ways. Agree, disagree, or tell her this was just sex for the sake of a good time. She allowed herself to breathe. Screw it. She’d ask.
“What is this between us?” She splayed her fingers on his chest. “Dating? Or fuck friends?”
“Dating. Kind of.” He grinned. “I’m not seeing anyone else. Don’t need to.” He settled on the pillow and stared into her eyes. For a moment, she could’ve sworn he saw straight to her soul. “I like you, Maya. Everything I’ve learned about you, the quirks, the baby…” He shrugged, “I’m smitten.”
“Smitten?” No one said smitten anymore—but she kind of liked when he said the word. “I should give you shit for saying old-fashioned words, but I like you, too.”
Levi stared at her for a long time. He didn’t say a word, simply swept his gaze over her. The move made her shiver. This time she wondered what he was thinking about.
“So where do we go from here? You’re not going to be deployed or anything any time soon, are you?” She raked her index finger nail over his nipple. “I hate goodbyes.”
Once again he didn’t say anything. Her nerves took over. She’d gone too fast and injected emotions in when they weren’t welcome. Plus, she’d asked too damned many questions.
“Levi?”
He grinned. “I like it when you say my name.” He brushed his fingers over her lips. “Sounds so sexy.” Another swipe across her bottom lip. “I don’t ship out for a while, and I’ve been around long enough I won’t be moving around any time soon.” He met her gaze. “Who hurt you, Maya? Besides Nicky. Someone hurt your pride and even though you’re tough, you’re still stinging.”
No, no, no. She wasn’t going to tell him about her past. That was ancient history. “When I was a kid, my father said he’d be back. Tia, Katja and I waved goodbye, but he never came back.” Tears misted in her eyes. “Drunk driver sideswiped his car right in front of our house.”
The pain, the fear, the regret all came back in waves. Missing her father, hating Nicky for leaving when she wasn’t sure if she needed him, hating her sisters for having to bring them up instead of being a kid herself—everything hit at full force. And here she was, telling her shit to a guy she’d only started seeing. She wasn’t even sure if they were a couple!
Maya sat up and grabbed a blanket from the end of the bed to cover her nudity. “I’m sorry.” She wiped her eyes with the back of her hand. “I hate losing control like this.”
Levi climbed out of bed and crossed the room. No blanket, no yanking on his underwear, just his nude body against hers as he held her. He petted her hair and swayed with her, allowing her to cry and deal with her pain.
“Even the most controlled people need to crumble once in a while.” Levi guided her to the bed and placed her on his lap. He rubbed her back. “Whatever this thing is between us is strong, and I don’t want to fuck with it. I’m yours. I want to see you in the morning, take you for coffee or burgers or whatever, help you when the baby comes and be that guy you need.” He chuckled. “I kind of like it when you get all stern on me. It’s a turn-on.”
“I put in an application for a job at the bridal shop. I don’t want to be a waitress for the rest of my life. I’ve got dreams I want to follow.”
“I’ll be right here beside you all the way.”
He words comforted her. He’d become an ally, not a punk looking for money or a place to stay like she’d feared. Levi had also become the big, strong arms she needed when she couldn’t handle the stress. She hadn’t told him everything, but her heart once again felt lighter. Levi, with all his quirks and tendencies not to answer her questions when she wanted him to, could be the salvation she needed.
Chapter Ten
Two weeks later, Maya sat in the obstetrician’s office. The cracked vinyl chair dug into her backside. She folded her hands in front of her
Serena Vale, Tencia Winters
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