To my sister Casey. Your strength, determination and perseverance are inspiring. You’re my best friend—my hero. The battle you fought was long and hard, but you fought it with a quiet graceful beauty and you survived. Thank you for everything that you have done to help me tell Laney’s story. I love you.
“LEVI?” HER SOFT VOICE rings through the bar, effectively kicking my heart rate up a couple hundred notches, and I take a deep breath. This is what she does to me. When she’s around, my entire universe shifts and I know—I know—that this woman is it for me.
“Coming.” I rush to light the last of the candles, taking a quick inventory to make sure I didn’t forget anything. I’ve known for several months that Laney is different . . . special. But the other night when her warm body was curled up in my arms, head tucked under my chin, I realized just how perfectly she fits. And not just with me, but into my life.
A loud thud followed by a faint “shit” catches my attention and I run across the patio, through the door, toward the dining room. “You okay in here?”
Laney is bent over, rubbing her knee. She lifts her head and her dark hair slides away from her face, putting her hazel eyes—the eyes that I love—on display. Her nose crinkles and she cocks her head. “Why is it so dark in here? You know I’m afraid of the dark.” I laugh, bending down to inspect her knee. “Are you laughing at me, Mr. Beckford?” I glance up in time to see a sly grin split her face and I return it before focusing my attention back on the bruise that is now marring her flawless skin. Leaning forward, my lips graze her knee and she sighs, threading her delicate fingers through my hair. “When you act all sweet like this, it’s hard to be mad at you for laughing at me.”
I look up and she places a soft kiss against my lips. “I have a surprise for you,” I whisper, pulling away, knowing good and well what her sweet, innocent kisses can turn into. Sliding a hand along her back, the other under her knees, I lift her off the ground and she squeals, wrapping her arms around my shoulders. Burying her face in my neck, she starts peppering kisses along my jaw.
“I love surprises.” Her voice is low and sexy as shit, and if she says one more word, I’m certain we won’t make it out to the patio. Soft lips encircle my earlobe and she nips it playfully then sucks the sensitive flesh into her mouth. I swat her ass and she moans, the vibrations sending a rush of blood straight to my dick. Fuck . . . the things this woman does to me.
Stopping in front of the patio doors, I lower her to her feet. “Close your eyes.” Her gaze snaps to mine and her eyes widen with excitement before she slaps a hand over her eyes. Gripping her free hand in mine, I gently lead her across the threshold into the warm summer air.
I couldn’t have asked for a better night to do this. My dad closed Flame for the weekend to celebrate my cousin’s wedding so we have the entire restaurant to ourselves, and the weather is absolutely perfect. I blow out a slow breath, hoping that this perfect night gets a little bit more perfect when I tell Laney just how much she means to me. “Open your eyes.”
She smiles wide, her sparkling white teeth lighting up her face. Her hand remains locked across her eyes and I can’t help but laugh. “Laney.” I tug at her arm, but she doesn’t budge. “You can look now.”
“Wait,” she laughs, pushing me away with her free hand. “I’m prolonging the moment. I haven’t had a surprise since I was seven years old and my mom bought me a Cabbage Patch doll for my birthday.” Laney’s smile falters and something inside of me clenches. Laney doesn’t have a lot of memories of her mom, and she has even fewer good memories of her dad. “It wasn’t even new.” I stood there, my hands hovering at my sides, at a complete loss for words. “I think she got it from a garage sale, but I didn’t care . . . I loved that doll.”
Stepping toward her, I lace my fingers around the back of her neck, drawing her to me. “Laney, I didn’t—”
“No.” She buries her covered face in my chest and takes a deep breath. “It’s okay. I’m sorry I got carried away. I’m just really excited for your surprise, even if it’s nothing . . . I’m not saying it’s nothing, but if it was, I’d still be just as excited.” She pauses, pulling away from me. “Wait. That didn’t come out right.”
My hand glides down her back and I pull her to my chest. I want to spend the rest of my life making her happy. Logically, I know it’s way too early to talk about marriage, what with the both of us still in college, but the thought lingers in the back of my head. “I know what you meant.” She nods and I kiss the top of her head. “I’m going to give you lots of surprises, Laney.” She nods again. “I’m going to spoil you rotten. I promise, one of these days you’ll be sick of surprises.”
She lifts her face as though she is looking for a kiss, but her hand is still covering her eyes and she isn’t anywhere close to my mouth. I grin. She looks so damn cute with her pouty pink lips puckered and ready. “Where’s your mouth?” she huffs, lifting up on her toes. “Levi?” Slipping my arm under her butt, I lift her up and she instinctively wraps her legs around my waist. Gripping the back of her head in my palm, I guide her smiling face toward mine and her lips part, granting me access. Our tongues collide, sliding and pushing against one another. Kissing Laney is like getting a taste of heaven. If she’d let me, I’d probably spend most of my days walking around with my lips connected to her in some way, shape, or form.
“Can I have my surprise now?” she mumbles against my mouth, biting at my bottom lip. I groan and she smiles against my mouth, knowing good and well what she’s doing to me. “Did that turn you on?” She waggles her eyebrows above her hand, her knowing smile completely infecti
ous. If her eyes were open, I’d adamantly deny any such thing. But they’re closed so I smile back, loving this playful side of her.
“Nope.”
“No?”
“Not even a little.”
She tries to pull back, but my arms lock around her middle and she giggles. The most perfect sound in the entire world. “I don’t believe you.” She wiggles her free hand between us until she finds the swollen bulge busting at the zipper of my jeans, causing her to burst into full-on laughter. “I knew it. I knew it. Good God, you’re easy.” I have no comeback because she’s right. This girl can fucking breathe on me and I’ll get hard.
“What do you expect? You’re fucking gorgeous.” I run my nose up the side of her neck and back down. Her laughing morphs to giggling and she scrunches up her shoulders when I suck on the spot just below her ear. How easily she forgets that I know how to make her squirm too. “What’s a man supposed to do? You’ve got these perfect tits rubbing all up on me.” My hand roams up her side, my fingers grazing the outside of her breast. She’s no longer laughing . . . or giggling. I inch my hand up a little bit higher, tangling my fingers in her hair. Wrapping her dark waves around my hand, I give a firm tug and her head tilts back, a small whimper falling from her lips. But I know my girl and that was not a whimper of pain. I just turned the fucking tables.
“Did you like that, Lane?”
“Mmm-hmm.” My cock throbs at the sight of her, skirt bunched up around her hips and neck stretched, begging for my mouth.
“You look turned on, Lane. How turned on are you?” My nose slides down her neck until my lips hit the swell of her breast, and her breath hitches.
“A five. I’m a five,” she says breathlessly. Bullshit, she’s a five. Letting go of her hair, I slip my fingers in the top of her shirt, yanking it down. Laney’s breast pops free, her nipple tightening when it meets the warm breeze. My mouth waters at the sight and I lean down to suck her sensitive bud into my mouth. My tongue swirls and my teeth nip, and within seconds she is writhing against me.
“A five, huh?” I blow on her wet nipple and she moans.
“I hate you,” she pants. “A ten. I’m a ten.” Her eyes flutter, but I’m not quite done with her yet.
“Did I tell you to open your eyes?” I swat her ass and she grinds into me, shaking her head furiously. “You haven’t seen your surprise yet. Do you want your surprise?” She squeezes her eyes shut and nods.
“Is it you? Can I have you?” Her words slam into me and suddenly our little game is so much more. “I just want you.” That last part sounded more like a plea and my throat constricts. I can’t wait any longer. I need to tell her . . . she needs to know.
I push down on her hip, and she reluctantly untangles her legs and slides to the ground. I fix her shirt and attempt to adjust her bra. She laughs at my awkward movements and reaches up with her free hand to help. When her clothes are righted, I entwine our fingers, bringing her hand up to my mouth.
“You have me, Lane.” I kiss her knuckles and she takes a step toward me. “I’m already yours.”
“Levi? There’s something—”
“Wait.” I press a finger to the center of her mouth. “Open your eyes first, Lane.” She obeys and I spin her around. Her mouth drops open on a gasp, her hand flying to her mouth.
“Oh my God.” She turns to look at me, and then back to the patio, then back to me. “Levi,” she sighs. “This is . . . it’s . . . you did all of this?” Her golden eyes glitter under the pale moonlight.
“I wanted to do something special for you. It’s not much, but—”
Laney turns, stepping into me. She grips the collar of my shirt with her manicured hands and pulls my face close to hers. “What do you mean not much?” She glances over her shoulder and my eyes follow, taking in what she’s seeing.
Flame sits on the banks of the Mississippi River and the patio overlooks a wide expanse of rippling water, providing a magnificent view of the Arch riverfront. Lanterns are strung along the railing, emitting a soft, ethereal glow, and a round table is tucked in the corner adorned with her favorite flowers.
Laney’s grip loosens on my shirt and she twists around, taking off toward the table. “You made me dinner?” She lifts the silver cover that’s hiding one of the plates, then quickly replaces it. She turns to me with a brilliant smile. “My favorite.” I nod, watching her reach toward the bouquet of Calla lilies. She pulls one from the bunch and raises it to her nose. Her eyes close and she sniffs, her chest rising and falling on a slow inhale. Her face is the perfect picture of serenity.
This is it . . .
“Laney?” I stand in front of her and she smiles, slowly peeling open her eyelids. My heart is pounding against my ribcage, and if my palms get any sweatier, I’ll be embarrassed to touch her. Come on, Levi, do it. The words are stuck in my throat, threatening to choke the shit out of me if they don’t come out. I rub my hands along my thighs and take a deep breath. “You like the lilies?”
What the hell was that? I was supposed to confess my love, not ask if she likes the damn flowers.
She stuffs the lily back in with the bunch and squeezes my hand. “I love them.” Damn it. I was really hoping she was going to say ‘I love you’ . . . then I wouldn’t have to be the first. Ever so gradually, she lifts herself up and when our lips meet, something stirs inside me. I feel like I’m home. She is my home. She kisses me softly several times, never deepening it. “This is beautiful. It’s wonderful.”
Now would probably be a good time to spit it out . . . get it off my chest. If only I could concentrate—or breathe. I should probably breathe first; that would be good. My lungs fill and I blow out a big breath.