Devil Inside by Brandy Isaacs Read Free Book Online

was intense and imposing, but not because he was so good-looking.  Instead, it was because of an inner strength he exuded.  He made her feel hot in comparison.  Not just because he was attracted to her physically, but because she was strong enough to take control of her own wants and needs.  He seemed to recognize her strength and appreciated it.  She smiled to herself.
    “What?” Levi asked without turning looking at her. 
    Busted .  “Nothing,” Harley answered sheepishly.
    Levi finally turned to look at her with a small smile that still didn’t quiet meet his eyes.  She smiled back at him.  He held his hand out to her and when she took it he pulled her into his lap.  She straddled his waist and stared down at him and him up at her.  It sent tingles all down her spine as he ran his hand over her—up her sides and down her arms.  There wasn’t anything overly sexual about it—it was just his need to feel her and her skin that turned her on.
    Later, as they lay in bed catching their breath Harley felt Levi watching her.  Her back was to him as they both lay on their sides.  She realized how much she enjoyed laying here with him and it made her uncomfortable.  Levi insisted that he wouldn’t be here long and it was pointless to start an impossible relationship.  Harley also realized that his leaving was probably one of the reasons she found him so irresistible.  Knowing that it was only a matter of time before the relationship would end—and end peacefully—was the easiest way to have a “portion controlled” relationship.
                  Deep down she knew that the reason she pushed people away was because of her parents.  Even before they died they hadn’t been the best parents a girl could have.  Before her father set that fire that had killed both him and her mother they had both been drug addicts.  Nefarious characters came and went through their house regularly and she became very good at keeping people at bay.  She had learned at a young age that you couldn’t rely on people.  If you couldn’t rely on your parents how could you rely on anyone else?
                  Eventually, Harley felt Levi settle down behind her.  He wrapped his arm around her waist and sighed into her hair.  It was a resigned sigh and she couldn’t tell if it was the result of him being resigned to her, their situation or something else.  Harley left it alone.  She didn’t want to begin a conversation that she didn’t want to finish.  She resisted the temptation to lean back into Levi’s chest.  She still found it surprising that he was the type to cuddle.  He seemed so guarded that she would have guessed him the roll over and go to sleep kind of guy.  Getting to see a softer side of Levi made her soften to him even more and Harley resented it a little.  It was like he was playing a game after all, and not playing fair.
                  Harley came awake with a start, at first she wasn’t sure where she was.  She nearly panicked when she realized something was holding her down.  As sleep faded away, she realized that it was Levi’s arm.  Light peeked around the edges of the dark curtains so she knew morning was well advanced.  Glancing at the clock at the bed side she saw that morning had come and gone—it was almost noon.  “Shit!”  She rubbed her face clearing her thoughts.  It was Saturday, so she wasn’t missing anything important.  But she had slept half the day away.  She tried to sit up but Levi’s arm weighed her down.
                  “Hey,” she croaked, nudging his arm.  He jerked, and grunted when he realized who was tapping on him and immediately covered his head with the blanket.  “Hey!” she repeated louder. 
                  “Humph” he grunted.
                  “I’ve got to go,” she pushed at his arm again.  He groaned and pulled his arm away from her and burrowed deeper into the