Cherished (32 page)

Her father wasn’t going to let himself be amused just yet though. “What does this Levi do that he’s forty and dating girls?”

“I’m not a girl. He’s an attorney.” She slid the wrap around her shoulders and sighed. So warm.

“Candace is coming over for dinner. You’ll stay?” Her father gave up on nagging, she could tell. But he’d be watching. And that was okay too. He was her dad after all.

Candace was her big sister. She was married and lived a few miles away so they saw her often. But it would be nice to have dinner with her family, even if she was dog tired and only wanted to sleep.

“Definitely. Let me take these back to my place. I’ll be up in a few minutes.”

In the privacy of her little house, she opened the card.

Next time you won’t have to be cold when you’re naked. L
.

She sighed, she knew totally like a smitten girl, but hell, she
was
a smitten girl. He’d driven her home Monday night and had insisted on walking her not only to the door, but on going inside to be sure no one had broken in. He’d called on Wednesday and texted her the day before. She’d been hoping he’d ask her out again though, and he hadn’t. Though the roses and the wrap were certainly evidence he was interested on some level.

But she had no time to get all tied up in knots over him or any man. Or so she told herself as she headed back to the house to have a lovely family dinner.

Levi had tried to ignore it, that growing need he felt every time he thought of her. She’d texted her thanks for the roses and the wrap and he’d nearly called her to ask her to dinner. But he hadn’t and now he sat, all by himself in his office at eight on a Friday night like an idiot.

“Why are you here?” Jonah came in and sat.

“Finishing up some stuff. I’m leaving in a few. What’s up with you? Where’s Carrie?”

“Spending the night at a friend’s house.” Carrie was Jonah’s daughter.

“Want to get dinner?”

“Yes, I do. I just got back from the mediation.”

Levi winced. “Long-ass day.”

“I need a few drinks before I can process it. I’m brain-dead.”

He and Jonah were close. More like best friends than brothers most days, though they had their moments.

So it seemed sort of natural to bring Daisy up once their steaks
had arrived. The Metropolitan Grill’s large booths relaxed him nearly as much as the scotch in his glass. “So I started seeing someone.”

Jonah looked up, interested. “Yeah? Who is she?”

“She’s twenty-four.” He blurted it out like a shameful secret. But Jonah only laughed.

“Goddamn, Levi. Good for you.”

“Her name is Daisy. She’s an artist. Mixed-media stuff. Fucking stunning. Smart. Funny.”

“And twenty-four. Is it as awesome as I seem to recall?”

He was going to pretend he didn’t know what Jonah meant but he was too tired to. “Her body. God. She’s a dance instructor too so she’s…flexible. And she’s got a lot of energy. All in all, yes, awesome is a word I’d use.”

He wasn’t talking out of school. He knew Jonah would keep it all to himself and it wasn’t as if he was disrespecting Daisy or anything. But he needed to share or he’d explode.

“Flexible? Is that a nice way to say she’s bendy during sex?” Jonah raised his glass.

Levi laughed. “Among other things, yes.”

“When do we get to meet her?”

Levi blew out a breath. “Yes, I can just see that family dinner. Hey, Mom and Dad, this is Daisy. She’s twenty-four. She has tattoos and pierced nipples. Oh and she’s an artist. They’ll love it.”

Jonah laughed. “Yes, I can see that. So is this like a fling? A midlife crisis? Will you be trading in your BMW for a Porsche? And how did
you
meet this woman?”

“I don’t know what it is. Other than new. I’ve only known her a few weeks. I went to that damned dance class thing. I ended up in the wrong room but she was one of the instructors and well.” He shrugged. “I didn’t leave right away but I did eventually. And then I bumped into her and learned she was an artist too.” He shook his head. “Anyway, again at the grocery store until I gave
in and asked her for dinner. Only we ended up at her place and she made dinner for me. We went out again on Monday.”

“That’s when you found out how bendy she was? And I do love a woman with tattoos and piercings. Sexy.”

Levi laughed. “Asshole. She’s a nice girl. Christ. Girl.” He scrubbed his hands over his face.

Jonah shrugged and took a bite of his steak. “So what? Are you fucking her and making it good for her? Do you respect her?”

Did collaring a woman’s throat during sex count?

“I’m not having a midlife crisis. And yes, I respect her. Jonah, you should see her work. She’s incredibly talented.”

“Has she asked you for help?” Jonah’s gaze narrowed.

He shook his head. “No. And she doesn’t need it anyway. She donated a piece to me for an auction. She’s selling her work. Her grandmother owns a gallery she helps run. She doesn’t need me. Not for that.”

“Then who cares if she’s twenty-four? Unless she talks in baby talk or some shit. ’Cause that’s where I have to draw the line.”

“What sort of women are you getting involved with that these things come to your mind?”

Jonah’d been married for fifteen years. He had a fifteen-year-old daughter who lived with him. His ex-wife had decided she got married too young, had dumped their kid and their marriage and moved to New York City where she spent Jonah’s money and barely paid attention to her old life.

Jonah was a good father. Better than their own. Carrie got great grades. She had friends and worked hard, she even managed to handle Liesl. But he rarely brought any of the women he was with around. Levi knew he kept his relationships extremely casual. He told Levi he had no plans to get serious with anyone, especially not until Carrie had finished school.

“Not the kind who baby talk. Then again, none of them have been twenty-four. I’m totally full of shit to try to lie and say I’d
draw the line at baby talk. If I got my hands on some twenty-four-year-old tits, and their owner baby talked, I suspect I’d just pretend not to hear it.”

Levi laughed, feeling a lot better. He needed to just call her and ask her out again.

“Thanks, by the way, for getting Cal to write up a new prenuptial agreement. I had lunch with Mal yesterday and handed it over. Thank God I had all the notes you sent along to tell him. I think I got it worded so he didn’t think I was judging Gwen. He took it pretty well.”

Cal had told Levi the prenup had some things in it that worried him but that it was pretty standard with most of the wording. So they’d had another written up to counter the first.

“He says Gwen will be giving up her career to be his wife and manage his home so she deserved to be paid for that in some way.”

Levi blew out a frustrated breath. “We can’t do this for him. He has to learn his own lessons about this. I just hope they can get past this stuff. For all the things I find annoying about Gwen, they do seem to love each other.”

“She’s a featherheaded twat.” Jonah sliced his steak to underline the point.

Levi snorted. “Not much different from Kelsey or Joanne.”

“Let’s hope she is, for Mal’s sake.”

On his way home, Levi decided to call her. It was eleven, but if she was asleep or god forbid, out on a date, she probably wouldn’t answer.

“Hello there, Levi Warner.”

He smiled. “I’m in my car, on my way back home. Do you want to have dinner with me tomorrow?”

“I have to work until nine. But I’m free after that.”

“Are you busy Sunday?”

“I have a standing date with my friends for dinner on Sunday. Would you like to come? I can promise you what will be one of
the best meals you’ve ever eaten. Mary’s supper club has an eight-month wait list now.”

“What are you doing right now?”

“Why? You want to sneak on over for some late night action?”

He found himself grinning in the dark.

“Tell you what. I have a raspberry honey tart. Well, three-quarters of one. I’m only human. Bring some wine. I’m working now, but I can be finished in an hour or so, if you want to come over. Bring your pajamas.”

“I don’t sleep in pajamas.”

“Well then. Bring your cock.” She hung up.

Chapter 9

She should have told him no. That she was busy and he could see her the next day but really, why? She wanted to see him and they were both too old for games.

Candles lit, shades drawn, she took one last look in the mirror and approved. She’d chosen her favorite chemise—she did have a lingerie addiction, she’d be the first to admit. But it hugged her curves with its cool, soft embrace, the deep midnight blue flattered her complexion. She added some lipstick because hello, a hot man was coming for a sex and tart visit. Her hair was loose—he seemed to like it that way—and she opted to go barefoot. She had pretty shoes in abundance, but she liked the way she felt next to him in very little clothing, smaller than he was.

She wasn’t a virgin. She’d been in love before, had been in relationships. It wasn’t like she didn’t know how it worked. This sort of tentative thing slowly smoothing into something else. A relationship. They’d dated and it was moving past just casual dates.

A short period of time, she knew. But this wasn’t anything like what she’d had before. This was intense. She thought of him and
a thrill ripped through her. He touched her and everything inside went still, everything leaning into him, wanting more.

He was bigger than she was. He made her feel…not small and helpless, but protected and taken care of. One part of her was horrified by how it made her so hot when he took control. But another part of her recognized it, embraced it and enjoyed it. She was raised to own her wants and needs. If it made her ashamed, it wasn’t something she should do. But this thing between her and Levi wasn’t shameful. It was dark and sweet and damn it, it was right and she wanted to see what else lay in store.

Punctual, a knock sounded on her door and she answered it, happier than she wanted to examine, to see him standing there looking so handsome.

“I brought my cock.”

She grinned and stepped aside for him to come inside. “Good to know as I plan to use it.” Without thinking, she took his coat off, shaking it a little and then hung it in the entry. She liked to do things for him. Liked to take care of him.

“Thank you.” He put down the bags he’d been holding and pulled her into a hug. He was warm and real and he smelled like winter.

“You’re welcome.” She waited, nearly breathless for the kiss she knew was coming.

“I like that you wait.” He brushed a kiss over her lips.

She liked it too.

“I don’t really want to eat anything right now. No offense to your tart. Unless that was a euphemism for your pussy, in which case I’d like to amend my answer.”

Laughing, she threw her arms around his neck, tiptoeing up to kiss him quickly.

“It wasn’t. But it can be. The other tart will be just as good with coffee tomorrow morning. My bed isn’t as big as yours, but it’s comfortable and I’m in it, which should hopefully serve as a draw.”

He kissed the tip of her nose. “More than you know.”

“Are you cold? I made a pot of tea so the water is still hot if you’d like.”

He shook his head, flicking the strap of the chemise off one shoulder and kissing the bare spot, sending a shiver through her.

“Okay then. I’d like you to be naked.”

Something happened to her when they got like this. She didn’t understand the whole of it, only that he brought something out in her. A desire to serve and comfort.

“You first, beautiful.” He pulled the other strap off and the fabric spilled to the floor, leaving her in her panties and nothing else. She’d changed out the bars in her nipples for hoops with beads and he noticed that right off.

He took her breasts in his hands, weighing them, and then he tugged each hoop, flicking the bead and bringing a surprised gasp to her lips. He did things she didn’t expect. Things that thrilled her straight to her toes.

He stepped back and she moved a step closer, wanting her hands on him, wanting him to be as naked as she was. He took her hands, clasping at her wrists and again with the shiver. She licked her lips, waiting for whatever he had in mind next.

“You have no idea what it does to me when you submit like that.” He said it quietly, as if he wasn’t quite sure what it did to him either.

Submit.

Was that it?

He let go of her wrists. “Bring me that bag, the one I left near the door. And be sure the door is locked and your windows are all covered.” He smiled and goose bumps broke out. Her pussy was wet and ready, her nipples throbbing, the faint ghost of his touch just moments before still lived on her skin.

The bag was a gym bag of sorts and of course she’d already locked up, though no one would be bugging her at this time of night anyway. Not without a call first.

She brought him the bag and he took it, kissing her quickly.

“I want you to sit over there, on your bed.”

She did it, excited at whatever he had planned.

He unzipped the bag, and then looked up at her. “Do you trust me?”

She thought about it. Did she? In the ways that counted, yes. So she nodded.

He pulled out a blindfold. “Good.”

When he’d arrived home, he’d stood in his closet, looking at the bag.

He walked out to his car twice only to go back inside. He hadn’t used the contents in a few years, but a quick check had told him the rope was still sturdy and free of any burrs, the mask he’d use for a blindfold was still folded, wrapped in a scarf. A scarf he’d bought the last time he used the bag.

Only he never used the scarf, or anything else in the bag. After the last time, he’d come home and put it in the closet and hadn’t really thought of using it.

Until Daisy. That hit him as he sucked in a breath.

He’d shoved it from his mind and grabbed the straps and headed out before he could overthink it any more.

She looked at the mask he held and got into a kneeling position. Most likely to get a better look, she was curious that way. But it inflamed him, the way she got into position so automatically.