Page 41 of A Billionaire's Second Shot

I brush a strand of hair from her face, my fingers lingering against her cheek. She looks up at me, her lips parting slightly, and I can see the conflict in her eyes.

“Tania,” I murmur, my forehead resting against hers. “Tell me what you’re thinking.”

“That I want to believe this is real,” she whispers, her voice trembling. “That I want to believe you.”

“It is real,” I say, my voice firm. “And I’ll spend every day proving it to you.”

She doesn’t respond, but the way her lips meet mine says everything. The kiss is soft at first, hesitant, but it quickly deepens, the tension between us igniting like a spark to dry wood. My hands slide to her waist, pulling her closer as her fingers tangle in my hair.

The night unfoldsin a blur of passion and vulnerability. Every touch, every kiss feels like a piece of the walls between us crumbling away. It’s not just physical—it’s emotional, raw, and real in a way that makes my chest ache.

“Tania,” I murmur against her skin, my voice thick with emotion. “You’re everything to me. Everything.”

She looks up at me, her eyes glistening. “I don’t want to lose myself again, Levi.”

“You won’t,” I say firmly, brushing a tear from her cheek. “Not with me. Not this time.”

Her lips find mine again, and the rest of the night is a whirlwind of love and longing. The barriers between us dissolve completely, leaving only the truth of what we feel for each other.

As we lie tangledin the sheets, her head resting on my chest, I trace slow circles along her back, my heart full in a way it hasn’t been in years.

“What now?” she asks softly, her voice drowsy but filled with curiosity.

“Now,” I say, pressing a kiss to her forehead, “we start over. Together.”

Chapter Thirty-One

Tania

The morning sunlight filters through the sheer curtains, painting the room in soft golden hues. I lie awake, my head resting against Levi’s chest, his steady heartbeat the only sound in the quiet. His arm is draped over me, holding me close, as though he’s afraid I might slip away.

I tilt my head, watching his face as he sleeps. The lines of tension that usually crease his brow are gone, replaced by a peaceful expression I rarely see. It’s moments like this that make my chest ache—moments where I see the man I fell in love with all those years ago.

And the truth is, I never stopped loving him.

I’ve been fighting it for so long, convincing myself that the walls I built around my heart were strong enough to keep him out. But every look, every touch, every vulnerable word has chipped away at them until there’s nothing left. Levi has alwayshad a way of breaking through my defenses, even when I don’t want him to.

But now, as I lie here wrapped in his warmth, I realize I don’t want to fight it anymore.

Levi stirs beside me,his arm tightening around my waist as he wakes. His green eyes blink open, and when he sees me watching him, a slow smile spreads across his face.

“Morning,” he murmurs, his voice rough with sleep.

“Morning,” I reply, my own lips curving into a small smile.

He leans down, brushing a kiss to my forehead before pulling back to look at me. “You okay?”

I nod, though the words feel heavier than they should. “Yeah. I’m okay.”

It’s not entirely true. My mind is racing, caught between the fear of repeating the past and the hope that things could be different this time. Levi has shown me so much in the past few weeks—his vulnerability, his sincerity, his willingness to fight for us. But the scars of our past still linger, reminding me of the risk I’m taking.

“You’re thinking too hard,” Levi says, his hand brushing a strand of hair from my face.

“I guess I am,” I admit, letting out a soft laugh. “I just... I want to believe this is real. That you’re real.”

“I am,” he says, his voice steady but gentle. “And I’ll prove it to you every day if I have to.”

His words send a warmth spreading through my chest, but they also make my throat tighten with emotion. I look away, needing a moment to collect myself.

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