Page 14 of Glad You're Here

“Right.” Levi’s curious eyes didn’t leave my face.

What did he see there?

“She had garlic breath. Actually, I tasted a mix of shrimp and garlic. I don’t know if there’s a worse combo for a kiss. Then, it was all sticky from her lipstick and so aggressive that our teeth bashed together.” Levi shuddered. “But hey! New life experience unlocked!”

I had the sudden urge to kiss him. I’d do it slow and soft until he closed his eyes and melted into me. Many a man had complimented me on my soft, full lips. Levi would thoroughly enjoy my kiss.

Where the hell did that thought come from? This couldn’t be desire flowing through my weird and confused veins. I was not into Levi in a sexual way. Sure, his thoughtful brown eyes were growing on me, and I didn’t hate his thick, brown hair or how he wore those jeans and that t-shirt. But no. I wasn’t into Levi.

Attraction was a stupid and pointless game that ended with cheating, abandonment, and smashed-up hearts. Look what happened to my mom. Look at my aunt and the handful of stupid men she dated. Look at me and my last cheating ex.

No. I didn’t need to play the attraction game. Levi could find someone else to blow his mind with a kiss. Maybe that cute Target and latte-loving woman I’d conjured up in my head earlier.

six

Levi

Thea promised me that she’d bring some cannabis edibles to my hotel room tonight. She’d insisted that she wouldn’t miss this moment for anything. I couldn’t pretend to be mad about that. Spending time with Thea had been the highlight of my trip.

I jumped at the knock on my door. Nervous and excited energy raced through my body, and I hurried to pull open the heavy hotel door.

Thea’s long hair flowed free around her gorgeous face. She usually wore it pulled back, but it looked incredible this way. She wore a black, hooded jacket over a low-cut, white tank top. I tried not to notice the black bra showing through her shirt. I pushed down any feelings of arousal like I’d been trained my entire life to do. My eyes dropped from her chest, and I saw that she had swipes of dried paint on her hands and a canvas tucked under her arm.

I stepped back to let her into my room and pointed at the canvas. “What did you paint?”

“You.” She pressed the canvas into my chest without looking at me and made her way to the small sofa in my room. Thea yanked the curtains open and looked down at the night street below. “Huh. I’ve never seen Durango from this vantage point before.” She removed her jacket while observing her hometown from a hotel room window.

I tore my eyes away from her silhouette and turned over the canvas she’d given me. Shades of gray all in a line, followed by an incredible burst of color. Me. Obviously. The only thought I had was that the explosion of color should have been more purple.

“Holy shit, Thea,” I mumbled. “You painted me.”

Thea laughed. “That’s what I said, dude.”

“This is incredible.” I met her stunning green gaze and felt zapped by lightning. I’d never been understood this way before. Every person I’d known in my life saw my gray, but Thea saw the color.

“Glad you like it. Now, come and sit. Let’s get this party started.” I obeyed. I set the painting on the bed and made my way to the sofa.

Thea ripped open the package of gummy edibles with her teeth. “Start with one, big guy.” She plucked a peach ring from the bag, pressed it into my mouth, and patted my cheek while I chewed. “You’ll be feeling that in about an hour.” She popped one in her mouth, too.

I needed to stop staring at her lips while she chewed.

“Let me see your list.” She held out her hand, and I noticed the smudge of yellow on her wrist. I don’t know why I found it sexy. Maybe it was because she’d painted me, or maybe it was because everything Thea did was sexy.

Shit. I was in trouble here. She’d already made it clear that she wasn’t attracted to me and was strictly interested in being my friend for two weeks. Leave it to me to be the naïve idiot who fell for the first woman he met after a divorce.

I walked over to my bed, gathered the napkin from my nightstand, and delivered it to Thea’s outstretched palm. “Okay.” Her eyes scanned the list. “Getting addicted to coffee is easy and a little boring. Have it every morning for a week. Bam. Done.”

I smiled. “I can probably do that one on my own.”

Thea nodded, eyes still on the list. “Let’s do your tattoo next. I know a crazy talented guy who owes me big time, so he’ll fit you into his schedule whenever I say.” Her eyes flicked back up to meet mine. “Thursday? I’m free Thursday, and we need to do this before you leave on Sunday.”

I nodded, heart racing at the thought of my family seeing me with permanent ink on my skin. They’d be shocked and outraged. They’d lump me into every awful stereotype about Ex-Mormons that had ever been uttered. Wicked. Lazy. Deceitful. Lost. Devoid of light. Angry. Selfish. The list of ugly adjectives could go on for miles.

I tried to tell myself that I didn’t care what my family thought, but I did, and it hurt.

“You okay?” Thea studied my face.

I shrugged and tried to smile. “I guess I’m worried about the tattoo thing. All of the other stuff on my list can be kept private from my family, and I can avoid their judgment. I can’t hide a tattoo, though. I’m already imagining making my mom cry and the passive-aggressive way my siblings will avoid me even more than they already do.” I sighed. “And my boss is Mormon, too. This could hurt me at work.”

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