by Kelsie Rae
When I open it, I watch Levi’s eyes widen before they slowly eat up every inch of my body, starting at my head before landing on my bare feet.
“Umm…come on in,” I murmur before walking to my couch. I’m too nervous to see if he follows me. Quickly, I slip on a pair of white socks then my red Chucks. My hands fumble with the shoelaces, and I pray he doesn’t notice, but I still can’t find the courage to look up at him.
However, that doesn’t mean I can’t feel his gaze on me. It’s different than anything I’ve ever felt before.
Electric, maybe? Like when you rub your sock-clad feet against the carpet before touching a light switch. You can feel the light hum pulsing through you, your hair threatening to stand on end as it waits for the shock of the current to pass from the tip of your finger all the way down to your toes.
That’s what his attention makes me feel like. And he hasn’t even touched me.
With a thick swallow, I peek up at him.
“You ready?” he murmurs. His voice is low and husky, amplifying the electric connection thrumming between us even further.
I nod, my lacquered lashes fluttering like a damn schoolgirl as I try to get a grip on myself.
Come on, Charlie. You’re better than this.
“So…,” I say awkwardly before standing up and slipping on my jean jacket. “Know any good jokes?”
He laughs. “Usually, I do, but you’ve rendered me speechless.”
Grabbing my keys off the hook by my front door, I wait for him to follow me before closing it quietly behind us.
“Is that right?” I ask.
“Yeah. You look gorgeous tonight, Charlie. I don’t think I’ve ever seen you in a dress before.”
“You saw me in a skirt the other night,” I mention. As soon as the comment slips past my lips, I grimace and turn my back to him before locking my apartment door.
Is it okay to bring up the outfit I wore when I went out with Conner? And that it happens to be the same night that Levi caught me kissing another guy? I’m gonna say no.
Welp. Might as well end the date right now if this is any foreshadowing of how the whole night’s gonna be.
Foot meet mouth.
Thankfully, Levi senses my unease and tosses his arm around my neck, just like always. And I melt into the familiar gesture as we walk down the hall and into the elevator.
“I was too distracted to notice the skirt, but maybe you can wear it for me next time. Although, I don’t want you to feel like you’re not sexy as hell in a T-shirt and jeans, either,” he adds.
His reassurance causes a warmth to spread from my chest out to my limbs, but it’s quickly followed by a hefty dose of self-doubt.
Peeking up at him with a forced smile, I ask, “You think so?”
“Of course, I do. I like this side of you, Charlie. But the original is a classic. As long as you’re being the real Charlie Bannon, then I’ll be lucky as hell to be around you.”
If that were true, a voice whispers inside of me, he would’ve asked you out a long time ago, instead of waiting until you were practically off the market.
Opening the main door to my apartment building, he ushers me outside, and the sound of the busy street almost drowns out my response.
“Now, you’re just being ridiculous,” I deflect.
“Bullshit,” he growls in response.
Pulling me aside, Levi presses me up against the side of my building. The brick digs into my back, and there are people passing us on the street who aren’t even bothering to hide their interest. But it doesn’t stop the intense look in Levi’s eyes as his hips pin me in place.
“I’ve let your insecurities slide for too long without disproving them. Mainly, it’s because you’re a badass, and I always assumed you knew it. It doesn’t hurt that you beat me at any video game we play and have a penchant for distracting me in your running shorts when we run too, so I didn’t want you to get a big head.” His mouth quirks in the corner as he continues, “But I need to make this very clear to you. We both know I’ve been with a lot of girls. That I’ve dated a lot of girls. That I’ve never had trouble making them fall at my feet. But I’ve never been interested enough in any of them to even consider pursuing something real. But let me tell you this, Charlie. With you? I want the real deal…whether you’re a sweaty mess after taking a damn greyhound for a run, or you’re dressed up in a fuck-me black dress that shows off your killer thighs.” He grinds into me, making me whimper when I feel something very hard rubbing against my lower stomach. “We’ve already learned you could be with a different guy if you wanted to be. But you’re here with me. Which makes me the luckiest guy in the world.”
My heart is pounding in my chest as my fingers tangle with Levi’s cotton baseball shirt.
With a deep breath, I attempt to make an argument, no matter how feeble it is. “Levi—”
“Listen. I promised myself I’d take you on a date tonight, and that it wouldn’t end with sex because I was afraid that’s all you’d assume I want out of whatever’s going on between us. Because of this, I’m going to back away right now and resist from proving to you how fucking sexy you are. But I don’t want you to ever question your self worth again. No matter what. We clear?”
Clearing my throat, I peek up at him to see his eyes blazing.
“We clear?” he pushes.
I nod. “Crystal.”
Chapter Twenty-Four
Levi
I’m an idiot. How did I not notice the way she looks down at the floor anytime I compliment her? Or that she nibbles her thumbnail, her cheeks turning pink anytime I toss a grin her way? She’s been in love with me for years, and I was simply too wrapped up in my own world to notice.
Leading Charlie to the subway, my hand touches her lower back, and she quivers in response.
Quivers.
It takes everything inside of me to resist the urge to push her back up against the nearest wall and take her the way she so desperately wants me to.
Not tonight, I promise myself.
“So, where are we going?” Her voice is soft as she looks over her shoulder at me.
“You’ll see.” I check the time on my watch then usher her onto the right train. Scanning the area, I find two seats next to each other then guide her to them.
It’s quiet between us, and I’m grateful for the comfortable ambiance of the subway that is doing exactly what it was meant to.
“Nice touch,” Charlie notes, glancing over at me before staring lazily out the window. It’s showcasing a less than stellar view of the subway.
“You noticed, huh?” I tease.
“That you brought me to one of my favorite spots in the city?”
My mouth quirks. “Only crazy people find comfort in the underground transit system, Charlie.”
“Then send me to the loony bin, my friend,” she quips. “And come on. Let’s be real. This place is perfection. If anyone ever wants an up-close and personal experience of the city, they only gotta jump on the nearest subway train.”
“Is that right?” I challenge, taking in her thick, dark lashes. I’ve never noticed how damn long they are. Hell, they’re practically reaching her arched brows.
“Yup.”
I’ve heard this argument before, but there’s just something about the way her face lights up with passion that encourages me to keep prodding. “How so?”
“The people. The smells. The hustle and bustle of hopping on and off. It’s got the whole package.”
“Except the food,” I argue.
Sighing, she rubs her stomach. “Ooo, good point. I’m a sucker for the food.”
“And the baseball.”
She grins up at me. “Are you trying to prove a better point than the one I just made?”
“Of course not!” I raise my hands into the air as though she’s got a gun pointed at me instead of the mocking, narrowed glare that’s pinning me in place. “I’m just saying that if there were a lineup of baseball players and your favor
ite hot dog within reach down here, you’d find your own quirky Utopia.”
“Ahh, now we’re talkin’.” With a dreamy smile, she rests her head against my shoulder. “If only.”
As the city zooms above us, we fall into a comfortable silence. The mundane tasks of the week slough off us the longer we stay in our urban transit bubble until I’m positive I never want to leave.
Then, I imagine Charlie’s look of surprise that I know she’ll be sporting when she realizes where I’m taking her. And it’s just enough to get me to stand.
“Come on, Charlie. The next stop is ours.”
Curiously, she does as she’s told while checking off the possible places I’m taking her to like a mile-long list. And the best part is that I know she passed right by the actual activity without a second thought.
“Is it that new cookie dough place?” she asks as the train stops, and we exit.
“Nope.”
“What about that art place where you drink wine and paint stuff?”
“Nope,” I repeat before guiding her up the stairs. My face threatens to spill the surprise, but I do my best to cover it.
“You’re killing me here!” she whines.
“Patience, Charlie. You’ll find out soon enough.”
When we reach the surface and walk an extra block, her eyes light up. Turning on her heel, her dainty, little hands press against my chest to stop me.
“You didn’t,” she accuses.
“I did.”
“No, you didn’t.”
I laugh and pull her into a hug.
“Oh. But I did.”
With the girliest squeal I’ve ever heard coming from her, Charlie squirms in my arms before practically pouncing on me like a little jaguar. Her legs wrap around my waist, squeezing me as tight as she possibly can while chanting, “No, you didn’t, no you didn’t!”
“Are you surprised?” I ask through bouts of laughter.
“Yes!”
Standing a few feet in front of us is the famous Yankee Stadium in all its glory. The lights are bright as they bounce off the brick walls. The navy flags sway in the light breeze. The smell of hot dogs and deep-fried goodness floats through the air. And the crowd is buzzing with anticipation. I look down at Charlie in my arms and grin, although the crowds don’t hold a candle to the girl humming with energy in my arms.
“Thank you!” she cries before dropping back to her feet on the ground. I entwine our fingers then lead her to the entrance. Pulling out our tickets, I hand them to the usher who scans them then lets us proceed to our seats.
Charlie’s eyes are wide as she takes in the famed ballpark that holds so many memories for her.
“I don’t think I’ve been here in over ten years,” she admits on a breath.
Her dad had to sell their nosebleed season tickets when she was a little kid to pay for her braces, and she refused to come back after that. The guilt of being a kid with crooked teeth to a single parent was enough to sour the stadium. Then, by the time she was old enough to let it go, life got in the way. Just like it always does.
And she never came back.
The anxiety in my chest eases when I take in her wistful smile and the crinkled corners of her eyes. She’s not pissed I brought her here.
Good.
Lifting our clasped hands, I press a quick kiss to the back of her hand. “I thought it might be time to change that.”
“And I think that was a wise decision,” she teases.
Once we’re in our seats, we order a couple of footlongs and beer then settle in for a night of fun.
Charlie belts the lyrics to Take Me Out to The Ball Game while we sway with the crowd a few innings later, and I catch myself mesmerized by the girl beside me.
When she catches me staring, her smile stretches into a full-on grin, and a soft pink color spreads up her neck and into her cheeks.
“What? Do I have mustard on my face?” She wipes the back of her hand against her pouty lips. Her embarrassment, combined with her looks and her innocence, causes a chain reaction, and the urge to kiss her consumes me. Leaning closer, I hover a few inches from her mouth.
“You’re gorgeous, Charlie,” I whisper.
“And you’re being ridiculous again,” she replies just as quietly, though I don’t miss the way her eyes drop to my mouth before holding my stare. She’s practically begging me to kiss her, and I’d hate to keep her waiting.
“I’m going to kiss you now.”
“How do you know I’m cool with PDA?” she returns in a sassy tone. Her head inches back slightly in a game of cat and mouse that only encourages me to keep chasing her.
“Call it a hunch,” I murmur, my hand itching to grab her head and pin her in place.
“You should’ve just bribed the cameraman to zero in on us during the kiss cam.”
I almost laugh but restrain myself before closing the distance by another inch. “You shouldn’t assume I need an excuse to kiss you and that I don’t have the balls to do it when I want.”
“Oh, so this is a balls thing? Is that it?” she teases.
“No, it’s an I want you thing. And I don’t care if there’s an audience to witness it.”
She rolls her eyes. “I should’ve known you were into voyeurism.”
“Voyeurism is when you like watching people. I believe the term you’re looking for is an exhibitionist. And I don’t give a shit if anyone is watching. All I want is you.”
Her lids flutter closed for a split second before she peeks up at me through her thick, dark lashes. “Right now?”
“Hell, yes,” I growl, leaving only a breath between us. Hell, I can practically taste the beer on her breath. “Tell me I can kiss you.”
“And if I don’t?” she counters, her tongue slipping between those pouty lips before retreating back into her mouth.
I nearly groan. “Then I’ll be the gentleman you deserve and back away. But I think we both know that isn’t what you want.”
Swallowing thickly, she drops her eyes back to my mouth. “And how do you know what I want?”
“Because I know you better than anyone.” Unable to control myself, my hand slides up her arm, and I cup her cheek, but I don’t close the distance between us. I need her to admit she wants me as much as I want her first.
“Tell me,” I push.
Closing her eyes, she whispers, “I want you.”
She barely gets the three words out before my mouth clashes with hers. While one hand holds her in place, the other finds her bare knee and squeezes it. She feels like silk.
“Want to know a secret?” I whisper against the shell of her ear after releasing her lips from mine.
“What’s that?”
“Do you remember that night right before graduation when we went to the movies and caught that couple getting handsy in the back row?”
She nods. “And I was pissed at you for making out with another girl in front of me?”
“Yeah.”
“What about it?”
“That was the first night I thought of you in a way other than my best friend. I dreamt we were in the back row doing what that couple was. I dreamt you were the one gasping my name and squirming from my touch. I dreamt you were the one with your hand around my swollen cock, squeezing the head before I came in your palm. I woke up with the hardest morning wood I’d ever experienced, and it took a twenty-minute shower to get rid of it. But even then, I couldn’t get you out of my head. I told myself it was just because you were there that night. I didn’t want to admit it was because I wanted you for something more than a best friend. But now that I’m here, I can’t stop imagining it.”
Her breathing is staggered as I glance down at her and see her eyes shining with need, along with a glimpse of her cleavage playing peek-a-boo beneath her jean jacket and sexy black dress. It’s as if I’ve cast a spell on her, and she can’t figure out how to snap out of it.
Tough shit, Charlie. You’ve cast a spell on me too.
Her fing
ers dig into my bicep, though I don’t think she even knows she’s got me in a death grip as my words roll over her like warm honey.
After a few beats of silence, she sits a little taller in her seat and brushes her lips against my ear before whispering, “I think you should take me home now, Levi. In fact, I think you should give me a demonstration of what you just described.”
“There are two more innings,” I mention in an attempt to give her an excuse to stay. It’s not that I don’t want to take her home and do exactly what I just revealed. Rather, it’s that I don’t want her to feel any obligation to take this to the next level before she’s ready.
With a deliberate shake of her head, she stands. “I don’t care about the game anymore right now. Let’s go.”
Chapter Twenty-Five
Charlie
The subway ride back to my place isn’t half as laid back as the ride to Yankee Stadium. It’s laced with promise and the same electric current building between us. When we reach my apartment, he grabs my hand and stops me at the entrance.
Impatiently, I look up at him.
“I could kiss you goodnight right here, Charlie. We could end this date at first base, and I’d still be the luckiest guy in the world. I’m not asking you to—”
“Shut up and kiss me, Levi.” Gripping the cotton material covering his pecs, I tug him into a kiss and release all the pent-up emotions I’ve felt for years. The frustration from seeing him with other girls. The anticipation of what’s to come. The overwhelming need that’s crippled me on more than one occasion. I release all of it, and he takes it all in stride with his hands on my hips and his tongue dueling with mine for control. Once I’m breathless, I rock back on my heels.
“Did I make myself clear?” I ask with a pointed stare.
He grins, mimicking what I’d said at the beginning of our date that feels like a lifetime ago. “Crystal.”
When we reach my apartment, I open the door then motion him inside. “Aaaand, here we are.”