Page 8 of Lock 'em Down

“No, it’s okay,” I assure him. “I’m fine.”

He whirls around, keeping one hand on my hip and tucking me behind his large frame.

Oh, no. My nerves scatter and my senses go on high alert. I’ve been in this position too many times with Levi. This is the part where the guy loses his mind and?—

“You okay, dude?” Leif asks the man who bumped into him.

Um, what? I press up on my tippy toes to get a better view and wince at the pain that travels through my left foot.

“I fucking love this song!” The guy is wasted and stumbling. He grins crookedly at Leif, and nods his head to the beat, completely unaware that he nearly took us out.

Leif places a hand on his shoulder and leans forward, saying something to the man. The man points to some friends and Leif gestures them over. He speaks to them, but I can’t catch his words. The friends seem receptive, and I watch as Leif hands them some cash. Then, they usher their friend away.

Leif turns back around to face me. “How’s your foot? Do you need ice?”

“What was that?” I point toward the group of men.

Leif follows my gaze and shrugs. “That guy was hammered. I just want to make sure he gets some water in his system and takes it easy. He could get himself jammed up if he’s not careful.” Leif looks around the club and I note the swarm of dancing bodies. “Things always tend to go sideways at this time of night.”

“Yeah,” I laugh, staring at him. Who the hell is this guy? Any man I know would have decked the dude for pushing us, or, at the very least, exchanged some heated words. Levi would have knocked him out completely.

“You sure you’re okay?” Leif asks, his lips brushing over the shell of my ear.

I nod, pulling back to stare at him. He looks worried—genuinely concerned for my well-being. Not defensive, needing to protect his ego. Not angry, that a stranger ruined his chance to kiss me. Just…sincere.

As much as I hate that I compare him to Levi, in this moment, I’m relieved that I’m attracted to a man so different than the mercurial musician. Right now, I want to press myself against the considerate, laid-back, thoughtful man in front of me and kiss him hard.

Placing my palms on his cheeks, I lean into Leif, go up on my tippy toes, and kiss him passionately.

When my lips meet his, my body implodes, and I cling to him. Physically, my restraint started slipping the second I laid eyes on him. But emotionally? Leif just proved he’s a man worth connecting with and any reasons I had to hold back disappear. My hands track his back; his hands grip my waist.

We come together like a tornado spiraling amid a hurricane and the sound of the club rushes around us, pulling us into the vortex and pulsing in my eardrums.

My arms wind around Leif’s neck. He sweeps me into his arms, palming my ass like he can’t control himself for a second longer.

Our tongues duel and twist. Our hands touch and memorize. But it’s not slow and sensual now, no, it’s borderline frantic.

“Fuck, Cami. You’re something else,” Leif pants in my ear.

I chuckle but the sound is too high. Reedy. “I don’t want tonight to end, Leif.”

He pulls back slightly to give me a look. “We’ve got hours ahead of us, beautiful.”

I nearly shudder at the promise in his words. Hours? Yes, please. I want all of them. “Promise?” I taunt.

He grins, a quick flash. “Cross my fucking heart.” He tosses his gesture from earlier back at me.

I smile. I like that we have…what? An inside joke? It’s silly and childish yet it lights me up like a Christmas tree.

“Stay with me, tonight,” he says—he’s not asking.

And I like that too.

“I’m all yours.” I arch into him again, pressing my breasts into his chest. God, it’s been a long time since I’ve felt this confident with a man. This…honest about my own wants.

He grabs a handful of my ass and squeezes. “Want to get out of here?”

“I do,” I admit, glancing around to find my friends.

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