Page 81 of Cuffed By Love

“Bro, let me call you back,” Levi says and hangs up. He tosses his phone aside and walks over to me. “What's with the face, cupcake?”

“I think I’m going to go home.” Levi frowns and steps closer to me.

“Home? I thought you and Dev had to go back to the office cuffed in the morning?” He questions and tilts my head so he could get a better look at my face. “Did you two fight or something?”

I shake my head and clear my throat a little, “No, we didn’t fight. I just want to go home.”

“All right, let me grab my keys, and I’ll take you.” Levi kindly offers, and I shake my head and offer him a grateful smile.

“Thank you, but there’s no need. My car is here. I can drive home myself.” Levi’s eyes flitter over my face, and he nods.

“Okay, can I at least walk you to your car?” Levi asks sweetly, sweeping away a strand of my hair away from my face.

“Sure.” He smiles amiably and gestures for me to go ahead of him. We wait for the elevator side by side, and the warmth of Levi’s hand pressed against the small of my back comforts me to some extent. My heart still races when I step into the elevator, especially without Devin there to ease my anxiety in the way that he does. I close my eyes when we start to descend and picture Devin holding my hand as he did earlier.

“Mira, are you okay?” Levi asks when he no doubt hears my heavy breathing.

I nod and exhale, “Mhm, I just have a fear of elevators, and I’m trying not to panic.”

Levi smiles and licks his lips, then turns me, so I’m facing him. “I have something that will help with that.”

I peer up at him, “You do?” He nods and dips his head, brushing a gentle kiss over my lips.

“I’ve been dying to do that all day.” He whispers, his lips ghosting over mine as he speaks. I barely have time to suck in a quick breath before his lips are on mine again. My fear of elevators is quickly forgotten, and all I can focus on is the feel of Levi’s lips on mine. The taste of his kiss and the guttural groans emitting from him when our tongues glide over one another.

Just before we hit the ground floor, we pull apart from the kiss, chests heaving. Levi presses his forehead to mine and bites his bottom lip, smiling. “You’ve plagued my mind, Mira. Tell me what it is I have to do to make you mine.”

I close my eyes for a moment and pull back so I can look up at him. “Levi, we’ve been here before. There’s no point in us starting something if we can’t even see it through. In the end, with us, it always ends with a goodbye.”

Levi’s jaw clenches, and he sighs, “It doesn’t have to.”

I smile sadly, “But it will, and we both know it. My life is in London, and yours is wherever your heart takes you. I don’t want to risk losing our friendship by complicating things between us.” I assert, brushing my fingers over his short beard.

Levi’s arms tighten around me, “Why do we have to put a label or an expiration date on us, Mira? Let’s just take it a day at a time and see where it goes.”

Because I’m scared, I’m confused, and just like everything else in my life, you’re going to eventually leave me.

I break out of his hold and walk out of the elevator toward my car with a sigh. “We know where it’s going to go, Levi. It’s going to go the same place it did a year ago.” I rationalise and turn to face him when he catches my hand and draws me against him. “It was hard enough saying goodbye to you the last time.”

Levi groans, “I know, believe me, I know, but I can’t be around you and not want you. I can’t stand beside you and not want to touch you.” He whispers, dropping soft pecks along my jaw. “Do you know how many times I’ve had to stop myself from grabbing you and kissing you today?” He declares, kissing his way up to my lips. “Let me take you out tomorrow night?”

“Levi, I don’t know.”

“Just say yes. Devin’s going to need the place to himself with Megan anyway. You’ll be doing me a favour and saving me from witnessing them slobbering all over each other. Remember how much fun we had in Thailand?”

The mere thought of Devin with his girlfriend makes my stomach hurt. I pull my head back and look at Levi, who smiles charmingly, “As friends.”

His smile turns wicked, “As friends…who kiss.”

I couldn’t resist the smile, “Okay, fine. If your brother and I manage to nail this meeting and lose the handcuffs, I’ll go out with you.”

Levi grins, staring at my mouth like a man starved. “Oh, baby girl, I’ll break you out of those handcuffs and cuff you to myself if need be. I’ve never been so envious of my brother. I’d give up my soul to be handcuffed to you twenty-four-seven.”

I laugh with gusto. “Don’t go glorifying it. If you ask your brother, I’m sure he will tell you differently. I promise you.” I tell him earnestly, and Levi shakes his head, backing me up against the car.

“I’m not my brother. I would make damn sure to take advantage and make every second I am handcuffed to you count.” My eyes close when his fingers brush my hair away from my neck, and he drops an open-mouthed kiss at the base of my neck and sucks. “We’d never get any work done.”

While Levi whispers lewd things into my ear, I’m trying to convince myself that fooling around with Dev’s brother isn’t such a terrible idea. He’s single, I’m single, and he’s going to leave ultimately, which means I have no risk of getting hurt, so why is that little voice in my head whispering that this is a bad idea?

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