The Summer Before

Chapter Twenty-Eight

"So am I, Levi. I can't wait." The words are barely above a whisper, but he hears them loud and clear.

I can see the hunger in his eyes as our arms touch. We haven't moved from our spot by the water; neither of us is ready to break our proximity. Being near him is addictive, and after what's been going on between us, I can feel my body craving other activities as well.

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Levi

I knew I had to stop. If I didn't, I'd end up kissing her senseless right there on the dock. And as much as I'd love that, I had an entire night of romance planned for Tessa. She deserved to have it all, and I wasn't going to take away from that by tackling her like some lovesick teenager overcome by hormones.

I slowly pulled away, noticing the slight frown on Tessa's gorgeous face as I moved. I'm so sorry, Tess.

"I need to shower, and once they've hit the road, I'll get some dinner ready for us." My voice held steady as I broke the trance Tessa had me under.

She nodded weakly, watching me through those big green eyes. I wanted to kiss her right then and there and never stop, but I had to be strong. If everything goes as planned tonight, I'll have all the time in the world to kiss her as much as I want every day of our lives after this.

After tonight, Tessa will officially be mine.

I hope.

I stood up, offering Tessa my hand. When she took it, I swore I could feel an electric current pulsating between us, and judging by the look on Tessa's face, she felt it too.

We took our time walking to the house, hoping it wouldn't take long for everyone to get ready and leave. Tessa tried to play off her sick act as I walked her inside. She held her stomach and donned a face of faux queasiness. It was adorable.

Everyone else was too busy getting ready for the concert to notice what we were doing. So, we made our way to her bedroom. I couldn't help but see the hint of pink on Tessa's cheeks as we stepped over the threshold. There was definitely something on her mind.

"Hey, you good?" I asked, elbowing her side.

Her eyes widened when she spun to look at me like she'd been caught with her hand in the cookie jar. "Huh? Oh, yeah, I'm- I'm good," she stammered nervously.

"Tessa, if you're having second thoughts about tonight, we don't have to do this. We can go to the concert with everyone if you want." It wasn't what I wanted at all, but if she was too nervous about tonight, I wasn't going to pressure her.

A flash of hurt passed through her eyes as she stared at me. "Is that what you want?" She asked, her words laced with disappointment.

"No, not at all. I want to spend some time just the two of us, Tess. I just want to make sure you're comfortable with it. You got really nervous the second we stepped inside," I clarified, gently pulling her hand into mine.

Tessa bit her lip as she looked at the floor, avoiding my eyes. I was about to ask her what was wrong when she shook her head and stopped me. "I'm not nervous, Levi. I just remembered something that happened this morning, and it made me flustered. I promise. I want this night alone with you just as much as you do."

A heavy sigh of relief left my chest as she squeezed my hand. It was amazing to know she wanted tonight to happen as much as I did, but I was left wondering what happened earlier to make her feel so flustered when we came in here. I thought better of asking her about it and made a mental note to ask her later.

There is no reason to stress her out and ruin the night before it begins.

Our hands were still intertwined when Leah snuck in behind us. "Hey, Tess, can I borrow your blue crop top?"

She looked up from her phone to find Tessa and me holding hands. Leah's eyes zeroed in on that immediately, letting a slow grin creep up her cheeks. "Sorry to interrupt," she said teasingly.

Tessa's blush returned brighter than before as she released my hand and walked to her closet. She quickly found the shirt Leah had asked for and handed it over. Leah took it, staring between Tessa and me before taking her leave.

Just outside the door, Leah called to us over her shoulder. "Don't do anything I wouldn't do."

I heard her laugh as she disappeared into her room. I groaned internally. Apparently, everyone thinks we're staying behind tonight to have sex.

That's not my intention at all. I hope Tessa knows that.

When I muster up the courage to face her again, I'm met with a shy smile. Good Lord, she's beautiful. I clear my throat before trying to speak again. "Well, I'm going to see if Landon's done in the shower. Meet you in the living room when you're ready?"

Tessa's head bobs in agreement as she takes her succulent lower lip captive, tempting me to lean down and kiss her. "Yeah. That sounds like a plan. I'll see you in a bit."

I hesitate just long enough to come to my senses and start to leave. Before I turn to the door, I lean in, placing a lingering kiss on Tessa's cheek. "See ya soon, Tess."

It was hard to miss the sharp inhale Tessa took as my lips met her skin. The sound nearly made me forgo all plans for the night and push her up against the wall so I could taste her sweet lips again. In the end, the responsible part of my brain won over, telling me to slow down and make the night as memorable as possible for her. So, that's what I did.

I took a deep breath on my way through the house, reminding myself of everything I had planned for the evening. I wanted everything to be perfect, and that's precisely what Tessa was going to get- an amazing romantic evening just the two of us. No pressure, no teasing from our friends, no distractions. Just her and I, alone under the stars.

It was going to be perfect. 

A/N:

The tension between these two is mounting, if they aren't careful what's between them might just boil over and burn them both...

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