“It’s real. I promise, it’s real.” He brings our joined hands to his mouth and kisses my knuckles.
I can’t help the smile that sweeps over my face. That smile quickly turns into a curious glare when he pulls onto my street. “How did you know my address?”
“Your employment paperwork you filled out for Flame,” he says, pulling into my driveway. “I might have taken a peek at it.” Levi flashes me a grin. “I hope you don’t mind.” My eyes roam across the front of my house, and although I’m extremely proud of my little nest, I can’t help but wonder what kind of home Levi has. Is it a sleek condo overlooking the city, or a ranch-style house on the outskirts of town? He probably doesn’t live in a rundown neighborhood where the houses are all a foot apart and you have to walk past homeless people to get to your front door.
He must sense my insecurity because he drags me across the seat and pulls me onto his lap. “What’s wrong?” he whispers, his hands gliding up and down my back.
“Nothing.” I look away, but he grips my chin and pulls my face back to his. “It’s not much,” I shrug, nodding toward my house. “It’s probably nothing like where you live, but—”
“It’s perfect.” His lips find mine in a feather-light kiss. “You amaze me, Laney.”
“What? Why?” I frown, having absolutely no idea why he would be amazed by me.
“Look at you. You’ve never been afraid to go after what you want, even if it means leaving a man in the dust . . .” I punch him lightly in the gut, and he grabs his stomach and laughs. “Too soon for the break-up jokes?” I nod, laughing along with him, and he continues. “What I’m getting at is that you’re courageous and strong and so incredibly kind. I’m in awe of you.”
“Thank you,” I mouth, my heart creeping its way into my throat.
“Can I see your bucket list again?” he asks.
My brows dip low. “For what? We didn’t do anything for you to cross off.” Reaching for my purse, I dig out the list and hand it over.
“I disagree.” I hand him a pen and he opens the list against my chest, then scratches the pen against the rumpled paper. “I think today you made a significant positive impact on a stranger’s life, and I think Mary would agree with me.”
“Levi,” I exhale, at a complete loss for words. Strong, callused hands grip my face, and I stare into his sapphire eyes that are open and raw and so full of emotion. “I promise that I’ll never let you down again,” I say with as much conviction as I have within me. “Just tell me this is real. Tell me this is happening. I’ve thought about this . . . about you, for so long. I’ve hoped for a second chance, and if you give it to me, I swear you won’t regret it. You won’t regret me.”
“I’ve never regretted you, Lane. Even when I was mad as hell at you, I never regretted you.” His thumb darts out and catches the first tear that manages to escape my eye, and then it catches many more because I simply can’t keep them in. This feeling is indescribable, knowing that after all these years, I’m finally getting my chance to make thi
ngs right—a chance at the happiness I took from us.
“Laney?”
“Yes,” I answer, my eyes trained on his mouth, silently begging him to kiss me one more time.
“You’re thinking way too much.” My eyes snap to his and he’s wearing an amused grin. “You’re thinking so hard that I can practically hear your thoughts. This is happening. I told myself that it would never happen again, but I can’t stay away from you. Hell, I can’t even stop thinking about you long enough to take a piss.” I laugh and drop my forehead to his. “Let’s try this, Laney. Let’s see where it goes.”
I nod, mostly because my wildest dreams are coming true, and I’m mildly terrified that if I try to talk, I’ll burst into tears. It’s like a package of fireworks was just set off in my soul and now they’re exploding through me in a million different directions, lighting my life with a rainbow of colors. I don’t ever want this feeling to end.
“Will you kiss me now?” My voice cracks on the last word, but Levi’s mouth is on me so fast that I don’t even have time to think about how pathetic I just sounded. His lips slam against mine, our tongues colliding, twisting and pushing in the most beautiful dance. My hands are fisted in the front of his shirt, because right now I need an anchor—an anchor to this moment, to these feelings . . . to this man.
He pulls back far too soon but keeps his face close to mine. Our noses brushing and breaths mingling, I peek up and see that his eyes are closed and a faint smile touches his gorgeous mouth. “Let’s do that again soon, okay?”
His faint smile twists into a wry grin and he looks at me. “Count on it,” he whispers.
I smack one last kiss on his mouth. Then I pick up my purse and reach for the door, but he grabs my arm, stopping me.
“No.” His voice is clipped and firm. “I’ll walk you to your door, Laney. It’s dark out and I need to make sure you get in safely.” He leans forward and peers out the window. “Is this neighborhood safe?” His worried eyes find mine and when my lips purse, he sighs. “I didn’t mean anything by that. It just looks a little run down, that’s all.”
“It’s safe. It looks worse than it is, but I assure you, I’m safe. Plus, Benny lives next door so it’s like I have a live-in bodyguard.”
“Great,” Levi huffs, causing me to laugh. “Well, I’m still walking you in.”
“Levi, you do realize the door is five feet away? I’m a big girl, and this night has been perfect. That kiss”—I run the pad of my thumb across his bottom lip—“was the perfect way to end the night. Now I want to go inside, change into my pajamas and crawl in bed so I can relive it, over and over.”
His expression softens and he nods. “Goodnight, Laney.”
“Goodnight.” A goofy grin is plastered to my face as I jump out of his truck and hightail it to my front door, making quick work of unlocking it. I slip inside and give him one last wave before shutting the door behind me.
I can’t believe this has happened. I’m still in shock and I desperately need to tell somebody. Pulling my phone out of my purse, I pull up Mia’s number and hit ‘talk.’ In true Mia fashion, she answers on the first ring.