The power of Levi is his eyes. Oh, no, maybe it’s that smile. Scratch that, it’s the body when he stands up to greet me. Face it, Levi has all kinds of power, and it obviously works on me, or I wouldn’t have come tonight. He sent me a reminder text about an hour ago, telling me he really needs help with a certain word problem, but I’m pretty sure I would have shown up even if he hadn’t. And not because he’s failing math.
So here I am, ready to tutor. Except there’s a surprising lack of books, notebooks, practice tests, or anything else that says “tutoring going on here” at his table. I knew this wasn’t about math.
Something scary and thrilling twirls around my chest and settles in my belly as I pull out the chair across from him.
“You crying, Mack?” he asks, scrutinizing my face.
I wipe the cold away. “Freezing.” I should tell him exactly why I hate the nickname, but I’m not ready to take the conversation there quite yet. Plus, when he says it, the name sounds different from when my brother said it. I like the way it sounds on Levi’s lips.
Maybe I just like Levi’s lips.
“Here.” He slides the coffee across the table when I sit down. “It’s really hot.”
I glance at the slit in the plastic lid and get another thrill in my stomach at the very idea of putting my lips where his just were. Eyes down, I wrap both hands around the paper sleeve and can’t help but sigh with relief at the warmth on my fingers.
“Drink it,” he orders. “It’s got salted caramel.”
Oh my God, that sounds good. I lift the cup and bring it to my mouth, looking up to meet his gaze. He gives me that hint of a half smile tempered with those smoky eyes, a look that’s probably stolen virginities, broken hearts, and inspired a few bad poems.
The coffee is delicious—sweet and rich with a surprising tingle of saltiness mixed in. “Mmm. That’s great. I should get one.”
“We can share.” He takes the cup from me, rotates it a bit, and drinks. I can’t help but watch his mouth, so full and perfect and incredibly … kissable.
And just last night I kissed Josh Collier, who all but asked me to spend the night and be his girlfriend. A nagging sense that I’m doing something wrong is settling all over my insides in a place where I imagine my conscience resides.
This is a tutoring session—so why should I feel like I’m cheating on a guy I don’t even like that much? Whoa, that’s the first time I’ve admitted that truth, even to myself. I don’t like Josh. Does that mean I do like …
“You’re thinking awfully hard,” he observes.
“Getting into my tutoring mindset.” I nod and glance at the empty table between us. “So, where’s your math book?”
“I can’t figure it out.” He angles his head, scrutinizing me again.
“The word problem?”
“Who you remind me of.”
The intimate tone makes me want to lean forward, but I fight the urge and dig for something witty. “Just don’t say your mother.”
I can tell by his disappearing smile that my humor fell flat. “I don’t know what my mother looks like anymore. I haven’t seen her since I was about eight.”
My heart slips a little. “That’s … sad.”
“Not at all. It’s a relief. She’s a lunatic.”
I look down at the coffee, because what can you say to that?
“She really is,” he adds, his tone almost hopeful, as if he wants me to pursue the point.
“My mom’s nuts, too.” I reach for the coffee, craving another salty sip.
“Not like mine.”
“My mom won’t let me play sports or take a shower when there’s a storm or cross the street without a traffic cop,” I say with a laugh. “I mean, she’s crazy.”
“My mom is in a mental institution.”
Oh. “Well. You win, then.”
That makes him smile. “I always dominate the nutcase mom contests.”
He’s trying to make light, but I still can’t quite get my head around what he said. “I’m sorry,” I say. “That must be hard on you and …” What was the deal with his father? I have no idea. “… the rest of your family.”
He lets me dangle, taking the coffee again. After he sips, he leans back, regarding me from under thick black lashes. “It’s an actress from those Star Wars movies.” He frowns, pointing at me, his finger moving from eye to eye. “It’s right in there. Portman.”