Running into Love
Page 19
“Oh yes, the show was amazing. Wasn’t it amazing, honey?” she murmurs.
“It was amazing,” I agree through clenched teeth as I head across the open landing toward my apartment. Turning to face Levi outside my door, I move my eyes to his shoulder. “Do you have my key?” I hold out my hand.
“Yep.” He digs into the front pocket of his jeans and pulls it out, dropping it into my open palm.
“Thanks,” I mutter, turning to open the door for my parents. “I’ll be right back.” I smile at them—or try to—as they go inside, then shut the door behind them before they can ask me what I’m doing.
Stomping across the wood floors to Levi’s door, I cross my arms over my chest and tap my foot as I wait for him to unlock it, feeling anger swell inside my chest when I see him smiling. “You okay, babe?”
Am I okay? No. I’m pissed and hurt, but I’m focusing on the pissed part, because that feeling is the safer of the two coursing through me right now. As soon as he unlocks the door, I move in ahead of him and watch him shut the door. “I’m not your woman,” I say as soon as he turns to face me. After watching him cross his arms over his chest, my eyes then move to my dog . . . my dog as she takes a seat at his side, and he raises a brow. “If you don’t want to talk to a woman, just tell her you’re not interested. Don’t use me to throw her off your scent,” I hiss, leaning in, and his eyes narrow. “That is not okay.”
“Are you done?” Pressing my lips tightly together in answer, I move toward the door only to stop as he steps in front of me, blocking my path. “You’ve got me confused with someone else.”
“Confused?” I frown, and he grins.
“You think I’m the kind of guy that would do something like make an excuse to a woman so I don’t hurt her feelings. That’s not me, baby. I’m not that guy. I’m not that nice.”
“You’re nice.” I shake my head, and his fingers run up my jaw, then slide behind my ear, where he tucks a few strands of hair.
“I’m not nice,” he says so sincerely that I almost believe him, but I know the Levi who brought me a cake on my birthday, the Levi who offered to watch Muffin when I’m gone, and he’s nice, really nice. Maybe even too nice.
“You’re always nice to me,” I whisper, and the look in his eyes changes ever so slightly.
“Yeah,” he agrees, sliding his hands around my waist and turning me until we are face-to-face. “I’m always nice to you.”
“Why?”
“Because I like you, because you’re different.”
“You like me?”
“I think I’ve made that pretty clear.”
“What’s going on between us?” I try to keep the vulnerability out of my voice, but it still seeps in. I hate not knowing what I’m doing or where I stand with him. I hate feeling insecure, and I would rather embarrass myself right now and know there is nothing going on than to have one more day go by where I question things.
“Fawn.” His face softens, and his fingers tighten. “Can’t you see I’m trying to figure it out?”
“Oh.” I drop my eyes to his chin and press my lips together. That is not the answer I was looking for.
“Look at me,” he urges, resting his fingers under my jaw, and I reluctantly do.
“What I know is that I like the parts of you you’ve allowed me to see. I enjoy spending time with you and want to do that more. I’m not psychic, I can’t see the future, so I don’t know what will happen between us, but I’m interested in you enough to want to find out.”
“Oh,” I repeat, this time swallowing.
“Now, are you on the same page as me?” he asks, and I nod. “Good. Now are you done being pissed?”
“I wasn’t pissed.”
“Gorgeous.” He sighs, shaking his head. “You were pissed when you saw me across the street with Becky.”
“Beth,” I grumble, and he grins.
“Whatever her name is.”
“I thought you were using my dog to pick up chicks.”
“I’ve never needed a dog to pick up a woman. Besides, I’ve got my hands full with this hot little blonde who lives next door to me and may or may not be crazy.”
“I’m not crazy.” I feign annoyance while secretly doing flips in my head. He thinks I’m hot.
“Crazy people never think they’re crazy, gorgeous.” He grins, and I slap his chest, then feel my mouth soften when he takes my hand to kiss my palm, just like I watched my dad do to my mom at the theater. “Now, why don’t you go on over to your place, make sure your parents are settled, then come back and hang out with me for a while?”
“Sure,” I agree as nervous excitement fills my stomach. Muffin has sprawled out on the couch, making herself at home.
“She can stay.” He brushes his lips over mine as he opens the door.
“Are you sure?”
“Positive,” he agrees. “Now go on and hurry back to me.” He taps my ass lightly two times, sending me on my way. Stopping with my hand on the knob to my apartment, I turn to find him watching me. I don’t know what he’s thinking, but the look in his eyes makes my mouth dry. Pulling my eyes from him, I scoot through and close the door behind me, finding my parents both on the couch in their pajamas.
“Is everything okay?” Dad asks as soon as my eyes meet his.
“Yep. I’m going to go hang out with Levi for a bit. I’ll be home in a while,” I say as casually as possible, even though my stomach has started to turn with nervous butterflies.
“It’s after eleven,” he states, and Mom smacks his chest. “What?” he asks looking at her.
“Go on. Have fun, honey.” Mom rolls her eyes at him.
“I’m just going to change first,” I say, heading to my bedroom and shutting the door. I take off my coat, toss it to the floor of my closet, and dig though my stuff until I find something to wear. Settling on a pair of leggings, an oversize off-the-shoulder sweater over a tank top, and a pair of scrunched, warm socks, I change as fast as I can, almost taking myself out a few times in my rush.
As soon as I’m done, I go to the door and swing it open. “I’ll see you guys in the morning,” I say, going over to kiss each of my parents’ cheeks.
“Night, honey,” Mom says, kissing the side of my head.
“Night, kiddo,” Dad says, then mutters, “Be smart,” giving me a look that I ignore.
“Tell Levi we’ll see him for breakfast,” Mom says as I slip on my Uggs, and I turn to catch her smiling ear to ear.
“Will do,” I agree, opening and shutting the door behind me. After knocking on Levi’s door, I don’t even have a second to wait before he’s pulling me through the door and shutting it behind me. “What are you doing?” I ask his back as he drags me across the living room.
“We’re going to make out.”
“What?” I squeak as he pulls me into his bedroom and kicks the door closed.
“Your dog’s taking up the couch, so we’re going to make out in here and watch some TV.”
“Oh.” He pushes me onto the bed and looms over me, making me feel dizzy once more. “I thought we were going to get to know each other,” I breathe as his golden eyes search mine.
“We are.” He grins wickedly, then drops his head, covering my mouth with his. After the first touch of his tongue against mine, all I can think is I want to get to know all of him.
Chapter 7
BREAKFAST WITH CRAZY PEOPLE, AKA MY FAMILY
FAWN
Waking slowly, I soak in the feeling of the warm body I’m pressed against and blink my eyes open. Taking in the expanse of Levi’s naked chest and the feel of his abs under my palm, I grin, pressing my face closer to his skin, breathing in his scent. Last night after we made out for a while, we got up and took Muffin for a walk. Then we stopped at the Chinese spot on the corner and ordered lo mein to share. Once we got back to his place, we got into bed and ate while watching TV. I planned on getting up and heading over to my place to sleep, but I must have fallen asleep at some point during our second make-out session.
“It was amazing,” I agree through clenched teeth as I head across the open landing toward my apartment. Turning to face Levi outside my door, I move my eyes to his shoulder. “Do you have my key?” I hold out my hand.
“Yep.” He digs into the front pocket of his jeans and pulls it out, dropping it into my open palm.
“Thanks,” I mutter, turning to open the door for my parents. “I’ll be right back.” I smile at them—or try to—as they go inside, then shut the door behind them before they can ask me what I’m doing.
Stomping across the wood floors to Levi’s door, I cross my arms over my chest and tap my foot as I wait for him to unlock it, feeling anger swell inside my chest when I see him smiling. “You okay, babe?”
Am I okay? No. I’m pissed and hurt, but I’m focusing on the pissed part, because that feeling is the safer of the two coursing through me right now. As soon as he unlocks the door, I move in ahead of him and watch him shut the door. “I’m not your woman,” I say as soon as he turns to face me. After watching him cross his arms over his chest, my eyes then move to my dog . . . my dog as she takes a seat at his side, and he raises a brow. “If you don’t want to talk to a woman, just tell her you’re not interested. Don’t use me to throw her off your scent,” I hiss, leaning in, and his eyes narrow. “That is not okay.”
“Are you done?” Pressing my lips tightly together in answer, I move toward the door only to stop as he steps in front of me, blocking my path. “You’ve got me confused with someone else.”
“Confused?” I frown, and he grins.
“You think I’m the kind of guy that would do something like make an excuse to a woman so I don’t hurt her feelings. That’s not me, baby. I’m not that guy. I’m not that nice.”
“You’re nice.” I shake my head, and his fingers run up my jaw, then slide behind my ear, where he tucks a few strands of hair.
“I’m not nice,” he says so sincerely that I almost believe him, but I know the Levi who brought me a cake on my birthday, the Levi who offered to watch Muffin when I’m gone, and he’s nice, really nice. Maybe even too nice.
“You’re always nice to me,” I whisper, and the look in his eyes changes ever so slightly.
“Yeah,” he agrees, sliding his hands around my waist and turning me until we are face-to-face. “I’m always nice to you.”
“Why?”
“Because I like you, because you’re different.”
“You like me?”
“I think I’ve made that pretty clear.”
“What’s going on between us?” I try to keep the vulnerability out of my voice, but it still seeps in. I hate not knowing what I’m doing or where I stand with him. I hate feeling insecure, and I would rather embarrass myself right now and know there is nothing going on than to have one more day go by where I question things.
“Fawn.” His face softens, and his fingers tighten. “Can’t you see I’m trying to figure it out?”
“Oh.” I drop my eyes to his chin and press my lips together. That is not the answer I was looking for.
“Look at me,” he urges, resting his fingers under my jaw, and I reluctantly do.
“What I know is that I like the parts of you you’ve allowed me to see. I enjoy spending time with you and want to do that more. I’m not psychic, I can’t see the future, so I don’t know what will happen between us, but I’m interested in you enough to want to find out.”
“Oh,” I repeat, this time swallowing.
“Now, are you on the same page as me?” he asks, and I nod. “Good. Now are you done being pissed?”
“I wasn’t pissed.”
“Gorgeous.” He sighs, shaking his head. “You were pissed when you saw me across the street with Becky.”
“Beth,” I grumble, and he grins.
“Whatever her name is.”
“I thought you were using my dog to pick up chicks.”
“I’ve never needed a dog to pick up a woman. Besides, I’ve got my hands full with this hot little blonde who lives next door to me and may or may not be crazy.”
“I’m not crazy.” I feign annoyance while secretly doing flips in my head. He thinks I’m hot.
“Crazy people never think they’re crazy, gorgeous.” He grins, and I slap his chest, then feel my mouth soften when he takes my hand to kiss my palm, just like I watched my dad do to my mom at the theater. “Now, why don’t you go on over to your place, make sure your parents are settled, then come back and hang out with me for a while?”
“Sure,” I agree as nervous excitement fills my stomach. Muffin has sprawled out on the couch, making herself at home.
“She can stay.” He brushes his lips over mine as he opens the door.
“Are you sure?”
“Positive,” he agrees. “Now go on and hurry back to me.” He taps my ass lightly two times, sending me on my way. Stopping with my hand on the knob to my apartment, I turn to find him watching me. I don’t know what he’s thinking, but the look in his eyes makes my mouth dry. Pulling my eyes from him, I scoot through and close the door behind me, finding my parents both on the couch in their pajamas.
“Is everything okay?” Dad asks as soon as my eyes meet his.
“Yep. I’m going to go hang out with Levi for a bit. I’ll be home in a while,” I say as casually as possible, even though my stomach has started to turn with nervous butterflies.
“It’s after eleven,” he states, and Mom smacks his chest. “What?” he asks looking at her.
“Go on. Have fun, honey.” Mom rolls her eyes at him.
“I’m just going to change first,” I say, heading to my bedroom and shutting the door. I take off my coat, toss it to the floor of my closet, and dig though my stuff until I find something to wear. Settling on a pair of leggings, an oversize off-the-shoulder sweater over a tank top, and a pair of scrunched, warm socks, I change as fast as I can, almost taking myself out a few times in my rush.
As soon as I’m done, I go to the door and swing it open. “I’ll see you guys in the morning,” I say, going over to kiss each of my parents’ cheeks.
“Night, honey,” Mom says, kissing the side of my head.
“Night, kiddo,” Dad says, then mutters, “Be smart,” giving me a look that I ignore.
“Tell Levi we’ll see him for breakfast,” Mom says as I slip on my Uggs, and I turn to catch her smiling ear to ear.
“Will do,” I agree, opening and shutting the door behind me. After knocking on Levi’s door, I don’t even have a second to wait before he’s pulling me through the door and shutting it behind me. “What are you doing?” I ask his back as he drags me across the living room.
“We’re going to make out.”
“What?” I squeak as he pulls me into his bedroom and kicks the door closed.
“Your dog’s taking up the couch, so we’re going to make out in here and watch some TV.”
“Oh.” He pushes me onto the bed and looms over me, making me feel dizzy once more. “I thought we were going to get to know each other,” I breathe as his golden eyes search mine.
“We are.” He grins wickedly, then drops his head, covering my mouth with his. After the first touch of his tongue against mine, all I can think is I want to get to know all of him.
Chapter 7
BREAKFAST WITH CRAZY PEOPLE, AKA MY FAMILY
FAWN
Waking slowly, I soak in the feeling of the warm body I’m pressed against and blink my eyes open. Taking in the expanse of Levi’s naked chest and the feel of his abs under my palm, I grin, pressing my face closer to his skin, breathing in his scent. Last night after we made out for a while, we got up and took Muffin for a walk. Then we stopped at the Chinese spot on the corner and ordered lo mein to share. Once we got back to his place, we got into bed and ate while watching TV. I planned on getting up and heading over to my place to sleep, but I must have fallen asleep at some point during our second make-out session.
