“What are you doing in here?” I called after turning off the water.
“Owen said you wanted to talk.”
“I do.”
“Should I come join you, or do you want to do it out here?”
“Hand me a towel, Levi.”
“If you insist.” He tossed a towel over the top of the shower. I used the plush, red towel to dry off and squeezed some water out of my hair before wrapping up in the towel and stepping out.
Levi leaned against the vanity watching me. “I’d pay you a thousand dollars to drop that towel right now.”
“Only a thousand? I thought I’d be worth more.”
“Oh, you’re priceless, love. I was just talking about a peek. I already know how gorgeous your body is, but I wouldn’t mind a refresher image to work from.”
“To work from?”
He grinned wickedly.
“Ugh.”
“Would you rather I think about someone else? You haven’t exactly left me with any choice.”
“Your fault, not mine.”
“But you’re the one who can do something about that.” His hands clenched the countertop like he was afraid that if he let go he wouldn’t be able to control himself.
“It’s not like I don’t want you too.” I regretted the words as soon as they left my mouth.
“Then drop the towel, Al. I promise I’ll make it well worth your while.”
I pulled the towel tighter around me. “Can you please keep your mind off sex for a minute? I almost died, and one of my best friends is in the hospital. I’m going to find something to wear.” I didn’t need to turn around to know he was following.
“How about these?” he asked, picking out a pair of red, lacy panties.
“Didn’t your mom buy all of this?” I hoped the mention of his mom would cool things off.
“Not the stuff in this drawer.” I tensed, as I felt his lips on my neck.
“Levi.”
“Shh.”
I closed my eyes, enjoying the feeling of his lips more than I should have. I opened my eyes and pulled away. “So that means there’s more appropriate stuff in another drawer.” I looked in the next drawer, pulling out a more practical pink pair. I also found a cami and shorts PJ set.
“You’re going to wear these for me one day.” He picked up the lacy pair again. He came closer, his lips inches from mine. “Just so I can take them off of you.”
I shivered. “So I’m going to go change.” I hurried back to the bathroom before he could tempt me anymore.
Dressed, I walked out of the bathroom, not surprised to see Levi reclining on the bed. He was wearing only a pair of boxers. I made my gaze return to his face. He caught where I’d been looking and grinned. “It looks like I’m not the only one looking for a refresher. I could remove the shorts if you’d like.”
I ignored his comment. “Why aren’t there couches in here? Why bother with the dining table and chairs, but nothing more comfortable?”
“What could be more comfortable than a bed?”
“Fine.” I sat down cross-legged next to him. “Talk.”
“You ordering me around now?”
“Yes.”
“Okay then.” He shifted, putting his hands behind his head. “It was Martin. We’re sure of it.”
“How are you so sure?”
“A scout saw him leaving right before the fire, and they found some other evidence at his apartment.”
“So now what?”
“We keep you safe until we catch him. It won’t be long. Jett Florence is already on his trail.”
I shifted, moving further onto the bed. “You don’t expect me to stay here until then, do you? I need to see Tiffany.”
“Of course, you’re staying. Tiffany is fine. They’ll probably be sending her home tomorrow.”
I was glad she was okay, but that didn’t help the guilt. I thought staying in New Orleans would protect the people I loved, but all it did was endanger others.
I tried to push those thoughts away so I could focus on the present situation. “Where are you going to sleep?”
“Right here.” He patted the bed beside him.
“I thought I was sleeping here.”
“You are. We aren’t supposed to need separate beds.”
“You really think I’m going to sleep in the same bed as you?”
“We slept together after the meeting.”
“On the couch.”
“What’s the difference? We’ll just be more comfortable this way. It’s convenient there’s no couch, isn’t it?”
“Convenient? Wait a minute.”
I hopped off of the bed, and walked over to a space on the other side of the room with another plush rug. I bent down and, sure enough, there were some barely visible marks from where a sofa had recently stood. “You have to be kidding. You had the couch removed, didn’t you?”
He smiled and shrugged. “It may have needed cleaning.”
“Cleaning? When was it last used?”
“I sat on it once or twice, I think.”
“You’re unbelievable.”
“I know.” He smirked.
“That’s not a compliment. And you’re sleeping on the floor.”
He shook his head. “No way.”
“You could have had the couch, but you moved it.”
“No.” He actually looked flustered.
I crossed my arms. “Then I’m leaving.”
“You go and try it.”
I walked over to the door and tried to pull it open. It wouldn’t budge. I knocked on it, but no one answered.
“We’re locked in until morning, love. Security precaution.”
“What if there is an emergency?”
“Theoretically, I might have the strength to get us out…”
“Then do it.”
“I’m too tired. That fire exhausted me.” He moved so he could throw back the covers and slip in. “You ready for bed?”
“Get out of that bed!”
“I’m too tired. Do me a favor and turn off your lamp when you decide to join me.”
“Arrgh.” I marched into the bathroom and slammed the door. When I came out, he was still in bed. I went over and shook him, he pretended to sleep.
“Get out!”
There was no way I was sleeping on the floor. That was his job. With a sigh of frustration, I climbed into the bed and turned off the light.
“Owen said you wanted to talk.”
“I do.”
“Should I come join you, or do you want to do it out here?”
“Hand me a towel, Levi.”
“If you insist.” He tossed a towel over the top of the shower. I used the plush, red towel to dry off and squeezed some water out of my hair before wrapping up in the towel and stepping out.
Levi leaned against the vanity watching me. “I’d pay you a thousand dollars to drop that towel right now.”
“Only a thousand? I thought I’d be worth more.”
“Oh, you’re priceless, love. I was just talking about a peek. I already know how gorgeous your body is, but I wouldn’t mind a refresher image to work from.”
“To work from?”
He grinned wickedly.
“Ugh.”
“Would you rather I think about someone else? You haven’t exactly left me with any choice.”
“Your fault, not mine.”
“But you’re the one who can do something about that.” His hands clenched the countertop like he was afraid that if he let go he wouldn’t be able to control himself.
“It’s not like I don’t want you too.” I regretted the words as soon as they left my mouth.
“Then drop the towel, Al. I promise I’ll make it well worth your while.”
I pulled the towel tighter around me. “Can you please keep your mind off sex for a minute? I almost died, and one of my best friends is in the hospital. I’m going to find something to wear.” I didn’t need to turn around to know he was following.
“How about these?” he asked, picking out a pair of red, lacy panties.
“Didn’t your mom buy all of this?” I hoped the mention of his mom would cool things off.
“Not the stuff in this drawer.” I tensed, as I felt his lips on my neck.
“Levi.”
“Shh.”
I closed my eyes, enjoying the feeling of his lips more than I should have. I opened my eyes and pulled away. “So that means there’s more appropriate stuff in another drawer.” I looked in the next drawer, pulling out a more practical pink pair. I also found a cami and shorts PJ set.
“You’re going to wear these for me one day.” He picked up the lacy pair again. He came closer, his lips inches from mine. “Just so I can take them off of you.”
I shivered. “So I’m going to go change.” I hurried back to the bathroom before he could tempt me anymore.
Dressed, I walked out of the bathroom, not surprised to see Levi reclining on the bed. He was wearing only a pair of boxers. I made my gaze return to his face. He caught where I’d been looking and grinned. “It looks like I’m not the only one looking for a refresher. I could remove the shorts if you’d like.”
I ignored his comment. “Why aren’t there couches in here? Why bother with the dining table and chairs, but nothing more comfortable?”
“What could be more comfortable than a bed?”
“Fine.” I sat down cross-legged next to him. “Talk.”
“You ordering me around now?”
“Yes.”
“Okay then.” He shifted, putting his hands behind his head. “It was Martin. We’re sure of it.”
“How are you so sure?”
“A scout saw him leaving right before the fire, and they found some other evidence at his apartment.”
“So now what?”
“We keep you safe until we catch him. It won’t be long. Jett Florence is already on his trail.”
I shifted, moving further onto the bed. “You don’t expect me to stay here until then, do you? I need to see Tiffany.”
“Of course, you’re staying. Tiffany is fine. They’ll probably be sending her home tomorrow.”
I was glad she was okay, but that didn’t help the guilt. I thought staying in New Orleans would protect the people I loved, but all it did was endanger others.
I tried to push those thoughts away so I could focus on the present situation. “Where are you going to sleep?”
“Right here.” He patted the bed beside him.
“I thought I was sleeping here.”
“You are. We aren’t supposed to need separate beds.”
“You really think I’m going to sleep in the same bed as you?”
“We slept together after the meeting.”
“On the couch.”
“What’s the difference? We’ll just be more comfortable this way. It’s convenient there’s no couch, isn’t it?”
“Convenient? Wait a minute.”
I hopped off of the bed, and walked over to a space on the other side of the room with another plush rug. I bent down and, sure enough, there were some barely visible marks from where a sofa had recently stood. “You have to be kidding. You had the couch removed, didn’t you?”
He smiled and shrugged. “It may have needed cleaning.”
“Cleaning? When was it last used?”
“I sat on it once or twice, I think.”
“You’re unbelievable.”
“I know.” He smirked.
“That’s not a compliment. And you’re sleeping on the floor.”
He shook his head. “No way.”
“You could have had the couch, but you moved it.”
“No.” He actually looked flustered.
I crossed my arms. “Then I’m leaving.”
“You go and try it.”
I walked over to the door and tried to pull it open. It wouldn’t budge. I knocked on it, but no one answered.
“We’re locked in until morning, love. Security precaution.”
“What if there is an emergency?”
“Theoretically, I might have the strength to get us out…”
“Then do it.”
“I’m too tired. That fire exhausted me.” He moved so he could throw back the covers and slip in. “You ready for bed?”
“Get out of that bed!”
“I’m too tired. Do me a favor and turn off your lamp when you decide to join me.”
“Arrgh.” I marched into the bathroom and slammed the door. When I came out, he was still in bed. I went over and shook him, he pretended to sleep.
“Get out!”
There was no way I was sleeping on the floor. That was his job. With a sigh of frustration, I climbed into the bed and turned off the light.
