Page 19 of Another Postcard

There was complete silence on the other end of the line for what felt like ten minutes, though it was probably only a few seconds. “You are so fucking lucky I’m not there right now,” he threatened.

“Um, okay.” I knew I’d regret asking, but sometimes my brain desserts me. “Why?”

“Why? Because you answered the door for a guy who wasn’t me.A fucking stranger!Wearing almost nothing!” he snarled. “And if I were there, I’d have you over my knee, spanking your sweet little ass until it was bright red.”

I gasped, hoping he interpreted it as outrage, which it kind of was. Mostly, though, it was a shock that his words had shot straight to my core, making me so wet it was running down my legs. I was a little mortified that the idea of him spanking me got me incredibly hot.

Out of nowhere, he took the wind out of my angry sails when his voice took on a pleading quality. “Please, baby. Don’t do that. It’s dangerous and I can’t take it. You’ll put me in an early grave worrying.”

Everything in me melted, and I slid to the ground and put my head in my free hand. That, right there. The combination of badass caveman and the sweet, romantic man. It was almost irresistible. To be honest, I had no fucking clue how I’d managed to hold out as long as I had.

“Okay,” I whispered.

He sighed in obvious relief. “Let’s eat. What did you do today?”

“You girls are going to love the new single,” I told Baylee and Cecily, who were both on the phone with me. “It truly turned out amazing, and I still can’t believe I helped write it.”

“That’s so cool, Brooklee!” Baylee gushed.

Cecily sighed. “You’re so lucky. That is one lickable specimen of a man.”

Baylee pretended to gag. “Ewww, yuck, Cecily!” Then she lowered her voice to a stage whisper. “She kisses his poster every night.”

“I do not!” Cecily protested.

I laughed, missing them both. Before we took off on tour, I was hoping to be able to have a longer visit with Baylee, rather than just going out there for dinner. Levi had mentioned that he planned to spend the next weekend at home, so I figured it would be a good time to surprise my girls.

I told them the story of Levi sending me dinner the night before, leaving out my physical reaction and Levi’s threat of a spanking. Which still turned me on. Ugh.

We talked a little more about working with the band, and I regaled them with funny stories about the antics of the others. I finally wished Baylee a good night and spent a few minutes talking to Cecily alone.

“You got the itinerary for the touring schedule, right?” I asked.

“Yeah, jeez, Brooklynn, you are going to so many amazing places,” she sighed again. “And with Levi Matthews. I swear, one of these days we’ll meet and he’ll fall madly in love with me.”

I rolled my eyes and got back to business. “I’ll bring tickets to the Boston concert next time I come up there. I’ll book your room for a day before and a day after. I know you’ll both want to sight see, and I want Baylee more comfortable with the strange city she’s in before coming into the craziness of a concert.”

“Okay. Sounds good. Night, Brooklynn.”

“Goodnight. Give Baylee a hug and kiss from me.”

“Will do.”

I’d been lying on my back in the middle of the bed, and after we hung up, I rolled to my side so I could plug my phone in and set it on the nightstand. It was tempting to simply curl up and go right to sleep, but my skin would hate me in the morning. Sighing, I stood and made my way to the bathroom where I washed my face and dressed for bed. Once I was settled under the covers with my Kindle, I stared at the same page for five minutes. My mind wouldn’t focus on the words, instead it was replaying my last kiss with Levi, over and over.

My phone buzzed with an incoming text, and I shifted to my side so I could pick it up and read it.

Levi: I was lying here in the buff, with my blankets on the floor because my apartment is so damn hot and it got me wondering. Are you one of those chicks with frozen feet?

I laughed at his question and pointedly ignored the first part of his text.

Me: I generally start out wearing just socks to bed, but it doesn’t take long before they are gone and my feet are sticking out of the covers to cool off.

Levi: One more question. Were you kidding or do you really go to bed in nothing but those thigh-high socks?

Me: They aren’t thigh-high socks, perv.

Levi: Oh, sweetheart. In my head, they are. And don’t avoid the question.

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