Page 62 of Breaking the Habit

“For how long?” he asked.

“Ten days.” She stood, examining the screen of the camera. She’d nailed it.

“Almost two weeks?” Levi asked, incredulous.

“Just over one week,” she rephrased, sending him a smile. She walked over to him, kissing his forehead. “Don’t worry. You’ll survive without me.”

He hooked her by the waist, bringing her between his legs. The honeyed truth in his gaze stole her voice, and all she could do was look at him.

“Survive, maybe. But I’ll be thinking about you every night until you’re back.”

Riley’s throat tightened, and she tried to brush off the implication behind his words. Part of her was desperate to cling to his words and ride them like a dragon into the smoky plumes of sort-of-fated outcome—look, this means he likes you, you two are together now, what if he’s the one?

She hated the fact that any of those thoughts entered her brain space. This needed to be a hookup and nothing more. After all, he was probably only going to miss her because of the sex. Not because ofher. If Riley had learned anything in life, it was that pussy ruled all, and men couldn’t give a fuck about emotions.

She wouldn’t make the mistake of thinking Levi was any different.

Even so, the truth of Levi’s words hit her like a brick.

Because she’d be thinking about him every one of those ten days too. No matter how hard she tried not to.

It was already a done deal.

Chapter 20

LEVI: OK you’re late.

RILEY: Late for what?

LEVI: It’s day 10. You home or what?

Levi had messaged Riley every day of her ten-day vacation. Most days he kept it simple—a well-timed joke to make her smile—but really, he was counting the freaking minutes until he got the okay to go to her house.

She had to feel it too. She’d been there for what they shared. It wasn’t like either of them could walk away from that.

He had a whole list of excuses ready if she tried to postpone things. Oh, Levi was ready. And he washungry.

Her ten-day trip put a wrench in his plans to sex as much as possible during his off days. Now that the match was under two weeks away, he’d gone back into lockdown mode. No sex, no alcohol, no sugar, no nothing. Just protein shakes and protein meals and as much water as a human being could feasibly ingest.

Which meant he needed to keep his hands off her…to some extent. He could get her off. Buthecouldn’t get off.

Probably the smart thing to do would be avoid her altogether, but he wasn’t a saint. No, he was pure lusting man, and he’d dance with the devil despite the risk it presented.

RILEY: Are you spying on me? Pulling in my driveway now. Thought you’d be here by now.

Levi’s smile hurt his cheeks. He stumbled as he headed from the kitchen toward his bedroom to get ready.

“Gage, I’m gonna head out tonight!” Levi shouted as he went into his room. He rummaged through his closet for a few minutes, his belly knotted with excitement. Good thing Riley wasn’t here to see him. She’d totally call him out on how much of an excited teenager he was being.

“Say hi to your girlfriend for me!” Gage’s voice drifted in from the living room. Levi smirked. He still hadn’t corrected Gage about the terminology. He would someday—when he figured out what the hell Riley was doing in his life and what words he’d use to gently explain it to Gage. Because he couldn’t call it what it was—exquisite fucking.

Levi wasn’t in the market for anything else. But Riley made him wonder.

“I’m calling Tammy, so she’ll be coming over soon,” Levi barked out as he inspected a few options. Riley seemed to have a thing for his plain tees. He picked a charcoal gray shirt and some dark khaki shorts. He left his hair down, spritzed on some cologne, and pulled on his trendiest sneakers. Riley ready.

“You want to get back into your chair?” Levi had laid Gage out on the couch to watch a movie after dinner.

“I’m good here for now,” Gage said, reaching out to hit Levi as he passed by.

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