Page 36 of Aching for His Discretion

He noticed my slightly altered cloud-nine state and picked me up from the desk.

“Let’s get you cleaned up, hmm, baby?” he muttered, and I nodded as he entered the bathroom.

Afterward, we ended up on his living room couch with my head on his shoulder, sitting across his lap as he helped me with my flashcards for a little while.

This was... an interesting experience, being with Levi. He moved at a pace my mind couldn’t catch up to, but I loved it.

It was caring, exhilarating, and exciting, and it took the pressure off of my brain for things to be perfect… formeto be perfect. Because that’s how he saw and treated me. And when I felt imperfect, he knows just the right methods and ways to put me back together again... We’d only known each other for a short time but I felt like I could be less tense around him.

“Tesoro?” he said, and I looked up at him.

“It’s getting late, baby. The cat will be waiting for you to come home.”

“The cat... you mean Grayson,” I remarked, smiling, and Levi nodded.

“Yes. That cat, in particular, is going to be scratching at your door, waiting for you to come home,” he muttered, and I nodded as I stood, grabbing my belongings as I pondered for a moment or so. My dreaded overthinking in the basement threatened to creep back into my mind and I bit my lip nervously.

I could ask him what he does for a living now. It’s just small talk, and it’s the least he could share after we’d been rather… intimate with one another.

“So, what do you do for a living, Levi?” I asked nonchalantly.

He looked at me momentarily. “Well... I own a few clubs and other businesses alongside them,” he replied casually, and I nodded my head as he helped me grab my things, escorting me out of his penthouse.

Due to his openness about his work, I decided to ask him more questions about himself, his interests, and his hobbies on the way to my apartment in his car… anything that I could learn about him, I wanted to know. He was open to answering thequestions and even went as far as to ask me the same questions at times.

The next question that came to mind… was a bit more serious and could give me a bit more closure to my overthinking. “The first time we met, there was a bullet in your arm. How did you get shot?” I asked him softly.

He sighed. “To keep a long story short... Some idiots came into the club and were waving their guns around. While I was trying to get them out, one of them ended up shooting me in the arm,” he muttered.

I rubbed my hand over his clothed bicep. “I’m glad you weren’t hurt badly,” I whispered, and he grabbed my hand, placing a kiss on my knuckles.

“I could’ve been worse if you didn’t help me, sweet girl,” he replied, and I blushed as we arrived at my complex.

I went to open the door when I saw none other than thecatsitting on the front step, waiting patiently. I gasped almost dramatically as I practically threw the car door open.

“Grayson. Bad kitty! No outside time! Go home,” I said angrily, and he meowed softly as he lowered his head and walked toward me. I sighed heavily as he jumped into my arms, and I gazed at him in his precious little eyes.

“I missed you too, baby, but you’re not allowed to sneak out. That is a bad kitty! Now, I still love you, but you need to go back inside,” I ordered, placing multiple kisses on his head, to which he simply purred in response.

I let him down, and Levi walked over to me as we watched him skillfully jump from window to window and miraculously squeeze himself into the little crack in my window, which he successfully closed once he was fully inside.

“So you’ve taught the cat how to escape and enter the house at free will,” he muttered, and I giggled as we entered the complex.

“Kinda. He understands most of what I tell him to do, but there are specific commands that I had to teach him.”

“Like what?” he asked, and I shrugged.

“Go home, come eat, go to the bathroom...hide,” I said, whispering the last part, and Levi tilted his head.

“Why would he need to hide?” he asked, and I bit my lip as we reached my flat. Opening the door with my key, I shrugged as we stepped in.

“Just in case something bad is about to happen or… my brothers come to visit,” I said softly, yet he most definitely heard it as he placed my belongings down and spoke as he followed behind me as I entered my room.

“These are the same brothers that made you cry, hmm?” he asked seriously, and I nodded as I grabbed my clothes to change into for bed.

“They… they never really liked him. When I visit home, I keep him hidden in my room. I know they wouldn’t do anything to hurt Grayson… but I-I...” I began, and he shushed me softly as I already felt like crying again.

They’ve put me through so much mental and emotional abuse, and I don’t want any of that to happen to Grayson… even though I almost killed him for being outside so late.He’s lucky he’s so cute.

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