Page 29 of Another Postcard

I gave her some extra contact info, particularly for Sasha and Levi, since it was most likely they would know where I was if Noah or I couldn’t be reached. There was a bit of separation anxiety and a little guilt plaguing me, hence the many, many ways of contacting me. We also went over the band’s schedule and itinerary for the tour for the umpteenth time. “If anything changes I’ll let you know and, you can always call Noah if you can’t get a hold of me and it’s an emergency. I’ve never seen him without his phone glued to his hand. But, now you have Levi and Sasha’s cell numbers too.”

Cecily stared at it, wide-eyed for a moment but then tucked all of the information into her planner and gave me a hug. “Thanks for bringing us tonight, I still can’t believe we got to meet Stone Butterfly,” she said dreamily.

“Yes! I love them!” Baylee exclaimed as she bounced over and gave me another big hug. “Goodnight, Brooklee! Safe travels!”

I gathered her close and kissed her forehead, already missing her so much it hurt. But, this whole situation was good for both of us. “Thanks, sweet girl. I’ll miss you.”

Tears filled her eyes and she clung to me for another moment. “I’ll miss you too. But, no crying. We’re too old for tears,” she stated, jerking her head up and down for emphasis. Still, a few tears escaped. “Just . . . I’ll see you soon.” She gave me a watery smile and I hugged her tight one last time.

“Right,” I agreed staunchly, drying the corner of my eye. “See you soon.”

I found another cab and sent Kristi a text to get the name of the little Irish pub they were currently invading. When I arrived, the crowd was so thick, it was spilling out onto the sidewalk. I observed the masses for a moment, gearing myself up for the pushing and shoving I’d have to do to get through. Before I took one step, a tall figure with a familiar swagger came strolling around the corner of the building. Levi walked to where I was standing and stopped, took my hand and turned toward the pub entrance. “How did you know I was here?” I asked, bewildered.

“I was waiting out here for you. Wanted to make sure you could find us.” The words were said casually, as though it was no big deal, but to me, it was a giant gesture. Rock God, Levi Matthews stood out of the spotlight, literally in a dark corner, waiting for me to arrive. Shivers raced over my skin and my heart beat hard in my chest, while the butterflies in my stomach once again went mad. “And, to make sure nobody in the crowd tries to make a grab for what’s mine,” he added as he led me toward the sea of bodies. I rolled my eyes at his possessive, caveman attitude, but my heart sped up and I could feel it pulsing between my legs.

As we approached the door, the crowd parted like the freaking red sea, allowing Levi and I a clear path to our band mates who were holding court at the bar. Two of the guys on our security team, Luca and Cameron, were leaning grumpily against the walls closest to the bar, scanning the crowd. Stone Butterfly didn’t always have security following them around, but Levi had mentioned that during concerts and at the after parties, they had been needed a time or two. They figured better safe than sorry.

Cooper was leaning on the bar a few stools down from Sasha, nursing a beer and glaring at her. She and Jonas were throwing back shots that were lined up in front of them, with the boisterous encouragement of everyone around them, particularly Simon, Matteo, Noah, and Kristi. We reached our group and Levi grasped my hips, lifting me onto a bar stool like I weighed nothing. I really had to wonder why I bothered to wear panties.Down girl.I chided my libido.Climbing him like a tree in the middle of a public place would certainly give Chloe plenty to work with.

He moved to stand protectively at my back, between me and the throngs of people. I could see him in the mirror above the bar and his aqua eyes were watching me with such intensity, I had to look away. In order to avoid swooning (there was just no other word for it), I spun the stool to my left and watched the entertainment. Sasha tossed back her last shot and banged the glass down on the shiny wooden surface. Jonas was only a half second behind her, but it was long enough to know he’d been defeated. “Victory is mine!” she shouted, her hands rising in the air, as though calling a touchdown. Levi laughed and stuck out his hand. Kristi, Matteo, Noah, and Simon all slapped cash down on his palm, grumbling and cursing. “Suckers,” he gloated, pointing at each of them in turn. “Every one of ya.” Then he leaned down and whispered in my ear, “I have a standing bet on Sasha and for some reason these fuckers are dying to see me lose.”

Kristi glared at Jonas. “You said you’d been practicing!”

I snorted with laughter when he shrugged sheepishly and then kissed the frown off of her face. A few more guys from the crowd went toe to toe with Sasha until she started swaying and called a halt. “I need to dance some of this shit out of my fucking veins,” she announced at the top of her lungs. “I’m headed to a club to shake my ass!” Faster than I could blink, Cooper had weaved his way over to her and was whispering something in her ear, prompting her to huff in irritation and plop down on a stool, sulking. He raised his hand and the bartender tossed him a bottle of water, which he opened and set in front of Sasha.

Levi’s chuckle was soft in my ear and I glanced up to see him watching Sasha and Cooper as well. “Sasha is one of the most laid-back chicks I have ever known,” he told me, his lips at my ear so I could hear him in the loud and boisterous bar. “I’ve never seen anyone rile her unless she felt like she or one of her family were being threatened. Until Cooper.” He smiled down at me, his clear blue eyes filled with mirth. “He pushes all of her buttons.”

“Is there something going on between them?”

Levi shrugged and took a swig from a beer that materialized on the bar beside me. After another swallow, he handed it to me and I tipped it back, the cool liquid feeling great in the heat of so many bodies packed into one space. I handed it back to him and our eyes met in the mirror again, his were dark with hunger. I swiped the bottle back and took another quick drink but the liquid didn’t do much to alleviate the heat engulfing my body like it had just a few seconds before. He put his mouth to my ear again and whispered, “You want to get out of here?” His hot breath and the slide of his lips over the shell of my ear caused shivers to dance over me and the ache in my core to intensify. Shoring up my courage, I nodded firmly. Levi’s smile lit up the whole freaking bar and all of my remaining worries ran for cover in the shadows.

Levi helped me hop off of the stool, then he leaned in close to yell something to Noah, receiving a chin lift of acknowledgement. Noah reached into his pocket and handed Levi a folder and then his kind blue eyes drifted to mine and he studied me for a moment, before cocking his head to the side. He wanted to know if I was good with the plan. It warmed me, the way he protected me like a big brother. I knew if I said no, he would have put a stop to Levi’s plans without another thought. I smiled reassuringly, earning a quick nod before he turned back to his glass of dark amber liquid.

Making sure I had my purse and coat, I let Levi once again guide me through a throng of people who parted for the Rock God in their presence. He waved off Luca and kept going until we were outside and in the parking lot. He slipped a fob and key from his pocket and hit the button. The lights flashed on a dark SUV four stalls over and we strolled down to it. Levi walked me around to the passenger side and opened the door. He helped me up and into my seat, then pulled the seat belt over me and fastened it.

“Caveman, much?” I retorted.

He paused when his face was directly in front of mine and the proximity made my heart race, stalling my breath.

“Maybe I just wanted an excuse to kiss you,” he murmured before softly touching his mouth to mine. “Or maybe”— one of his hands came up to cup my shoulder—“I might have been looking for an opportunity to cop a feel.” He moved quickly and his fingers brushed, feather light, across the tops of my breasts. Before I could form a thought, my door shut and he was loping around the car.

Within a few minutes, he was settled inside and we were driving away from the pub. I’d regained the power of speech, but I didn’t say anything, mostly because I’d been too turned on by his touch to protest it. He reached for my hand and laced our fingers together, kissing my knuckles once before resting them on his hard thigh. The drive was fairly short because, to my surprise, and a good dose of apprehension, he pulled the car up to the valet station at our hotel.

I wanted to take the next step with Levi, but I wasn’t sure that my version and Levi’s were the same. My body was aching for his and a little devil inside of me wanted nothing more than to drag him to his room and jump him. However, the logical part of me was still working for the moment, and it reminded me to take things slow. Make sure that things between Levi and I were more than our attraction. What if he got bored after the chase was done?

The little devil whispered that we’d spent six weeks getting to know each other and he’d proven himself. Logic rebutted that I was still facing the prospect of a bad break up and losing the best thing that had ever happened to me besides my sister. The impossible argument between my body and mind was interrupted when Levi opened my door and held out his hand. I took a deep breath, and—still unsure what I wanted and starting to get worked up over it—accepted his offer of help and exited the car.

He slipped an arm around my waist and we moved to the entrance of the hotel. “Baby, stop freaking out.”

I glanced up quickly, startled that he seemed to have read my mind. His blue eyes were twinkling and he kissed my forehead before steering us toward the elevator. We stepped inside and I was grateful to see no mirrors. I couldn’t look at Levi while I was in such a state of mess. He hit the number for our floor and my mind started swirling with how to get out of this and how to get him naked as fast as possible. I stifled a groan of frustration. I felt like Dr. Jekyll in the confrontation scene, a tug of war between two personalities.

The bell chimed and the doors slid open. He urged me with his arm to step out and we padded over the plush carpet. . .past my room. . .then past his. I wasn’t sure whether to be relieved or disappointed. I landed on curious. Where were we going?

At the end of the hall was another door and he dug in his back pocket, producing another key card. He swiped it and opened the door, then swept an arm out, motioning for me to step inside. At first glance, it looked like the living area of a large suite. Except, on closer inspection, there were no doors leading to other rooms. I turned around, taking in the opulent cream and blue decor. It was gorgeous and had a calming effect.

“What is this?” I asked.

Levi grinned and removed his coat, tossing it on a table in a dining area. Then helped me remove mine and placed it in the same location. “It’s like a suite, but without the bedrooms. An unattached gathering room. A lot of hotels have game rooms, or play rooms for little kids, a smoking lounge, all kinds of random rooms. This hotel has rooms set up for a group of guests to lounge, while keeping all of the rooms separate, so people aren’t disturbed once they go to bed.”

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