I didn’t bother trying to tell that to Betty as she fussed over me for a good half an hour and then insisted on me taking the night off. She even had Adam drive me home.
But home was the last place I wanted to be so as soon as Adam told me to take it easy and left, I went up to my apartment and grabbed my father’s car keys, since I knew he’d be too far gone with his alcohol to even notice they were missing.
More than anything, I wanted to drive straight to Phoenix’s house so I could find the safety I was craving in his arms. But I knew he couldn’t help me. And now more than ever, I knew I needed to end it with him. There was something else I needed to do first.
Chapter 16
Phoenix
The secondI opened the door, Levi was pushing into my arms and dragging me down for a kiss. Given that I’d brought my gun with me to answer the door since it was well after midnight, I could only wrap one arm around him as his mouth closed over mine. His body was wet from the heavy rain that was falling outside, but I didn’t give a shit. I managed to put my gun on a small table near the door before wrapping my other arm around him. I kicked the door shut and backed him up against it. He’d started the kiss, but I took it over.
When we were forced to come up for air, I finally saw the bruises on his face.
“What happened?”
But Levi shook his head and put his hand at the back of my neck. “Please, I don’t want to talk,” he said desperately. “I just really need you, okay?”
I hesitated briefly as I took in the desperation in his expression and then nodded and kissed him again.
Him showing up at my door in the middle of the night was the last thing I expected, but it was very welcome, especially considering the shitty evening I’d had. After dropping Levi off at work, I’d goneto my daughter’s rehab center to visit with her and to learn about the latest brain scan doctors had done to see if there’d been any improvement in her condition.
There hadn’t been.
They’d reminded me that she also hadn’t deteriorated, so that was something, but every time they did one of these scans, I always still kept up hope for some small sign that she’d find her way back to me someday. It was getting harder and harder to keep that hope going.
“Tell me what you need,” I said as I let my hands skim up and down Levi’s back. I really wanted to know who the hell had put the bruises on his face, but I could force myself to wait.
Especially if it meant I could give Levi something he so clearly needed.
“Would you…would you touch me?” he asked.
I nodded. “How about we go to my room?” I asked as I gently brushed my mouth over his.
“Yeah,” Levi whispered.
I kissed him deeply and let my hands slide down to his ass. He whimpered deep in his throat, but he didn’t pull away from me. I moved my hands down and gripped the backs of his thighs and then lifted him. He squeaked in surprise, but then his mouth was back on mine, hungrier than ever and his legs went around me. I had no clue what had driven this change in him, but as badly as I wanted to know what he’d feel like wrapped around my dick, I knew he wasn’t ready for that. So once I reached my room and laid him down on the bed, I kept up the kissing while making sure to keep my weight off his body.
As I let my hand skim up underneath his shirt, I thought about removing it, but I remembered how hesitant he’d been after the night he’d burned his wrist. He’d been okay with me taking his pants off, but he’d wanted the shirt to stay on. I suspected it might have something to do with the large scar running up his side.
“Can I take this off?” I asked as I brushed soft kisses against his lips. His desperation had eased and while I couldn’t exactly say he was relaxed, he didn’t seem on the brink of bolting either.
Levi managed a nod. His right hand was resting on my forearm, but I forced myself not to focus on his bandage, which was also wet.
I levered up on the bed long enough to work the shirt off over his head. I’d already known he was lean, but he looked a bit on the thin side…presumably because he was running himself ragged every day between work and caring for Henry. I sealed my mouth over his and licked over his tongue when he opened for me. I kept him focused on my mouth as I trailed my hand back and forth over his chest. I didn’t do much more than that, but I could tell he was enjoying the contact because he kept pushing up into my hand whenever I eased off on the pressure. His skin was chilled and damp.
“Baby,” I murmured against his mouth. He kept trying to kiss me which had me chuckling. I gave him a few more pecks before I backed off and said, “Will you come take a shower with me?”
It took him an inordinate amount of time to nod. If I hadn’t felt how cold he was, I would have backed off the request.
I took his hand and pulled him to his feet and then held onto him as I led him to my bathroom. I got the shower going and then turned to face him. He was absently rubbing one of his arms and his shoulders were slumped as if he was trying to make himself smaller.
I slid my hand around his waist and dropped my forehead to his. “Levi, I just want you to get warm…if you want to take the shower by yourself-”
“No,” he interjected. “I…I want to take it with you. It’s just…”
“What?” I asked when he didn’t continue.
“It’s been a while since I’ve been able to get…”
