“Um…Levi?”
“Hmm?”
“Are you ever going to come back on the bed?”
That was a loaded question if he’d ever heard one.
Slowly, he crawled up and over her. Bracing his hands on either side of her, he held himself up like that while staring down at her.
She was beautiful–the perfect combination of sweet and sexy and pure temptation to him. From the moment they met, Willow had intrigued him. At first, it was her innocence and his need to protect her. Then it was her wit and personality that drew her to him as a friend. But the woman lying beneath him, looking up at him with sensual hunger, was everything he ever wanted wrapped up in one amazing package.
“I won’t break. I swear.”
Her soft words broke into his thoughts, and he gave her a lopsided grin. “How did I ever get this lucky?”
One of Willow’s hands gripped his hair hard. “You haven’t.” Then her grin turned a little wicked. “Yet.”
He was torn between diving in and ravaging her–if that was something people even said anymore…
Damn Romeos in my head!
But it was a battle between ravaging her or savoring. Both held major appeal, and it took Levi all of three seconds to realize that Willow was the kind of woman you savored; took your time with.
Slowly, he lowered his head and gently pressed his lips to hers. They sighed simultaneously as they sank into the kiss, and after that, it was all small touches that turned to grasps. Sweet kisses that turned heated. They worked together to get her nightshirt off and then his boxers.
Taking her panties off, however, was all on him.
Levi didn’t want her help, he wanted to take his time and kiss her stomach, her hips, her thighs, and everything in between. And when Willow’s hands sank into his hair again and held him in place, he was more than happy to oblige.
She tasted sweeter than any dessert and he intended to get his fill of her.
Willow cried out his name, and he was determined to make her do that several more times before the sun came up.
“Levi?”
“Hmm?”
“Are you awake?”
He wanted to chuckle at the question, but honestly, he was beyond exhausted and couldn’t be sure if he was awake or asleep. Still, it seemed safe to reply, “Yes.”
“Can I ask you something?”
“Sure.”
“Do you think it would be wrong to leave tomorrow instead of Monday?”
The conversation he had the previous day with the Romeos about getting out of Dodge sooner rather than later came to mind, but he wasn’t really thinking clearly enough just yet. Turning his head, he glanced at the clock and saw it was four in the morning. He and Willow had made love twice, and in between, they had talked about everything and nothing all at the same time.
It was probably one of the greatest nights he could ever remember.
Shifting against the pillows, he attempted to sit up slightly, but Willow rolled toward him and rested her head on his chest.
“I’d ask why you want to leave, but I think I have an idea,” he said around a yawn. “I’m not sure it’s something you should try to decide right now.”
“I know I’m just avoiding the inevitable, but…who could blame me.”
I know I can’t…
“Just the thought of going to brunch with them exhausts me,” she went on. “And after the way we ended things after the party, I know I’m going to catch all kinds of grief for it.”
“To be fair, I encouraged it. So if there’s any grief being thrown your way, part of it’s on me. You won’t have to face them or deal with them alone, Willow.”
Part of him felt so bad for her–that her parents caused this level of anxiety that she was awake at four in the morning obsessing over it. But the other part of him wanted to encourage her to go and stand up for herself. She hadn’t done anything wrong; she had simply voiced her own disapproval with their behavior rather than the other way around.
“You shouldn’t have had to deal with it at all…”
Rolling her onto her back, he placed a soft kiss on her forehead. “Hey, I went into this whole thing with my eyes open. You never held back on all the possibilities we might have to deal with where your folks were concerned. We are in this together, Willow. I promise.”
He heard her soft sigh. “Levi,” she began quietly. “I don’t want you to think…you know…because of…um…this, that you need to do more than you already have. You’ve been amazing. And not just…you know…here.”
Wait…what the hell was she trying to say?
“Willow…”
“I just want you to know that I appreciate you and I don’t expect anything more from you. What happened here tonight between the two of us was…well, it was incredible, but I’m not asking for any promises or for any extra…how can I say this…like extra boyfriendy things when we’re around everyone at brunch or…whenever. So if you wanted to skip brunch, that would be okay too.”
Pushing off of her, Levi sat straight up. His eyes had adjusted to the darkness, and he could make her out in the moonlight. “What are you saying, Willow? That you don’t want me around your family tomorrow? Today? Whatever the hell day it is!”
Sitting up, she clutched the sheet to her chest. “I just don’t want you to do anything you’re not comfortable with, that’s all. I just didn’t want you thinking the sex tonight changed anything.”
Mentally counting to ten, Levi did his best to calm down before he spoke again. “I hate to break it to you, but the sex did change things.”
“Oh,” she murmured.
“As a matter of fact, it changed everything.”
“Oh.”
Why did she sound so miserable? Was it possible he had read all the signs–and orgasms–wrong?
He figured he might as well ask while they were having this…whatever this was…kind of talk. “Can I ask you something?”
“Mm-hmm.”
Swallowing hard, he asked, “Would you prefer if I didn’t touch you again? Was
