Levitate (17 page)

ABOUT FIFTEEN MINUTES into the drive, Max removes the ice pack. I assume he’s tired of holding it. I lift my leg to move it, but can’t. His hand is now on my thigh holding me in place. He’s driving, so he doesn’t turn to face me. Instead, he tenderly strokes my thigh. I settle back into the seat and enjoy his affection.

He carries me to my room and places me on the bed. Dropping to his knees, he starts removing my other shoe. I study him; he looks haggard. That’s when I remember he didn’t sleep last night. He held me instead. I reach for him, placing my hand on his jaw. The dark shadow of stubble roughened his jawline. It’s sexy as hell. I trace his jaw with my thumb. “I’m sorry you’re tired.”

His eyes, although exhausted, smile at me. “Never be sorry for letting me hold you. Given the chance, I wouldn’t take it back. I was exactly where I wanted to be.” His words cause my heart to stumble, before finding its rhythm once again.

Surprisingly, his words echo my thoughts. Although I wish I could remember it, spending the night in his arms is something I one day hope I might get to do again. Clarity washes over me as I realize I trust his words. In the depth of my soul, I know Maxton is being honest with me. The harder I try to ignore the truth, the more real it becomes. Not knowing what to do with this new information, I need to be alone, need a minute to organize my thoughts. Standing, I timidly put weight on my ankle. “Careful,” Maxton urges.

It’s tender but no searing pain. “I’m good. No pain, just tender.”

“I can get you whatever you need.”

Sweet Maxton. “I’m just going to use the restroom. I’m fine, I promise.” To further prove my point, I stand on my tiptoes and place a kiss on his cheek. “Be right back.”

Taking my time in the bathroom, I brush my teeth and wash my face. I wish I would have brought pajamas to change into. Realizing I’m stalling, I dry my hands and open the door. The soft glow of the bathroom light filters into my room and what I see knocks the breath from my lungs. Maxton is lying in my bed, arm slung over his eyes, sound asleep. Not wanting to wake him, I quickly turn off the bathroom light and let my eyes adjust. The moonlight filters in through the window as I take in his sleeping form.

Maxton with his broad shoulders and muscular arms, standing well over six feet tall, and his massive self-confidence is intimidating. Maxton lying in my bed against my lavender sheets, he’s… adorable.

I’ve never been able to give myself completely to any man. I’ve had physical relationships, but none of which ignited an ounce of the passion that Maxton can pour into me with just one look.

Knowing how exhausted he is, I don’t have the heart to wake him. To be honest, I want him right where he is. There is a peace that settles inside of me when Maxton is around. Decision made, I grab a t-shirt and shorts and quickly change into them in the darkness of the bathroom, not willing to take the risk of waking him with the light. Walking through the darkness, I slowly climb into bed with the least amount of movement at possible, sliding under the covers. Even though there is a good foot between us, I swear I can feel his warmth. I want it wrapped around me. I still feel shortchanged about last night. He held me the entire night and I don’t remember any of it. I have no one to blame but myself, and my alcohol consumption.

Lesson learned.

Rolling on my side, I watch him sleep. I take in the quiet rise and fall of his chest, the corded muscles in his arms, to his hands long fingered and strong. The memory of what the rough pads felt like against my skin. Realizing my intense examination is doing me more harm than good, I roll over, placing my back to him. The ever-present desire when in his presence hits me full force. Laying this close to him, I fight the urge to “take care of things” on my own.

Squeezing my eyes shut, I try to distract myself. I think about school and my internship that I need to start working on. I need to find a local business I can assist for six weeks before winter quarter begins. The distraction helps as I slowly start to drift off to sleep.

Feeling the bed move pulls me out of my almost slumber. I say a silent prayer that he doesn’t leave. That’s when I feel him. His large frame scoots in next to me, his arm drops over my waist, and he tugs me close. I freeze, not knowing what he’s going to do next. His face is buried in my neck and he’s breathing deeply.

He’s still asleep.

I relax against him, relishing the fact I’m in his arms. He may not realize it, but as his warmth seeps into me, I decide it doesn’t matter. I still feel safe and protected and… I just want to enjoy it while I can.

Lying next to him, I focus on his breathing. Soon, not only are our bodies aligned, but so is our breathing. However, it doesn’t last long when Maxton hugs me tighter, if that’s even possible, sighs with contentment, and mumbles in his sleep, “My girl.”

My heart flutters in my chest at his subconscious admission, and then plummets when I realize there have been a lot of “girls” for Maxton. Chances are slim he’s thinking about me. Deciding to pretend otherwise, I let the echo of his words wrap me in a silk cocoon of peace as I drift off to sleep.

KENSINGTON. I SMELL her. As I start to wake, that’s the first thing I realize. I can smell her sweet scent. I can feel her. I don’t want to wake up from this dream, ever. Even though I fight it, my body still pulls me to consciousness. I feel a hand on my cheek and I swear if feels real, like she’s here with me. I feel a soft puff of breath in my face, which causes my eyes to flutter open. I blink several times to make sure the sight before me is real. Make sure she is real.

I take a minute to survey the situation. One of her legs is between mine. My arms are around her waist holding her close. It’s not a dream. I held her for the second night in a row. This time, I’m the one who missed it.

Her soft hands reach up and caress my jaw. “You were exhausted,” she informs me.

Resting my hand on the rounded curve of her hip, my heart pounds in my chest and blood rushed through my veins. I slip my thumb under her t-shirt and stroke her bare skin. Her breath coming in tiny pants fuels me. I slide my hand to her back and stroke her spine.

“Morning, beautiful,” I finally address her. Her face lights up and a smile tips her lips.

“I remember it this time.” Her voice is musical.

My hand continues its journey, learning her curves. Reaching her hip again, I slide my hand underneath the waist of her shorts and trace her soft skin. “Remember what?” I ask, fighting to not let myself get lost in her.

“You holding me.”

“I thought I was dreaming. When I woke up, I could smell you, feel you. I thought I was dreaming.” My eyes lock on hers. My hand ventures over her flat belly, up further until I feel the swell of her breast. She closes her eyes and takes a deep breath. I trace underneath the swell with my index finger. “I was wrong, you are so very real.” My voice is deep and filled with my desire for her.

Opening her eyes, she finds me still staring, trying to gauge her reaction. All I see is longing and desire, no hesitation, no regret. “Kiss me,” she pleads. Not one to disappoint, I lower my mouth to hers.

I trace the soft fullness of her lips with my tongue. Parting her lips, she raises her head off the pillow to get closer to me. Her tongue tentatively duels with mine. I drink in her taste, taking every bit of what she’s offering.

Lost in the kiss, my hand cups her breast. I run the rough pad of my thumb over the swollen peaks. She shudders, but doesn’t pull away. Her hands grip my arms, holding me to her. Fumbling through my craving for her, I tug on her shirt until her breasts are bared before me. Once again, I seal my lips over hers, nipping with my teeth, soothing with my tongue “Maxton,” she breathes my name and I’ve never heard words more sweet. Making sure I lavish both peaks, I let one nipple slip from my grasp then capture the other. My hand finds its way back to the waistband of her shorts. This time I don’t stop. I slip my hand underneath, seeking her delicate softness, making her hips buck forward.

“Please,” she pleads. Her hands now clutch tightly in my hair.

I’m sure I know what she’s asking for, but I need to be positive. I need her to tell me. “Please what, sweetheart? Tell me what you want.”

“You, Max, I want you,” she pants.

Not good enough. “Where? How? What do you want me to do to you?” I need to hear the words.

Her hand drops from my hair and slowly follows the path mine just took. She slips her hand underneath her waistband and places it over mine. “Here, Maxton. I want you here. Touch me, please.”

My chest swells with an emotion I can’t name. I’m humbled that this gorgeous girl wants me to touch her. I’ve thought about this moment since I first laid eyes on her. I’ve wanted her every second since then, fantasized about what it would be like. Never did the fantasy include me needing her to breathe. That’s how I feel, like I need to touch her, kiss her, and just be with her in order to breathe.

“Maxton.”

No time to think about what it all means. My fingers seek her entrance. I find her bare and, as I slip between her folds, wet. Hot, wet, and fucking sexy as hell. My lips return to lavish her breasts while I gently stroke one finger then two inside of her. Her breathing accelerates and I know she’s close. I add the ministration of my thumb while I nip and suck each peak. I feel her start to pulse around my fingers. Releasing her hard nipple, I capture her lips with mine just as her release hits her, swallowing her cries.

I continue to run my fingers through her folds, enjoying the feel of her release, silky smooth against my fingers. Kensington breaks our kiss and lays back on the pillow. Her face is flushed, her hair a mess, her chest rapidly rising, trying to recover from her release. I’ve never seen anything more beautiful than her in this moment on the heels of the hottest fucking sexual experience of my life.

My girl.

“I HAVEN’T SEEN much of you this week,” Nicole states. It’s Friday night and she’s getting ready to head to the bar to see Bright.

I wouldn’t say things were awkward necessarily with Max, just off. I’m embarrassed at how I threw myself at him, begging for him to touch me. I go back and forth from thinking it was totally worth the end result to being ashamed of my actions. He’s texted me every day this week. Always friendly, asking about my day, sending funny one-liners, but saying nothing about what happened between us. I’m surprised he’s texting at all. Max isn’t really the type of guy to stick around.

“Kens! Are you even listening to me right now?” Nicole accuses.

Shit!
“Sorry, what were you saying?”

“What happened last weekend? I’ve been dying to talk to you about it all damn week but you’ve been MIA,” she scolds me.

Double shit!
“You and Bright seem to be getting along well,” I deflect.

“Yes and don’t change the subject.”

I throw myself down on her bed and take a deep breath. Taking the plunge, I start talking. I tell her about my run-ins with Max, doing laundry, the night they brought us home from the bar. She was shocked to find out Max slept with me that night, well, held me, yet nothing happened. I told her about trail riding and the night after. I told her about Sunday and how he set my body on fire. By the time I finish, she has abandoned her make-up bag and is sitting on the bed next to me, hanging on every word.

“Wow. That’s a lot to take in. Why haven’t you said anything?”

“I don’t know, because I was fighting it. He’s not at all what I expected.” As if he knows I’m talking about him, my phone chirps with a text.

Maxton:
Hey! Are you coming with Nicole tonight?

“Is that him?” Nicole leans over to see the screen.

“Yeah. He wants to know if I’m coming with you tonight.”

Me:
No, staying in. I have homework to catch up on.

Still reading over my shoulder, she says, “How could you possibly have homework to catch up on?” She’s onto me.

“I have a business plan to finish for my admin class.” I do have to finish it, but it’s not due for another month. I leave that part out. My phone chirps.

Maxton:
I miss you

My eyes are glued to the screen. I blink a few times to make sure I read his words correctly. He misses me? I thought… well, I’m not sure exactly. Yes he’s texted all week talking about being up to his neck in paperwork, but I figured it was just an excuse. He misses me.

“He’s into you. Bright even says so. Says he’s never seen him act the way he does around you,” Nicole informs me.

“What do you mean?”

“Bright says Max doesn’t spend the night with anyone, never has. He also couldn’t care less if another guy talked to a girl he was with. That’s so not the case when it comes to you.”

“He’s just being nice. Besides, he didn’t really seal the deal so to speak. It’s all a part of the game.” I cringe as I say the words, I don’t really believe that. The way he looks at me and touches me… that’s not a game.

“Right,” Nicole laughs. “You just keep telling yourself that.” She climbs off the bed. “I have to finish getting ready. I told Bright I would be there at eight. You sure you don’t want to come with me?”

“Positive. Tell them I said hi.” I leave her to finish getting ready. I set up camp in the living room, my laptop and books spread around me on the couch. I might as well make good use of my time. Grabbing my phone, I read his last message sent twelve minutes ago.

I miss you.

Me:
I miss you, too

I type out the message and hit send before I can talk myself out of it.

“All right, I’m heading out. I’ll be back in a little while.”

“Have fun, tell everyone I said hello.” She waves and walks out the door. I check my phone to see if there is a reply from Max. Nothing. Forcing him out of my mind, I open my laptop and begin working on my business plan.

My grumbling stomach alerts me that I missed dinner. I check the time on my laptop and see I’ve been at it for almost two hours.

Time for a break.

As I head into the kitchen, there’s a knock at the door. I’m not expecting company. Ever cautious of who could be waiting on the other side, I peer through the peephole before answering. Maxton. He raises his hand to knock again, but I open the door before he has the chance.

He grins at me. “I brought dinner,” he motions to the pizza box in his hand, “and work.” He motions to his side where a messenger bag hangs. “I figured since you had work to do and I’ve been up to my eyeballs all week, then at least we could have dinner together and just… be together while we work.”

Is that a blush I see? Could it be possible? Maxton Cooper blushing? Who would have thought? More so, how can I send him away when he looks like that? My stomach growls and he smiles.

“Come on in.” I step back, letting him through the door. “We might as well sit in here. I’ll grab some plates and drinks.” I clear off the coffee table then head to the kitchen. I grab paper plates, napkins, and two bottles of beer.

Max is sitting on the floor leaning against the couch. I hand him the plates and he works on serving us while I open our beers. “Thank you for dinner,” I say before taking my first bite of the cheesy pepperoni goodness.

“You’re welcome. So what are you working on?” He motions behind him to my laptop and stack of books.

I finish chewing the huge bite I just took and wipe my mouth. “I have a business plan as a final project that’s due at the end of the semester.” I realize my mistake. I’m sure he’s going to ask me what business and I’m going to be busted.

“Wow, what’s your business.”

I knew it. Grabbing my beer, I take a long slow drink. “A bar,” I mumble before taking another big bite, hoping he will leave it alone. It’s wishful thinking on my part.

“Seriously? That’s awesome. Can I see it?” He genuinely sounds interested.

Shrugging, I feign indifference. “Sure, if you want.” He seems satisfied with my answer and continues to eat. Turnabout is fair play and all that. I spy the messenger bag he brought in. “What’s had you so busy this week?” I inquire.

I watch as his shoulders slump; he looks defeated. “The books. Dad wasn’t a great bookkeeper and I’m not the best either. I’ve spent so much of my time worrying about the remodel that the books sort of took a back burner. I’m afraid if I let it get worse, then I will never be able to dig myself out of the hole.” He reaches up and tucks my bangs, which have fallen in my eyes, behind my ear. “I’m sorry it took me away from you this week. I wasn’t even sure you wanted to see me.” He drops his hand back to his lap. “I missed you, Kensi.”

I swallow hard. “I missed you, too.” Not sure what to say or do, I pick up my beer and finish it off. “I can help you, if you want. My degree is in Business Administration with a minor in finance.” He’s quiet so I backpedal. Maybe he doesn’t want me involved in his business. “Or not, it’s fine either way; I just thought I would offer.”

“Thank you.” He scoots closer to me. His hand comes around the back of my neck and he rests his forehead against mine. “I would really appreciate any help I can get. First, though, I want to kiss you. It’s been five days, Kensi. Five fucking days since I last tasted you.” Then his lips are over mine, demanding yet soft. All too soon, he’s pulling away.

“I’ll grab us another beer and throw this trash away.” I stand on wobbly legs and carry our trash to the kitchen, grabbing us both another beer. Max is sitting on the couch with his laptop open. I take a seat beside him and he begins to explain what we’re looking at. That’s how Bright and Nicole find us four hours later.