Page 62 of Hopeless Romantic
“Pretending we’re not already more than friends is harder.” He tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, and she leaned into his hand.
She forced herself away from his soft touch. “Not as hard as it will be when our best friends get married, our merged social circles are authenticated by the state of Rhode Island, and things between us go south.”
“This thing between us started long before our friends became engaged. And it’s not going away any time soon.” He placed her hand on his chest and held firmly. “That, right there, is chemistry. Plain and simple.”
“Maybe, but our situation has never been more complicated.” There were so many things that could go wrong, and too many people a falling-out between them would affect. “The adult thing to do is ignore it.”
“I can think of a dozen other adult ways to handle this situation,” he said. “Want to hear my top ten?”
Chapter 13
Beckett would be surprised if even one of his top ten involved clothing of any kind. And while the possibility of them sleeping together wasn’t as alarming as it once had been, she’d have to be crazy to entertain the idea with any real seriousness.
“I’ll pass,” Beckett said. Then she added with a touch of sarcasm, “Plus, it’s not like sex has ever messed up an already complicated situation.”
“I was talking about going on an actual date, just you and me with none of the outside baggage, but I’m willing to try your idea.”
Her nipples were more than onboard. In fact, the only part of her that still thought this was a bad idea was her head.
“I don’t do relationships so well,” she said quietly. “Which is why I date guys who live out of the area. That way, when it becomes too much for them, we go our separate ways, and there’s no awkward run-ins around town.”
“Don’t lump me in with those idiots from your past, who were too stupid to realize what they had. I’m a man who knows what he wants.” He reached out and, before she knew what was happening, he lifted her up and placed her on his lap. “And I want to see where this goes.”
And bythis,he had to be referring to the chemistry between them. Anything more was out of the question. Beckett didn’t do serious, Levi was leaving for the summer, and neither of them had much luck in the relationship department.
“I still have concerns,” she said.
“Fair enough,” Levi said. “And you won tonight.”
“That I did.” Though it had nothing to do with the final score.
“Then the floor is yours. Name your terms,” he whispered, his lips against her earlobe sending delicious shivers down her back. “Let me warm you up while you think.”
Warm? The moment his hands slid down her back, beneath the blanket, to her thighs, she went from warm to surface-of-the-sun hot. Her hormones felt like mini furnaces racing through her body. Then he pulled her against his chest, and she had to reevaluate her earlier assessment.
He didn’t just feel solid; he felt secure. And when his arms came around her, all the stress drained from her body, leaving her relaxed and content. Safe. Three feelings she hadn’t let herself experience in a while. But in his capable embrace, she couldn’t resist.
“I’m all ears. Tell me what you want.”
So many things. Nearly all of them she was too afraid to say aloud for fear of jinxing what was happening. But each and every one, she wanted with Levi. And there he was, inches from her. All she had to do was go for it.
Be bold. Be bold. Be freaking bold!
But no matter how many different ways she told herself to go for it, making that first move was paralyzing. Because if this attraction was half as powerful as she anticipated, one kiss and they’d both ignite. And hadn’t they both fought enough fires for one lifetime?
From the outside, it was easy to mistake Beckett for someone who needed saving, when in reality she’d been saving herself since she was a kid. A guy like Levi, with his loyal heart and need to protect others, might mistake her private nature for weakness. She wasn’t interested in becoming another one of the people Levi worried about.
“I know what I want.” She slid her arms around his neck. “But before I tell you, I need your word that whatever happens between us, it will never become awkward.”
“You threw your cock in my face, and mine’s been pushing up against your backside for the last few minutes. I think we’re long past the awkward stage.”
She barked out a laugh and covered her mouth. She had no idea how he managed it, but around Levi, she waffled between laughing at him and cussing him out.
“I like that just when I think I have you figured out, you do something that surprises me,” she admitted, because he most definitely surprised her—tonight and at every turn—in the best ways possible.
His gaze turned so serious her chest tightened. “There’s a lot about me that might surprise you, if you give me a chance.” He looked her in the eye. “You willing to give me a chance, Beck?”
She had long thought she was missing whatever elusive quality it was that made someone lucky in love. It had affected her relationships with men, friends, even her family. At this point, she wasn’t even certain she was capable of giving a guy like Levi the kind of chance he deserved. But, God help her, she wanted to try. So badly, her body quivered with anticipation, while her heart rolled over to show its soft underbelly.
