Page 17 of Better than Revenge

“No worries about me, Kitten. I’m not that easily scared off.”

What does that mean? And how do I feel about letting the cat out of the bag now that Zane's found out who I’ve been spending my time with? I think it went well but I can’t be for sure. April didn’t really look like she bought it.

This whole day has been…fun and awesome and perfect. I’ve never had so much fun or been so relaxed with anyone else except for Sophie. And Levi has been…the part that has been perfect. He’s not told me to ‘tone it down’ once or told me I shouldn’t dance around like I was because it annoys him or stopped me from ordering what I want -he did say I should probably eat something non-sugary, but it didn’t stop him from getting me another ice cream.

I love how handsy he is. Maybe it’s all for show, or practice perhaps, but he always finds ways to brush against me, take my hand, or pull me into his lap. Hugs, little kisses, and caresses have driven me all but crazy. I’m so nervy that every touch feels like more, more than it really is, deeper than it really should be. And Sophie is destroying any hope of me remaining cool and calm.

As my oldest and dearest friend, she realizes how much I really like all the attention from Levi, how the kisses make me feel so much, how far I’m…falling for someone who is only in it for the revenge. Damn it! I should have been smarter than I was, should have remembered this isn’t just a date so two people can spend time and get to know one another. This is about the Operation and I’m not sure how I could have lost track of that so quickly.

By the time we tell Max and Sophia bye, and he’s put a helmet on me again, I’m almost sure I have myself under control again.

“Come home with me?”

"What?" I did not just hear him correctly.

“Come home with me? I have to grab you a new lock for that front door…,” I don’t really see how coming home with him has anything to do with my door, “We're not really sure if Zane has made a copy or gotten that little traitor to make one…”

I didn’t realize I was holding my breath until I deflated. “So, you want me to come home with you because you are worried about me?”

Not to really ‘take me home’ but to make sure his enemy doesn’t cause him problems.

“Now more than ever. Zane was not happy that you’ve moved on, especially not with me. Who knows what kind of shit he would pull?”

“Why not just come back to my place?”

“Because I've seen your bed. It’s tiny and your couch is even tinier than your bed. There is nothing I could sleep on and not hang halfway off it.”

“Oh.” That makes sense. “And you have a big bed and couch so you can sleep on the bed and I can take the couch.”

“Yeah, that’s not going to happen. You can take the bed and I’ll take the couch. Unless, of course, you want to share the bed with me.”

“I hate to kick you out of your bed though.”

“So, it’s settled. We’ll share the bed.”

“Wait, what?” Not what I meant exactly.

“Hop on, baby.” He doesn’t give me time to really do what he says, instead picking me up and sitting me on the seat himself before swinging his leg over the bike too.

By the time we make it back to his place, the streets are empty, and the day is catching up to me. Being on the back of his motorcycle is exciting and thrilling but also oddly soothing. He ushers me up the steel stairs I took just days before when I came to ask him for help. This time there are no racers or catcallers, just silence and streetlights.

He wraps his arms around me to unlock his door before giving me a little push inside. This time I take a good look at what’s around me. Last time I was too worried about naked women hanging from the ceiling and doing horribly naughty things to him. Now the thought has me wishing I had come up with a good excuse to go back to my place. I’m very sure I don’t want to see or think about his harem being here.

The couch is much bigger. Everything here is. Made to be just like the owner. There are stairs at the back of the room leading up to where I imagine the bed and bathroom are. The kitchen is at the back of the studio-style apartment and everywhere I step I am reminded of who lives here. His scent is in the air, filling up my nose like some sort of drug I could snort.

“You look tired sweetheart. Come on, I’ll show you where the bathroom is and…”

I interrupt without thinking, “Oh no, I don’t have anything to wear to bed.”

“I’ll grab one of my shirts. It’s going to be long enough to be a dress on you.”

He shows me the door that leads to a large bathroom only stopping to grab the T-shirt he promised me, and I take a quick shower before popping out to stare at the bed. He was right. It is a big bed. The shower is big. Everything but me is well fit for Levi. I’m the smallest thing here.

Before I can find the right words to tell him I am going to take the couch, he is pulling me over to the bed and pushing me down on it.

“No, no, no. I…I’ll be fine…,”

His mouth taking mine stops me from arguing any further. Our tongues meet, the velvety touch of his to mine has me forgetting what I was supposed to be doing. God, Levi can kiss like lives depend on it. I'm not sure when I bring my arms up to twine around his neck or how my legs end up wrapped around his hips, but they do.

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