Hired Hottie - Kelsie Rae Page 0,51
ready to pop, I’d smack her.
“Are you sure?” I ask, my voice shaky with desperation. “You weren’t scheduled to work today, remember? In fact, don’t you have a doctor’s appointment to get to?”
There is no doctor’s appointment. But it was the only excuse I could think of that would get me out of a conversation with Levi.
“Nope.” She grins. “Not ‘til next week. Go have fun. We’ll see you in a bit.”
Gritting my teeth, I untie my apron and hang it on a hook near my meddling friend.
“Traitor,” I mumble under my breath.
“Coward,” she returns just as quietly.
“Go have fun,” Indie encourages. “We’ll be here when you get back.”
When I step around the counter, I realize I hadn’t officially rung up Levi’s order. Thankfully, he’s one step ahead of me, like always, and pulls out a crisp twenty-dollar bill. Setting it on the glass counter, he lifts his chin to Indie.
“Thanks. We’ll be back in a few.”
As he guides me to the exit, Suzette calls, “Take your time!”
I toss a quick glare over my shoulder then fold my arms defensively when the bell chimes. We walk side by side in silence. Chewing on my lower lip, I scan the bustling street around me, unsure of our destination.
“Come here,” he murmurs before leading me to a bench not too far down the road.
It’s still warm outside, and the sun is shining brightly in the sky. But it does nothing to heat the deep cold that seeped into my bones the night before. I’m not sure if anything can take away the chill. I rub my hands up and down my arms before tucking them into my lap.
After a long, uncomfortable silence, I finally crack. “Spit it out, Levi.”
“I’m sorry.”
My eyes widen in surprise, but I keep my mouth shut.
Daring to look at me, his gaze shines with remorse. And I melt just a little bit.
He’s always been good at that. Sure, he’s screwed up more than once in our relationship, but he always comes back with a genuine apology and a promise not to do it again. And I’ve always forgiven him, knowing he’ll do the best he can. Because he always does.
Levi doesn’t do things half-assed. It’s one of the things I love about him.
Shying away from the thought, I lick my lips. “Okay. You’ve apologized,” I acknowledge. “Can I get back to work now?”
“Not quite yet.” He smirks. It’s clear he’s enjoying my feistiness. “I was wondering if you’re busy Friday night?”
“I don’t know. Why?”
“Because I wanted to know if you’d want to go out on a date.”
Rearing back, I spit, “So help me, Levi. If you’re honestly trying to force me to go on another date with your friend after your reaction last night, I will hit you in the balls until your voice is cracking like it did in middle school. I can’t believe you would honestly—”
He cuts me off by smashing his mouth against mine. Okay, maybe smashing isn’t the right word. It’s more like possessing every inch of me. I sit there frozen and in shock for about two Mississippis before my instincts take over. Then it’s game on.
Hands tangling into his short hair, I pull him closer, pressing my chest into his shoulder and bicep before he turns his upper body to face me fully. He wraps his arm around my waist and inches me closer. I smile when I realize I’m practically in his lap, but it vanishes almost instantly when I feel his fingers dig into my ass to hold me in place.
With the precision of a sniper, Levi had zeroed in on my mouth, and now, he’s desperately exploring every inch as if he owns it. And he does. He owns every piece of me. Ripping my mouth away from his, I take a deep breath and look up at the shining blue sky. The heat from our kiss burns me up like an inferno. I want to laugh at how quickly the tide turned.
Levi doesn’t waste any time as he cups each side of my face, clearly not finished with me yet. His teeth nibble my lower lip before the tip of his nose grazes my neck as he places a gentle kiss along the column of my throat. Chest expanding beneath my fingertips, he breathes me in like a fine wine.
“God, you smell good.”
With a light laugh, my brain tries to catch up with what the hell just happened.
“You, uh….” My voice is breathy as I search for a