I attempt to straighten myself, but stop when his gaze meets mine and our faces are mere inches apart. His mouth is slightly open, and his hair is messy from running his hands through it. I’m not sure why I do what I do next, but I gently lift my fingers and tuck a strand of black hair back.
Levi holds his breath as I grab another piece of hair. Besides my hand, we’re hardly moving, neither of us knowing what to do next. After I smooth out the third strand of hair, he slowly closes his eyes and leans into my touch. Both of us let out sighs of relief, our breathing as one. The gesture is intimate, and I can’t help the slight dip in my stomach and the heat that stirs within me. My heart rate kicks up when his lips touch my palm. His blue gaze clashes with mine. His breathing is heavy, while I hold mine. This time, there’s no demanding look in his eyes, but there is something unfamiliar and intense there. Levi looks down at my lips and back up to my eyes. My thighs clench, and he doesn’t miss it. I’m attracted to Levi, there’s no doubt about it, so the feeling isn’t a surprise. The action and timing, however…
He makes a low sound in his throat, and I again clench my thighs, too distracted to feel self-conscious about what I’m doing and how I’m feeling.
“Stevie.” His forehead touches mine, and his large hand cups my cheek.
“Levi?” We’re practically panting.
“What’s happening?” he whispers.
I pull away to see his expression. He looks as if he’s in physical pain.
He’s holding back. He’s hurting. He’s vulnerable.
Oh God, was I about to take advantage of his emotional vulnerability? I feel terrible.
“I’m sorry, this isn’t a good time and…I’m sorry.” I move to stand and leave when he grabs my hip, keeping me rooted to the spot.
“What were you thinking about just now?”
My face must give away my confusion, because he adds, “There was no need to apologize. Answer my question.”
His voice is still quiet. I want to tell him the truth, it’s only fair after everything he’s told me tonight. “I was wondering whatit might be like to kiss you.” To kiss someone else after years of only doing it with a person who never truly loved me. What it would be like not to overthink things and only feel—to feel something new.
Levi cups my face and brings his lips an inch away from mine, lightly brushing them with his own. I let out a choppy breath, and he chuckles. He then moves to the corner of my mouth and kisses me lightly, barely touching my lips. I let out the most pathetic whimper in the world, feeling fire building in my core.
“Is that where you want to be kissed, Stevie?” he breathes.
I open my eyes and find him looking like he’s trying to make his final decision.
Shaking my head in response to his question, he holds my stare as the tip of his tongue brushes my bottom lip, and I moan.Jesus, I don’t know how much longer I can take this teasing. My entire body is vibrating, and for the first time in a long, long time, I want to straddle a man and damn the consequences.
“Fuck, Stevie.” Levi takes my hair in his hand. “We’re going to regret this.”
What?
And with that, our mouths meet. It’s tentative, but oh,oh. This feeling. Somethingnew, unexpected, and oddly explosive. We sigh in relief as our lips remain close in the embrace. I can feel his body shaking, while I’m practically putty in his arms. He’s still holding back, and I don’t want him to. I wantmore. I open my mouth to invite him in, and he seizes the opportunity, his tongue sliding through my parted lips and meeting mine. He groans at the contact, which in turn makes me moan. Our tongues move slowly, and I feel an ache growing inside of me. He pulls me in closer, and I feel our chests press against each other’s, causing my nipples to rub against his pecs. They harden, and I get more turned on, if that’s even possible. He must feelthem since he groans and presses me closer to him. His hands haven’t moved from my hair and back.
I still want more. I want to feel more of him. Grabbing his hair, I pull him to me and try to lay us down.
Levi snaps back and shoots up, breaking the spell.
What the heck?
“Levi?”
He keeps his back to me, while I remain there, confused.
Did he not want me the same way I did him? By the way his tongue was moving, the way he teased me, and the sounds he made, it didn’t seem that way.
“Levi,” I repeat. “Why did you pull away?”
He sighs, still not looking at me. “Because I don’t want to fuck up our friendship and because I drank and you didn’t.”
My mouth opens in surprise, and a small surge of frustration rolls through me, but I can’t get mad. He’s right. It was impulsive on both of our ends.
Taking a deep breath, I say, “Okay.”
