Freefall (Santa Cruz Skydivers Book 1)

by Joanne Efendi

  “I know, but it’s my first time here as your boyfriend. I kinda feel like I have to.”

  With blood rushing to my head, I was certain I hadn’t heard him right. Had he just referred to himself as my boyfriend?

  The door behind us slammed shut, causing me shriek out loud, and I kicked my legs out almost kicking him in the face.

  “Sorry,” he apologized sheepishly as he righted me back onto my feet once we were in the middle of the room and he had thrown my stuff on the nearest chair. “I kicked the door closed a little too hard. I guess I’m just excited.”

  I wrapped my arms around his neck and laughed into his chest. I was stupid giddy with excitement. He pulled me in tight against him. Considering moments ago, we weren’t even really speaking, and now he referred to himself as my boyfriend, I had to make sure I wasn’t losing my mind.

  “Levi. Did you mean what you said just now?”

  He didn’t reply verbally, but answered me with a kiss.

  “Who’s there?” Lili called out from her bedroom, interrupting things before they got too hot. “Is that you, Scotty?”

  Crap, I’d forgotten about Lili. “No, it’s just me. And Levi.”

  A little thrill ran through me. This was the first time I had brought a guy home, and apparently, my first boyfriend, too.

  She quickly joined us in the living room, her eyes still red and puffy. I was guessing things between her and Scotty hadn’t changed.

  “Where have you been?” Her eyes wide, flicking between Levi and me. “I’ve been worried about you. Your cell kept going to voicemail.”

  To my utmost happiness, Levi had kept his arm wrapped around my waist and kissed me affectionately on the top of my head. Leaning in against his chest, heat flashed through my entire body.

  “Um, actually my cell’s battery died last night and I stayed at Levi’s. I kind of forgot to charge it. Have you heard from Scotty yet?”

  At the mention of his name, she collapsed into the armchair and started crying. “No, he’s not answering my calls or replying to my text messages.”

  I turned my face up to Levi. “Just give me a second,” I whispered, squeezing his hand, and went to kneel by her side. “I’m so sorry.” I held her hand and rubbed her back. “I thought for sure he’d come to his senses.”

  “I let a good thing go because I was jealous,” she sobbed into my shoulder.

  Behind me, Levi softly cleared his throat to get my attention. I turned slightly so I could still rub Lili’s back and look at him at the same time.

  “I should go.” He mouthed the words at me and thumbed in the direction of the front door in case I didn’t understand his lip-syncing.

  “No,” I replied, mouthing back and shaking my head. I frowned, flicked my head in the direction of my bedroom, and indicated with my eyes he should go wait for me there.

  He turned his head in the direction of my room and nodded in agreement. He walked behind me and affectionately brushed the back of my hair as he did. I felt like a complete bitch right now. I desperately wanted to be a good friend to Lili and be here for her, but I really just wanted to be with Levi. I was torn between doing the right thing as a best friend, or having ground-shaking sex with my new boyfriend.

  Lili sniffed back her tears and stood up, pulling me up with her. She gave me a weak smile. “I’ll be fine, go be with Levi.”

  “Are you sure?”

  “Yes, I’m sure. Besides, you deserve the guy for once.” She held up a finger. “On one condition, though. I want all the dirty details tomorrow, okay?”

  “All of them?” I widened my eyes in mock shock.

  “Everything! Have fun. I’m going to try to call Scotty again.”

  We hugged, and I waited until she was in her room and shut the door before I joined Levi in my bedroom. His clothes were strewn across the end of my bed and he had made himself comfortable in it. Not that I was complaining. I paused, admiring his muscular body. His was lying on my pillow, with the bed covers pulled up to his waist only, his naked, tattooed torso exposed. His eyes were shut, with his hands tucked up underneath his head, his biceps flexed from the position.

  I shut the door and kicked my heels off. My feet were killing me. Never again would I wear heels motorcycle riding. “Are you comfortable?” I began peeling off my clothes.

  He opened his lust-filled eyes, watching me undress. “Very. Hurry up, I’m lonely in here.”

  I stripped off to just my thong and climbed into bed with him—surprised to find he still had his Calvin’s on—and snuggled up against him. He wrapped me in his arms and held me there. He made me feel so confident and beautiful.

  “What’s wrong with Lili?” He brushed his fingers tenderly through my curls.

  I nuzzled into his chest. “Scotty dumped her Friday night. They had a huge fight over the way she treated me after you left. He told her he didn’t want to see her again.”

  “Really?”

  “Yeah. She was jealous of the chemistry we had going, and Scotty called her on it. She apologized to me yesterday, but he’s still not talking to her.”

  “So she should be jealous of you. You’re perfect. To be honest, the moment I saw you Friday night, I was already obsessed with you. I just kept denying it. I know this sounds very corny, but do you believe in soul mates?”

  I pushed myself up and rested my chin on his chest so I could look into his gorgeous green eyes.

  “Yes, I do,” I confessed.

  “A part of me kept thinking I knew you from somewhere else. But what it if it wasn’t that, but just us reconnecting because we are meant to be together?” He laughed out loud. “Listen to me talk trash. I’m turning soft.”

  “Don’t stop, I like hearing you talk. Besides, I believe in those things, too. My friends all think I’m a weirdo.”

  “Come here.” He grabbed my hips and lifted me so I was lying on top of him. “When I said all that stuff about needing you in my life, I meant it. What do you think?”

  I answered him with a kiss. He moaned under my lips and ran his hand down my back. He finished by cupping his hand over my butt cheek.

  “Andi, you don’t know what you do to me. I’ve honestly never felt like this before. The things you do to me.”

  “Really?” I was grinning like the Cheshire cat.

  “You have no idea? Just have a feel.”

  He grabbed my hand, slipped it between us, and put it on his cock. It was like rock pushing up hard against the thin material of his boxers. Shifting slightly so I could move my hand more freely, I gripped his penis through the material and started moving my hand up and down his shaft. He shut his eyes and moaned softly.

  “Like this?” I asked him, gripping a little tighter and pulling a little harder. The material allowed my hand to move smoothly up and down.

  His eyes flashed open, raw emotion burning inside. He grabbed my waist and flipped us over so he was now on top of me. In the sudden movement, I lost contact with his cock and while reaching for it again, he grabbed both my wrists and pinned my arms above my head.

  “Didn’t you like it?” I asked, unsure. “I’m sorry, I’ve never done that before.”

  “Andi, I stopped you because if you kept doing that, I would have come. You drive me so wild.” He leaned down and gently bit my earlobe, blowing softly in my ear, sending shivers up and down my spine. “I don’t want this moment to be spoiled by you jacking me off. I want to make love to you, slow and sweet, like you deserve. But this isn’t the time or the place. Not with Lili in her bedroom next door. Later, at my place, just you and me. I promise you, it’ll be like our first time should have been.”

  I smiled tenderly at him. “Okay. But I rather enjoyed our first time.”

  “Me too,” he replied, his voice husky.

  “We still have about an hour until I have to go to my parents’ house for dinner. Would you like to come with me? You know…as my boyfriend.”

  Those words sounded so foreign coming out of my mouth. He smiled a
nd kissed me, his tongue teasing me, not letting my arms go.

  “I’d love to. But until then, do you think you can control yourself and stop trying to rape me.”

  I wiggled underneath him trying to get my arms free. “In case you haven’t noticed, I’m the one pinned down here.”

  “I’ll let you go, only if you promise not to tempt me in anyway whatsoever. You are forbidden to make me to want to rip your underwear off and screw you senseless right here and now.”

  I laughed at him and wiggled a little more just to tease him. “I promise, but you’re so sexy it’ll be hard.”

  He sighed dramatically, but let my arms go anyway. “It’s a burden, I know.”

  He rolled us back over so we were in our original position.

  “Let’s have a little rest before we go to your parents’. I’m feeling like a good twenty-minute power sleep will recharge us for later tonight. I intend to show you first and how much you drive me wild, so you had better nap as well.”

  “Mmm, I can’t wait,” I murmured, kissing him lightly on the neck. Talking about sleep had brought on a sudden bout of tiredness. It had been a big day, emotional and physical, plus I was still feeling the after effects of all the tequila from last night. With all the adrenaline from the bike and being with him, I had been able to ignore the dull ache in the back of my head. But now that I had stopped, my head began to throb. A quick nap and some ibuprofen before I saw my family, and I’d be better than normal. Besides, I knew I needed the rest. Dealing with my brothers with a hangover was not a good idea.

  Stifling a yawn, I nestled in against his body and he wrapped his left arm around me. “Can you set an alarm, please? My cell battery is dead. If you’re coming to dinner, it’s best if we get there before my brothers.”

  “No problem,” he agreed, and set the alarm on his cell phone.

  I closed my eyes, drifting to sleep almost immediately, thinking of how I couldn’t wait to see my family’s reaction when I walked in the door with Levi on my arm.

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Levi

  I was a lot more nervous meeting Andi’s family than I let on. First impressions counted, and knowing that she was so close with her family mattered to me. With my mom gone and Derek being a total asshat I didn’t have anyone. I’d hate to do anything that might cause problems. While I hadn’t told her in so many words, I knew I loved her, and even though I wasn’t ready to start mapping out our futures just yet, I planned to spend a lot more time with her. She was sweet and funny and made me laugh. She also drove me wild. I was already planning on what to do to her later tonight. I intended to bury myself in her so deep only a search and rescue team would be able to find me.

  It was nice to wake up with the person you cared about wrapped up in your arms. I felt invincible. She made me feel strong and complete. After we woke from our sleep, and reacquainted our mouths, she invited me into the shower with her to freshen up for her family dinner. I had to force myself to decline. If I showered with her, that would be it. We wouldn’t be going anywhere for the next twenty-four hours. Once we were both naked together again, I planned to keep it that way for as long as humanly possible. In my mind, I was ready to break the Guinness World Record for longest possible time spent naked in bed between two people. With her by my side, I was certain it would be easy.

  While she showered, I dressed back into the jeans and T-shirt I had worn riding. I would have preferred to wear something a little more appropriate to meet her family, like a suit jacket and tie, but she told me we didn’t have the time to get back to my place and make her family dinner before her brothers arrived. Normally, having my tattoos on show wouldn’t bother me, and given Andi’s strict upbringing, I was unsure if her parents would approve of a tattooed, Harley-riding Australian. When I voiced my concerns, she had run her hand down my tattoo sleeve, assuring me everything would be fine, giving me the impression she would get a kick out of me flashing my ink to her conservative family.

  I sat patiently on the end of her bed, waiting for her to emerge from her shower. As I finished pulling my boots on, she walked into her room with only a towel wrapped around her. Her curly, long hair was still damp, hanging loosely around her shoulders. She smiled shyly at me and adjusted her towel slightly, giving me a quick glimpse of her upper thigh. My cock stirred. It had a mind of its own, keen to get things started.

  I stood and walked over to her, taking her in my arms. “Don’t think I don’t know what you’re trying to do.”

  “What?” She gazed up at me, batting her eyelashes.

  “You’re such a terrible liar. And a compete tease.”

  She laughed. “You got me. Can’t blame me for trying.”

  “You drive me crazy.” Unable to stop myself, I kissed her hard, biting down on her lip and pushing my tongue in her mouth.

  Bad idea. As she kissed me back, she reached her arms up around my neck, entwining her fingers in my hair, letting her towel slip to the floor, and exposing her glorious body. Curves in all the right places. We still had a few minutes before we had to leave. Two could play at this little game of hers. Without our mouths losing contact, I pushed her up against the closed bedroom door, pressing my body against hers so she could feel my hardening cock pushing through my jeans. We continued kissing, our mouths becoming more urgent. I trailed my fingers down her body, over her breasts and stomach, and then moved my hand down the inside of her thigh, teasing her. She moaned against my mouth. And as I moved my hand up again, I ran my fingers lightly over the opening of her pussy, but instead of entering her like I wanted to, I reached around, slapped her ass lightly, and ended our kiss.

  “Get dressed, party girl,” I whispered in her ear.

  “Who’s the tease now, lover boy?” Her face was flushed with excitement.

  “All good things come to those that wait.” I moved back to her bed to lie down and watch while she got dressed. “Don’t forget you’re staying at my place tonight, so pack a spare set of clothes for tomorrow.”

  She looked at me while she was slipping on her underwear and frowned. “I’ve got to work tomorrow. Plus, my Jeep is at my parents’.”

  “Can’t you take the day off?” There was nothing more I wanted to do then stay in bed with her all day. Although, bed wasn’t the only place I planned to have her naked.

  Her face dropped. “I can’t. I’ve got no days in lieu left this month.”

  “That’s okay. Drive your Jeep to my place, and tomorrow, if you like, I’ll take you to work and pick you up. We can always just pick up where we left off.”

  She smiled at me, her face transforming. “You know what I’m picturing?”

  I remembered that look of hers from the first night we met. “No idea, but you look sexy as all fuck when you look at me like that.”

  “Well, I guess I’ll just have to show you later then, won’t I?”

  “I can’t wait,” I replied.

  She pulled on a pair of jeans and a top that looked like it had been made for her, accentuating her ample breasts.

  “That top will be the first thing to go tonight,” I told her, eager to get my hands back on her.

  Her eyes looked me up and down. “I can say the same to you.”

  “Let’s move. This sexual tension is doing me no favors.”

  She laughed and grabbed the spare jacket I lent her. It was a little tight on her, but she didn’t have one her own. Besides, its former owner didn’t have any use for it anymore. I wasn’t about to tell her it belonged to Taylor—even I had better sense than to tell her that. I had no idea why I had kept that jacket, but I was glad I had. It had turned out to be useful.

  “Let me just fix my hair and makeup. I’ll meet you in the living room.”

  She gave me a quick kiss on the lips and led the way before going into the bathroom and shutting the door. As I walked into the living room, I marveled at the change in her confidence. She was certainly a different girl from the one I had met Friday night. She had seemed so unsure
of herself, standing in the shadow of Lili, but now she exuded confidence, like a butterfly emerging from its cocoon. Tonight was going to be a whole new experience for both of us, in more ways than one.

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Andi

  “Are you ready?” I asked Levi, trying to sound upbeat as we walked hand-in-hand up the path to the front door of my parents’ house, my heart thumping and stomach churning with nerves. My feet felt like lead weights were attached. I didn’t know why I was nervous, really. It wasn’t like I was walking to my death, but at the same time, it felt like I was on trial for a crime I hadn’t committed. Pausing on the doorstep, I gave him a smile. Although it was all really a front.

  “Let’s do this.” He brought my hand up to his mouth, giving the back of it a kiss.

  “I should warn you about Tony,” I blurted out, unable to contain my nerves any longer. “Sometimes he has trouble leaving his cop badge at home. And he’s very vocal about what he thinks is best for me. Mike and Bobby are okay, it’s just Tony I’m worried about.”

  Levi smiled, completely ignoring my warning.

  “Are you trying to scare me off? Because it’s not working.” He tucked a curl of my hair behind my ear. “Don’t worry about it. I’ve got nothing to hide, other than a couple of drunken misdemeanors that may or may not have involved public indecency. Besides, you haven’t met my father yet, so we’ll call it even.”

  I knew it shouldn’t have excited me, but the thought of him having a criminal record only made me want him more. Bad boy looks and attitude. What more could a girl ask for? With every moment I got to know him better, he just kept climbing higher in my rankings.

  I swallowed hard, gave him a shaky smile, shut my eyes, breathed deeply, and opened the front door with my house key. This was it. We were past the point of no return.

  “Ciao, Mom, Papa,” I called out, my voice resonating with nerves. I had to get a grip.