He glances at me and smiles, and if I wasn’t currently annoyed at him for suggesting we ‘knife,’ then I might smile back. “Yeah, knife.” He straightens his body, relaxing his arms at his sides. “Look, we’re already doing it. No need to even move.”
“Knife,” I repeat, exaggerating the word with a slow nod of my head.
“Great, huh? Plus, you’re a hotbox.”
“I’m a hotbox,” I mutter, looking at the TV. Saturday Night Live is on, but I don’t register what’s being said because I’m pissed that my boyfriend wants to ‘knife.’ How the heck do you deny someone who wants to spoon? Most of the time, it leads to sexy times anyway!
Flinging the covers off, I scramble out of bed and hightail it for the bathroom. Unfortunately for me, Levi’s legs are a mile long and he snags my elbow before I’m able to get too far.
“Where the hell do you think you’re going?” He pulls me against him, my back to his chest, and wraps an arm around my stomach. His fingers play with the hem of my underwear as he nuzzles his face into the side of my neck.
“I’m a hotbox, remember?” I push on his arm and try to pull away, but he’s too strong. He chuckles at my pathetic attempt to struggle and tightens his grip on me. I huff out a heavy breath and let my legs and arms go limp, refusing to hold him back.
“I was kidding, baby. Lighten up, it was a joke.”
“Well, I hope you still think it’s a joke when you’re sleeping in this big ol’ bed all by yourself tonight.” I’m trying really hard to stand my ground and keep my voice firm and steady, but his fingers have somehow managed to make their way up the planes of my stomach and are currently stroking the underside of my breast. Christ, his hands are heaven. He places a gentle kiss at the base of my neck and nips lightly with his teeth. A low moan starts deep in my throat, but I push it back down, insistent on standing my ground.
“Come on . . .” He turns me in his arms and moves in to kiss me, but I
turn my head and his lips land on my cheek. I would have much preferred his pouty lips on mine, but the boy needs to be taught a lesson, and that lesson is that when Laney wants to cuddle, you cuddle! He chuckles again, this time sliding his hand down my back and under my panties. He squeezes my ass, his fingers digging into my flesh, and my eyes nearly roll back into my head. “Let’s spoon.”
My hand—on its own accord, because I sure as hell didn’t authorize it—slides up his arm, over his shoulder and cups the back of his neck. Damn it. NO.
“Go fork yourself, Levi,” I snap, making one last attempt at pushing him away. He throws his head back and laughs—a full belly laugh—and that sound alone single-handedly melts every inch of my soul. I love his laugh, and this particular laugh is saved only for me. It’s deep and throaty, and it makes my toes tingle. All of my resolve fades away and I start laughing with him as I wind my arms around his neck. Like an old dance that we’ve done a million times, he lifts and places me in the center of the bed. My eyes linger on his hands, and I watch as he rips off his shirt, pushes his pants and boxers down his thighs, and slowly crawls his way—
“EARTH TO LANEY!”
I shake my head and blink my eyes several times to regain focus. When I do, I find Levi and Tatum at the bar staring at me. Tatum is smiling—apparently, all the girl can do is smile—and Levi is watching me with such intensity that I would almost swear he knew exactly what I’d been thinking about.
With languid movements, I make my way across the bar, never taking my eyes off of Levi. He has a magnetic pull on me that I can’t explain; it’s intense and, at times, overwhelming, but I wouldn’t give it up for the world.
“Let me have your phone.” I stick my hand out, waiting for him to hand it over. Levi narrows his eyes as he digs his phone out of his pocket and hands it over. “Next time you have a message for me, let me know yourself. Don’t have Tatum message me,” I say, making quick work of adding my contact information into his phone before handing it back.
“I didn’t have your number.”
“Well, now you do, so no more excuses.” He cocks an eyebrow, the side of his mouth ticking up in a smile. “So, where are you taking me?” That must be Tatum’s cue because she reaches under the bar and grabs a large brown paper bag that appears to be stuffed.
“Have fun, you two.” Her grin is wide . . . too wide. I scrunch my brows at her, wondering what in the heck she knows that I don’t.
Levi grabs onto my elbow and tugs me forward. “Are you coming?”
“Oh, I’m sure I’ll be coming at some point, but probably not tonight. It’s a little too soon, don’t you think?” Levi stumbles in front of me and I slam into his back. Then he keeps walking right out of the bar and across the parking lot. “Did you trip back there, or did my witty commentary cause you to lose your balance?”
He chuckles, shooting me a quick glance out of the corner of his eye. “Since when are you the witty one out of the two of us?”
“Since I’ve got your panties in a bunch.”
“What?” He laughs, continuing down the path that leads to the riverfront. “Where the hell did that come from?”
I shrug my shoulders, looking down at the sidewalk. “Mason said your panties have been in a bunch since I came home.” I look up to find Levi watching me.
“Is that so?”
I nod emphatically. “Yup. I think you need to pick that wedgie so we can get on with things.”
“Damn, you’re feisty tonight,” he says, stopping in a grassy spot. He looks up at the sky and then takes a few more steps forward. “This’ll do.”
I look up, trying to figure out what he was looking at, but all I see is the top of the Arch and a blanket of brightly lit stars against a black canvas. Street lights are scattered haphazardly along the walking path, but it’s the soft glow of the moon that gives the evening a dreamy feel. A warm breeze floats through the air and I catch a familiar scent.