Page 63 of Playing the Neutral Zone

I shoved my hands into the pockets of my jeans, then removed them, shifting from one foot to the other and back again, trying to find a comfortable position.

“It is late,” he said, crossing his arms in front of his chest.

I knew that position well.Closed-off Levi, which meant he’d probably not read my article, and that he’d meant what he said the last time I saw him.

I shifted from foot to foot again, my mind screaming to just stop making a fool of myself and back away from him before this blew up in my face again.It wasn’t worth the heartache.I’d suffered enough, I thought to myself.

For the first time in my life, I knew I was right.

While my eyes ran over him, I noted his body language again, making sure I was seeing what was really in front of me, then decided that this was a battle I’d never win no matter what I did.We really were over.Instead of saying another word, I turned away from him and put my hand on the door handle.

“Scarlett…” I heard him say just as I was about to turn the door handle.

I didn’t turn around, I already knew what he was going to say, and I knew I’d never be able to look at him as he confirmed it.

I waited a moment, and then I felt his hands on my arms, my body jolting with electricity as he touched me.Then, without warning, he carefully turned me around and took my lips with his, kissing me hard.

My body instantly melted against him as his tongue washed through my mouth, and I let out a tiny moan as he nibbled my bottom lip while pulling me closer.When he pulled away, I felt as if I were going to fall into a heap on the floor, but he didn’t let me go.Instead, he leaned forward, locking the door again, and took me in his arms and led me down the hall to his bedroom.

I lay in his arms,breathless and exhausted, wrapped in blankets.I opened my eyes and looked at the clock.It was almost ten.My body ached yet felt so relaxed, and I could feel the gentle puff of Levi’s breath against the back of my neck as he slept behind me.

I shifted, gently stretching, trying not to wake him up, but the moment I stopped moving, he wrapped his arms around me tight, pulling me back against him.

“Were you trying to get away from me?”he murmured, pressing a kiss to my bare shoulder.

I couldn’t help but let out a small giggle.“No way,” I said, lacing my hand with his.“I never want to leave.”

The moment he’d closed the door to his bedroom last night, he’d pushed me up against the door, kissing me hard as he worked quickly to undress me.Then he guided me over to the bed, where he kissed his way up my body, asking me for my forgiveness.

I had nothing to forgive him for, and I’d told him that, but he insisted he had to apologize for not allowing me to explain myself.Then, once he had me writhing on the mattress, he lay beside me, pulling me back against him, moving my leg to his hip and slid himself deep inside of me, slowly bringing me to climax repeatedly throughout the night, until we were both exhausted.

We continued laying there drifting in and out of sleep as we held one another.I felt the bed move and glanced over my shoulder to see Levi slip from the bed, his bare ass heading toward his ensuite.

I lay there, my body still exhausted and heard the shower start, then felt the bed sink.

“You coming to join me?”he asked, kissing my neck, before he left me again.

I finally kicked the covers off, making my way into the bathroom to see his silhouette in the frosted glass of the shower door.

I opened the door, stepping into the steamy shower, pulling the door closed behind me and placed my hands on his back.

“It’s about time you got your ass in here,” he said, turning and wrapping his arms around me as he pressed me up against the wall of the shower, lifting me up so I could wrap my legs around his waist.

“I know, I’m exhausted.”I giggled as he kissed me.

“That’s okay, give it a few minutes and you’ll be even more tired than you are right now.Oh, and be as loud as you want, Mia’s not home,” Levi said as he sucked my nipple into his mouth and between his teeth.

I stopped him the moment he let my nipple go and placed both my hands on the side of his head.

“You mean to tell me I was quiet all last night for no reason.”

Levi couldn’t help but chuckle as he gave me the grin I loved the most.

“I’ll make it up to you.”

“How are you going to do that” I questioned, pretending to be annoyed.

“You’ll see.”

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