Chapter Nineteen
Abby
He’s been on stage, rocking it hard, for the last three hours. His eyes continually seeking me out, offering me the biggest of smiles with each look. They take a fifteen-minute break each hour, and he keeps coming back to the side-stage where I’ve been watching the show, anxious to spend a few uninterrupted minutes with me.
No, uninterrupted isn’t the right word. Because we are definitely interrupted. Fans–and by that I mean girls–flock to him like he’s covered in honey and they’re bees. He pays them no attention, though. It baffles me because Levi has always received, and eaten up, attention from those in possession of a vagina, like it was candy. He never met a woman he couldn’t charm, that’s for sure. But tonight, I don’t see any of this flirty banter, his sexy winks, or his wicked smile that makes the panties just slide off.
He only has eyes for me.
At the beginning of the fourth and final set, Levi steps up to the mic. The crowd goes wild. Girls are out of their mind, screaming and fighting their way to the front of the small stage in the garden of The Beaver. I keep myself as far away from the crowd as possible. I’ve never been a fan of big groups of people–especially horny, crazy girls who are trying to gain Levi’s attention.
I’m happily stationed beside the stage, out of the way, while nursing a Sprite, when I hear my name. I hear it loudly. When I realize it’s coming from the microphone, I glance up on stage and see Levi’s hazel eyes focused on me. In fact, I see a lot of eyes focused on me. Oh, God. So many eyes.
“Come on, pokey. Get up front. If I’m gonna sing your song, I want to see you sing the words with me,” he says with that gorgeous smile that seems to steal my air.
I don’t move, hoping he’ll leave me in peace in my dark, hidden nook, away from the action. “Don’t make me come back there, Abs. If I have to come and get you, I’ll have the crowd chant your name.” His smirk disarms me, making me offer a smile in return. The crazy thing is I know he’s dead serious.
Slowly I get up and walk towards the corner of the stage. When the cluster of staring, drunk women refuse to move an inch, I head towards the back, away from the screaming horndogs up front. Turning around, I risk a glance up to the stage and find those same eyes following me.
“I love this song,” Levi tells the crowd. Again, the women practically orgasm right there in the grassy courtyard. “I love it because it’s my best girl’s favorite song.” The noise level reaches an ungodly pitch, making me cringe. You’d think he just professed his undying love to each one of them. “This one’s for Abby.”
And then he starts strumming his guitar, and sings the first line.
I’m hypnotized as he starts the Jeff Healey tune. The crowd starts to sway to the music, but my eyes are riveted to the man on stage. He’s larger than life when he’s up there, his guitar in his hands and a mic in front of his face. I know he doesn’t usually like to sing, but has one of those voices that’s deep and husky. He pretty much makes ovaries burst every time he opens his mouth.
I sing along with each line, each word, our eyes locked from opposite sides of the garden.
When he finishes, I find myself holding my breath, waiting. And then he does it. He points and offers me the most perfect, panty-wetting smile I’ve ever seen. My heart beats wildly in my chest, a beat that’s alive and fierce.
“You guys are so sweet. I’d never be able to only be friends with a man like him,” a girl says beside me, sipping her fruity drink. She looks like she’s barely eighteen, let alone old enough to be in the bar. The girl’s wearing barely-there clothes and too much makeup that makes her look like she just stepped off the street corner. Instead of acknowledging her comment, I give her a small smile and return my eyes to the stage. Levi has already moved back, ready to finish up their show by playing guitar.
“I mean, there must be some reason he doesn’t want to sleep with you, right? He sleeps with everyone, from what I’ve heard. In fact, I’m hoping to catch up with him later after the show. You should try to show more skin and wear makeup. Guys don’t want girls who dress like they’re heading to the library every day,” she says, not taking her eyes off my best friend, her predatory smile shining only for him. She keeps talking, but I have no clue what she says.
My heart stops beating and my vision blurs as I stare at my out-of-my-comfort-zone orange toenail polish. Her words keep repeating over and over again in my head, vocalizing my biggest concern and fear. What’s wrong with me?
I pretty much gave him an open invitation to sex me up after our date, but he turned me down. He said I was too good for first date sex, but what if it was more? What if he just can’t bring himself to sleep with me? I mean, I know he woke up that morning with a massive hard-on, but don’t they always do that? It probably wasn’t me at all, but just a common reaction to waking up and breathing.
I’m not sure how the rest of the show goes. My mind reels, replaying every moment and every conversation we’ve had over the last three weeks. Keeping back in the shadows, I wonder for the ten thousandth time if I’m making the biggest mistake of my life trying to explore this attraction I have for Levi. The man can have anyone he wants. Why would he want me?
“Because you’re gorgeous and caring and real and everything I never knew I wanted from you.”
Shocked by the words I hear, I slowly turn and find Levi’s eyes blazing with an intensity that I rarely see. He’s always so fun and laidback, rarely getting worked up. Now, his eyes are alive with a fierceness that causes my heartbeat to quicken and if I’m being completely honest, a little turned on.
“What?”
“Why would you ask that?”
“Ask what?” It’s a lame question, but I can’t help but try to stall a bit as I try to figure out how he knew what I was thinking. Unless, those thoughts weren’t in my head…
Taking a step forward until our bodies are so close, he reaches up and grabs a strand of my hair. It slides effortlessly through his fingers as his eyes bore into me with such passion. “Why are you doubting that I would want you?”
Shrugging my shoulders, I drop my eyes back down to my toes, suddenly embarrassed by my insecurities.
“You listen and listen good, Abigail. I’ve never met a more beautiful woman, inside and out. I can honestly say I’m a better person just by being near you. If you want to know why I would want you, and my words still aren’t enough, then I guess I’m just going to have to show you,” he says moments before his lips claim mine.
The kiss is…yeah. Amazing. Consuming. Amazing. (Worth saying twice.) Levi urges my mouth open with his, possessing and dominating me with his killer lips and wicked tongue. Our mouths mold together like sex, deep and hard, giving and taking. We breathe each other in as our wild hands roam over each other’s bodies.
He’s sweaty from being on the small stage, his shirt molding to his muscular body as if it were made specifically for him. My core throbs with a reckless desire I’ve never felt before. Gripping his t-shirt at his back, I grind my body, shamelessly, against his hard front. I’m rewarded with a groan that I swallow, because I refuse to remove my lips from his.
Before I realize what’s happening, I’m moving. Well, we’re moving. My lips tingle, my breathing erratic, and my legs wobbly. I can feel eyes on me as Levi leads me through the garden, where groups of people are milling around, and straight out the gate that leads to the parking lot.
When we reach his truck, he presses me against the cool metal and takes my face in his. “Do you feel it?” he asks, breathing hard against my face.
“I feel something,” I quip, rubbing my hip against his impressive erection.
He doesn’t reply right away, but the corner of his mouth still tips upward. “That’s funny. Do you feel the heat we create? Do you feel how crazy my heart is beating in my chest just by being around you? How I can’t think straight or keep my hands to myself? Do you feel my eyes on you when you’re in the room? My God, Abs, do you feel how much I want you?”
There’s only one answer to all of his questions. “Yes,” I whisper, nodding my head. “I feel it. All of it.”
“Thank fuck,” he says just before devouring my lips once again. They’re swollen and quivering with each second that passes. Unfortunately, the kiss ends too soon. “Come on,” he growls, practically yanking the passenger door off the truck like some Hulk moment. And I’ll be honest…it’s fucking hot. Yes, I said fucking. It’s okay to say it when you’ve just been kissed the way I have been.
Levi practically tosses me up into the truck like a rag doll. “Buckle up.” His voice is raw and edgy, like he’s a millimeter away from reaching his breaking point. A part of me wants to give him a gentle shove, see what he’s like when he loses control.
We’re both silent on the ride back to our building. My hand is firmly gripped in his, and every time I glance over, I can see the hardness in his jaw, the subtle tick of his mouth. He looks tense, irritated, but I’m sure he’s not.
He must feel my eyes on him because he quickly turns over and looks at me. My body ignites all over again as he directs that fierceness on me. He scans my face, my eyes, and then drops down to where very minimal cleavage is showing with my blue top. His eyes continue to roam downward to where my shorts meet bare leg. I made sure to shave tonight and added lots of yummy scented lotion. My legs reflect the moonlight and it isn’t until he growls again and I feel his hand tighten around mine that I realize just how hot it is inside the truck cab.
“What about your stuff?” I whisper, my voice almost unrecognizable.
“One of the guys will pack it up for me,” he answers, glancing back up at the road.
“Oh. Do they do that often for you?” He glances back over again and studies my face with a critical eye, but he doesn’t answer my question.
Levi whips into the parking lot, practically on two wheels, and finds the first available parking spot. Actually, he takes two spots because he’s definitely not between the yellow lines. He’s out of the truck as if it was on fire and stalks around to the passenger side. I tense, wondering what exactly I said to make him seem so upset.
When the door is open and my seat belt is removed from my body, I’m pulled gently from the truck and wrapped in his arms. He’s practically panting against my face as he runs his nose against the shell of my ear. “No,” he rumbles.
“No?” I gasp as he takes my ear lobe into his mouth and bites.
“No, I’ve never done that before. I’ve never needed to be with someone so bad that I leave my guitar and my equipment behind for one of the guys to take care of. I’ve never run out of a gig, ignoring my responsibilities, because I was so fucking desperate to be with a woman that I felt like I was going to die if I didn’t have her. You. You make me so fucking nuts that I can’t think straight, can’t even see what’s around me. You are all I see, all I want, and all I fucking need.”
A gasp slips from my mouth moments before he claims it with his own. His kiss is feral, and every instinct I have takes over. I wrap my arms around him, grinding my body against his, craving more and more of his touch. Levi lifts me in the air and pins me against his truck, my legs instantly wrapping around his waist. The hardness of his erection presses firmly into my aching core, my body alive and yearning for more.
For the second time tonight, we’re moving before I can even comprehend the effort. I’m still wrapped around him like a jungle cat, his lips furiously taking everything I have, as he steers us towards our building. Thank goodness it’s dark outside; I’m sure we’re a sight to be seen.
My back bumps into the building and my hip catches the handle on the door, causing me to jolt against Levi. Our mouths pull apart as we gape at each other, all labored breathing and wild eyes. “Maybe we should wait until I get you upstairs,” he says flexing his fingers on my butt, and for the first time I realize where his hands are actually located.
“Maybe you should hurry. I hear firefighters have great stamina when it comes to stairs,” I jibe, tightening my legs around his body even more.
“Oh, Abs, you have no idea how good my stamina is,” he retorts with a side smile.
Inside, the fluorescent hallway lights shine brightly and I can easily see his hair wild from my eager hands. He starts to take the stairs–two at a time, mind you– and I start to giggle as I bounce against him. Levi holds on tightly as he runs up three floors, never once straining or showing any sign of fatigue.
“Wow, you do have great stamina,” I whisper against his ear, smiling as he growls deeply.
Levi doesn’t slow down until he’s standing in front of his door, his key magically appearing in his hand. “I want you in my bed.” It’s not a question, but a statement.
“Yes.” That single word comes out a pant, laced with anticipation and impatience.
The door is barely closed before I’m pressed against it. His lips find mine again, willingly and effortlessly. Levi pushes his tongue into my mouth, stroking mine, rekindling that burn I’ve felt since he kissed me at The Beaver. My fingers slide through his hair, grabbing hold and tugging slightly.
“Fuck, I’ve wanted this for so long. So fucking long, Abs. I thought I could never have it, could never have you.”
Our eyes are locked as I tell him, “You have me.”
“You’re sure? Because once I have you tonight, I don’t think I’ll be able to let you go.”
Swallowing over the massive lump in my throat, I whisper, “Then don’t let me go.”
His eyes burn brightly as he slowly walks towards his bedroom. I’ve been in here before but never like this. Never about to strip down naked and join him in the middle of that bed.
My God, I’m about to strip down naked and join him in bed.
Levi. I’m going to get naked with Levi.
My best friend.