Levi kissed Alicia with such intensity, she thought she was going to die. Her body was on fire, and she hadn’t felt this sort of unyielding passion in years—not since the last time she and Levi had been together. He was driving her mad, and while she knew she should beg him to stop—to let her leave—she couldn’t. Not when he was giving her what she’d wanted and needed for far too long.
Levi pushed her against the front door, the one she’d tried to escape through just minutes ago, and they kissed and caressed each other as though they would never see each other again. They were tucked away at the home of one of Levi’s closest friends, Mark, who lived in one of the Western suburbs. Alicia had never made it to Mitchell. Mark was out of town for a few months and had left a key with his sister just in case Levi ended up being released before he returned. He’d also given Levi full and indefinite access to his home, until Levi found his own place. The interior was exquisite, and Alicia couldn’t help wondering if Mark was wealthy because of selling drugs or because he had a legitimate career or business. Nonetheless, here Alicia was, and it was all because she hadn’t blocked Levi’s number the way she’d planned. She’d actually gotten in her car and had been preparing to drive over to Mitchell for her surprise visit with Phillip when Levi had called her again. He’d pleaded with her to come see him just this once and promised her that after today, he would never bother her again. He’d told her how she owed him at least that much, and this was when Alicia had thought about the way he’d protected her from the police the night he’d been arrested. Hence, she’d finally given in and told him she would meet him “just this once,” so they could say good-bye for good. Levi had driven from Mitchell, and since Alicia had traveled from Covington Park, she’d actually arrived about ten minutes before him. At first, all he’d done was hug her, and then he’d asked her to sit down on the sofa so they could talk, but when she’d gotten up to leave, he’d followed her and pulled her into his arms. She’d tried fighting him off, but she’d failed at it.
“Baby, let me make love to you,” he said between breaths.
“No,” she said, pushing him away with little force.
“You know you want to,” he said, kissing her.
She pushed him again. “Levi, no. You said that once we talked, you’d let me leave.”
“Why are you fighting what’s real? Something that feels so right.”
Alicia gazed into his eyes. She remembered how gorgeous, tall, and lean he had been before, but now he had a few more muscles to go along with his perfect build, and his skin seemed more flawless than ever. His jeans and sweater fit him to a T, and the man smelled so good. He was the kind of guy most women secretly dreamed about. A bad boy who was as fine as could be. She tried not to stare at him, but she found herself eyeing every inch of his body.
“You said all we would do is talk, and I trusted you.”
“Okay, you’re right,” he said. “I know I got a little carried away, but I was just so glad to see you, girl. Can’t you understand that?”
“I have to go.”
“Can we talk one last time? Please.”
“Fine,” she said.
Levi grabbed her hand and led her back to the living room, and they sat on the sofa again.
Alicia had left her tote in her car, but she set her key fob on the glass table. “I’m not sure what else there is to talk about.”
“Us,” he said, smiling.
“You’re really killing me,” she said, resting her arm on the back of the couch.
“Mmm, mmm, mmm,” he said.
“What?”
“You’re as beautiful as ever. Skin, hair, body. Total perfection.”
“I wish you wouldn’t say things like that.”
“It’s the truth.”
“Is that what you wanted to talk to me about?”
“No, but can’t a man give a woman a compliment?”
“Yeah, except it’s the way you say things and the way you look at me. It’s not right. And we’ve done way too much already.”
“All we did was kiss.”
“Yeah, but we never should have.”
“Are you saying you didn’t enjoy it? Because it didn’t seem like that to me.”
Alicia looked away, and he turned her chin back toward him.
“Hey. I can’t help the way I feel. I’m thirty-eight, and still, I’ve never been more in love with a woman in my life. You’re my world.”
“How can that be true after all these years, Levi?”
“It just is, and I can tell you feel the same way. There’s too much passion between us, too much chemistry, to pretend like you don’t.”
Alicia turned away from him again.
“You have no idea what it was like being locked up. Someone telling you when to go to bed, when to get up, when to eat, when to do everything. But you know what brought a smile to my face every single day?”
“Levi, please—”
“No, let me finish. What brought a smile to my face was the thought of you. The photos I printed of you from your web site and a few other places online. I held on to the hope that one day I would get out of there, and you and I would finally become man and wife the way we were supposed to.”
Alicia looked back at him. “But you know that’s not possible. You know I’m marrying Phillip. We’ve been over this a thousand times.”
“So are you saying you don’t love me?”
“I have to go now,” she said, scooting toward the edge of the sofa.
“Look at me and tell me you don’t love me. Tell me that the feelings you had for me are gone, and I’ll let you go.”
Alicia grabbed her key fob and stood up. “I’m sorry, but what we had is over.”
Levi got to his feet and folded his arms. “That’s not what I asked you. What I want is for you to tell me you don’t love me.”
Alicia ignored him and went down the hallway toward the front entryway.
Levi followed her. “So you’re not going to answer me?”
“I already did,” she said, reaching for the doorknob and holding it.
Levi turned her body around and held her close. “Look at me. You can’t answer because you know you still love me.”
Tears filled Alicia’s eyes. “Why won’t you just leave me alone?”
“Because I can’t. I wish I could, but I didn’t struggle through all I’ve been through just to lose you again. I’m not doin’ that, sweetheart.”
Alicia pushed him hard, but Levi kissed her. She beat his chest with both her fists, sobbing…still he kissed her on her neck and on her lips again. He devoured her in a rough and powerful manner, and she loved it.
She no longer fought back.
Not even when he led her up to his friend’s master bedroom.