Beautiful, brilliant, chaotic art.”
I would laugh, but I can’t. I’m breathless. Spellbound. I feel his words like touches, like brushstrokes. And he paints me with them, syllable by syllable.
I have to dig deep for the glib shell that protects my soft underbelly. “That’s good stuff. You should write that down.”
I try to smile, but my heart is beating so fast my lips tremble. Since last night, since he kissed me and turned my world upside down, frenzy follows Levi. I felt it the instant he cleared his throat, and I feel it now. He’s movement and light and color on the canvas of my mind. He’s want and need and courage in the scarred pieces of my heart. He’s what I can’t have and what I wish for, what I should reach toward and what I should run from.
He’s everything I shouldn’t risk, yet here I am risking everything.
He says nothing, but I know he’s coming for me. I hear the muffled sound of him crossing the room. I feel the electric buzz of his attention. I smell the scent of his skin, like the forest and the rain. And I want him. Oh Lord, how I want him.
He doesn’t speak again. Levi Michaelson simply weaves his fingers into the hair at my temples and crushes his mouth to mine. Instantly, I’m catapulted back to last night.
But this isn’t last night’s kiss. This is a new day. And a new need.
The need… God ! It’s like an ember, hot and red, that lies dormant within me until he breathes life into it. It’s ever ready to flame and rage and blaze out of control.
His tongue tangles passionately with mine as he tugs me to my feet, wrapping me in his strong arms and holding me to his broad chest.
I melt. Body and soul, I melt into him, giving in to the feeling, opening up to the possibilities.
When he finally releases me, I hear Levi’s hushed chuckle. “Hi.”
“Hi,” I reply with a big smile. I can’t seem to help it. After a few seconds, the details of our embrace penetrate the fog in my brain. “Uh, I hope you’re not wearing nice clothes.” I pull my arms from around him and hold up my hands. “Paint. If you’re wearing something light, it probably won’t come out. Ever.”
“I don’t care. I was gonna burn these anyway.”
At that, I laugh outright. “Burning soiled clothes? More money than you know what to do with. Got it.”
“That’s sort of what I came here to talk with you about.”
“You want me to help you burn your clothes?”
“No.”
“You want me to help you burn your money ?”
“Definitely not.”
I gasp. “You want me to help you burn a body, don’t you? Is it Julianne? You can tell me. I’ll plead blind. They’ll believe me. Trust me.”
He chuckles again. “Although that admittedly holds a strange amount of appeal, no. Not that either. However, we may need to revisit that later. I’m not sure what I’ve done to make you think I’m homicidal.”
“Oh, you haven’t done anything. But I did meet Julianne, remember?”
“Good point. She does inspire some pretty…violent feelings, doesn’t she?”
“You could say that.”
I reach up with my hands, feeling for Levi’s chin and then traveling up toward his mouth. I want to know if he’s smiling. If he’s not talking, I can’t hear it in his voice, but something tells me that he is.
My touch finds out different, though.
“You really need to stop doing that,” he whispers hoarsely.
“What? Checking to see if you’re smiling?”
“Playing with my mouth. It makes me want to use it.”
“Is that right?” I try to keep my tone light, but my insides are jittering like I’ve had a whole pot of coffee.
“That’s very right.”
An arm sneaks around my waist as warm fingers brush my hair away from my neck, gently pulling my shirt down over the ball of my shoulder. Moments after the cool air rushes over my skin, hot lips follow.
Levi kisses my neck and shoulder, along my collarbone, moving the worn cotton of my tee
I would laugh, but I can’t. I’m breathless. Spellbound. I feel his words like touches, like brushstrokes. And he paints me with them, syllable by syllable.
I have to dig deep for the glib shell that protects my soft underbelly. “That’s good stuff. You should write that down.”
I try to smile, but my heart is beating so fast my lips tremble. Since last night, since he kissed me and turned my world upside down, frenzy follows Levi. I felt it the instant he cleared his throat, and I feel it now. He’s movement and light and color on the canvas of my mind. He’s want and need and courage in the scarred pieces of my heart. He’s what I can’t have and what I wish for, what I should reach toward and what I should run from.
He’s everything I shouldn’t risk, yet here I am risking everything.
He says nothing, but I know he’s coming for me. I hear the muffled sound of him crossing the room. I feel the electric buzz of his attention. I smell the scent of his skin, like the forest and the rain. And I want him. Oh Lord, how I want him.
He doesn’t speak again. Levi Michaelson simply weaves his fingers into the hair at my temples and crushes his mouth to mine. Instantly, I’m catapulted back to last night.
But this isn’t last night’s kiss. This is a new day. And a new need.
The need… God ! It’s like an ember, hot and red, that lies dormant within me until he breathes life into it. It’s ever ready to flame and rage and blaze out of control.
His tongue tangles passionately with mine as he tugs me to my feet, wrapping me in his strong arms and holding me to his broad chest.
I melt. Body and soul, I melt into him, giving in to the feeling, opening up to the possibilities.
When he finally releases me, I hear Levi’s hushed chuckle. “Hi.”
“Hi,” I reply with a big smile. I can’t seem to help it. After a few seconds, the details of our embrace penetrate the fog in my brain. “Uh, I hope you’re not wearing nice clothes.” I pull my arms from around him and hold up my hands. “Paint. If you’re wearing something light, it probably won’t come out. Ever.”
“I don’t care. I was gonna burn these anyway.”
At that, I laugh outright. “Burning soiled clothes? More money than you know what to do with. Got it.”
“That’s sort of what I came here to talk with you about.”
“You want me to help you burn your clothes?”
“No.”
“You want me to help you burn your money ?”
“Definitely not.”
I gasp. “You want me to help you burn a body, don’t you? Is it Julianne? You can tell me. I’ll plead blind. They’ll believe me. Trust me.”
He chuckles again. “Although that admittedly holds a strange amount of appeal, no. Not that either. However, we may need to revisit that later. I’m not sure what I’ve done to make you think I’m homicidal.”
“Oh, you haven’t done anything. But I did meet Julianne, remember?”
“Good point. She does inspire some pretty…violent feelings, doesn’t she?”
“You could say that.”
I reach up with my hands, feeling for Levi’s chin and then traveling up toward his mouth. I want to know if he’s smiling. If he’s not talking, I can’t hear it in his voice, but something tells me that he is.
My touch finds out different, though.
“You really need to stop doing that,” he whispers hoarsely.
“What? Checking to see if you’re smiling?”
“Playing with my mouth. It makes me want to use it.”
“Is that right?” I try to keep my tone light, but my insides are jittering like I’ve had a whole pot of coffee.
“That’s very right.”
An arm sneaks around my waist as warm fingers brush my hair away from my neck, gently pulling my shirt down over the ball of my shoulder. Moments after the cool air rushes over my skin, hot lips follow.
Levi kisses my neck and shoulder, along my collarbone, moving the worn cotton of my tee
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