49. Levi

Chapter 49

Levi

now

Greedy's been putzing around the kitchen for the last twenty minutes. When I popped in to ask if he needed help, he insisted he had it under control. Whatever he's making smells heavenly, so I left him to it.

Spence excused himself to take a business call over an hour ago and hasn't emerged from his room since.

I see my shot. I'm taking it.

I climb the stairs two at a time, relishing the burn in my left quad with each stride. The cool, crisp mountain air combined with the daily stretches and strength training regimen I've adopted means I'm feeling better than I have in months.

I'm anxious to get back to South Chapel and return to physical therapy. It's time to up the weights, push my intensity, and add distance to my training. I've been reading everything I can about rehab and recovery. Over the last few weeks, I've even felt an inkling of hope.

When I came back to North Carolina, I accepted that any chance of a football career had been shot to hell. But I still love the game .

I've even started entertaining the idea of playing again. Even if I can't make it to the pros, there's a chance I could play at another school, or maybe a farm team, or for a different league.

If I keep up with my rehab and my healing continues the way it has been, maybe my days on the field aren't over.

It feels good to move. It's a reminder that I'm alive.

I'm alive, and my life has taken the most twisted turns over the last few months. Yet I wouldn't want it any other way. Not when I consider Hunter and Greedy and Spence.

Grinning, I reach the top of the stairs and knock softly.

There's no answer, so I peek my head inside. Finding the bedroom empty, I slip in and quietly walk to the opposite end of the room.

When I tap my knuckles softly on the doorframe, Hunter startles. A heartbeat later, her lips tip up in a smile and she beams at me, her eyes bright and her posture straightening.

Fuck if that doesn't make me feel like a goddamn superstar.

"How'd I know this is where you'd be?"

"I love it in here," she says, scanning the space wistfully. "I always have." Her smile softens. "Come sit with me?"

She sets a pink notebook and a pen next to her e-reader and shifts over on the chaise lounge to make room for me by her side.

Tipping at the waist, I greet her with a kiss, then I slip in beside her and scoop up her legs so they're in my lap.

As I settle, I survey the floor-to-ceiling bookshelves. They're jam-packed with books, old and new, but all are hers. Some are positioned with the spines displayed like the books on a library shelf. Others are flipped to display the brightly painted pages. A few are on full display in the middle of shelves, almost like trophies.

"He told me what he did," I remark, rubbing her bare legs mindlessly. "Updating it, adding your books."

"It's amazing," she admits, her tone breathy. "Although that's not how I felt when I first found out." She frowns. "I don't even know why I was angry. "

"That was before," I remind her gently.

Before she confronted him. Before they came up with the bright idea of hate-fucking one another out of their systems. Before their animosity boiled over and they finally imploded.

Before her mother and Dr. F dropped the bomb.

I'm still reeling from the declaration. Greedy insisted he wanted to be the one to take care of Daisy last night. I allowed it and even convinced Kabir not to sleep outside her bedroom door.

I wanted them to have that time together.

Now it's my turn.

"Before," she eventually repeats, tracing the tendons of my forearm where I have it wrapped around her bare legs. She shakes her head and gives me a sad smile. "I hope like hell too much time hasn't passed."

"It hasn't." I pull her into my arms until she's snug against my chest. "We're together now, right?"

She nods, so I bite my tongue, leaving it at that. At some point, I'd like to define that word—together—and discover what she hopes for the four of us. What she envisions for the future.

My phone vibrates in my pocket then, causing Hunter to jump.

We both laugh, and I adjust my hips so she's not sitting directly on the device. Before I've even settled again, it vibrates a second time.

"Hold on," I mutter, shifting to one side and digging it out.

Before I even glance at the screen, I move Hunter where I want her. With a sigh, she leans into my side and curls her legs up on the opposite end of the lounger.

"It's just a text," I confirm, pulling up the first message from my mother.

I read it, then read it again.

I'm reading the second message when a third appears.

The tension in my muscles coils tighter as I process each word.

Fuck it all to fucking shit.

"What's wrong?" Hunter asks. She's perceptive as hell.

"What's today's date?" I ask .

"December twenty-sixth," she replies instantly. "Hope you wished Spence a happy Boxing Day." She pokes my side, but I don't feel it. I don't feel anything, honestly, as I stare down at the words on the screen.

I swallow past the lump that's lodged itself in my throat. "My mom says she can't keep me on her health insurance in the new year."

Hunter's eyes narrow. "Can't or won't?"

"Can't." I grimace. "Unless I commit to meeting with her friend from church."

This time, Hunter's the one who stiffens. "What kind of friend?"

I fight back a smile. Damn, I love that she gets feisty and jealous at the idea of my mom trying to set me up.

"The man who owns a branch of Chapel Hill Insurance. She wanted him to mentor me, remember? And she wanted me to eventually take out a small business loan and open my own branch."

Hunter wrinkles her nose. "She's manipulating you."

I shrug. Regardless, what other options do I have? I'm living on the goodwill of Dr. Ferguson and Greedy. Aside from daily rehab and hanging out with my friends, I don't have any plans for the new year. Greedy has another year of college to look forward to, and Hunter is already so excited for the new semester.

I don't want to be left behind or be the weakest link in the group.

"Maybe I should just hear him out?"

"Levi. No."

I stiffen at her use of my given name.

Sighing, I pluck my baseball cap from my head and run my hand through my hair. "You know what you're doing with your life. So does Greedy. Kabir certainly has his shit figured out. I don't want to be the bum not pulling his weight in this…" I trail off when I catch the direction my train of thought was headed.

Hunter pokes me in the ribs and grins. "In this what , Duke?"

"In whatever this is." I slump back, defeated. Reality is such a bitch.

A few minutes ago, I was pumped about getting back into the gym. About how maybe I would have the chance to play football again .

Fucking pipe dream is what that was. It's time to man up and figure out what I'm actually going to do with my life now that I'm back in South Chapel.

Hunter interrupts my thoughts with another caress of my arm. This time, she trails her fingertips all the way down my hand and interlaces our fingers. "You don't have to do what she wants, Duke. We can figure something else out."

No one else should have to figure out my shit for me, though.

"I don't want to be anyone's charity case," I lament. I don't know what the hell I want, but I'm almost certain I don't want to be an insurance dude wearing a polo and khakis, getting up early to go to chamber of commerce meetings and talking my family and friends into letting me provide free quotes for them.

Despite that, there's dignity in work. In pulling my own weight and contributing meaningfully to a relationship. So even if it's not the dream, it might not be such a bad thing, owning an insurance company. I could at least do my research. Remaining on my mom's health insurance would be a bonus.

"I don't have to actually make a commitment. I could just… see what the guy has to say."

I hold my breath, sure that Hunter's on the brink of arguing. I can sense it in her: the battle waging behind her eyes, her intense desire to protect me.

Yet when she finally replies, her tone is light. "If you decide to go, I'm going with you."

My heart catches in my throat. Her willingness to support me, even if she doesn't agree, means more than she could possibly know.

"She wants it to be this weekend," I hedge. She being my mother. It being the luncheon after church. "We'll have to attend service and then go out to lunch."

"Okay," Hunter confirms, emotionless. "I'll put it on my calendar. I'll make sure Greedy and Kabir know we need to be back in South Chapel by this weekend. "

"Thank you," I say softly, tipping her chin back to kiss her.

"You're welcome," she whispers against my lips. She wraps her arms around my neck and interlocks her fingers. Instinctively, I grip her hips and guide her onto my lap so she's properly straddling me as I kiss her.

She swivels her hips, so I thrust up and match her movements, rubbing my hardening length between the apex of her thighs.

"Is this how you show your gratitude, Dukey?"

She's such a brat.

"This is how I show you something," I tease, gripping the back of her head so I can move her right where I want her.

Our tongues dance, and she lets me lead, softly murmuring with each swipe and opening farther for me so I can deepen the kiss.

She allows me to explore, and I take my fucking time sucking on her plush bottom lip. Nudging the tip of my tongue against hers.

As our kisses turn sloppier, needier, her body melts for me, yielding until she's soft and pliant in my arms.

Every time she brushes against my hard, aching length, she encourages me with her little pants and moans. God, I could listen to her make those noises all day long.

"Daisy," I say sweetly, running my nose along her jaw then kissing down her neck. "Can I go down on you, pretty girl?"

She squeezes her thighs in response and kisses me deeper. "Of course you can."

Pulling back, I search her face. "I've never done it before," I admit.

Sure, I've had a few girlfriends over the years, and I've done more with the opposite sex than just kiss. I may have had my mouth on her in the hot tub the other night, but that was a completely different scenario.

"You might have to… guide me. Tell me what feels good. Show me what you like." I gulp past the awkwardness that comes with asking for help. I want to be good for her. I want to be more than good.

"You're asking me to teach you how to eat pussy?" she teases .

I swat at her ass, then thrust my hips up. "No, pretty girl. I'm asking you to teach me how to eat your pussy. How to make her spasm, pulsate, and purr until you soak me with your pleasure."

"Fuck me," Hunter groans, planting her forehead on mine and looking right into my eyes. "I honestly might come from your dirty talk alone," she tells me, eyes dancing with mirth.

"Nah, I want to use my mouth on you in an entirely new way."

Keeping an arm banded around her, I stand. Once I'm sure my legs are stable enough to support her, I hoist her over my shoulder.

She laughs and playfully hits at my back. "Where are we going?"

I carry her out of the room. "I'm not about to go down on you for the first time in Greedy's mom's library, Daisy."

She snorts, bouncing on the mattress when I drop her down. "Greedy says it's my library now."

I stand to my full height, take off my hat, and pull my shirt off with one hand. As I slip my hat back on, I don't miss how Hunter's eyes rake up and down my body appreciatively. "There's sharing, then there's disrespect. I'm not crossing that line with him."

Hunter's teasing gaze softens just a bit.

"Plus," I add, lowering myself over top of her. "I want to lay you out and properly take you in before I feast."

She grins, and together, we make quick work of pulling off all her clothes.

Once she's bare for me, she lets her knees fall open, revealing the pink, glistening lips of her sex. She runs a hand down her torso, letting the other linger on her chest as she plays with her own nipple.

I'm mesmerized, my attention fixed on her fingertips as she uses them to spread herself open for me.

"You're so fucking pretty," I tell her, arousal coursing through my veins and making my cock throb angrily.

Licking my lips, I home in on the spot where she centers her touch. I'm fascinated by the way she strokes herself, capturing her clit between her fingers and pulling gently .

When I tear my focus away, I find her watching me, her pouty lip caught between her teeth and her eyes sparkling with desire.

"Lick me everywhere, but give me more pressure here." She uses both hands to pull apart her pussy lips, exposing herself to me and pressing softly into her folds.

"Then, if you can get my clit in your mouth and suck—"

Unable to resist any longer, I sink to my knees and pull her hips to the edge of the bed, dipping my head between her thighs.

Using my tongue and my teeth, I nip along the inside of her thighs.

When I finally reach my target, I falter, but just for a second.

Her breath hitches, and her leg muscles tense where they're propped over my shoulders.

Reverently, I whisper, "I'm going to lick you now, pretty girl. And I'm not going to stop until you soak my tongue with your juices."

As I approach her center, her body trembles subtly. With a slow swirl of my tongue around her folds, I savor the taste, committing her unique flavor to memory.

Daisy's breath hitches. Then, as I connect my tongue to her cunt, she lets out a soft cry.

I lick and suckle, savoring the tanginess of her flavor and devouring her every moan. Arousal rises through my limbs in waves as she knocks the hat from my head and grasps my hair to guide me. Fuck, her responsiveness sends me soaring. Knowing I'm the one making her buck her hips and moan in pleasure is a high I've never experienced.

"So good, so fucking good." Her praise transforms into a whine, and her thighs clasp around my head like she can't control herself.

Soft gasps crescendo into ragged pants. She bucks her hips wildly, driving her pelvis higher and higher until she's practically fucking my face.

"That's it, pretty girl," I rasp, my voice thick with desire. "Let me have that cum."

Locking my arms around her thighs, I pull her as tightly to my face as I can. Then I close my mouth around her clit and mound .

Sucking hard, I pull up, driving her body into my mouth as I flick my tongue over her pleasure point.

"Levi!" My name is a ragged scream.

Without letting up, I eye her, searching for cues. She's pinching both her nipples, her head thrown back in ecstasy. I take that as a sign to continue what I'm doing.

"I'm coming," she announces on the next breath.

Her hips rock in time with the orgasm as moisture coats my tongue and lips and even drips down my fucking neck.

"Thatta girl," I praise, lapping at her cunt as I keep gently sucking.

When her body finally stops convulsing, I pull back, grinning.

I run the back of my hand along my chin, then spread her wide and really take her in.

Eyes closed and wearing a blissful smile, she absentmindedly strokes her fingertips over her breasts and down her midsection. Her pussy's all red and engorged with arousal, thoroughly eaten and fully sated.

I feel like a goddamn champion.

I also have the urge to go back in for another taste.

"I fucking love eating you out." I press a quick kiss to her clit.

With a squeal, she pulls away from me. "Too sensitive!"

Grinning ruefully, I grab her legs and force her to stretch back out for me. "Let me see you, pretty girl. I'll be good." I plant soft kisses along her legs, then on her lower belly, before traveling higher. My lips savor every inch of skin. I need to make sure she fucking knows how I feel about her.

This isn't infatuation. This isn't just sexual attraction.

This woman is the epitome of everything I want and need. I want to spend every day for the rest of my life making sure she knows it.

When I reach her mouth, I peck her softly on the lips. "How did I do?"

"Don't tell the others," she deadpans, "but I think you're a pussy-eating prodigy. "

"Yes!" I give my fist a pump, then dive back down to kiss her neck until she's laughing in my arms. "The others are gonna have to get over it. I'm telling them, and I'm putting it on a T-shirt."

"Don't you dare!" she squeals as I tickle her sides.

Pussy-eating prodigy . Maybe I could turn that into a full-time job. Hell, I'd work for free if it meant satisfying this woman every day and hearing her scream my name when she comes. Suddenly, my future doesn't look so bleak after all.