it, kissing her back.
She shoved me up against the door, my back meeting it with a harsh thud.
My fingers found their way into her hair, and I tugged on it gently the way she liked, kissing down her slender neck.
Her sweet moan rang in the small space, her grip on my arms tightening.
“Levi,” she panted, looking up at me with desire-ridden eyes. I ached at the sight of her. She reached behind me, our eyes locked, and turned the lock on the door with a deafening click that sent my heart racing. She backed away from me slowly, her bottom lip between her teeth. “I want you.”
I blinked quickly, not sure I heard right. “What?”
“I want you,” she said again, bracing against the sink.