Page 323 of Rage

"It never even occurred to me that you'd do any of that, Adam. Because I know you. You're a good man. A better man than I've ever met before, and I—" I cut his words off with my lips. He grunts in surprise, but kisses me back without hesitation.

Levi lets me take the lead, taking whatever I give him, and in return, I feed him everything I have. I pour it all into this kiss—all my fear and sadness, my heartache, my hope and exhilaration. My budding love.

The kiss deepens, and we end up horizontal on the bed, tangling our limbs together and holding each other as close as possible. But it's not close enough. I need more. I need all of him.

My hands drag down his body, landing on his butt and pulling him against me hard enough that there's no doubt of what I'm feeling right now.

"I don't deserve you," Levi rasps, pulling away from me to suck in a ragged breath. He rolls us so that he's hovering over me and looks down into my eyes. Whatever he sees there darkens his expression, his eyes growing misty.

"I promise you, Adam, I'll never hurt you again. And I'll spend the rest of my life working to be the kind of man that couldeven come close to deserving someone as good as you. And for as long as you'll have me, I'd do everything in my power to show you what you mean to me.”

My chest tightens as the organ inside swells and palpitates. Barely able to speak at all, I hold Levi tightly against my body and choke out two words.

"Show me."

With a groan, Levi descends on me, fitting his body to mine and grinding his hardness against mine. All our clothes are too much, and I'm desperate to feel his skin against mine. Pushing my hands under his shirt, I move my hands up his back until he reaches for the fabric and pulls it over his head. I sit up with him in my lap so he can pull mine off as well, and then we're chest to chest, skin to skin.

"More," I wheeze against his lips, and we scramble to strip every piece of clothing from our bodies, one by one, until we're blessedly bare.

The heat of his flesh against mine is scorching, sweat slicking our bodies as we tangle and writhe together. Hands, lips, and tongues explore every inch of skin we can reach until we're both moaning and desperate. I'm so needy for him I could cry.

Levi's hand wraps around us both, and I moan into his mouth. He strokes us until I'm trembling, so close to orgasm but holding back because I want so much more. I want things I don't understand, things that I'm honestly afraid of, but I want them all the same. I want to be joined together, for there to be nothing between us.

"Levi—" I pant into his mouth, my body tensing against my oncoming release.

He notices my hesitation and pulls away. "Too much?" he asks, breathing heavily. "I'm sorry, I got carried away."

"Not too much. I want more… I want all of you."

I'm not sure how to interpret the look of pain that crosses his face, or the way he kisses me so hard it takes my breath away.

"I want that too," he whispers. "But you're not ready."

"I am ready," I protest, pushing my erection into his. "I want to feel you inside me."

Levi swallows deeply, but shakes his head and pulls back more. I hold him against me, not ready to lose the contact of our bodies. The pained groan makes me second guess myself, and I lift my hands and release him.

"Oh. Unless you don't want to. That's okay, of course—" I'd never want him to do anything he isn't comfortable with. What we've been doing is more than fine.

"It's not that, I promise," Levi says, rocking against me as if to prove himself.

"Then what is it?" I ask, sitting up so I can hold him close and kiss the sexy dips of his collarbone.

"You need more time to be ready to take me," he says, which makes me blush so furiously, I hide my face in his neck so he can't see it. "And I need more time to prove myself."

"What do you mean?" I say, forgetting my embarrassment and pulling back to look at him.

"You might forgive me, but I don't know if I'll ever be able to forgive myself. I don't deserve to take anything else from you, Adam."

My hands come up to cup his face, and I look into his eyes so he can see how serious I am. "I want you, Levi Asher. Every part of you."

Whatever he's thinking, he seems to be searching for something in my eyes as well. Then he blinks, hard.

"Then take me."

Chapter Nine

Levi

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