CHAPTER NINE
Theresa paced her room, biting her bottom lip. She'd fucked up. Just her luck, she did something out of character and things spiraled out of control.
If the woman at the shop was telling the truth, she'd spoken with and accepted a gift from the ghost of a voodoo priestess. Groaning as she plopped down on the bed, she couldn't believe what was happening to her. Maybe the potion was poisonous. How much had she drunk?
She walked over to her bag and pulled out the small vial. The bottle was small and cylindrical, and the clear liquid only filled half the bottle. Had she drunk more than she should have? What if the side effects were delayed and she fell ill once she got home?
Sitting back on the edge of the bed, she began thinking about all the things that could happen. Would she grow boils on her face? Would warts begin sprouting on her nose? Maybe she'd start craving brains and human flesh.
Oh gawd, what would she tell her mom?
There was no way in hell she was going to tell her mother she'd taken a love potion given to her by a ghost voodoo queen in New Orleans. Nope, she'd just suffer silently and deal with the ramifications on her own.
Flopping back on the bed, she came to the real reason for her angst.
Levi.
He'd been more attentive these past two days than in the entire time they'd been seeing each other. It had given her a glimpse into what life could be like with him by her side. As a real couple. Being around him made goosebumps raise along her skin. She wanted that life with him. One where they could be with Jessica in public and be together as a family.
Whoa, wait a minute. Where did that thought come from?
A family was all well and good, but she and Levi had never had that kind of relationship. Not one where they discuss families, white picket fences, and Sunday dinners with the in-laws.
Honestly, she wasn't sure what he wanted with her. Which made her reckless behavior this weekend even worse. What had she been thinking?
As she sat there feeling sorry for herself, a loud knock sounded on her door. There was no question who it was. She'd left the banquet hall when he'd gone outside. It had been difficult refusing his overtures. She'd wanted to kiss him. God knows how much she wanted to, but the fear of him rejecting her tomorrow was a real thing. Then he'd kissed her before he left the room and the butterflies in her stomach had gone into a frenzy.
The knock came again. "Open the door, Theresa."
Sighing, she knew this moment was coming. When she'd come back up to her room, she'd started an internal countdown for when Levi would show up at her door. It took him longer than she had hoped, which was quite annoying. She thought it would only take him ten minutes to come find her. Forty-five minutes was a bit too long for her comfort zone.
Maybe the potion hadn't worked the way she wanted it to. That could be a good thing. Right?
If the potion hadn't worked on Levi, then it meant everything happening between them is real. A smile lit up her face at the thought.
"You have 'til the count of three or else I'm going to bring this hotel down around us. Open the damn door, Theresa."
Once she opened the door, she was face-to-face with a very grumpy-looking Levi.
"I was coming, Levi. You didn't have to bang on the door so hard," she chastised him. She swung the door open further so he could walk inside.
"You're not coming yet, but I'm here to make sure I correct that," he smirked as he strolled inside her room.
Rolling her eyes, she closed the door behind him. "Did you eat something? There weren't many options at the rehearsal dinner."
"Are you offering yourself?" he asked, sitting in the chair at the work desk situated in the room.
His suit jacket was unbuttoned, and the material fell to the side as he lounged. Levi always avoided wearing a tie when he could and tonight he'd gotten away with it. The top two buttons of his shirt were undone, showing off a hint of his tanned skin. She licked her lips at sight of him sprawling in front of her. He was probably oblivious to the effect he had on her libido.
Fine. Two could play this game. "Maybe I am," she answered with a sweet smile.
"Why did you leave the dinner?" His sudden change of subject threw her for a loop.
"Because I was tired and wanted to come to my room."
He lifted one eyebrow, which usually happened when he wasn't buying what she was selling. "The party wasn't over yet."
"It was for me," she said, walking over to sit on the edge of the bed closest to him.
"You left without me."
Ah, so now we get to the real issue.
"You'd left. I didn't know where you went."
That wasn't true at all.
"Nope. That's not the real story and you know it. You knew exactly where I'd gone. I told you. Hell, I even asked you to go get me a drink."
Looking anywhere but at him, she tried her best to avoid his steely gaze.
"So, why'd you leave without me?" He steepled his hands together and placed them under his chin as he sat back in the chair.
He looked to be relaxing, his long legs stretched out in front of him, and his mouth holding a slight smile.
Theresa knew better. Nothing with Levi was ever simple. He wanted an answer and she knew he wouldn't let this go until he got one.
The real reason she'd left was that she was scared. His kiss had startled her. Her mind started swirling with the possibilities of what it meant. It had scared the shit out of her and she'd ran. Fast.
Giving herself a stern talk in the elevator, she accepted that she was afraid the potion had worked. That what he felt for her was all potion-induced and come tomorrow, he'd go back to the aloof Levi she knew so well.
But she was even more scared it hadn't worked. That these were his true feelings. Could it be, after all this time, she was seeing the real Levi?
Although she wanted him more than anything else, both possibilities had paralyzed her. The possibility that this could be hers--for real--was almost too much to bear. No more sneaking around. No more making excuses to him, or to herself, about why they couldn't go out in public.
Then the doubts came back. Would she be enough? What if he no longer wanted her in ten years? How would it feel to have the love of her life walk out on her one day? Could she survive the heartbreak?
And so, she'd left and tried to get as far away as possible--without leaving the hotel. Yeah, she wasn't very creative.
"Levi, I think you should leave," she blurted out into the heavy silence.
"No," he said almost immediately. Shaking his head, he leaned up and looked in her eyes. His gaze ensnared her like a rabbit in a trap. There was nothing she could do to look away from him.
She watched him take a deep breath before he spoke again.
"Let me rephrase that. If you truly wanted me gone, I'd know it. You would have stopped me at the door. You wouldn't be sitting on the bed inches from my reach. Your lips wouldn't be wet from your tongue. And you sure as hell wouldn't have that look on your face."
Frowning a bit, she pulled her head back. "What look?"
"The look I've seen for more than two years. One that's made me lose my mind more times than I want to admit." His strong hand rubbed against her bare leg, sending ripples of pleasure through her body. It never ceased to amaze her how quick he turned her on with only the touch of his fingers. "When you look at me with such raw desire on your face, but continue to hold yourself back, you get this look of pain on your face. As if there's a war going on inside your head."
"You don't know what you're talking about," she huffed. Attempting to school her features, she relaxed her facial muscles so that whatever look was on her face disappeared.
"Baby, I know you better than you think," he said in a low tone. "I don't want you to run from me anymore. Denying us is no longer an option."
"I'm not denying anything. I just don't want everyone to know what's going on with us. What if this doesn't work out? Then what?" She admitted her greatest fear, even as his words gave her hope.
He lifted his hand and rubbed his thumb along her bottom lip. "You're so damn beautiful, Theresa. I don't know why I ever thought I would be okay with not showing you off to the world." Sitting back, he placed both hands on his thighs. "Everyone already knows."
That couldn't be right. How could they know unless someone told them? "Did you tell Patrick or Heath? They have such big mouths. I knew they wouldn't be able to keep it a secret."
She stood, moving away from the bed and began pacing the room. What would Cecilia and Angela say? Did they know as well and were pretending this whole time?
Then again, why was she so worried about what other people thought? She had fine-ass Levi in her bed on the regular and she wasn't ashamed of that.
"You're thinking too much, baby," he called out to her.
She felt his strong arms wrap around her as he stepped up behind her. His warm breath tickled her neck and his bulge pressed up against her ass.
"I know I am. Can't help it. It's just odd how we tried so hard to keep this under wraps and everyone has known all along." She laughed a little at how crazy they must have looked, trying to sneak around.
"Yeah. The cat was out of the bag at Bridgette's anniversary party last year. They'd had some inklings before that, but the way we acted around each other that day confirmed it." His soft lips brushed the skin between her neck and shoulder, causing a shiver to course through her body. "I'm glad, though; I was tired of hiding our relationship."
"Is that what we have?" Closing her eyes, she regretted the words as soon as they left her mouth. She never did know when to leave well enough alone.
His arms tightened around her waist. "Damn right we do. We were both too stubborn to put a name on it. But it's always been you, and I've never been with anyone else since we got together. You've been the only one for me. Even if you don't believe it, it's the truth."
As he spoke, one hand entered her panties, his fingers lightly brushing over her warm mound. A whimper escaped her lips.
"But why now?" The thought of that dreaded potion entered her head again. She was such a fool. If she'd never entered that damn voodoo tourist trap, she'd be more confident in Levi's feelings for her. But now she questioned everything. It just wasn't fair.
His hand stilled for a second, then continued rubbing along her soft flesh. "Why not? I've been thinking about this for a while. Just could never find the right time to tell you. Until this weekend." One finger pressed up against her clit as another finger snaked down to press against her slick opening.
Another whimper escaped as her breath began coming out in gasps and her hips began undulating against his hand. Releasing the pressure of his finger from her now-hardened nub, he changed tactics. Using two fingers, he pressed them into her body, pumping into her slick channel as he stood behind her, fully clothed.
His other hand traveled under her shirt and grabbed her bare breast. He'd always said she was the perfect handful for him. The soft mounds were one of his favorite parts of her body, or so he told her repeatedly.
Theresa continued to whimper and moan as Levi played her like a fiddle. Wetness seeped from her body as his fingers brought her intense pleasure. The contrast of their positions made the experience that much more sensual. Opening her eyes slightly, she looked over at the mirror hanging on the hotel room wall and gasped.
They looked beautiful.
Her hair was mussed and wild on her head. Levi's height advantage over her gave the illusion that she was dainty and small. Bare, brown legs pressed against his dark slacks. She stood there, half naked in her panties and one of his long shirts that she'd taken from him.
Nothing had ever been as sexy and intense as the two of them at this moment. Finally, she could admit the truth and not be afraid.
She was madly and deeply in love with Levi.
Loved him so much, she risked using a magical spell on him to see if he returned that love. Tears began to form in her eyes at the thought of losing this connection with him tomorrow.
Whatever happened after this weekend--whether the potion worked or not--she would treasure this time with him. The passion, the desire, the unending need to be around each other and not give a damn about the consequences.
This was what she wanted with him. It was good that everyone knew they were together, but if this ended tomorrow, then what? If he wanted to go back to friends with benefits, could she accept that?
No. She couldn't.
Desperation coursed through her body. She couldn't lose him. Not now. Not when she'd come to understand what it could be like with him. She prayed for the first time in a long time. Please let this be real.
"Levi, I need you. Please," she begged, her voice ragged and filled with need.
"You have me, baby girl. You always have." His ragged voice reached her.
Turning her body around to face him, he removed what little clothing she had on. She stood naked in front of the one man she'd ever felt comfortable with.
"My turn," he said, stepping back.
"What if I like the idea of you taking me while still dressed in your suit?" she teased.
Capturing her gaze, he smiled. "We'll put that on our to-do list when we get back home. Baby, I need you to undress me."
Her belly clenched at the tone of his voice as he said the words. Levi was the kind of man who kept her on her toes. One moment, he was sweet and courteous and all "please" and "thank you." The next moment, he was demanding and raw. It was all she could do to stop the trembling of her hands as she pulled his suit jacket off.
As she removed the last of his clothing, she stared up at him from her kneeling position. His thick cock was eye-level with her and she couldn't help but lean toward him. His taste was unique to him and she wanted some. Her mouth watered at the prospect of sucking on him. Preparing to take her first lick, she was shocked when he stopped her.
"No, Theresa. Save that treat for another time," he said firmly. "Tonight is all about us. Me showing you how much I need you. How much you mean to me. I failed you before. I should have said the words a long time ago. And now, as I hear you talk, there are too many doubts in your voice for me to let it go. Stand for me, baby."
Grabbing her hands, he helped her to stand in front of him. Releasing her, he wrapped his hands around her neck and pulled her lips to his. His kiss curled her toes. His wet tongue delved into her mouth, tasting her. Levi reveled in the feeling of having her in his arms.
Placing his hands under her ass, he lifted her up, lining his cock up against the entrance of her body. Breaking their kiss for a second, he looked into her eyes and accepted the truth he'd been fighting for so long.
"I love you, Theresa."
At the shocked look on her face, he smiled. The words felt good coming out of him.
Now he needed to make love to his woman all night.