Page 44 of Twisted Trust
“Are you trying to comfort me?” The bandage weaves back and forth between his fingers, across his knuckles, and then down to his palm.
“Is it working?”
“It’s a little cliché but… maybe.” It’s almost a normal conversation. “I don’t want you to think I’m taking advantage, so as soon as I get my new card from the bank, I’ll pay you for room and board.”
“What?” Levi sounds adorably confused so I pause my work and meet his eyes.
“My card? I was mugged, remember? I had to call the bank and cancel my cards so what little money I have didn’t get swiped. So I have to wait for a new one and then I can pay you.”
“I understand that part,” Levi says, and his rough yet warm fingers flex briefly in my palm. “But why would you pay me?”
“I’m not getting into debt with you, Levi. I know how you people work.”
“You people.”
“Yes. You people. You bleed crime, literally. I don’t need a Mafia debt shadowing me until my death, thank you.”
“Maeve—”
“But that doesn’t mean I’m not grateful,” I add quickly, fighting not to get distracted by how Levi’s mouthwatering abs flex subtly each time he takes a breath. “Ensuring Scott stays with me is… huge. I can’t ever repay that, but I am grateful. It would be nice if we knew how long we had to lie for, but I swear, Hillary has it out for me. She has for months.”
“Hillary… will probably take her time evaluating everything,” Levi replies quietly. “But I’m good to help for as long as needed.”
Tucking the last tail of the bandage in on itself, I finish wrapping his knuckles and pat the back of his hand. “Why? What do you even get out of something like this?”
“Well…” Levi sighs softly. “Your presence as my fiancée will help with a few business deals and might even smooth over a few concerns my father has, so don’t worry. This isn’t a completely selfless act.”
“Oh, I never thought it was.” I snort. “You still want me dead, I still hate you for pretending to be dead. I doubt there’s a selfless thought left between us.”
Levi’s expression changes suddenly and the strangest look forms in his eyes. He leans forward and with him comes a waft of the spicy, caramel cologne he must have slapped on earlier. Breathing it in, I’m suddenly dragged back to a distant memory of breathing it deeply as he carried me somewhere. Is that how I got from the car to here?
“That’s not the first time you’ve said something like that,” Levi murmurs. “Why do you keep saying that?”
My brow twitches. “Saying what?”
“You… thought I was dead?”
“Why is that even a question?” I snort softly, standing from the table. “I thought you were dead for a whole year because for whatever reason, you pretended to be. After that deal that failed, the one everyone got so furious about? And when I found out you were alive, all I got in return was a warning that you were out for blood. Why are you acting like this is news? Have you hated me for so long that you forgot why?”
Levi doesn’t answer. He stares straight up at me with his gorgeous, honey-gold eyes darting back and forth.
“Whatever. You should change the bandage every couple of days so it doesn’t get infected. One of those cuts looked pretty deep.”
I make it half a step away before Levi’s strong hand circles my wrist and he jerks me sharply back toward the table. I stumble with a short, surprised cry, but just as my lips part to demand what the hell he’s playing at, his other hand cradles the side of my neck with his thumb aligning with my jaw.
My question surges in my throat but it’s silenced when Levi’s plush, warm lips crash into mine. He kisses me so hard that stars explode in front of my eyes and suddenly, I’m 22 again, standing on the deck of a luxury Yacht as Levi steals my first kiss.
12
LEVI
Why is this the first thing that’s felt right in five years? Like the constant downward spiral I’ve been in since I woke up from that coma has suddenly halted and I can feel everything again?
Maeve’s soft lips against my own, her fluttering pulse underneath my fingertips, the scent of her perfume greedily invading my lungs, and her nails carving into my pecs as if to push me away. But where there’s a little resistance and I expect her to follow through with the push, all of her resistance fades.
Suddenly, she’s leaning into me and one arm loops around my neck, drawing me in closer. Her body arches against mine and when her lips part against my own, I catch the softest hint of a gasp from her. Now that I’ve started, I can’t stop, but I’m quietly cautious about how far I can go.
How far weshouldgo is a question I ignore the second it rises in my mind. With Maeve against me, I stumble backward and end up crashing back down onto the chair. She tumbles into my lap in her desperation to keep the kiss going, and I don’t stop her. I welcome her attack against my mouth and the achingly familiar way she nips at my lower lip with her teeth.
