Lifting the joint again, I inhale deep this time, letting the smoke fill my chest until I have a fluffy cloud in my mouth. Slowly, I exhale, sending out a thick cloud that drifts between us, proof I did it right.
His smile widens as he finally takes it back, and for a second, it feels like the whole party disappears. “My name’s Levy,” he says, his sexy rough voice low, like he’s been waiting for this moment. “And yours…is?”
“Jainey,” I reply, matching his tone, letting my name roll off my tongue with a softness I don’t usually use. “Nice to meet you, Levy.”
“It’s Levy with a Y,” he says, grin deepening. “Not an I—like my pants.”
I laugh, shaking my head. “Of course it is. And it’s Jainey with an I and an E, not just E.”
“Interesting,” he smirks, eyes dragging over my face like he’s memorizing it. “Before I ask too many questions, I’ll start with the most important one…”
“Does anyone have the pleasure of being your man?”
The words hit me harder than I expect. And honestly they shouldn’t. But I’m trying to get over the reality that I’m sitting here at Daniel’s parents’ house, flirting with a man who isn’t him—less than an hour after he just had his dick in me.
Yeah. Real classy, I know. I can practically hear my conscience judging me, but she’ll just have to wait her turn.
I wasn’t expecting for Levy to come at me so smooth. My cheeks threaten to give me away, it’s hard to hide the smile tugging at my lips.Does anyone have the pleasure of being your man?Sheesh. That line alone could melt a girl’s better judgment.
I tilt my head, letting his question hang on long enough to make him sweat—though I’m the only one actually sweating. Someone’s watching me. I know it. And it sure as hell isn’t Daniel—he wouldn’t be able to stand still if he saw me talking to another man. He proved that in the bathroom.
“No, not currently… but it could always change when the right person proves themselves worthy of my presence.”
The words slide out too easily. I hate how quickly a I’m persuaded, how fast my mouth moves before my brain catches up. It’s pathetic really—one pretty face, and suddenlyI’m bending when I swore I wouldn’t. You’d think I’d learn by now.
Daniel was suppose to be a simple fuck, a stress-relief type of situation. I didn’t expect him to start acting like my heart came with the package. And yeah, maybe I shouldn’t be here, athis parents’ place, playing cat-and-mouse with another man—but since when do my bad decisions stop at just one?
Levy’s eyes stay locked on me, unblinking, absorbing every word like he’s trying to decode me. The corner of his mouth curls, and I can tell he didn’t expect that answer.
Hell, neither did I.
He leans back for a second, inhales deep, then hands me the joint without ever looking away. His grin doesn’t fade—it sharpens.
“Worthy of your presence, huh?” voice smooth but edged with amusement. “That’s seems like a high bar. Makes me wonder what’s a man gotta do to even get a chance.”
I take the joint, blow a lazy stream of smoke, and smirk. “Well, for starters, not ask stupid questions.”
His eyebrows lift, clearly entertained. “So, you’re saying I have to prove myself?”
I tilt my head, meeting his gaze dead-on. “I’m saying if you’re gonna talk about pleasure, at least make it sound like you mean it.”
He laughs under his breath, like he wasn’t expecting me to throw it back that fast. “Or are you just saying that to keep me working harder than the rest?”
The heat between us spikes, his eyes flicking down to my lips before climbing back up. He’s testing me, waiting to see if I’ll crack under that look.
But what he doesn’t know is I’ve cracked before. I’ve learned how to hide the damage behind a smirk and a comeback.
Tilting my head slightly, I let a sly smile drag across my lips as I hold his glare. “Maybe Iamsaying that,” I tease, my tone light but sharp enough to slice through his smoothness. “Why wouldn’t I? You think I’ll make it easy for you? If you really want to stand out from the rest, then yeah… you’re gonna have to work for it.”
Leaning in just enough for my shoulder to brush his, I lower my voice like I’m letting him in on a secret. “Besides… if you’re already worried about keeping up, then maybe you’re not ready for me anyway.”
His grin deepens. Instead of backing off, he leans in closer, his shoulder pressing firmly against mine now. “Not ready for you?” he repeats, tasting the words.
His eyes glint as they hold mine. “Jainey, I don’t chase what I’m not ready for. If I’m saying it, then that’s because I already know I can handle it.” He pauses, his grin turning smug in a way that’s dangerous. “And if you’re testing me, you should know something about me—I don’t fold under pressure, baby. I apply it.”
The way he saysbabysends a shiver straight through me, and he knows it. His eyes flicker down, watching the way I breathe, the way I react, like he’s taking notes.
He takes a slow sip from his cup without looking away, then sets it down casually on the ledge beside him—like he’s settling in for however long this game will take.
