“But it did happen again,” I point out.
He moves his head from side to side, mulling it over. “It did, but not right away. I was scared that you’d find out. So I laid low for a while. Once it became clear that I could live two different lives, one fun, full of women and partying, and one, a quiet, normal life with you, the lines blurred.”
“So what pisses you off more: that I left or that I got with Levi?”
His hand on the table clenches into a fist. “He never should have touched you.”
“And you never should have touched those other women,” I spit out.
He shakes his head. “Whatever. I guess it doesn’t matter now. If I can’t have you, he can’t either. You’re done with the both of us now.”
I shake my head. “I’m done with you, that’s for sure.”
Neither of us talks as the waitress places his order in front of him. He picks up his beer and takes a long drink. “If you want to be done with me, fine. I’ll accept it and move on. But if you think I’m just going to sit back and watch as the woman I love fucks my best friend, you’re both crazy.”
“Who I fuck is none of your business.” I look up at him and notice that he’s wearing my diamond earrings.
He notices me looking at them. “Oh, you like them? I figured I bought them, so I should be the one that wears them.” He smiles.
I shake my head. “Whatever. If all it costs me is a pair of earrings to get rid of you, so be it.” I wave my hand through the air, dismissing him.
He slams his fist down, and the liquids in both our glasses slosh over the rims as he leans in. “You think I’m just going to give up that easily? You’re away from him; that’s only the first part of my plan.”
I snort. “What’s the rest?”
He gives me his flirty smile. “To win you back.”
I can’t hold back my laughter. “We’re never getting back together, Nick. What don’t you understand? I hate you. I hate the sight of you. I hate your voice. Just sitting this close to you right now makes me want to vomit.”
With every word that escapes my mouth, the redder his face becomes. The vein in his forehead, between his eyes, starts to pulsate. Sweat begins to form across his brows and above his upper lip. I know he’s moments from exploding. But I hope that if I make him hate me as much as I hate him, he’ll leave and never want to see me again, never cause a problem for me. Then it hits me: all he’s doing is trying to drive a wedge between Levi and me. He doesn’t care about me getting back with him, as long as I don’t end up with Levi either. By being here with him, I’m giving him exactly what he wants.
I stand up and toss some money on the table to cover my food. I start to walk away, but his hand latches onto mine.
“Danielle, wait,” he breathes out.
I look down at him. Suddenly, he looks different. Like, I can finally see past all the bullshit filters he’s kept over himself all these years. He’s not some rich, sexy guy. He’s not big or scary. He’s nothing but a spoiled child who’s too used to getting what he wants. It’s time somebody put a stop to it.
I lean in real close, close enough that I can smell the beer on his breath. “Leave Levi and me alone, or I’ll be the one making your life a living hell. I was with you for too many years not to know your secrets. I know the account numbers for all the money you’ve been laundering, and I have proof. Stop whatever you’re thinking about right now, or you’ll have a whole lot more than a stalking charge on your record.” Without another word, I jerk my arm away and push through the bar, not taking a breath until I’m out in the cool air.
My hands are shaking from the nervousness pumping through my veins. I hope he bought my bluff. I’d heard him on the phone when we were together, talking about where he’s sticking his money. But I don’t have proof. I didn’t want proof back then. I wanted to be able to honestly say I didn’t know what he was doing.
But surely, the threat is enough to keep him in check. He’ll probably rush around to pull his money out of the accounts now. He may even start back up with watching our every move in the future, but that’s tomorrow’s problem. Today’s problem: find Levi and tell him I’m sorry for the way I left things last night.
Just him thinking that things might be over between us makes my stomach hurt. I should never have walked out of there the way I did, but honestly, I was shocked and confused. I never thought Levi would keep something like that from me. I always thought he was open about every aspect of our relationship. It still makes me nervous to think that if he could keep something this big hidden from me, what else is he hiding, or what else could he hide in the future? I just keep telling myself that he was protecting me by not telling me.
I just hope I’m not too late.
I step up to the curb and hail a cab. It only takes minutes before one pulls over and I climb inside. I give him the address and sit in the back, nervously bouncing. When we pull up, I nearly toss the money at him as I climb out and run to the doors. I use my key to get into the building, and I run to the elevators. I push the button and wait, my heart pounding so hard that it feels like it’s climbing out of my chest. The ride up only takes a few seconds, but with my future unknown, it feels like it takes hours—like I’m on super speed and the rest of the world is on rewind.
Finally, the doors open, and I quickly walk up to his door. I knock, not wanting to use my key and barge in. Moments later, he pulls it open. His dark hair is a mess, and his eyes are puffy and bloodshot. He looks angry with his clenched jaw until his eyes meet mine. Then, everything falls away. His shoulders drop in relief moments before he pulls me against him, his lips finding mine.
Without breaking our kiss, he pulls me into the apartment and presses my back against the door.
“I’m so sorry I didn’t tell you,” he whispers against my lips.
I shake my head. “No, I’m sorry for walking out the way I did.” I pull his mouth back to mine.
“You had every right to be angry with me. I should have told you,” he says, swallowing down his emotions and making his Adam’s apple bob.
“You just wanted to protect me,” I say, pulling him back in.
This time, he doesn’t pull away again. He keeps his mouth on mine, kissing me, giving me love, understanding, and forgiveness. He picks me up against him, and I wrap my legs around his waist as he carries me to the bedroom.
We crash onto the bed, and his hands pull clothing out of the way while mine pushes his shorts down his hips. His hands tour my body, taking in every inch, every curve. His lips aren’t too far behind them. It’s like he needs to touch every part of me to make himself believe that I’m here, that I’m real. When his mouth closes in around my clit, my eyes flutter closed, giving in to the overwhelming sensations he pushes me to feel.
My right-hand tangles into his hair while my left fists the sheets, hanging on for dear life. I feel like, with every lap of his tongue, I’m being pushed closer and closer to the edge of the earth. It’s only seconds before I am falling. When my release breaks, it rains over me hot and heavy. My entire body goes numb, and my lungs stop working. My heart doubles its pace. It beats so hard that it’s all I can hear. I call out his name over and over, and when it ends, and I’m able to suck in a breath of much-needed oxygen, he’s slamming into me—claiming me as his forever.
“I love you, Dani,” he moans into my mouth.
“I love you too, Levi.”
19
Levi
Dani and I spend all day in the bedroom, only coming out for drinks and food when needed. We touch, cuddle, tease, tickle, kiss, and make love again and again. Being able to touch her and feel her after a night of thinking I’d lost her forever, it feels surreal. It makes me realize how I never want to be without her again. I don’t ever want anyone to get in our way. I want her to be mine in every way possible.
I roll over between her legs and look deeply into her eyes. “Marry me?” I ask, only now realizing how stupid I must look. I don’t have a ring
. No big speech prepared. All I can muster out is a measly marry me?
She smiles wide, and her dark eyes light up, even in the dimly lit room. “What?”
“Marry me,” I repeat. “I want to know you’re mine and only mine for the rest of my life. I don’t want anyone to come between us again. Let’s get married.”
“Are you serious? We’ve only been together a couple of months.”
“I know, and I don’t care. You’re it for me, Dani. I knew it the moment my eyes locked on you in college. I knew it when I had to sit and watch you be with my best friend. I knew it when you showed me that engagement ring. And I know it now. I don’t want to put it off any longer. I’ve almost lost you too many times, and I won’t do it again. Do I need to get down on my knees?” I ask, getting off her and the bed. I move to the floor beside the bed and drop to my knees. “There. Will you please marry me now?” I can’t hold back my nervous grin. I know she loves me, but this is sudden. She could still tell me no.
She sits up and scoots closer to the edge. She leans over, so her lips are almost touching mine, and whispers, “Yes.”
I spring up and tackle her onto the bed, causing her to giggle.
“Yes, I’ll marry you,” she says louder.
“Thank you. I love you,” I say against her skin as I pepper it with kisses. All the while, she can’t do anything but laugh. I pull back, locking my eyes on hers. “Let’s elope.”
“What? When?”
I shrug. “Now? Tomorrow? As soon as possible? I don’t care. Just…soon.”
She wraps her arms around my neck and pulls me down to her. “We have work tomorrow.”
“So, we’ll call in and play sick. Bennet won’t care.” I rest my forearms on either side of her head, brushing the strands of her blonde hair away from her beautiful face.
“Let’s do it. Just you and me,” she agrees.
I kiss her fast and hard, lost in the moment. She deepens the kiss, and my aching dick glides between her folds. With one roll of my hips, I slide inside, where I’m meant to be.
I wake her in the morning by pressing soft kisses to her neck, shoulders, and back. “Wake up, sleepyhead. I have our bags packed and ready to go. Get dressed.”
She rolls over and opens her eyes with a smile. “Where are we going?”
“Vegas. I already bought our tickets.”
“Well, you’ve been busy this morning, haven’t you?”
“I couldn’t sleep. I was too excited. I bought our tickets last night. Come on. Get up and shower. Get dressed, and I’ll make breakfast. We have to be at the airport by eleven.”
She places her hand in mine, and I pull her up.
“What about work?”
“I called Bennet and told him about our weekend. He understands. Now, go!” I shoo her toward the bathroom.
You can’t beat the smile off my face with a hammer. I’m unbelievably happy right now. Knowing that Dani is going to be mine forever, it makes me feel like a child who just found his favorite toy. She’s all I can think about. She’s all that I want.
I head into the kitchen and whip us up some banana pancakes. I’m tossing them onto a plate when she walks into the kitchen.
“Something smells amazing.”
“It’s you,” I whisper, pulling her in for a kiss.
She laughs against my lips but kisses me back.
I lead her to the table, and we sit and eat breakfast. While I change into some new clothes, she cleans up. We meet in the living room to head out.
“What about rings?” she asks as soon as we step out into the hallway.
I slide the key into the lock. “We’ll buy some there. We’ll have to wait a couple of days to get our marriage license anyway.” I take her hand in mine, and we walk to the elevator, ready to start the rest of our lives.
We land in Vegas hours later, and the first thing we do is take our bags up to our honeymoon suite. The room is big and fancy, but all I can think about is making her mine. She runs from room to room like an excited child, checking out the bathroom with the Jacuzzi tub and walk-in shower. She shows me the sitting area and the bedroom, then leads me out to the balcony, where there is a pool.
She gets a wicked gleam in her eye as a smile breaks wide open. Her hands move to the bottom of her shirt. She quickly pulls it off and tosses it at me. I catch it and throw it down before moving to strip down myself. Within minutes, we’re both completely naked and diving into the pool. I break the water and find her, pulling her against my chest and pressing my mouth to hers.
“Come on. Let’s go find our rings and get dinner.” She releases me and swims away.
“I have a feeling you’re going to do this to me for the rest of our lives, aren’t you?” I say, watching her climb out of the pool.
“Do what?” she asks, ringing the water out of her hair.
“Make me chase you even though you’re already mine.” I swim to the edge and climb out.
She laughs. “It’s more fun to chase. What are you going to do once you’ve caught me?”
“Oh, I have an idea or two,” I say, catching her and pulling her back against me.
When we finally manage to pull away from one another, we put on some nice clothes and leave the quiet confines of our hotel room. Once we’re down in the lobby, we hang a right and walk into the restaurant. We get seated at a small table for two, and I’m handed a wine list. I know nothing about wine, and I think Dani realizes that by the confused look on my face.
She lets out a soft giggle. “I’m fine with water.”
I hand the wine list back to the waiter. “Two glasses of water, please.”
He nods his head once before walking away.
“This place is nice,” Dani says, eyes taking in the candle in the center of the table.
I reach over and take her hand in mine. “Everywhere is nice as long as I’m with you.”
She giggles, and her eyes light up. “I don’t know what I ever did to deserve you.”
I press a soft kiss to the back of her hand. “All you’ve ever had to do was be yourself. You’re perfect.”
She rolls her eyes. “I’ve already agreed to marry you, Levi. No need to butter me up.”
I laugh. “I’m just happy we’re finally here. I know we haven’t been together all that long, but at one point, I didn’t think I’d ever have you. It was right around the time you showed me that engagement ring on your finger.”
“I wish you would’ve just told me everything then. I hate that we wasted so much time because of lies.”
“I have a feeling everything worked out the way it’s supposed to.”
“You think we were meant to be together?” she asks, looking up at me from beneath her long lashes, her dark hair hanging in her face.
I squeeze her hand. “I think it was written in the stars. It didn’t matter what choices we had to make; all roads lead to you.”
Her cheeks turn pink, and her smile stretches across her face. “I don’t know how you always manage to say the perfect thing, but I love you for it.”
I lean forward and kiss the top of her hand. “I love you too.”
The waiter returns with our water, and we both place our orders. When we finish eating, we leave the hotel and walk around, finding a little jewelry store. We walk inside, and the old man behind the counter stands at attention.
“Can I help you?”
I can’t keep the smile off my face. “We need wedding rings.”
He walks around the store, behind the glass case. “I think what you’re looking for is over here.”
I look down into the case, and there must be dozens of gold and silver wedding bands. But Dani still needs an engagement ring. When I proposed, I hadn’t gotten one yet.
“Do you have any bridal sets?”
He nods. “Of course. This way.” He walks us down the case until we come to the sets that glitter and sparkle.
Dani sits down on the little stool in front of the case. “A wedding band will be
just fine, Levi. I don’t need big sparkly diamonds.”
“Yes, you do. Pick one.”
She takes a deep breath and shakes her head as she begins looking over the sets. She tries several on but always ends up handing them back. Finally, the last one she tries on is it. I can tell by the way her mouth drops open and her eyes sparkle.
“That the one?” I ask.
She looks up at me with wide eyes, a big grin, and a head nod.
I look at the man behind the case. “We’ll take it.”
“Wonderful. I’ll wrap it up.”
She slides the ring off her finger and hands it over, where the man puts it back in its case. He heads over to the register with it, and we stop at the wedding band case to pick out my ring.
“Which one do you like?” she asks.
I sit down and look at them closer. “Which one do you like?” I ask.
She sits on my knee and leans over the case. “This one kind of matches mine. It’s silver with small diamonds.”
“So, I should get this one?”
She nods, her smile still in place.
“Excuse me, sir?” I say loud enough for the man across the room to hear.
His eyes pop up to meet mine.
“Can we also get this ring here, too, please?”
“Of course. Would you like to try it on?”
“Yes, please,” Dani says.
He quickly walks over and pulls the ring out of the case. When he hands it over, Dani takes it and waits for me to hold up my hand. When I do, she slides it onto my finger.
“I wanted to be the first one to slide a ring onto this finger.” She offers up her breathtaking smile.
The ring fits to perfection, and it doesn’t feel as odd as I thought it would. I’ve never been a jewelry man and thought that feeling the ring between my middle finger and pinky would irritate me. But it fits like it was made for my hand.
My Best Friend’s Ex: Make Her Mine-Book 4 Page 14