However, if Levi got the text and rushed over, wouldn’t that mean he loved her or at the very least, cared for her? Her eyes started to tear up. Everything felt like such a mess right now.
“There.” Sam looked up at her, sliding his phone into his jacket. “Got any beer?”
He started to step forward, but Tessa put her hand up. “Yes, but I’ll bring it out here. It’s nice out. We can sit on the front steps.”
Her stare darted around his face, waiting for him to refuse. Thankfully, he didn’t.
“Whatever.” Sam shrugged.
“All right, I’ll be right back with that beer.” Tessa turned around, leaving the door open.
Shit. Now what?
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Levi exhaled with a groan as he stopped his car behind a line of cars waiting to turn at a busy intersection. He was on his way to drop off the flash drive to his boss to get this shit over with, and then it was back to Tessa’s. He’d rehearsed the conversation he needed to have with her in his head a few times, but he still wasn’t sure what he was going to say.
Tessa, I did one last job so you wouldn’t find out I’m a horrible person. Tessa, you’re crazy. I was just talking to an old buddy. Tessa, I’m nothing more than a bad guy with a trail of sins.
“Fuck!” He hit the steering wheel with his hand as the light turned red.
Any way he chose to handle this, it would surely turn out poorly. Levi just hoped that she cared enough about him to look past all the shit he brought with him. He crept up, almost to the bumper of the car in front of his, and stopped again. Just then, his phone beeped.
He looked at it on the other seat but didn’t hesitate to grab it. What if it was Tessa again? He wouldn’t answer, but he wanted to know if she was still talking to him. The name on the screen caused even more irritation to flow through his body.
“That fucker.” It was Sam, and he was at Tessa’s. “I’ll kill him.”
Levi dropped his phone and quickly checked his mirrors. He reversed, nearly hitting the car behind him, and turned into the next lane. He swerved through traffic and made an illegal U-turn, cutting off several cars. Levi pressed hard on the gas pedal and flew down a side street, heading in Tessa’s direction.
“Damn it!”
He barely slowed once as he made his way to her house. In five minutes, his car was screeching to a halt in front of her house. Levi killed the engine and exited the car before the engine was completely quiet. He slid over the hood and ran toward the house, rage heating his skin.
He didn’t have to go far to see the bothersome party. Sitting on Tessa’s front step was Sam. Her front door was wide open behind him. Levi jogged up and stopped a few feet away. Sam casually looked up, but when he saw Levi’s face, panic soon filled his eyes.
“What the fuck did you do?” Levi’s hands balled into fists as he stepped toward Sam.
Sam clumsily got to his feet, eyes wide. “Wait!” He put his arm out between them. “I didn’t do anything.”
Levi pointed at the open door, taking another step as Sam retreated. “Where’s Tessa?”
A vision of her lying on the floor unconscious filled his mind. Sam bumped into the side of the house, grabbing at it behind himself. Levi got in his face, breathing heavily. He stared down at the other man who was now cowering against the wall.
“She’s inside. I didn’t touch her! I swear. I just came for my money.” His face lit up then. “I-I found a phone in the van.”
Levi had almost forgotten that whole conversation. He grabbed Sam by the shirt and lifted him off the house and onto his tiptoes. He was seeing red and only part of it should be directed at Sam. Levi’s fury for his own situation was clouding his judgment even further.
“If you’re lying, I will kill you.”
Levi shoved Sam against the house, releasing him. Sam stumbled to the side, eventually falling to the floor. Levi towered over him for a second before turning to head inside to find Tessa and make sure she was fine. He didn’t get far.
“What’s going on?” Tessa stood in the doorway, holding a can of beer.
“Tessa.” Levi stepped to her, taking hold of her upper arms.
She looked at him, blinking rapidly. “What the hell, Levi?”
“Did he hurt you?” He squeezed her arms.
“No. He was waiting for you. You owe him money or something.” She tilted her head to the side with a confused scowl.
Levi heard Sam scramble to his feet, but he didn’t take his eyes off Tessa. “Why didn’t you text me, and why the hell is your door wide open?”
Her confused scowl slipped into an angry one. Tessa ripped her arms out of his hands. She stepped to the side, trying to walk around him, but Levi wasn’t going to allow that. He blocked her path and placed his hand on the wall of the house.
“Tessa, I’m talking to you.”
“Oh, now you’re talking to me. Thank you, your highness.” Tessa rolled her eyes. “What would texting you matter? You wouldn’t have answered.”
“We need to talk. Right now.”
Tessa gasped as Levi swiftly bent down and picked her up, throwing her over his shoulder. The beer from her hand dropped to the porch with a dead thud. She pounded on his back while making protesting groans.
“Levi!”
Sam then reminded Levi he was still there. “Levi, what about the phone I found?”
Levi closed his eyes for a moment, taking a calming breath. Sam hadn’t really done anything wrong. He’d done what Levi had asked, and he hadn’t hurt Tessa. Levi opened his eyes, reaching into his back pocket. He fumbled with his wallet with Tessa still squirming on his shoulder.
He couldn’t see how many bills he pulled out or what denomination they were, but he knew it was much more than he’d promised Sam. This was a compensation and a “get the fuck out of here” payment.
“Here.” Levi held out the money. “Get rid of the phone.”
Sam looked from Levi, down to his hand, and then back up to his face with his mouth agape. “Get rid of it?”
“Yes, destroy it. Now take the money and get the hell out of here.” He waved his hand at Sam, Tessa still moving against his back.
“Put me down!” She reached up and scratched his neck.
Levi growled, and she instantly stilled. He assumed she hadn’t meant to hurt him and was now feeling some guilt. He turned more toward Sam, narrowing his eyes on him. Sam reached out with a shaky hand, finally taking the money.
“And Sam, do me a favor, don’t come to her house again. Got it?”
“Uummm, sure.” He started to count the money.
Levi turned and left Sam on the porch, walking into the house and locking the door behind himself. He headed back to her bedroom, continually taking deep breaths to try to shed some of his stress.
“Levi, seriously.”
“Yes, I know. Seriously.”
Chapter Thirty
Tessa’s head was spinning and only part of that was because of the wine. On one hand, she was overjoyed Levi had shown up and in quite the hero form. On the other hand, she was pissed that he could treat her like shit and then show up demanding she listen to him and that she explain her own actions.
He needs to explain his fucking actions.
When they reached her bed, Levi laid her down, a bit more gently than she expected. He swiftly came down on top of her, pinning her arms to the bed above her and laying his hips against hers so she couldn’t move under him.
“I need you quiet and calm.”
For a second, Tessa was drawn into his gorgeous face. His green eyes staring down on her, his perfect lips slightly parted, the light stubble lining his chin. Before, when she’d thought he was done with her, it had been complete misery. Now here he was, commanding and breathtaking.
Eventually, her backbone returned. “You need me quiet and calm?”
Tessa pulled on her arms, but he didn’t give her an inch.
“Yes, unless you want this harder than necess
ary.”
****
Tessa gave him a beautiful, pouty, scowl as she pulled on her arms again. More guilt invaded Levi’s chest, causing him to exhale loudly. This was completely fucked up. His past was ruining things. Levi closed his eyes for a second, concentrating on the warm body beneath him.
Finally, when he opened his eyes, he found that Tessa’s expression was slightly softer. Her body was now more relaxed and still. He wanted to kiss her but the moment didn’t seem right for that. He shook his head before speaking to her, as calmly as he could.
“Tessa, I’m not good with relationships. Maybe I can’t be.”
“Levi?” Her voice quivered just slightly.
He inhaled deeply through his nose. “My past isn’t far enough away. It’s going to ruin us.”
He watched her eyes start to tear up, and the guilt exploded inside him. He clenched his jaw tightly, internally scolding himself for being such an asshole.
“Don’t do this to me again.” A tear slid down her cheek.
“Maybe I’m too selfish for a girlfriend. Maybe my past is too heavy.”
Tessa pulled on her arms, and he let her control one. She reached down and placed her small hand on his cheek. It was calming as he took another deep breath. Was it selfish to keep her?
“Levi, don’t you dare pull away from me because of guilt. I want you and all that comes with you. You’re worth it.”
“Am I?”
Her hand trembled against his face, and Levi could no longer stand it. He gripped her hand and pulled it back up to pin it to the bed again. Controlling her body was helping him control his own swirling mind.
“You are, but the way you talked to me earlier…”
“I know.” Levi shook his head, his chest feeling tight. “Love, I had to get you out of there quickly for your own safety. You don’t know Scab like I do. If he thought I was playing him or that you could be a liability, he wouldn’t hesitate to hurt you.”
“Why didn’t you just say that?”
Levi sighed. “Tessa, if I said, ‘please leave quickly so my criminal friend doesn’t beat you,’ what would you have done?”
She tilted her head slightly. “I see your point, but that still doesn’t mean it wasn’t hurtful.”
“I know and I’m seriously sorry for that. I’ll spend the next few days trying to make up for it.”
Tessa’s expression softened even further, almost looking casual. He had to make this right and make sure he never hurt again. Levi took a deep breath, getting some confidence.
“All right, I’m going to be straight and then we’ll see where the ball lands.” He closed his eyes for a second before starting in on his confession. “Tessa, I had to do this one last thing or my boss was going to send you pictures that would bring my past back too closely.”
“Pictures?”
“Yes, the jobs I’ve done before and of my ex.”
Tessa’s expression hardened again. It seemed the mention of an old girlfriend was more harmful than his criminal jobs.
“Are you still seeing her?” Her voice was slightly muffled.
“No, love, that’s not the point.” He was getting frustrated with himself. Levi grinded his hips gently against hers trying to center himself and the conversation. “Her life went to shit after she met me. I ruined her. I won’t watch that happen to you. I won’t.”
Tessa pulled on her arms, and Levi pressed them firmly into the mattress. She exhaled softly as she tugged on them one more time before stilling.
“You’re not going to ruin me. I love you.”
He clenched his jaw again. “You don’t know me fully.”
“Levi, I know enough. I love you.”
“I love you, too, Tessa.”
He had to get out his deepest sins. If that didn’t push her away, then maybe this was real. He took a deep breath and leaned down to kiss her lips. She tasted sweet as he worked his lips over hers. Her body relaxed under him, and he shifted his hips, hoping this wasn’t their last kiss.
Levi pulled back from her, and Tessa gave him a hopeful smile.
Here we go, love.
Chapter Thirty-One
Levi blinked slowly, looking like he didn’t want to talk anymore. Tessa’s stomach was in knots. She wanted to hold on to him. She’d never be the same after him, and her words were true. She loved him.
“Love, I don’t feel guilty about much. Yes, I was, maybe am, a criminal but most of my jobs didn’t really hurt anyone and the jobs that did hurt people, they deserved it. But there are two things I feel intense guilt about. The first, I’ve just told you. My ex, Jenny. I know she’d have been better off if she’d never met me.”
“You don’t know that. Maybe she would have gone downhill no matter who she fell for.”
Levi shook his head. “I don’t think so.” He paused, letting his gaze move over her face. “And the second thing was my father. He came to me for help and I denied him. He was soon in trouble that he felt he couldn’t get out of and … Tessa. He killed himself.”
“That’s awful.” Tessa didn’t know what else to say.
Levi released her arms and moved his hands down, wrapping them around her body. He looked like a child in need on comfort. Tessa wanted nothing else than to be that for him. Always. Any anger over his dismissal of her in that yard was faded.
“He asked me for money, which I had plenty to give, but he was a fuck up. Always had been. If I bailed him out, I’d be forever bailing him out. I put my foot down and…”
“Sweetie, you cannot blame yourself. You shouldn’t be anyone’s crutch. Plus, he was an adult. If he made multiple poor decisions, including taking his life, that’s on him.”
Tessa hoped her words didn’t sound insensitive, but she fully believed them. Levi couldn’t be blamed for bad decisions that people in his life made, even if he was a “bad guy.” She reached up and held his face with her hands.
There was so much pain in his green eyes that it physically hurt her to look at him, but she never took her eyes off him until he leaned down and kissed her again. This kiss was needy and rushed. He held her back tighter as he kissed her harder.
Tessa gasped, trying to breathe, and Levi pressed his hips into her. After several impatient seconds of kissing, he pulled back from her, leaving her panting.
“Do you still want this sinner?”
She let her gaze work over his face for a moment. “Do you still want this girl?”
For the first time, his eyes softened and a small smile lifted his perfect lips. “Let me think.”
“Levi?”
His smile grew. “I’d rather show you.” Levi leaned down and took her lips with his own.
This kiss was slower and sensual. Afterward, he leaned back, looking calmer.
“Love, are we okay?”
“Yes, I think so, but I’m going to hold you to that ‘making it up to me’ thing.” She smiled up at him.
He gave her a gorgeous grin back before kissing her again. He kissed her passionately before gradually reaching under her shirt, slipping his hand up to her breast. Levi massaged it as his tongue worked into her mouth. Tessa returned the kiss and tongue play, and he grinded his cock against her upper thigh.
His erection grew as he squeezed her breast harshly. Tessa whimpered against his lips just before he pulled back from her.
She blinked up at him. “What pictures were you worried about me seeing?”
Levi exhaled, shaking his head. “Tessa, I don’t want to talk about it now. It’s over. Love, I’m done with my boss and his jobs. After I drop off this one thing, we’re finished. I promise.”
“And no more secrets?”
His lips curled into a crooked smirk. “I can’t promise that.”
This joke worried Tessa, but he looked so happy she wasn’t going to spoil what was surely coming next. She reached up and ran her hand through his dark hair, enjoying his sinful stare.
Levi moved off to the side of her, one leg still laying on hers.
“I need this, Tessa. You and me.”
“Me, too.”
He reached down and undid her jeans, pausing to watch her expression. She assumed he was waiting to see if she was going to protest. She didn’t. Levi smiled down at her before sliding his hand into her panties. Tessa inhaled sharply as his fingers ran over her pussy lips and then pressed against her clit.
He rubbed her button, causing her pussy muscles to clench. Tessa moaned softly when he ran his fingers through her pussy lips, parting them. He took his leg that was on hers and pried her legs farther open. Levi slipped a finger inside her with some difficulty against her open jeans. Her eyes fluttered shut when Levi slid his finger in and out of her pussy.
“Love?”
Tessa pulled her arms up to her chest as his finger stalled inside her. She opened her eyes to find him staring at her with a loving expression.
“Yes?”
“I’ll try not to let you down.”
“I know.”
****
All right. Enough talking. Levi slid his finger in and out of Tessa a few more times before pulling his hand out of her pants. She squirmed against the bed, and he climbed up on his knees beside her. Levi grabbed the top of her jeans and slowly pulled them down.
Tessa lifted her ass and then her feet, helping him. Soon her jeans and panties were on the floor. Levi wasted no time going for what he wanted. He moved between her legs and immediately leaned his face into her.
She reached up and placed her hands on his head, pushing slightly. He grinned as he worked against her, pressing his mouth against her pussy. Tessa moaned and pushed a little harder on his head. Levi didn’t let her hinder his movements.
He licked up through her pussy lips before flicking his tongue over her clit. He sucked it into his mouth for a quick second before licking through her lips again. Levi then sat up while moving his hand to her. He thrust two fingers into her wet pussy, causing her to lift her head off the bed with a whimper.
“I never get tired of your noises, love.”
Cardinal's Sins Page 9