Read Levitate Online

Authors: Kaylee Ryan

Tags: #Romance, #New Adult & College, #Teen & Young Adult, #Literature & Fiction, #Contemporary Fiction, #Contemporary

Levitate (21 page)

BOOK: Levitate
4.42Mb size Format: txt, pdf, ePub
ads

I WATCH HER as she walks away from me. I can’t believe I forgot to suit up. That’s never happened to me. No wonder she felt so fucking incredible. I wanted to crawl inside of her and never leave. What if she’s pregnant? Holy shit, what was I thinking? Obviously, I wasn’t but… fuck! I know better. If making love to her results in a baby, then I’ll do right by her, but we are so not ready for that. I’m not ready for that. I hear the water turn on in the shower and it hits me that my girl is naked and wet in the next room… without me.

I jump to my feet and cover the distance until I’m standing in the bathroom door. I watch her for a few minutes until she notices me. Déjà vu. She smiles when she sees me and opens the door. In one stride, I’m stepping in to join her. Closing the door behind me, I pull her into my arms and just hold her. I know she’s worried, I am too, but regardless of the fear, I would never abandon my baby.

She finally relaxes against me. I grab her loofa and lather it with body wash. I take my time washing every inch of her skin. I move to her hair and she moans as I massage her scalp. Once I’m finished, she returns the favor. I’ve taken showers with women before, but it’s always been about the sex. This is intimate and tender—two things I could never imagined me being a part of until Kens.

We finish in the shower and I remind Kens to pack a bag. I want her in my bed, in my arms. Yeah, that’s so happening. We head to my place so I can change clothes before heading to the bar. Walking in, the house is quiet. I assume Bright and Nicole are in his room. With Kensi’s bag on my shoulder and her hand tightly gripped in mine, I lead her down the hall to my room. Once we’re inside and the door is shut, I release her hand. I set her bag in the bottom of my closet. I find Kensi sitting on the edge of my bed, her hand smoothing over the comforter.

All kinds of sappy shit is running through my head. I smile because it’s something that only happens in regards to her. “You look good there,” I tell her.

“You’re place is beautiful, Max,” she says with a smile.

I sit on the bed next to her. “It was my folks. My dad passed away a few years ago and left it all to me. He and my mom were divorced.”

“I’m sorry.” She laces her fingers with mine. “Do you still see your mom?” she asks.

“No.” It comes out harsh and she flinches. I run my thumb over her knuckles, hoping it soothes her. “Sorry, no, I don’t talk to her. She’s not my favorite person. My dad gave her everything. He worked his ass off to provide for her and all she did was tear him down day in and day out. He tried his best to give her the world and it was never enough. She cheated on him and they divorced about six years ago.”

She doesn’t say anything, but her grip on my hand tightens. “How long has it been?” Her voice is soft.

“Over a year. I have no desire to see her.” I don’t talk about this shit with anyone. Bright is the only person who knows everything, how I feel, how what she did affected my father. I find that I want to tell Kensington. Just as I’m about to tell her everything, there’s a knock at the door.

“Come in,” I yell. Bright pokes his head in the door.

“Hey, I’m going to order some food, you guys hungry?” he asks.

I look at Kens, silently asking what she wants. “If we’re going to the bar, we can just pick something up on the way,” she states.

“We’re good, man,” I tell Bright. He taps the door and shuts it behind him.

“I guess we should go. I don’t need to stay long. I just want to verify the drawer from last night and make sure everyone shows up,” I explain.

She shrugs. “Either way is fine. Are you supposed to be there all night?”

“Usually Bright or I one are there on weekend nights. My staff is capable; I just like to be a part of it. Let them know I’m around.” I tuck a loose curl behind her ear. “Tonight I have something more important. I need you in my arms, in this bed. Preferably sooner rather than later.”

“We have all night,” she quips.

“I know and I plan to have you in my arms every second if it,” I fire back. I stand and pull her to her feet. I lead her back out to my truck to the driver’s side door. Opening the door, I reach in and lift the center console, really loving the fact I don’t have bucket seats. Stepping back, I motion for Kens to climb in. She raises her eyebrows in question, but climbs in anyway. I follow close behind her and place my hand on her leg when she starts to scoot to the passenger side. “Here,” I say and she stops. “I just want you close.” More sappy word vomit, but I can’t seem to stop.

I place one hand on her thigh and one on the wheel and we’re off. We end up going through a drive thru and grabbing sandwiches and fries. We eat them on the way to the bar, finishing up in the parking lot when we arrive. Kens gathers our trash and follows me into the bar. I have her hand clasped tightly in mine. This is a first for me. I don’t bring girls here. I’ve hooked up with a few after closing but never bring them here. The crowd is light; it’s late afternoon, so this is normal for a Saturday. I wave to a few of the regulars and watch as their eyes widen when they see my hand linked with hers.

My chest swells with pride that she’s mine. Another first. I wave to the two guys behind the bar and lead Kens down the hall to my office. Closing the door behind us, I take a seat behind my desk. “Hopefully, this won’t take long,” I tell her.

“Why don’t you let me do that? You can go out and check on the staff,” she suggests.

“Kens, you don’t have to do that.”

“I know, but I want to. It will help me get my feet wet for the externship. I technically don’t need to start my hours until winter quarter, but as long as you sign off that I put my hours in, it will be fine.” She walks around the desk and places her hands on my shoulders and kneads at my muscles. “Let me help you, Max.”

Looking over my shoulder, I wink at her. “Gets you in my bed that much faster, I’m in.”

She giggles. “If that’s your motivation, then yes, it gets me in your bed that much faster.”

She steps to the side as I scoot back in the chair and allow her to take my place. Leaning down, I capture her lips with mine. “I’ll be quick,” I promise her, then walk out the door.

Mike and Andy are working the bar tonight. They’ve both worked here a long time, as far back as when Dad was alive. I know the place will be in good hands.

“Who the hell is that?” Andy asks, tilting his head toward my office.

I growl at the look in his eyes. “Mine,” I grit out.

He holds his hands in the air and backs up a few steps. “Dude, no offense, I’ve just never seen her before,” he explains.

“I’ve never seen you bring anyone here,” Mike adds.

I don’t bother with a reply. They both know what it means; they’re just giving me shit. I take note of the inventory and write down a few things I need to order. I like to order on Sundays so the shipment is here on Tuesday. It’s what Dad did and I figure if it’s not broke, why fix it? The door opens and I see Lance and another guy we ride with, Steve, walk in. They throw their hands up in greeting and cordially I wave back. I’m glad Kens is in the back so I don’t have to deal with him hitting on my girl. I’m going to have to talk to him about that.

“Hey, babe, I’m finished. Anything else you need help with?” she says from behind me.

I’m momentarily frozen at the sound of her calling me babe. I like it way more than I should. Turning to face her, I smile. “No. Thank you for helping with that.” My arm snakes around her waist and I kiss her temple. “I’m almost finished here and then we can go.”

She waves me off. “Take your time.” She grabs a rag and starts wiping down the bar. She fits here, with me.

I turn back to the liquor shelf to finish the inventory, trying to finish what I need to do so we can get the hell out of here. I freeze when I hear his voice.

“Hey, stranger, you working here now?” Lance asks Kensington.

“Hey, Lance. No, I’m not working here. Max and I stopped by so he could do a few things.”

I stand still with my back to them, smiling. My girl worked me right into the conversation.

“Max?” I hear the question in his voice. “You two seem to be spending a lot of time together.”

I grit my teeth and fight the urge to slam my fist into his face. Why the fuck does he care? Taking a deep breath, I force myself to finish the last shelf. I turn around and walk to where she’s standing. I slide my arm around her waist and bring my lips to her ear. “Ready, beautiful?” I whisper.

I know Kens would be pissed if I hit him, so I decide to make it known that she’s mine. Kens laughs when I nip at her neck and pushes away from me. “If you are,” she says, still laughing.

Tearing my gaze from her, I turn and see Lance watching us. “Hey, Lance. How are you, man?” I ask. I purposely smile and kill him with kindness. His eyes travel to my hand that’s gripping her waist.

“Hey,” he finally responds. “What are you two getting into tonight?” he inquires. He tries to make it sound like casual conversation, but I can tell it grates on him that she’s with me.

I look down at Kens. “Just hanging out.” I wink, letting her know what we are doing is so much more than just hanging out.

“Cool, you should join us for a beer,” he says.

“Actually, Max promised me a night in tonight. Maybe another time,” Kensington tells him.

My fucking heart soars! Instead of shying away from us, she jumped in feet first. I know she considers Lance a friend, especially since she has classes with his little sister. I lean down and capture her lips with mine, because in this minute there is nothing else I want more. “Ready when you are, beautiful,” I say breaking the kiss.

“All right, well, I guess I’ll see you around,” Lance says. His eyes are on Kens. He watches her for what seems like an eternity before grabbing his beer and walking away.

Taking a deep breath, I turn my attention to my girl. “Let’s get out of here.”

“JUST IN TIME,” Nicole says as we walk into Max’s house. “We’re getting ready to watch a movie.”

“Kens?” Max questions. He’s leaving the decision up to me. It’s only six o’clock, so I nod in agreement.

Max plops down in the recliner and pulls me onto his lap, wrapping me in his arms. My legs are hanging over the side of the chair. “Right where I want you,” he whispers.

Bright gets up to turn off the lights and the room is lit from the glow of the television—the very large television, which looks a hell of a lot bigger in the dark.

I settle against Max, resting my head on his shoulder. He sighs and kisses the top of my head and I feel… content. It’s not a feeling I’m used to, at least not when a guy is involved. Max changes… everything.

Warm in his embrace, I find myself dozing off not ten minutes into the movie. I couldn’t resist.

I wake to Max setting me on his bed. “Hey.” My voice is thick with sleep. “Sorry I fell asleep on you.”

Max bends down so he’s looking up at me. “I loved every minute of it. You were in my arms, Kens. That’s all I want.”

He stands to his full height, walks back to the door, shuts it and turns the lock. He turns off the light and walks back to the bed. The bathroom light is on, which cast a glow across the room. “Your bag is in the closet.”

“Thank you.” I slide off the bed and walk toward the bathroom. Going through the motions of brushing my teeth and washing my face, I stare in the mirror at my reflection. My thoughts go back to earlier today lying in bed with him. Skin to skin. That’s what I want. I strip out of my clothes and fold them into a neat pile, placing them on the floor in the closet. I turn off the light before opening the door. I need the courage of the dark.

“Kens,” Maxton says into the darkness.

I stop beside the bed and crawl in. He reaches for me and sucks in a breath when he feels nothing but bare skin. “I wanted that feeling back. The one from earlier when we were skin to skin. If you’d rather—” My words are cut off from Maxton literally hopping out of bed and stripping off his boxer briefs and t-shirt. He quickly slides underneath the covers and reaches for me again. This time, I’m the one who sighs at the contact. “Thank you.” My voice is soft.

He chuckles. “Sweetheart, any damn time you want to feel my skin next to yours, just say the word.”

I nuzzle in closer, working myself deeper into his embrace. This is perfect. No expectations, no worry of an awkward walk of shame. I know when I close my eyes, when they open again, he will be there.

“My dad… he loved my mom. I always wondered why he put up with her shit. She would constantly nag at him and nothing was ever good enough. He worked his ass off to give her everything she could ever want. She didn’t even work.” He pauses and I wait patiently, letting him process his thoughts. “She cheated on him. It crushed his world. Even then, he was willing to forgive her. He said she was the light of his life. He used to tell me one day I would find the one and I would understand where he was coming from.” He pauses again. My fingers trace patters on his chest. I remain silent, not wanting to interrupt his thoughts. “She refused to take him back and made him feel like her cheating was his fault. Six months later, he took his own life.”

I wrap my arms around him and hold tight. I don’t have the words. “I worked construction at the time, me and Bright. I was driving home one day and decided to take a different route than I normally would. I don’t know what possessed me to do it, but something in my gut was telling me to, so I did. Just as I was crossing the Marathon Bridge, I spotted a truck that looked like his. I slowed down as I passed. I noticed the Cooper’s lanyard hanging from the rear-view mirror. I immediately slammed on my brakes and pulled off to the side of the bridge. Cars were honking; I’m sure I was flipped off a time or two. I didn’t care. I knew, deep in my gut, I knew something was wrong. As I walked toward his truck, I pulled out my cell to call him; it went straight to voicemail. I tried to convince myself that he just had car trouble and a friend picked him up. I almost had myself believing it, until I reached the truck. There was a note on the dash.”

The last words are choked out. “You don’t have to tell me,” I murmur into the darkness. He tightens his arms around me almost painfully.

“I want to. I want you to know all of me, Kens. This is a huge part of who I am. Why I always believed what I did. There was a note on the dash addressed to the police. It was written to the effect for them to call me when they found the truck and to tell me and my mom that he would always love us. He jumped.” I can hear the pain in his voice.

“Oh, Max, I’m so sorry,” I say the words even though I know they won’t help. Nothing can help. I know from personal experience. I’ve had so many people say the exact same thing to me and it never helps. Never.

“He loved her. She was his world and I never understood. I couldn’t begin to understand why he would put up with it all.” He’s quiet for several minutes. “I see it now. I see how you can care so much for one person that nothing in your world matters without them in it.”

Max pulls me onto his chest, holding my face in the palm of his hands. “I can see it because of you. I’m falling… so hard. I’m falling and you are quickly becoming all that matters.” His lips caress mine.

I mold my lips to his, hoping he can tell I feel the same way. I want to tell him, but I… can’t. It’s too soon. My heart feels it. With every touch, every look, every word we share, I feel it deep inside me. I’m just not brave enough to tell him. It’s a big step for me and I just… can’t.

Instead, I deepen our kiss, putting my feelings into actions. Placing my hands on his waist, I slowly glide them over his muscled back. It’s only been a few hours, but I want him again. It’s usually once for me and then not again for months. I’m taking full advantage of having Max and his body at my disposal. Wrapping my legs around his waist, I pull him into me. I can feel him at my entrance, I squeeze my legs tighter, but he fights it, holding himself back.

“Kens, we don’t have to. I just want you here,” he kisses my nose, “in my bed. I didn’t ask you to stay for this,” he tells me.

“I know that. That makes me want to even more. I can’t seem to get enough of you.” My voice is soft at my admission.

“Kensi—” I place my index finger over his lips.

“Kiss me.”

Max does as he’s told, and as he deepens the kiss, I tug him with my legs while lifting my hips. He slides into me. Finally.

“You feel so fucking good,” he rasps. He begins to thrust slowly at first, but with each push into me, he picks up rhythm. “You okay?” he pants.

Is he serious right now? Am I okay? “Harder.” I bury my nails into his back and hold on tight.

BOOK: Levitate
4.42Mb size Format: txt, pdf, ePub
ads

Other books

This Is the Story of You by Beth Kephart
The Predicteds by Christine Seifert
Java Spider by Geoffrey Archer
Dream Factory by BARKLEY, BRAD
The News of the World by Ron Carlson
Lure of the Wicked by Cooper, Karina
Perfect Couple by Jennifer Echols
Dance of the Angels by Robert Morcet