“Well, I guess I better go first,” Shelly said.
“You’re going to climb it? I thought you were scared of heights.”
“Terrified of them, but I’m going to do it because this is my summer of firsts. So I’m going to climb up first and if I fall you’ll be there to catch me. Or at least break my fall. I’ll just have to live with the fact that I’ve crushed you.”
He laughed. “You don’t have to.”
“Yes, I do.” She looked up at the tower and hiked up her skirt as she took her first step. “I’m living a little. Remember?”
He did, but he was momentarily distracted by the appearance of her thighs. He suppressed a groan as he remembered how they’d felt around him that first night he’d sneaked into her room. So soft. So damn good.
“Are you behind me?”
“Always.” He grabbed the ladder and watched her go up. He knew going up behind her probably wasn’t the smartest thing for him to do because he would be more focused on watching her ass swish than climbing up himself. There was a bunch of ways Levi thought he might die. He’d never thought watching his best friend’s ass could be one of the causes.
But if it was, it was a hell of a way to go.
The climb was surprisingly quick, probably due to the lovely scenery.
“Holy crap, we’re up high.” Shelly laughed uneasily as she looked over the railing.
“Don’t look down, baby. Look out.”
The entire town of Destiny was visible from there and it was beautiful, in the way all dusty towns were when the sun was setting.
“I can see my house from here!” Shelly giggled as the pointed to their street. “This is amazing.”
This was another one of those moments he would lock into his mind. The look on her face, the laughter in her voice. She was so easy to make happy. She always seemed so grateful. That was rare in life.
“Let’s sit.”
He helped her to sit on the walkway, their backs against the tank, their eyes taking in the town below them. “We aren’t supposed to be up here, are we?” Shelly asked.
“Nope. You can cross this off your list. Broke the law with Levi.”
“Hey, I’ve broken the law before. I’ve gone thirty-five in a thirty zone through town more than a few times.”
“Total badass.” Levi grinned at her. “You should get a tattoo to show the world how tough you are.”
She nodded. “I was thinking a skull on my neck.”
“Definitely. Because you’re bad to the bone.”
She laughed again and inched closer to him so that her body was pressed against his. There were few people in the world he could just be with. He never had to play a role with Shelly. He wasn’t Levi the bad boy race-car driver, or Levi the television host. Or Levi the little brother.
He was just Levi to her. And that’s all she expected him to be.
“Are you going to tell me what’s wrong with you today?”
He let out a long sigh, thinking about not telling her, but he didn’t keep things like this from her.
“My brothers are assholes who think I can’t handle myself and it pisses me off. I’m a goddamn adult and I don’t need them to take care of me and I don’t appreciate them keeping shit from me like I’m still eight.”
“They love you, Levi. They had to take care of you when your father wouldn’t. It’s hard for them to break that habit.”
“They are hiding something from me. Duke left today. He packed his bag and gave me some bullshit about researching something. Colt knew exactly what he was talking about.”
“I think it’s a beautiful thing to have that many people love you that much. I know it must be annoying, but they are doing it out of love. Sometimes I’m jealous of you. I wish I had as many people love me as love you. I only have my father.”
“What do you mean you only have your father? You have me. I love you.”
He did love her. He must have told her that a thousand times, but this time he felt funny saying it. Like the words lodged in his chest.
“I know you do, Levi.” She grabbed his chin and set a soft kiss on his mouth. It wasn’t in any way a sexual kiss but it was seductive. It made him want to grab her and wrap his arms around and kiss her so deeply he didn’t know his own name. But that wouldn’t be enough for him. If he kissed her, he would want to touch her, if he touched her he would need to see more of her, and if he did that he would have to make love to her.
So he left the kiss at that.
“Let’s go home,” he said to her. “I’m hungry.”
“Okay.” She stood up. “You go down first. You know I’m a stickler about you breaking my fall.”
He did descend the ladder first, getting a view up her skirt as he did.
“We should probably plan what to do next on my summer bucket list.”
“Okay. Any idea what you want to try?”
“I was thinking we could either go skinny-dipping, or watch a dirty movie.”
“What?” he said as his foot slipped off the ladder. He let out a string of curses.
“Oh my God! Are you okay?”
“Yeah. Just don’t mention you naked and us watching dirty movies to me while I’m climbing down a damn ladder. Unless you want me to fall to my death.”
“I would have a hard time explaining to your family that I horrified you to death.”
“No, Shells. If you only knew what was going on in my mind, you would know that horrified is the last thing I’m feeling.”
Chapter 9
Dear Levi,
I’ve gotten into trashy talk shows lately. Don’t tell anyone. It’s a secret.
Did you know there’s one where women bring men on just to see if they are the father of their children? One woman had tested a dozen men and the host kept saying, “You are not the father. You are not the father.” Over and over again. And then the woman flings herself on the floor each time and acts like the news is earth-shattering. But she has to know it’s not them. Right? I’m starting to wonder what these people get out of this? Like if you test a dozen men you get a sixteen-ounce frozen yogurt for free. Personally, I’d rather tell my child that I was impregnated by space aliens from the planet Nebulon than go on TV. Plus alien impregnation is such a good story.
“If you weren’t my best friend, I would have probably tried to escape by now,” Shelly told Levi as they finally pulled to the stop in the middle of the desert the next evening. It was pitch black and there was no sign of human life anywhere. This was one of those places people got abducted by aliens, Shelly thought to herself as she looked around. “I wish I had written a good-bye note to my father, because when the spaceship takes us away¸ I know he’ll wonder what happened to his only child.”
She heard some kind of bird then—or maybe it wasn’t a bird. Maybe it was the sound of a coyote or wild dog or desert pig. “Maybe the aliens won’t get us. Some animals will. Do you think there will be any traces of us left?”
He stepped out of his Jeep and looked back at her. “In the desert no one can hear you scream.”
“Don’t say that.” She shook her head, trying to repress a shiver. “It’s creepy and if something happens to me, I swear I’ll haunt you forever.” She jumped out of the SUV and followed him. “What are we doing here anyway?” She looked around her¸ but the only thing she could see in the dim moonlight was huge sand dunes.
“This.” He took a set of keys out of his pocket and hit a button. Bright lights nearly blinded her. A vehicle appeared before them that was nearly the color of the sand. She had never seen anything like it. It looked like it had been built to survive an apocalypse.
“Is that a tank?” She looked over to Levi. “Are we taking a small island nation captive?”
“No, but we can add that to the list.” He winked at her. “I know a guy who makes custom dune racers. This is his work of art.”
“You took me all the way out here to see this? We could have seen this in town where there were less creepy-c
rawly night creatures.”
“I didn’t bring you out here just to see this. We’re going night riding.”
“But it’s dark and there is no road and isn’t that kind of dangerous?” Even to her own ears she sounded like a stuffy old prude, but she couldn’t help it. She didn’t normally venture out of her house past seven. And her idea of adventure was drinking milk the day after the expiration date.
“That’s the whole point of night riding, Shells.”
Apparently Levi was having none of that.
He stepped closer to her and she could feel the heat roll off his body. “We’re going to go real fast tonight.”
Or maybe that was her body heating up. “Are we?”
“You always said you wanted to know what it was like to be a race-car driver. I’m going to give you a tiny taste.”
“I’m nervous,” she said looking at the supersized dune buggy. She wasn’t sure if she was more nervous about the ride they were going to take or how she was feeling about Levi in that moment.
“You should be nervous.” He tossed her the keys. “You’re going to drive.”
“Nope. Don’t wanna.” She tossed the keys back at him and headed for the passenger side.
“Yes, you are.” He reached for her, shocking her by lifting her up and tossing her over his shoulder. She hadn’t been picked up since she was a kid. She was no petite flower and she never thought her feet would leave the ground without her doing so.
“Levi!”
“What? You’re going to have a good time.” He gave her behind a little smack. It was the second time he’d done so and she had to admit that she kind of liked it. She liked being tossed over his shoulder. She liked it when he crept into bed with her. She liked his hard body and the way he smelled and the way he made her feel a thousand new feelings that she’d never thought possible.
She liked being with him and it had her almost wishing he’d never come—because when he went back to Vegas, her life would be less bright. Her days would be gray again.
He deposited her in the driver’s seat and hopped in beside her. “Start it up,” he urged her.
She blinked at him for a moment, feeling a little scared, but the good kind of scared when you know you’re with someone safe. She turned the key and the engine roared to life, causing the seat to vibrate beneath her. It was a sensation she couldn’t describe, but if she had to pick a word she would say she was excited.
Physically excited to feel all that power beneath her and know that she was in control of it.
“Have you ever gunned it?” Levi asked her, his lips on her ear, and she felt a spike of arousal. “Just put your foot on the pedal and driven as fast as you could for no reason at all?”
Her mouth went dry. “No.” She never did anything for no reason at all. Her life was made of safe decisions, even when she sometimes desperately wanted to do something a little dangerous.
“Do it. You know you’ve always wanted to.” Levi’s words were seductive. They went through her just like the vibrations of the motor. “Go in any direction you want. Go as fast as you can. Do something just to make you happy. Just to make you feel alive. Consequences be damned.”
Consequences be damned.
She needed to adopt that motto more often.
She buckled herself in, shifted into gear, and put her foot over the pedal, fear and excitement coursing through her.
“Do it, Shelly. Go!”
She pressed her foot down on the gas and they took off, shooting up the dune. She let out a scream, not because she was scared. She felt exhilarated. Probably for the first time in her life.
And Levi was right there beside her, cheering her on. There were few perfect moments in life, but this was one of them.
The wind was blowing through her hair and sand was flying and the front wheels came off the ground.
They were flying. She didn’t think it was possible, but they were flying. She had never been high in her life but she imagined that it felt something like this, only not as good. Because this was better than anything else she had experienced.
She didn’t know how long they drove up and down those dunes, but when she finally came to a stop her whole body was tingling. It felt delicious. It felt like magic.
She got out of the buggy and threw her head back and laughed. She didn’t know why she was laughing, but she couldn’t help herself.
“Did you like that?” Levi asked her.
“I love that!” She grabbed him and hugged him tightly. “There—there aren’t enough words. What can I give to you? What can I do for you to thank you for that?”
“I want cake.” He grinned down at her. “Make me a cake.”
“I can do that. We’ll go to the all-night market and I’ll make one for you as soon as we get home.”
“I didn’t mean tonight, Shells.”
“Oh, but I want to! I don’t think I’ll be able to sleep after this.”
“Now you get how I feel when I race.” He pulled away and opened the passenger-side door for her.
“Is it like that?” she asked him when he got in. “Is it that intense a rush every time?”
“Mostly yeah. I miss it, Shelly. I haven’t told anybody else, but I’m thinking about going back.”
She’d been surprised when he told her he was going to stop, but also relieved. She saw the crash as it happened. Saw his car soar into the air, pieces breaking off, and when it landed Shelly was sure that no one could have survived it—and if they had it would be a miracle. She had been out of her mind that day. Thank God for her father. He had always watched Levi’s races with her. He had been there to keep her from going out of her mind. She’d never forget the moment when the phone rang. She rushed to it and picked it up, hoping for the best and expecting the worst.
“I’m okay” were his first words to her.
“I could kill you.” She’d let out a sob of relief, wanting to be there with him then. “I could kill you.”
His hand on her cheek snapped her back to present. She leaned into it, reveling in his warmth. “I would die if something happened to you,” she said, feeling choked. “But you should be happy. If racing makes you happy, go back. Just don’t die.”
“It’s not definite. I’m sorry I said anything.”
“Don’t be sorry. I want you to tell me everything.”
“You were so happy a moment ago. I didn’t mean to take that away.”
“Do we have to go home right now?” she asked him.
“No. We can go anywhere you want.”
“Can we stay here?”
“You want to drive again?”
“No. Can we take the top down? I just want to look at the stars for a while.”
*
“Yeah. Of course.” He didn’t expect that request from her, but he hopped out of the Jeep to fulfill it. She got out, too, helping him take the top down, but she didn’t go back to the front seat. She sat in the back, her head tilted up to look at the sky.
He joined her. He couldn’t help himself. She looked so beautiful. The whole two hours in the buggy he couldn’t take his eyes off her. He had never seen anybody filled with so much joy, who laughed so unself-consciously. He wanted more of that. He wanted to give her more reasons to do that because her happiness gave him that rush he was always searching for.
He wasn’t sure when his arms had come around her, but they had and he was holding her close. Her eyes were closed but her face was turned up to his.
His mind went back to the diner the other day, when she had asked him if he regretted kissing her.
Hell no, he didn’t regret it. He doubted his sanity. He wondered about his lack of willpower. He was puzzled by his intense attraction for his best friend, but regret never once crossed his mind.
How could he regret a kiss so perfect?
How could he keep himself from kissing her again?
“Are you ready for another lesson?” he asked her. He hadn’t forgotten what she’d said on the water
tower. He’d gone to bed last night remembering the all-too-brief kiss they’d shared and her words that accompanied it.
She looked up at him with those big gorgeous green eyes. “What?”
“I want to teach you something.” He rubbed his lips against hers, just because he couldn’t go another moment without feeling their softness.
“You want to teach me more about kissing?”
“Yes. There’s more you should know.” He gave her a soft closed-mouth peck. “Have you ever made out in the back of a car?”
“No.” She looked intrigued. “Do people still do that?”
“Tonight they do.” He ran his tongue across the seam of her lips, and this time she let him in with him asking. She may have been new to kissing like this, to stroking tongues, to deep slow tastes, but she was a beautiful kisser. Her mouth fit perfectly beneath his, her lips moved just the way he needed them to, and he felt that pull again. That deep pull that made him want more of her, that made him want to pull her closer. That made him not want this moment to end so he could keep Shelly all to himself.
She broke the kiss and pressed her face into the crook of his neck. “Levi. When you kiss me like that I feel—I feel …
“How, Shelly? How do you feel?
She looked into his eyes. “Like I’m falling.”
Her words hit him hard and he couldn’t speak, because he felt exactly the same way.
He cupped the back of her neck and brushed kisses down the bridge of her nose and across her cheeks.
“Does it always feel like this for you?” There was curiosity in her voice. “It didn’t feel like this for me with AJ, but then again he never kissed me like you do.”
He didn’t want anyone kissing her like he did. He didn’t want anyone else to give her the same feelings.
“Not always,” he said lightly. He was lying through his teeth. Never was the truth. He never felt like this. Before coming back to Destiny he would have said he wasn’t that into kissing, but with Shelly he didn’t want to stop. “Never waste your time with someone you don’t like kissing,” he told her just before he took her mouth again, but this time he wasn’t content with just kissing; he had to touch her, too. He slipped his hands up the back of her shirt and stroked her smooth creamy skin.
Heart of a Bad Boy (Bad Boys of Destiny #3) Page 11