“Too bad. I would have chosen that option.” I put down my glass and headed down the hall to our room.

He coughed. Some water probably went down the wrong tube. “That option is definitely on the table.”

“No thanks. I don’t want you to think that I’m pressuring you.”

“You’re going to kill me, girl. Kill me.”

“I know,” I called behind me as I closed myself in the bathroom. I had to take a minute to slow my breathing. I let the water run, filling the room with steam before pulling out my toiletries and getting in.

I shaved, and enjoyed a few more minutes in the warm water before getting out.

Levi was waiting in the bedroom.

“Your turn.”

“Thanks.” He kissed me on the cheek, and then my neck. “If you change your mind, and want to join me, I won’t hold it against you.”

“Have a good shower.”

He turned the water on, and I started getting ready. I’d gone for a simple, black strapless dress, figuring you could never go wrong with a little, black dress.

I zipped it up most of the way, but couldn’t get it all of the way up.

Levi had turned off the water, so I knocked on the door once. “Can I come in?”

“Be my guest.”

I pushed open the door and almost closed it again. He was standing by the sink, a towel tied around his waist. He looked way too good with his hair wet.

He was definitely amused by my appraisal. “Need some help with that zipper?”

I looked over at him again, a few drops of water trailed down his chest, and I was undone.

“No, I don’t think I need help with it after all.” I let go, letting my dress fall down to my feet.

I looked down at the dress before stepping out of it and making myself meet his eyes.

“The dress looked pretty, but I like you better this way.”

“Really? I thought you’d like this better.” I took a deep breath, knowing that there would be no turning back from what I was about to do. I reached around and unclasped my strapless bra.

His eyes widened. “You’re right, I like that even better.”

He closed the space between us, his lips claiming mine with a fierceness I wasn’t expecting.

He carried me over to the bed, and somewhere between the bathroom, and laying me down, he’d lost the towel. “I like this side of you, Al.”

“The naked side, or the take-charge side?”

“Both. Definitely both.” He pulled off my panties, before laying down next to me. “I really hope this isn’t another dream.”

“Am I usually like this in your dreams?”

“You’re usually naked…”

“What a coincidence, you’re usually naked in mine, too.”

He smiled. “I knew you dreamed about me.”

“Enough dream talk.” I pulled his face to mine. “Kiss me.”

“Yes, Ma’am.”

He kissed me again, letting his hands wander, reminding me of just how much I’d been missing.

Chapter Eighteen

“Maybe we should skip the dinner.” Levi pulled me tighter against him.

“We can’t, can we?” I asked, never wanting to leave the bed. The last time we’d gotten out of bed after having sex had been the beginning of the end. I didn’t want another end.

“Technically we can, but we shouldn’t…”

“Yeah, it wouldn’t exactly leave a good impression.”

“But, we can pick right back up where we are after dinner.”

“And where are we exactly?”

“Where we’re supposed to be.”

“There are no more surprises, right?” Part of me still couldn’t accept that I’d just slept with Levi again. If there was any doubt that we were really together, I erased it when I took my clothes off for him.

“Not like you’re thinking. I already told you, no mind control, okay?”

“Okay.”

I reluctantly picked my head up off his chest and went in search of my clothes. Thankfully, my dress wasn’t too wrinkled from lying in a heap on the floor.

“I can’t believe I gave in so quickly.”

“Quickly? You call this quickly?” He pulled on his pants.

“I mean, so early in the weekend.”

“I told you it was going to happen eventually, didn’t I?”

Was cocky Levi back already?

“Say ‘I told you so’ and you’re not getting dessert.”

“If you’re talking about the dessert I think you are, my lips are sealed.”

“Good.”

He put a hand on my waist. “But don’t pretend you don’t want dessert. That game isn’t going to work anymore.”

“Okay, no ‘I told you so’ and no talk of games.”

“You’re so hot when you get flustered.”

“I’m not flustered.” I crossed my arms.

“Sure you’re not.”

“Whatever. I need to finish getting ready.” I suppressed a smile. His cockiness could be annoying—but underneath it, I knew he was thrilled, and I was glad to be the cause of that.

My hair had mostly dried, so I didn’t bother to tame it. I twisted it up into a bun, and I put on some simple makeup.

Levi had already left the room when I finished. I found a small box sitting on the dresser where I’d left my watch and earrings before getting in the shower. I opened the box and found a pair of dangle earrings made up of diamonds and red rubies. They were gorgeous. I touched one for a moment before putting it on. The last time I’d accepted jewelry from him my life had changed.

I slipped into my black kitten heels and found Levi in the kitchen.

“Well, hello there, gorgeous.”

“These earrings are just earrings, right?”

“Yes, you like them?”

“Love them.”

“Well, I love you.” It was the third time he’d said the words, and although he said them casually, I could tell by the intensity of his gaze that he desperately wanted me to say them back to him.

I’d said the words to a boy before. I’d said them to Toby so many times that they became nothing more than a greeting. Still, admitting my feelings to Levi was a big step, and I knew it was time to take it. “I love you, too.”

His eyes lit up. “I’m glad you’ve finally realized it.”

“You really act like an arrogant prick sometimes, you know that?”

“Yes, but you love me anyway.”