Tessa
I woke Saturday feeling heavy. My mind was running a thousand miles a minute, and I couldn't stop thinking about what happened last night with Levi. He looked so feral when he closed me in against the wall. Those blue eyes burned with a passion I missed so much.
When he started to lean in, I felt my heart skip. I wasn't going to stop him. At that moment, not a single part of me wanted to. I yearned to feel his lips against mine, to feel his hands pulling me close as we reunited.
I wanted it so badly that I dreamt of it. Levi and I were alone, lying naked on my bed as the moonlight danced on our skin. We took our time exploring one another again, touching, kissing, and caressing until the early morning light reminded us that we hadn't slept. It felt so real.
It could have been.
Last night I almost went to him. I almost knocked on his door, hoping he'd be interested in picking up where we left off downstairs. When I got halfway down the hall, my senses kicked in, and I corrected my course to the guest room.
Levi has always been attractive, but he was damn near irresistible last night. I'm shocked I didn't pounce on him when he backed me against the wall. Sure, he's infuriating, and he's hurt me before, but when he told me I was always his problem and growled my name...
The rational parts of my brain shut down, leaving only the primal instincts intact. Those parts of me knew how good he would feel. Those parts wanted to feel that way again. Damn the consequences.
I don't know why I'm like this with him. If Benji or any of my other exes tried that shit, I would have kneed them in the groin and never looked back. They could show up at my doorstep with a dozen roses and diamond jewelry, and I'd still turn them away for what they did. But Levi goes all caveman and starts growling, and I turn into putty.
It's fucked up, I know. He hurt me more than anyone ever had, and I still melt for him when he gets too close. Maybe it's just my hormones talking. It has been a while since I've been with anyone...
Yeah, that's got to be it. I just have an itch to scratch.
A sexy, irritating, Levi-sized itch...
I shake my head free of my invading thoughts. What the fuck is wrong with me? Did I seriously just think that?
There is no way in hell that is happening again.
Even though he was so good at it...
Damn it! No! Stop it, Tessa!
Get your shit together!
I try to reign myself in, reminding myself why he's so good at it. He's had loads of practice. Probably with hundreds of women.
Yep, that'll do it.
Suddenly, I'm no longer daydreaming of Levi taking me back to bed. Instead, I'm envisioning myself pushing him down a flight of stairs. I can't believe I almost let him in again. The bastard!
I collect my things and head for the bathroom, fuming about Levi and his hoard of whores. With arms full of clothes and a fresh towel, I stalk down the hall, lost in thought. It doesn't even register to me that the bathroom light is on until I stand at the door.
The moment my feet stop propelling me forward, the door swings open. A millisecond later, Levi and I tumble to the ground.
"Shit, Tessa! I'm sorry, I swear I didn't see you there," he apologizes as he helps me gather my things from the floor.
An angry groan sounds from my throat. "Whatever. Just give me my things, and go," I snarl.
A flash of hurt shows in his eyes briefly as he helps me to stand, but it disappears just as quickly. "Tess, I said I was sorry. I didn't know you were out here."
"It's fine," I tell him, wanting to end this conversation as soon as possible.
He stands there, looking at me like he has something he wants to say. Before he has a chance, I cut him off, glancing at his hand.
"Can I have those back?" I gesture to the blue thong that's imprisoned in Levi's grip.
His brows furrow as he looks down. As soon as he sees them, his eyes widen. Levi quickly hands them to me before returning to his room, saving us both any more embarrassment.
I let out a frustrated sigh before entering the bathroom. What a great way to start this day!
At least it can't get any worse from here. I hope.
~
Charlotte pulled me aside once we got to the studio for round two of dance lessons with Miss Josephine. She told me I would probably be paired with Levi again today, explaining that our instructor likes to keep things consistent. I internally groaned when Charlotte asked if I was okay with that.
I wasn't, but I didn't want to make things difficult for my best friend. Her wedding was only a week away, and the last thing she should be concerned about was how I was getting along with my ex-whatever-the-hell-he-is.
"I'm okay, Char. It's no big deal."
"Are you sure? Jason said things seemed pretty tense between you two last night when he went to grab us some water." Charlotte looked worried as she fussed over Levi and me.
Of course, J noticed something was up. "I'm sure, Char. It was just a misunderstanding. We'll be fine," I tried to soothe her.
She gave me a weak smile in return. "Alright, but if it gets to be too much, let me know."
I nodded. "I will. Promise."
We took our places soon after as Miss Josephine announced the class was starting. I braced myself as I stood in front of Levi. He looked embarrassed as his eyes connected with mine.
It was a quick flash of movement, but I almost swear I saw him glance down to my hips before averting his eyes. His throat bobbed as he swallowed, moving closer as our instructor told him to.
What is his deal today?
That's when it hit me- our run-in this morning. He knows what panties I'm wearing. Lovely.
As if I needed one more reason to loathe this morning. Now I'm stuck spending the next two hours dancing around this room with Levi as he paints a pretty picture in his head of me wearing that blue thong.
The dance started, and Levi made eye contact. The look on his face confirmed it- he was definitely picturing me in that thong.
Fuck my life.
~
The lesson passed in a blur. It somehow wasn't nearly as painful as yesterday, but I was still left feeling frustrated by the end. Only, this time it was a different kind of frustration.
By the end of the two-hour class, I felt just as frustrated as last night. That itch that needed scratching- yeah, it was driving me crazy. And if the look on Levi's face was any indication, he was feeling the same.
Throughout the lesson, Levi pushed and pulled me along the dancefloor as Miss Josephine instructed. Except today, his movements weren't as harsh. They were more sensual, more lustful.
Each time he'd pull me into him, I would feel his grip get tighter, but not in an angry way like yesterday. No, this was different. His hold on me was that of a lover, trying to hold back his passion as it threatened to explode.
I could feel his heartbeat as we swayed to the music. His breathing grew erratic with every close sashay. His eyes clouded over as he dipped me to the floor. They were lust-filled and needy.
The sexual tension came to an all-time high when the leads were instructed to lift our legs at the knee as they dipped us into the final pose. When Levi did that, our centers were pressed agonizingly close, and I felt a surge of excitement shoot through my core.
Fuck, I wanted him. And if I was right about what I felt from him at that moment, he wanted me too.
Badly.
His hands pressed deep into my skin as we held that pose, waiting for Miss Josephine to call an end to the song. My breathing hitched as I stared into Levi's eyes. I saw that passion again, the one laced with lust instead of anger, the one he wore last night before we almost...
"Alright! You can release now," Josephine called, disrupting my train of thought.
Levi looked reluctant as he helped me to stand and dropped his hold on me. Instantly, I felt cold, missing the way his warm body felt against mine, the way his hands felt wrapped around me. I remembered my dream and felt the blood rush to my cheeks.
My dance partner watched me through hooded eyes as if he could read my mind. I knew then that I was screwed.
There was still a week until the wedding. In that time, Levi could do so much damage. The only question was- how much more damage would I let him do?
A/N:
*Fans self*
Things are heating up between Tessa and Levi. Do you think they'll give in? Who will cave first?
You definitely don't want to miss the next few chapters. We're heading back in time! Hold on to your butts everyone, things are about to get interesting!
;)