I snap my eyes back to her.
“Dad is too delicate. I can’t...and anyway, Levi’s just sex.”
“Am I?” I hear his sexy masculine voice behind me.
My eyes widen as I stare at Stephanie. She looks between us and then climbs off her stool.
“This is my cue to leave. Make sure she gets home safe,” she says to Levi.
“Will do,” he says, walking around me and sitting in the seat she just vacated. He’s got a cap and black jacket on.
“Hiii,” I say, fluttering my eyes, but I probably look like I have brain damage.
Levi stands immediately. “Jesus Christ, Kaylee. You are trashed. Let’s go.” He slaps a few big notes on the bar and meets the bartender in the eye. “Neither of us were here. Got it?”
Momentarily, I remember that Levi is a professional football player and public figure, so this is probably not a great situation for him.
Why did he come?
Steph’s conversation with him flashes back.
Oh, that’s your girl, shit-faced and being manhandled by drunk guys.
I bet you will be.
I blink and smile. I know exactly what he said. Levi cares. He...oh my god. He loves me.
I grin up at him as he lifts me off the stool and get a strange look back from him.
“You came.” I reach for his hand but miss because he has it in his pocket.
“Let’s go.”
The door is opened for us, and I feel his hand in the small of my back as he guides me into the passenger seat of his car.
Levi loves me....
He climbs in and I grin at him, sitting sideways in the seat.
“Seatbelt.” He orders and starts the engine, then turns back. “You going to chuck?”
No way. I’m feeling the best I ever have. The man I love loves me back, and he’s going to tell me.
I know it.
We’ll go back to his house, make love while I sober up, and then he’ll gaze into my eyes and tell me how he finally feels.
He came for me.
Not wanting other men to be manhandling me.
When I’m sober, I’ll work out a way to tell Mom and Dad that I won’t be able to spend all Thanksgiving with them. My cousin Ash and his wife will be flying in so they can have lunch, and I’ll join them later for dinner.
Then I’ll ease them into me being with Levi now, we are making it official.
“No, I’m fine. Just mead some water.”
“Need.”