Through His Eyes (Mind's Eye Book 1)

by Deborah Camp

  “Oh, yes,” she said, her voice lifting along with her hips.

  He stopped, not moving other than his chest rising and falling with his rapid breathing. “Again?” he asked.

  “Yes!”

  He withdrew and then plunged into her again, showing no mercy. His momentum lifted her hips off the bed once more and she grabbed his upper arms and held on. Oh. Oh! Her body clutched at him as the glorious tension tightened deep inside her where he was, where he seemed to grow and stretch her.

  “Again?” he whispered, his breath stirring the damp curls on her forehead.

  “Yes!” She almost screamed the word because she was building . . . on the brink.

  He slipped one arm beneath her back and his other hand curved under her knee, hiking her leg up, angling her sideways a little. And then he plunged deep, impossibly deep, and something wild and carnal burst within her and she cried out until her throat ached and her breath sawed in and out of her burning lungs.

  “That’s right, baby,” he rasped near her ear. “Let go. Let go!”

  He increased the tempo, driving in and out while he held her gaze. As her climax diminished, she closed her eyes on a long sigh. Then he stilled and took her face in one hand.

  “Look at me, Tru. Look at me!”

  She stared into his dark sapphire eyes.

  “See me,” he rasped. “Feel me.”

  “I do,” she breathed.

  “Say my name. Say it!”

  “Levi!”

  “Keep your eyes open. You always want to know more about me. Know this. This is you owning me.” He drew in a chest-expanding breath and moved slightly inside her. The infinitesimal movement sent spokes of burning pleasure out from her core to her extremities.

  Staring at him in wonder, she realized he was letting her see him fall apart. Fall apart for her. He let go of her face and braced himself above her on stiffened, muscle rippling arms. Parting his lips on a sigh of sublime surrender, he gave a little shake of his head and gritted his teeth. A muscle fluttered in his jaw. His body grew hotter and harder against hers. A crease appeared between his brows and his eyes were unfocused, a hazy, soft blue she couldn’t recall ever seeing before. He shook his head again as if it was all suddenly too much to bear and she knew he was on the brink and that he was beyond rational thought.

  She ran her hands down his sides and hooked her ankles at the base of his spine. He was all feeling, all hers – his whole being reduced to the part of him buried inside of her. The veins in his neck stood out and he shuddered and pumped wildly inside of her. Then he stilled as his release came.

  “God, God, God.” It was a moaning, low chant. He rocked his hips forward in one final climax that made her sex clutch hungrily for him, tighten around him. “Fuck, Trudy!”

  Trudy felt tears sting her eyes from the raw rapture of Levi Wolfe. Clinging to him, she fought back more tears. Who knew that loving someone so much could almost hurt?

  His breath soughed in his throat and his lips were soft against hers. He sucked gently on her upper lip and smiled. “This mouth. Jesus God, I can’t get enough of your pretty, pouting mouth.” He rested on his elbows and looked at her, pushing a few locks of her hair out of her eyes and off her forehead. “Did you see what you do to me?” he asked, a thread of desperation in his voice. “This is how it feels for me every time I’m with you. Every single time.”

  She didn’t know what to say, how to thank him for the unexpected gift he’d just given her, so she kissed him, deeply and ardently.

  “I want you to know that this is new for me,” he said against her lips. “You’re beauty and light and everything good in my life, Tru.”

  The sweet pleasure of his words overwhelmed her, humbled her, overjoyed her. “It’s the same for me,” she spoke against his mouth.

  He lifted his head to meet her gaze and gave her the lopsided smile she had come to love so much. “And as much as I hate to admit you’re right . . . I did feel the difference.”

  She gave him a smacking kiss. “Proving once again that you’re not just a pretty face.”

  “Exactly. And neither are you.” His lips touched hers, softly, lovingly as he eased himself out of her and fell sideways onto the mattress.

  Trudy flung one leg over his hip and pressed her face against his chest. He ran a hand up and down, from her nape to her backside, stroking, caressing. His fingertips brushed over the square bandage that covered the stitches from the knife wound.

  “Does this hurt?” he asked.

  “Not at all.”

  “Sick motherfucker,” he growled.

  “Shhh.” Trudy closed her eyes. He had lowered his shields and let her see the effect she had on him . . . the power she could wield over him . . . the ability he had given her to hurt him if she so desired, trusting that she wouldn’t. She had seen the once-shattered, now pieced-together heart of him.

  “When is your flight?” She felt his heart kick.

  “Tomorrow, mid-morning. But it’s still today, so let’s take a shower. I’ll wash you and you can wash me and then I’m going to bury myself inside you again and I might just fucking stay there forever.”

  “Sounds like a plan,” she said, then jumped up and raced him to the bathroom.

  ###

  Levi opened the passenger door of the RV and settled himself in the seat. “Okay, so I’ve checked in my luggage. I have to board the flight in about twenty minutes.”

  Trudy nodded and swallowed the ball of emotion lodged in her throat. “You sure you don’t want me to go inside the terminal with you?”

  He shook his head. “There’s no need.”

  She drew in a deep breath, trying to ease the pain around her heart. Only a few more minutes left to be with him, touch him, say what needed to be said. His features were tense as he checked messages on his cell phone. He seemed distant, already gone from her. She glanced around the crowded airport parking lot, then back at Levi. Reaching across the space that separated them, she covered the cell phone screen, making him look at her instead.

  “Hey.” She smiled at him, recognizing the sadness in his eyes.

  “Hey,” he rejoined.

  “I’m going to miss you.”

  He released a short, choppy breath. “Oh, Christ, Trudy.”

  “We’ll call each other,” she assured him. “We’ll text each other. We’ll e-mail each other.”

  “Right,” he said, a faint smile touching his mouth but not quite making it to his eyes. “I don’t know how I’m going to handle a long-distance relationship. I’m not cut out for it.”

  “You haven’t had one yet. Let’s give it a try before we throw in the towel.”

  “I’m not throwing in the towel,” he said, emphatically.

  She leaned toward him and kissed his frowning mouth. “We’ll see each other again soon, right? We’ll catch up on our business back home and then we’ll make time to visit each other.”

  “Right,” he agreed again, but he still looked uncertain.

  Trudy sighed. How many times had he been sent away by people who were supposed to love him? “I’m looking forward to you visiting me in Tulsa. You can see my home and meet my folks.”

  His eyebrows shot up. “Meet your parents?”

  “Well, of course, And my sister and brother and their families.”

  “Hmmm.” He stroked his chin that was darkened by stubble and grinned. He hadn’t taken time to shave because he’d wanted to spend every possible minute in bed with her. “I’ve never met a girl’s family before.”

  Leaning back to get a better look at him, Trudy realized he meant it. “No kidding?”

  “No kidding.”

  “Don’t worry. You’ll bowl them over.”

  “Even though I’m a medium? And a show-off?”

  “Oh, they won’t care about that. They’ll only be interested in how you treat me.”

  “That’s nice. That’s how it should be.”

  “And I’ll visit you in Atlanta. Especially
on your birthday.” She ran her fingertips down the lapel of his dark blue jacket. He was flying today as a businessman in a suit, black shirt, and the dark tie with the yellow flecks in it. She wondered if he’d go straight to the office when he landed.

  “I don’t celebrate my birthday, Tru.”

  “Oh?” She regarded him with mild surprise. “Well, I do. I celebrate it in a big, big way.”

  “You do?” A smile teased the corners of his wide mouth.

  “Yes. From this year on, I do.” She grabbed his tie and pulled him closer to her to whisper in his ear. “And I have a very special gift for you. I’ll tell you what it is now so that you can look forward to receiving it when I visit you in Atlanta.”

  “Okay. Tell me.” His voice had roughened and become huskier. She was getting to him.

  “Well, for your birthday I will be on . . .” She lowered her voice to barely a sound. “Birth control.” Then she leaned away from him to catch his reaction. His eyes sparkled with immediate interest and a slow, sexy smile claimed his lips. “You like?”

  “Yes, I like that very much. In fact, that might be the best birthday gift I will ever receive.” His mouth warmed hers in a slow, sucking kiss. His arm came around her and he pulled her out of the driver’s seat and into his lap. He caressed her back, revealed by the cut of her peplum blouse. “Skin on skin.”

  A delectable shiver of anticipation feathered up her spine and she wondered if he could feel it. When he deepened the kiss and she felt his heart kick against the palm of her hand resting on his chest, she had her answer. “You’re going to miss me, aren’t you?” she asked, not really needing his reply, but wanting it.

  “Like shadows miss light.” His voice was so husky, so Levi.

  She tipped her head to one side. “Do shadows miss light?”

  He pressed a kiss in her palm. “Shadows can’t exist without light.”

  “Oh.” The unfettered, unfiltered romance of his statement wrapped around her heart and tugged. “You’ll be so busy in Atlanta that you won’t have time to miss me very much.”

  “That’s bullshit, but I’m sure I’ll be wishing it was true.” He shook his head, almost in a scolding way. “You have no idea how much I’ll be trying to get my mind off you.”

  He gazed into her eyes as his hands settled on the back of her head. He kissed her. The kiss wasn’t for the faint-hearted. It was demanding, desperate, and full of longing. When his mouth finally released hers, Trudy blinked at him and fought a sudden urge to beg him to stay one more day, one more night with her.

  “I have to go, Tru. I’ll text you as soon as we land,” he said.

  She nodded, emotion clogging her throat again.

  “Stop every couple of hours while you’re on the road and text me. I want to know you’re safe until you get home.”

  “I know,” she said, for he’d already gone over this and over this with her. “I’ll be fine,” she assured him. “But I’ll keep in touch. I promise.”

  “You do that.” He kissed her bruised temple gently and gave her a fleeting smile. “If you want to keep me sane and happy, that is.”

  “Oh, I do,” she assured him, lifting herself up from his lap so that he could open the door and slide out of the seat. ‘I’ll see you soon.”

  “Soon,” he agreed and attempted another smile. “But not soon enough.” With a scowl and a helpless shrug, he placed his hand to the side of her face and ran the pad of his thumb across her lips, then he stepped back, shut the RV door, and strode away from her.

  She watched him go and shook her head when he didn’t look back, but moved confidently across the street and into the airport terminal. Only when she lost sight of him did she allow the sob to emerge from her thick throat and the tears spill from her eyes. God! She never believed it would hurt this badly to see him go!

  Wiping aside the hot tears, Trudy sat in the driver’s seat again. It would be a long, wretched trip back to Tulsa, she thought, but tried to buoy herself with thoughts of emails and phone calls with Levi. But she knew they would be weak substitutes for the flesh and blood Mister Moody Blues. She promised herself that she’d convince him to come visit her in Tulsa within the next week or two and then she’d make plans to see him in Atlanta for his birthday. In between those visits, she would have to find some work. The Key West case was exciting in so many different levels, but it had added not one dime to her bank account.

  Grabbing her cell phone, she checked her e-mail and was astounded to find at least a dozen messages from people she didn’t know. Reading a couple of them, she discovered that they were from people asking to hire her. Her elation quickly gave way to relief.

  She was about to log out of her e-mail when she spotted a message from Levi. When had he sent this? Just now? The subject line was; “I’m a Coward.” Shaking her head at that, she opened the e-mail. It had been sent at seven o’clock that morning when she’d been sleeping. She glanced at her wristwatch. It was almost noon. Gathering in a deep breath, she read the message.

  Tru;

  I have to get this off my chest or I’ll explode and I don’t think I can say it to your face – yet. I don’t feel worthy of you.

  You know a little bit about my past, but I’ve hidden much of it from you because I don’t want it to taint what we have and, frankly, it’s embarrassing. But, believe me when I tell you that I’m improving. I’m trying. I want to be a better man for you.

  Last night confirmed what I’ve known almost since the day I met you, my true north. And that is that I’m yours. And you’re mine. Don’t fucking forget that!

  Your L.

  Trudy read the message twice, each time finding more in it to make her ache with love for him, make her hurt for him. Jeez. Did he have any idea what this e-mail would do to her? She felt herself unravel and she sat in the RV for a good half hour crying and cursing him for leaving her and knowing she was making absolutely no sense.

  “Levi, damn it!” She swiped at her eyes, rubbing away her tears with the heels of her hands. “I didn’t want to blubber over you! Like it’s not already hard to separate from you, even for a few days, and then you write something like this!”

  But she was glad for his e-mail – glad that he was, at least, trying to explain himself to her.

  With a sigh, she hit “reply” and typed:

  My L.;

  Thank you for lowering your shields last night and this morning to let me glimpse your hidden heart. I don’t want to get too flowery here on you, but it meant a lot to me. Trusting me with your past disappointments, regrets, and demons isn’t a burden and won’t taint my feelings for you. I trust that I can tell you anything and that, someday, you will trust me, too.

  Missing you already,

  Your Tru (north)

  She hit “send” and hoped he took her message to heart.

  Being without him would be difficult, but she would have to persevere because she needed to concentrate on acquiring funds. She had to work and, thank God, she had people who, evidently, wanted to pay her!

  It won’t be so bad, she told herself so that she wouldn’t start crying again. She’d consult with Levi about her next case. They’d talk on the phone. Maybe they’d even “sex-text” each other. That could be fun.

  “Oh, piffle,” she grumbled, swinging around in the driver’s seat to face front. She turned the key in the ignition and the RV rumbled to life, making Mouse jump into the passenger seat. “Time to hit the road, Mouse. The sooner we get home, the sooner I can accept a new case or two, and the sooner we can make plans to see Levi again.”

  Levi was right, she thought. Soon. But not soon enough.

  ###

  The elevator doors opened onto the penthouse floor and Levi gathered up his luggage and stepped out of the compartment. The doors closed behind him with a soft hiss. His unit took up the whole top floor and the elevator didn’t arrive at this floor without an access code.

  He always secured the black lacquered double doors leading into the penth
ouse when he was going to be away for longer than a day, so he knew they’d be locked. When he’d landed, he’d texted Trudy as promised. Trudy had left him two messages – an e-mail answering the one he’d sent her early that morning and a text letting him know she was on the road and having no trouble.

  The e-mail had stolen his breath and made his heart swell almost to the point of pain. Was this love? Could he actually be falling in love with her – already in love with her? It had taken all his concentration to put her sweetly worded e-mail out of his head long enough to text his assistant and VPs to let them know that he was headed home. Since Wes Statler, his housekeeper and personal chef, wouldn’t show up again until tomorrow, he’d probably send out for a pizza or go grab a burger somewhere later.

  Fumbling for his keys, Levi noted that it was almost three o’clock. His heart felt like a lead weight in his chest. He missed Trudy so much he decided to move up his next appointment with Dr. McClain. He had a lot to sort out now that he was home.

  Finally fitting the key in the lock, he pushed open the doors and carried his luggage inside, dropping it beside the long, crescent-shaped sectional that faced the fireplace and flat-screen TV above it. He stretched from side to side to work out the kinks in his muscles as he stared out the glass wall at Atlanta’s skyscrapers and Olympic Park. He glanced around and then straightened slowly when he saw the newspaper sections folded on the coffee table and a ceramic mug sitting beside them. What the hell?

  His eyes widened as he looked around, seeing other things out of place. The large urn beside the fireplace was full of lilies and greenery – all fresh. A big, plush pillow lay on the hardwood floor – blue velvet with gold fringe. He’d never seen it before.

  He started to back up, realizing that someone had been in there. Someone might still be in—. A clatter of dishes sounded from the kitchen – a room he couldn’t see from where he stood.

  “Levi?” a woman’s voice floated out to him and his heart kicked and then froze solid with dread. “Is that you, babe? Are you finally home?”