“Come to Kristen’s party tomorrow night,” he ordered.
I snorted a laugh. “Yeah, okay.”
He leaned closer and I sucked in a sharp breath. “It’ll be fun.”
“For you maybe.”
His jaw clicked together, his teeth grinding in frustration with me. “Logan will be there.”
Trying not to appear too interested, I said, “I haven’t seen your brother in forever.”
“So, come,” Levi coaxed, that wild look in his eyes practically frantic.
I’d pushed away from him and said, “Maybe.”
But obviously I’d gone. That night had changed everything.
He had that same look in his eyes now—untethered from rational thought… completely barbaric… savage. Seven years later, I still couldn’t determine what it meant, but it made my heart pound just as hard as it did back then. Maybe more so.
It wasn’t anything like Ajax either. Ajax was booze-soaked and drugged. His wildness felt scary… lethal. Levi was in control of his judgment and motor skills. He knew exactly what he wanted. And for how long he’d wanted it. Comparing the two of them was crazy. Ajax made my bones feel cold. Levi set my entire body on fire.
Levi settled me with my back to the wall, his body caging me in. He felt gigantic like this, tall and muscled and wicked. “Is he your boyfriend?”
I blinked at him, trying to figure out who he meant. Nothing existed in my head except Levi. He was the only man that was real. The only man that mattered. “Who?”
“The asshole you’ve been dancing with all night?”
I heard it then, the ragged tone to his voice, the… hurt. Levi Cole was jealous.
“He’s just a friend.”
“Ruby…” His voice dipped low with warning.
“Fine, he’s not a friend, but he’s not my boyfriend either. God, we’re not twelve anymore.”
Levi’s hand settled on my waist, squeezing tightly. It didn’t hurt, but the pressure was there, possessive and constant. “You did date him?”
His question made me uncomfortable. No, I had never dated Ajax. That was too sophisticated of a word for anything we had done. But I didn’t want to admit that to Levi of all people.
Instead of explaining, my shoulders bristled with the interrogation and I bit out, “You don’t know how lonely it is, being a single parent. I can’t exactly join Tinder, okay? And it’s not that I ever thought anything would happen long term with Ajax, I just wanted to… not be alone for a bit.”
His hand dragged up my side until his thumb rested just beneath my breast. His fingers splayed over my ribs and reached to my back and somehow in that simple touch, I felt like he held all of me.
His free hand dropped to my hip, tugging me against him, pressing my body into his and reminding me of how very female I was compared to his overwhelming maleness.
“He’s a creep,” Levi growled.
I let out a shaky laugh. “I know.”
“Then why are you still with him?”
“I-I’m not. I just… we just danced. That’s all.”
His head lowered and I felt his breath on my lips. “I can help, you know?”
I thought he meant with Ajax at first, but his thumb started rubbing circles on my hip bone and my thoughts tangled together. “Help with what?”
His lips brushed against mine and I shivered. “The loneliness,” he whispered right before his mouth took possession of mine.
