Page 56 of The Love Ambush
I don’t want reality to creep back in. Reality lives with my knots, and I prefer them both gone.
My stomach growls, and Levi laughs. “Hungry?”
And suddenly I’m not just hungry, I’m starving. “I need food.”
“Let’s go see what Jo has in her kitchen.”
“We can’t just rob her,” I say. “We should call for delivery.”
“It’s two in the morning. No one’s open. And Jo said we could help ourselves to whatever’s in the pantry or on the guest side of the refrigerator.”
“Really?” I ask, my hunger now urgent. “Let’s go.”
He laughs again. I love his laugh. It’s so warm I don’t need a coat and so joyous I forget to be sad and lonely. “Gentry. You’re on top of me. We can’t go anywhere until you get up.”
“But you’re so comfortable. If I get up, I can never snuggle here again.”
“You can snuggle here anytime you want. I promise.”
“No. Because you’ll want things and I’ll want things and hearts will be broken.”
He kisses the top of my head again, in a spot that already feels like it belongs to him. “I promise you can snuggle with me anytime you want, and I won’t pressure you for more. Come on, I’m starving too. Get up so we can eat.”
Somehow, I get off his lap, and we tiptoe to the kitchen, because Josephine’s bedroom is near it. Quietly, we put together a snack of chips and dip and cookies we find in the pantry.
I’m not sure we succeed in being quiet. We laugh a lot and stumble our way up to our bedroom with our food.
Levi stops outside the door and faces me, looking way too somber. “If you aren’t comfortable sharing a room with me, now’s your chance to swap with one of the kids.”
A Gentry who hadn’t eaten two pot-laced brownies would probably do just that, but Gentry on THC wants to enjoy as much time with Levi as I can before reality kicks me in the teeth. “Brodie told me what really happened, Levi. I know it’s not your fault you stood me up.”
He reels back, shocked. “He told you?”
I nod and smile, even though my hands are shaking. Telling Levi means I’m out of rational reasons to keep pushing him away. “So there’s no reason for us to be in separate rooms.” I want him more than I’m scared. “Besides, how will we share snacks from separate rooms?”
His grin makes my stomach swoop. He opens the door, and I follow him in.
Chapter Thirteen
Levi
I’m awakened by Gentry’s soft snores, and I smile even before I open my eyes. She’s tucked up against my chest, sleeping so peacefully, her warm body in soft PJs making me almost too hot.
I hate being high or drunk these days. I hate losing control of myself. If I were waking up any other way, I’d be angry at Daphne’s grandmother, and I’d probably spend some time ruminating about all the stupid things I said while I was high.
This morning, I don’t care about any of that, because Gentry’s in my arms.
It makes my chest ache how much I want this. Even before it’s ended, I know I’m never going to want to let her go.
I tilt my hips so she won’t feel my insistent hard on. I’m certain she’s going to freak out as soon as her eyes pop open, and I don’t want to scare her by making her think I want to have sex with her.
Though I do want to have sex with her.
Very, very much.
It’s just not the only thing I want.
And, for the first time in years, I might just have a tiny, infintesimal shot at a future with Gentry. I’m not going to do anything to ruin it.
