He groans circling his arms around my waist and I wrap mines around his neck. We’re lined up in all the places that matter.
All at once reality slams back into me with the force of a sledgehammer hitting a wall.
I pull my mouth away from his with effort. He tries to follow me put I place my hands on his shoulders telling him without words to stop.
He growls low in his throat and holy crap, the sound goes straight between my legs, causing another rush of arousal to hit me.
His eyes are heavy lidded and the lust in them is unmistakable. It’s lust for me.
I’ve written about attraction and lust between my characters more times that I can count, but I’ve never actually felt it. I’ve always just drawn on and what I imagine it to be like.
But now I know what it feels like to have a man look at you like he wants to eat you for breakfast and the feeling is indescribable.
I have to swallow several times before I can get my mouth to work properly.
“Wh-what was that?”
Levi’s eyebrows knit together. “If you have to ask, then that means I’m not doing it right. Maybe I should show you again.” He leans in and I duck under his arm on shaky legs to put some space between us.
I’m afraid I might do something crazy if I stay in his space a moment longer. Like jump his bones again.
“Levi,” I mutter putting the couch between us.
He turns towards me and my eyes widen at the bulge in his pants before I pull my eyes away.
He doesn’t bother to hide it.
“You have no idea how beautiful you look all flushed from my kiss,” he murmurs huskily.
My arousal spikes again as my heart beats rapidly in my chest. Thankfully he stays on the other side of the couch.
“Okay what the hell is going on? Why are you saying these things and kissing me and, and…will you cover that up please?” I say waving in the general direction of his erection.
I can’t concentrate with that bulge out and on display.
“Why? He likes you.”
My eyes narrow on him. “Levi Trace.”
The smirk dies on his lips and his face shifts into a serious expression.
“We need to talk.”
My heart starts pounding again and I take a seat on the edge of the couch.
“You’re right. That’s why I called you over.” I take a deep breath before looking him in the eye. “I’m sorry I’ve been avoiding you the past two days. It’s just that…I needed time to think about everything. I…I shouldn’t have kissed you. It put us both in an awkward situation and the last thing I want is for it to ruin our friendship. You mean too much to me for that. Will you forgive me?”
His eyes trace over my face as I talk almost like he’s trying to commit my features to memory. He doesn’t speak for so long that I start to grow truly terrified that I’ve done irreparable damage to our friendship.
“No,” he finally says.
My heart dive bombs. “No?” I whisper.
His eyes come back to mine and theirs a renewed determination in them.
“No, I don’t accept your apology because you have nothing to apologize for. I’m the one that should be apologizing. I’m the one that’s missed the signs and clues that have been laid out in front of me for years I’ve just been too stupid to see them. I don’t regret that kiss. As a matter of fact, I want more.”
My heart stops and then starts up all over again.
“What do you mean?” I whisper.
Levi moves closer sitting so our legs are touching.
“I don’t want us to go back to being just friends. I want us to explore being in a relationship.”
I gape at him incredulously. I press my hand to his forehead, because surely, he must be coming down with something to have said that.
“Are you crazy? What about our friendship?”
He pulls my hand away from his forehead and places it on his thigh covering it with his own.
“We can still be friends we’ll just have the added benefit of working towards a relationship. We have all the key components and I’m obviously attracted to you,” he says and my face flushes. “And your obviously attracted to me.” My face flushes some more.
“Why not explore it?”
“Because it could ruin everything!”
Levi takes my other hand and places them both in one of his before looking deep into my eyes.
“Let me worry about that. If that kiss was anything to go by, we obviously have explosive chemistry. Give this a chance baby girl. Give us a chance. I promise you won’t regret it.”
Staring into his eyes, I find my resolve wavering. There are so many things that could go wrong with this. Yet there are also so many things that could go right and I know deep down that I’ll regret it if I don’t try this with him.
I’ve been in love with this man for almost fifteen years. Is it possible that he could fall in love with me too?
“Promise me that we’ll still be best friends if this doesn’t work out?” I whisper.
His unwavering stare holds mine. “I promise.”
“Okay, let’s do this.”
The smile that graces Levi’s face causes my heart to flutter in my chest and I know right then and there that I’m in way over my head.
***
“Well say something.”
Mya and Imani have been staring at me with their mouths open for what feels like forever, but in actuality has only been a few seconds.
It’s later the same day and I called them
