Page 59 of Into the Fire
Levi closed the front door behind him, flipping the deadbolt as Emery stepped out of June’s room, the nightlight casting a soft glow behind her.
“She’s out cold,” she whispered with a small smile. “Didn’t even finish her bedtime story.”
“Good,” Levi murmured, stepping up and curling his arms around her waist. Emery leaned into his chest, kissing the curve of her neck, slow and sure. Emery relaxed in his arms, brushing her fingers along the collar of his soft tee.
Their eyes locked in a gentle understanding. After everything that day, they’d earned this moment. Safe. Together. Steady.
He leaned in, brushing his lips against hers in a kiss that deepened by several degrees when her hands slid into his hair, and his fingers traced the curve of her back. The tension they’d both been carrying began to slip off their shoulders.
The way his teeth clamped down on her bottom lip, harder than normal, sent fire to her core. Already aching for him, she dragged her nails down his sides until she reached the waist of his jeans, grabbing firmly at his still buckled belt as she pushed him back a step. Noticing the hunger in his eyes, she said, “Take me to bed, cowboy.” His eyes darkened. He didn't speak but bent and picked her up at the waist instead, throwingher over his shoulder and smacking her ass with one hand, kneading his fingers into her thighs. She muffled a surprised yelp and giggled into his back as he carried her effortlessly up the stairs. He toed the door shut behind them, setting her down a few feet in front of his bed and locking her in place with a look that undoubtedly could melt glass. He raised his open palm and pressed it flat against the center of her chest, pushing her backwards firmly until the back of her legs bumped into the edge of the bed.
He reached down and peeled her shirt off, gripping her shoulders to guide her down to the bed, taking his shirt off before meeting her body and consuming her mouth with his own until she reached for his belt to hurriedly undo it, making quick work of the button and zipper on his jeans. He pulled away. “Impatient, baby?” Lacing his fingers through hers, he pinned her hands to the mattress, grinding his hips against her while nipping at her collarbone. He kissed his way down to the waistband of her cut-off jean shorts that didn't stand a chance, skillfullytaking them off and throwing them across the room. “God damn, baby, your body…” His eyes were wild, meeting hers. “Do you know what you do to me?”
She opened her mouth to answer, but right as she did, he yanked off her lace thong and shoved it into her mouth, with a crooked grin, “Don't wake June.”
21
The next few days fell into a new rhythm, but not without a few changes. With June at school, Emery followed Levi around the property like his shadow. Not that he minded, he was the one who insisted she stay close.
Levi had spent most of the morning installing security cameras around the house and barn, muttering to himself as he adjusted lenses and tested motion detectors.
“Gonna catch that damn squirrel on camera before we ever see a trespasser,” he grumbled, holdinga screw between his teeth, Emery watching from the bottom of the ladder as he secured the last camera with his drill.
“You’re just mad that the squirrel’s faster than you,” she teased, shading her eyes from the sun.
Levi looked down at her and smirked. “Not faster than me, just less distracted.”
“Oh yeah?”
He climbed down in two quick steps and closed the distance between them, his gaze dropping slowly to her lips. “Yeah. I’m gettin real distracted by these shorts of yours and you looking this good.”
She gave him a playful shove, laughing, but he grabbed her waist and yanked her back against him. He kissed her before she could say anything more. It was slow and sure, like they had all the time in the world. Such a nice change of pace compared to the way Levi used to try to juggle everything on his own.
By late afternoon, Emery had dirt on her knees and sweat in her hair, but Levi still looked ather like she was the most stunning thing on the planet.
“Careful,” he called with a chuckle as she tugged a bale of straw toward the back of the stall. “You're gonna pull something.”
“I’m fine, and you said I had good form last time,” she said with a dramatic grunt.
“Yeah, well, I wasn’t lying… You do have excellent form,” Levi drawled, lifting his hat for a moment and dragging a hand through his hair. “But I gotta confess… I was just paying attention to your ass. Why don't you leave the bales to me, baby?”
“You just don't want me to make you look bad and show you up, huh, cowboy?” Emery tossed a handful of the loose straw at him and missed. He retaliated by dropping his gloves and closing in, trapping her between the stall gate and his chest.
“God, you're mouthy, and no. Em, that's not it. You're wearing shorts, what I don't want is you scratching your pretty legs all up,” he murmured, his nose brushing hers. “You like it here,” he said quietly, more a statement than a question.
She took her time to take in the strong angles of his face. “You asking if I like it here in the stall, or with you?”
He grinned. “Smartass.”
“I like both,” she said, softer now. “But mostly you.”
Levi held her gently by the waist, leaned in, and kissed her lips, slow and deliberate, giving her exactly what he knew she wanted.
???
“Daddy!” June blurted as they pulled up to the house after the ride home from school. “Can we paint the swing today?”
Levi blinked, glancing at the weathered wooden bench swing hanging just beyond the house from the big oak tree, and then finding her eyes looking up into the rearview mirror, “The old swing, paint it?”
