“Eat, got it.”
“Good. Now grab some plates and napkins and let’s go feed our rock stars.”
Her words made the knot in my stomach tighten. I shook off the sensation, pulling open cabinets to locate the plates. But as I reached up to grab a stack, I felt someone behind me.
“Need some help, intern?” Levi drawled.
I steeled myself, feeling a kick of irritation at the smugness in his voice.
“No, thank you.” I finally managed to pull the plates down, sliding them onto the counter.
Our eyes collided and my breath caught.
“You’re avoiding me,” he said.
“No, I’m not.” I grabbed the napkins, adding them to the plates, and went to move around him. But Levi stepped into my space.
“I think you are.”
“Levi, please...” My lips pursed.
“The truth, then you can pass.” The corner of his mouth kicked up. “Why are you avoiding me?”
“Fine.” I let out an exasperated breath. “Because this, us, it isn’t a good idea.”
He inched closer, forcing me back against the counter. I glanced over his shoulder, but everyone was busy talking and laughing. From over there, I doubted anyone would be able to see just how intimate we were standing.
“One night,” he leaned in, breathing the words against my lips. “Let me have one night.”
But it wouldn’t only be one night.
If Levi felt even half of the connection between us that I felt, one night would never be enough. He’d feed off my natural instinct to want to fix people.
And I’d let him.
Because God, did I want to fix him.
I wanted to get in his head, under his skin. I wanted to learn all of Levi’s secrets and find out what made him tick. I wanted to dismantle him, scar by scar, mistake by mistake, and then I wanted to rebuild him piece by piece.
But you couldn’t fix someone who hadn’t begun to fix themselves.
I knew that better than most.
“Levi, get over here. Eva’s Mom was just telling us how her favorite Dolly Parton song is Jolene and I was telling her how you do a fucking epic cover of that,” Hudson said.
Levi grumbled beneath his breath, but he didn’t take his eyes off me.
“You should go,” I whispered. “They want you.”
“And what about what I want, huh?” His brow lifted, the intention in his eyes so clear my heart fluttered wildly in my chest.
“Levi—”
“Coming,” he growled, tearing himself away from me.
My hands shot out behind me to steady myself, as I dragged a shaky breath into my lungs.
He wasn’t going to let this go. I’d seen it in his heated gaze.
Levi Hunter wanted me.
Maybe almost as much as I wanted him.
I’d made a promise to myself though, a promise not to make the same mistake twice.
But as my father liked to constantly remind me, I never was very good at keeping promises.
Levi managed to keep his hands, and words, to himself after that. We’d sat for hours, listening to the band regale Eva’s parents with stories of how they came to be one of the rock bands of the moment.
Rafe always kept Eva close. They were constantly touching. A hand on her knee or her hand around his arm. They were so freakin’ cute.
Eventually, as the night wore on, our group got smaller. The Walkers retired to their room first, wishing everyone goodnight. Rafe and Eva walked them out. Damon was next. He was the quietest of the four Black Hearts boys. Pensive and considerate, his was an old soul in a young, ridiculously hot body. He drew his fair share of attention from both the fans—dubbed the Die Hearts—and the press, but it was usually less scandalous than his bandmates’.
“I’m going to call it a night too,” Letty said. “Coming?” she asked me.
“Yeah, I’m going to finish my drink and clean up a bit, then I’ll be down.”
Hudson smirked at me as if he knew I was lying. “If you need a helping hand with clean up duties,” he said, standing, “I’m sure Levi would love to help you out.”
“Hud,” Rafe warned.
“Yeah, yeah. I’ll behave. I’m going to get some sleep. See you in the morning.” He gave Molly a salacious grin before stalking down the hall to his bedroom.
“I... uh, I think I’m going to go bed too.” She got up.
“Your own bed, right?” Eva gave her a knowing look.
“Don’t hate me. I’m weak.”
“Weak for Ryker’s dic—”
“Levi,” Rafe barked.
“Just be careful, Mol.”
“Don’t worry, I know what this is.” She said goodnight and hurried after Hudson, not even trying to be discreet about it.
“I’m tired too,” Eva said around a big yawn. “Take me to bed?” She gazed up at Rafe as if he hung the moon.
My heart clenched. I’d been her once. Young and hopelessly in love.
And then everything had fallen apart.
“Night.” She gave me a small wave.
“Night.” I got up and started cleaning up the pizza boxes and empties, not sparing Levi a second glance.
All night, we’d danced around each other. If our eyes clashed across the room, he held my gaze, daring me not to look away.
I did though.
Every single time.
So why are you still here?
It would have been easy to retreat to my room and avoid him again. But something had changed. Maybe it was the one too many beers coursing through my veins or watching Eva and Rafe all night. I missed that, I missed it so much. The closeness, the intimacy. I didn’t miss all the shit that came with it, but how could you not miss feeling being the center of someone’s world, even if it was only for a moment.
The more I cleaned, the more antsy I became. I needed to go, I needed to stay strong and keep my promise to myself.
But the second Levi’s hand slipped around my waist, I knew it was all for nothing. “Stop,” he said, turning me slowly in his arms.
Levi leaned into me, forcing me against the counter again, just like he’d done earlier. “Finally,” he breathed the words with so much desperation and hunger, as if he had been waiting forever for this moment, it made my blood run hot.
“Levi, wait...” I pressed my hands against his chest, and a low groan rumbled in his chest.
“Don’t get cold feet now, intern. We both know why you’re still here.”
“One night,” I said, as if it was that simple.
As if one night would be closure on whatever existed between us.
“One night to rock your world.” A wicked smirk pulled at his mouth. “That I can do.”
Rolling my eyes, I smothered a giggle. Just then, a door opened somewhere in the suite and we both froze. Levi cussed under his breath, frustration rolling off him. My fingers curled into his t-shirt, hoping whoever it was only needed the bathroom and not something from the kitchen.
But Rafe appeared around the corner, stalling when he saw us. “Eva wanted a drink.”
“Of course she did,” Levi said, making no effort to move.
“Everything okay here?”
“Phoebe?”
Levi’s question caught me off guard and I stuttered over my reply. “Everything’s fine.”