****
“You realize I’ve run out of patience, right?” Levi managed to wait until we were sitting down for lunch to push the conversation, but it was probably a deliberate move since I was trapped.
I wasn’t moving until I ate until I rolled out of there.
“Yeah.” That didn’t mean I had to be a good grown-up about it, though. “I have to say…you’ve had more patience than I’d expected.”
“Good. Now that means you have to reward me by giving me answers to my questions.” His words were cute but he sat up straighter like we were in a job interview. “Let’s start with limits during little time.”
He really thought that was a reasonable place to start.
I could see it on his face.
I was starting to see how he’d walked past me so many times without actually seeing me. His level of tunnel vision was amazing.
“I’m going to propose we inch back from that a bit and we discuss what you think we’re doing.” When he blinked, I did my best to keep going. “I know little me agreed to ten…let’s call them play sessions to make up for being a meanie.”
That had Levi trying not to laugh, and I was glad it was a good memory for him.
“But what do you thinkyouagreed to?” Was that the right question? “I’m not sure you remember you need limits too.”
I was glad he knew I needed them because little me was just throwing myself at him left and right, but his limits mattered too…because little me was throwing myself at him left and right.
“Don’t shrug.” My tone was probably sharper than it should’ve been but he grinned and closed his mouth before he could tell me something ridiculous. “I have to know you’re thinking about what you want too. It’s not fair to put all this on me.”
I wasn’t sure my stress or guilt levels could handle it.
And he got it.
The smirk faded and he looked more thoughtful as he finally picked up his fork. Part of me wondered if he’d race back into answering but he took his time and ate a few bites of his salad…if it could be called that…before he answered.
It was still a salad as long as lettuce and vegetables were the base, right?
“Okay, so stepping back a level is reasonable.” He didn’t seem too stressed about that, but his tone was more cautious than I was used to. “I hadn’t really thought about it, though.”
Yep, that was what I’d thought.
When I stayed silent, he raised one eyebrow. “No smart-ass response?”
“No.” I should’ve stopped there…but I was never smart. “I thought it was cute.”
That had the dork rolling his eyes, but he took it in stride. “You need better self-preservation instincts.”
Possibly.
It wasn’t something I was going to work on at the moment, though.
“Don’t think I missed you ignoring that.” The only response I could give him was to grin and it got a glare from him that was sexier than he seemed to realize. “Fine. We’ll come back to that.”
So he wasn’t going to take us off on some kind of conversational rabbit trail?
Nope.
It just took a bit more thinking time and a few more glares.
“You’re going to remember that you have limits too and that you need to do what’s right for you.” He didn’t bother with a long lecture that time. He simply rolled his eyes and kept going. “I started out just wanting to make up for being a dick.”
Because he was nicer than he realized and he knew he needed to make it up to the guy who’d gone into full little mode unexpectedly.
