Sweet Southern Nights

by Rochelle Alers

  Levi gave Angela a lopsided grin. “N-ice.” He’d drawn out the word so it sounded like two syllables. “Did you eat?”

  She nodded. “Yes. Too much.”

  He swallowed a mouthful of rice. “I like your brothers.”

  “So do I. But if they had gotten you toasted there would’ve been hell to pay.”

  “I only had two shots. Langdon and Jared had at least four each.”

  “Knowing Lang and Jared, they’ll probably stay over tonight, so there’s no way you can go toe-to-toe with their hollow legs.” She shifted again, attempting to find a more comfortable position. “I’m going to take a nap. Wake me if I sleep too long.”

  Levi enjoyed the warmth and the soft curves of the body curled alongside him. It had taken Herculean strength to temper his feelings around Angela, but remaining physically unaffected was becoming extremely difficult.

  He wanted her—and he had wanted her almost as soon as they’d met. His attraction to her had been so immediate, so unexpected, that Levi had taken great pains to avoid touching her as much as he wanted to. He used every possible excuse to keep her at a distance—friendship, being old-fashioned and not having sex too soon. That excuse had been only half-true, since he’d had a few one-night stands, sexual encounters that he’d rather forget.

  His real reluctance to get close to Angela had a lot to do with his friendship with Duncan. He’d always made it a practice not to become involved with women related to people he worked with. If the relationship soured, he might still run into them occasionally. For Levi a clean break always worked out better.

  Angela had admitted that she needed him. But he didn’t want her to just need him. He wanted her to want him. He wanted Angela to want him as much as he wanted her. He was even thinking about a long-distance relationship. Levi glanced at the woman whose body was pressed beside him and smiled. She looked serene, angelic. What Levi didn’t want to admit was that his feelings for Angela Chase surpassed mere attraction. He was falling for her—hard.

  Why her and not some of the other women in his past? There were some who were more beautiful, sophisticated, worldly, but they couldn’t come close to this sexy Southern belle.

  Angela sat on the cushioned wicker love seat with Levi in the enclosed terrace of her home, her bare feet resting on his thighs. Miss Divine had curled up next to Levi and promptly went to sleep. Crickets serenaded the night with nature’s symphony of song. The sun had set and the only light came from a half moon and from the streetlamps along the paths and the windows in a house in the distance. She moaned slightly when he massaged her instep, then each toe.

  Closing her eyes, she smiled. “That feels wonderful.”

  Levi’s soft chuckle caressed her ear. “Foot rubs are free, but I charge for a full-body massage.”

  She moaned again as a shiver shot from her large toe and up her leg. “How much is a full-body massage?”

  “You won’t be able to afford it.”

  Angela opened her eyes, staring at his distinctive profile in the shadowy darkness. “Why not?”

  “The price is to be determined.”

  “I’m not a pauper, Levi.”

  “I didn’t say you were, but it still may be more than what you’re willing to give up right now.”

  “Tell me what it is and I’ll let you know.”

  There was a long pause, and only the sounds of crickets and other insects broke the uncomfortable silence. “Come with me when I return to New York.”

  Angela froze. Nothing moved, not even her eyes as she stared at Levi. How could a man she’d known little more than a week ask her something so preposterous?

  “And do what, Levi?”

  “Live with me. Become my companion, my live-in girlfriend.”

  She pulled away from him and hugged her knees to her chest, struggling not to lose her temper. Angela had thought that Levi was different, but apparently she had made a mistake.

  “A live-in girlfriend is nothing more than a kept woman.” Levi chuckled again, incensing her. “You think that’s funny, Levi?”

  “You’re a bundle of contradictions, Angela,” he countered. “You say you want to be like your Aunt Nicola—who just happens to be a kept woman—yet when I present you with the same arrangement you act as if I’d offered to sell you as a sex slave. Which one is it? Do you want to be a free spirit, or do you want to live your own life and determine your own destiny?”

  “My own destiny, of course.”

  Moving closer to her, Levi pressed her body to the cushions. “We begin tonight. No secrets or pretenses. We’re going to live our lives on our own terms.”

  “And that means?”

  “We’re going to continue to date because I want to see you as much as I believe you want to see me. And it has nothing to do with showing up your ex. We’re going to make love, Angela, but only when it’s right for both of us. It will not be because we’re horny. It will be because we want and need each other.” He leaned closer, his mouth a hair’s breadth from hers. “If there’s anything I’ve left out then please let me know now before I make love to you because I want you, Angela Chase.”

  Angela was certain Levi could feel her heart beating. She’d tried to control her emotions whenever she was with Levi but had failed—completely. He epitomized her perfect hero and all she had to do was open her mouth and tell him what she wanted and he would grant her wish just like that.

  “I, Angela Chase, would like you, Levi Eaton, to stop talking and take me inside and make love to me because I want you. And wanting you has nothing to do with how long I’ve been without a…” Levi’s mouth covered hers, thwarting her words and taking her breath away.

  He took possession of her mouth in the same way he’d taken care of her at her cousin’s wedding reception—with quiet assurance. His kisses were tentative, tasting her mouth as if he were savoring it. Levi kissed the corners of her mouth, testing, teasing until her lips parted.

  “You are so incredibly sweet,” he crooned, his tongue parrying and dueling with hers. “I could devour you right here,” Levi whispered against her moist lips.

  Struggling to breathe, Angela anchored her arms under his shoulders, holding on as if he’d become her lifeline. “Do you have protection with you?”

  “Yes.”

  Angela’s smile was charming and demure. “Thank you.” She kissed his chin. “Let’s go inside.”

  Levi kissed Angela again, and released her. “Go on in. I’ll lock up here.”

  She slipped off the love seat, opened the door and entered the house. Her heart pounded like a frightened bird. Her palms were damp, and Angela wondered if she could go through with what she’d wanted within minutes of Levi walking through her front door.

  She’d lost count of the number of romance novels she’d read over the years, but instead of penning her own tale of love and passion, she was about to embark upon her own with a man who’d come into her life, spinning her around and around until she didn’t know who she was or what she wanted.

  Angela climbed the staircase like someone in a trance, putting one foot firmly in front of the other. Grabbing the banister, she trailed her fingertips along the polished mahogany, emitting an audible sigh when she reached the second-floor landing.

  “I’m a woman about to do a grown woman’s thing,” she mused, remembering what her mother had said. She walked into her bedroom and made her way to the en-suite bath. Angela wasn’t about to deceive herself and pretend she was in love with Levi, because she wasn’t. She also didn’t want to delude herself and believe he was in love with her, because he wasn’t. They were two consenting adults that wanted and needed each other. She undressed, twisted her hair into a knot and covered her head with a shower cap.

  Angela brushed her teeth, slathered on a facial cleanser, th
en stood under the warm spray of the shower and lathered her body with a scented bath gel. Working quickly, she’d managed to shower and get into bed within ten minutes.

  Levi turned off the lights on the first floor, with the exception of the lamp in the entryway. He climbed the staircase, Miss Divine following him silently.

  Light spilled from under the doorjamb of the bedroom at the top of the stairs. He knew it was Angela’s bedroom when the cat began scratching on the door.

  Reaching over, he picked up the tiny feline and retraced his steps. Angela had warned him about Miss Divine wanting to come in, and Levi now had to agree with her.

  It was as if he’d wanted Angela for all of his life and he wasn’t about to share her with anyone or anything—not even a four-legged ball of fur. He left Miss Divine in the laundry room. She scratched the pillow in her bed, turned around several times, then settled down and tucked her nose against her side.

  Levi found the second-floor bathroom. He opened and closed drawers in the storage cabinet until he found a supply of toothbrushes. A wall of mirrors made the all-white bathroom appear larger than it actually was. The Edwardian-style console, deep-soaking, claw-foot tub and pedestal sink boasted polished brass antique fixtures that had been chosen with a meticulous eye.

  Putting his clothes on a cushioned bench, Levi brushed his teeth, then stepped into the shower stall with an oversize showerhead. Jars of liquid soap, shampoo, conditioner and bars of face and bath soaps lined a shelf in a corner of the shower stall. Turning on the water and adjusting the temperature, he went through the motions of washing his hair and body. There was no need to rush. He and Angela had all night to become familiar with each other. He knew sharing a bed would change them and their relationship—forever.

  Draping a towel around his hips, Levi opened the door to Angela’s bedroom. The light from the bathroom streamed into the room. He put the towel on a hook on the bathroom door, closing the door partially leaving the bedroom in near-darkness.

  “What took you so long, sweetie?”

  Chapter 12

  Smiling and shaking his head, Levi left a condom on the bedside table, and then slipped into bed. “I couldn’t come to bed smelling like stale bourbon.”

  Turning over, she pressed her face to his shoulder. “You do smell nice.”

  He nuzzled her neck. “And you smell delicious.”

  She blushed. “Thank you.”

  Levi pulled her close. “Why does it feel as if I’ve known you all my life?” he asked.

  Angela gave him a gentle smile. “I don’t know. There’s a line from the Curious Case of Benjamin Button that says, ‘Life isn’t measured in minutes, but in moments.’”

  “How true, baby,” Levy whispered. “Every moment I’ve spent with you has been wonderful.”

  “Life isn’t measured in minutes, but in moments.” Levi thought about those eight words. They were simple, yet somehow prophetic. Could he possibly be falling in love?

  Angela closed her eyes. “What’s happening with us, Levi?”

  “What are you talking about, Angela?”

  “Why do I feel like this is a one-night stand? I’ve never had a one-night stand. Have you?” The questions were running together, tumbling out of her mouth.

  Levi released her, leaned over and turned on the lamp on his side of the bed. When he turned back, he saw indecision in Angela’s eyes. “Baby, baby. Where is this all coming from?” His heart turned over when he saw her eyes fill with tears. “You tell me that you want me to make love to you, and I will, but only if and when you’re ready. We can share this bed tonight without doing anything. The choice is yours.”

  Angela’s eyelids fluttered wildly as she tried to blink back tears. Her bravado vanished the moment she felt the warmth of Levi when he got into bed.

  She forced a smile. “Will the choice always be mine?”

  “Yes. It will always be yours.”

  “Don’t you want any responsibility in this relationship?”

  “Sure. I’ll make certain you don’t get pregnant. I’ll even write you a prescription for a contraceptive.”

  “You must think I’m silly, don’t you?”

  Burying his face in her hair, Levi pressed a kiss to her head. “No. I understand your ambivalence. If we’d met for the first time several months ago, or even a month ago, we wouldn’t be having this conversation. I’m not going to hurt you, Angela. That’s not my style.”

  “It’s not my style to sleep with a guy I’ve only known for a week.”

  “Wasn’t it you who said life isn’t measured in minutes, but in moments? We’ve shared several wonderful moments this week. I’m not saying this to talk you out of your panties, but…”

  Angela giggled. “I’m not wearing any panties.”

  His hand moved up her leg, lingering on her bare hip under the revealing nightgown. “You wear clothes all day, baby. But the same way you take your makeup off to let your face breathe, you should do the same for your body.”

  “I suppose I’m not that uninhibited.”

  Levi’s fingers tightened on her buttock. “Hang out with me and you’ll throw caution and inhibition to the wind.”

  “Is it because you’re a doctor and the human body isn’t a big deal to you?”

  “That’s where you’re wrong. Do you really think if I see you naked it wouldn’t affect me?”

  There was only the sound of Angela’s breathing. “I wouldn’t know.”

  “Maybe this will help you to make up your mind.” Reaching for her hand, Levi placed it over his growing erection.

  A heat wave swept over Angela’s body as white-hot desire burned to her core. The sensation began in her head and flowed down her body like slow-moving lava, making her tremble from head to toe. Moving her hand away from his hardening flesh, she buried her face against Levi’s shoulder and moaned.

  Her breath was coming so quickly she felt lightheaded. After years of denying her body’s urges, denying her femininity, and denying the strong passion within her, the time to end it was now. Angela moaned when Levi massaged the tight muscles at the nape of her neck.

  “Relax, baby,” he soothed. “Close your eyes.”

  She complied, laying her hands by her side. Breathing slowly, she managed to relax until Levi straddled her body and removed her nightgown. Angela giggled when his erection brushed her mound. “What are you doing?”

  “I’m going to help you to relax,” Levi whispered in her ear, “then I’m going to eat dessert.”

  Eat! Her eyes flew open. She stared up into a pair of dark eyes filled with amusement. “You mean eat me?”

  Levi’s expression did not change. “Yes.”

  Suddenly she felt like a virgin about to experience her first sexual encounter.

  “Are you always so honest?” she asked.

  He smiled. “Always. I’m just like you, Angie.”

  “You called me Angie. My Aunt Nikki is the only one who ever called me Angie.”

  Burying his face in the crook of her neck, Levi pressed a kiss behind her ear. His hand feathered up her inner thigh. “Relax, baby,” he repeated when his fingers traced the curve of her hip.

  A rising passion spread like a lighted fuse surging through her body. Her mind went numb when Levi’s lips replaced his fingers, as his tongue probed and his teeth tasted and nipped the delicate flesh at the base of her throat. Angela’s body arched off the mattress as she felt the warmth bathe her core. Waves of ecstasy throbbed through every inch of her body with a pleasure that was pure and explosive. Arching higher, she gasped in sweet agony when she felt all of her defenses weaken when Levi’s tongue licked her breasts in a circular motion that made her areolas pebble and her nipples harden.

  His hands were magical, touc
hing and massaging erogenous zones she hadn’t known existed—under her arms, her shoulders and the base of her spine. His stroke elicited the kind of ecstasy that made her feel as if she was coming out of her skin. She anchored her arms around his body under his shoulders, and held onto Levi, entwining her legs with his. “Please,” she uttered with all the strength she could muster.

  “Please what?” Levi whispered, burying his face in the fragrant strands of hair spread across the pillow.

  She swallowed a moan as the pulsing grew stronger and stronger. “Please make love to me.” Angela knew she was pleading, but what she wanted and needed overruled any shame and embarrassment.

  Levi raised his head, his gaze bored into hers. “Are you sure, Angela?”

  Her eyelids fluttered. “More sure than I’ve ever been of anything in my life.”

  He kissed her—a kiss more passionate and deeper than any they’d shared. His lips caressed hers until she opened her mouth. Their tongues dueled with one another, demanding a response. Levi called and she answered when she suckled his lower lip, and then the top. He responded by nibbling her lip. The tip of his tongue grazed the roof of her mouth and she let out a garbled scream.

  Rolling over to the bedside table, Levi reached for a condom. He opened the packet and quickly rolled the latex sheath down his erection.

  A demure smile and outstretched arms were his invitation when he turned back to look at the only woman who had occupied his thoughts. He didn’t know what it was about her that made him go back on his promise not to get physically involved during his six-month assignment.

  He sank into her embrace and deftly reversed their position with a minimum of effort. Cupping her hips, Levi stared at Angela. She gave him a tentative smile that made his heart squeeze. The hair framing her small face made her appear much younger than thirty-two.

  “I’ll try not to hurt you. If you want me to stop, then please tell me.”