The following day, Marina floated through the hours at work. She went about the morning in an excited sort of daze, thinking about her pending date with Levi Hawks and wondering what the evening might bring. And as she thought about it, she realized that she wasn’t just excited, she was nervous. More than nervous. In fact, if she were being totally honest with herself, Marina knew that she was a little bit scared.
It was something she purposely tried not to think about often, but it had been a long time for her. The last serious relationship she’d been in ended shortly before she had opened up the barkery. His name was Drew, and back then he had been a second-year resident at the Eastwood Medical Center. And Marina had been so infatuated with him. At the time, she believed she was in love. More importantly, she believed that he loved her too. And perhaps he had. But when she started to get serious about working toward building her business and Drew began to complain about the long hours she was putting in instead of being available for him when he wasn’t working, she knew that they simply wanted different things out of life. She wanted a career of her own that she could be proud of, and he wanted a wife whose career was taking care of him and his household. And after a few hard conversations about it they had parted as friends. But Marina hadn’t dated anyone seriously since then. She went out on a date or two here and there, but nothing of any real substance. And the truth was that, for the past two and a half years, she simply hadn’t had the time to put into a relationship.
Building Bear’s Barkery and doing all she could to make the business a success had been her total focus for so long. But now that the barkery was finally in the black, Marina was eager to maybe focus on her personal life a little more. So she was excited about tonight. Scared, but excited.
Levi, on the other hand, was quietly freaking out. He had been thinking about Marina and their upcoming date all day long, and he was barely able to concentrate on anything at the station. He hated the fact that he had been dishonest with her. Jeremiah had been right. This was no way to begin a relationship, and he knew that Marina wouldn’t appreciate it once he told her the truth. If he even got that chance.
He worried about Frankie and whether or not she would out him before he’d had a chance to explain himself. He and Frankie had always gotten along pretty well, and Levi believed that she and John Myles were perfect together. But he couldn’t help but wonder what she must be thinking of him right about now, and he wondered if she had already ratted him out to Marina.
The questions bugged him so much that he couldn’t stand it. He had to find out what he was going to be up against when he picked Marina up that evening. So on his break time he slid behind the wheel of his unmarked cruiser and drove directly to Frankie’s house. It was risky, he knew. Chances were that she and John were in there sound asleep since they both worked the midnight shift and had more than likely gone to bed around eight or nine that morning. He hated to disturb them, but he felt like he had no choice.
He parked in front of the house and noted that both Frankie’s K-9 cruiser and John’s red mustang were in the driveway, and he took a deep breath as he got out of the car and headed up to the front door.
Before he could even ring the doorbell, he heard the ferocious barking of Frankie’s K-9 partner, Bo, on the other side of the door. He bet that sound made the mail man quake in his boots each day. A few moments later he heard John’s voice commanding the dog to back down as he fumbled with the door’s lock. When it opened, John stood before him in a pair of pajama pants and a bare brown torso. And he squinted at him with a clearly sleep-deprived glare.
“Hawks, what the hell, man? You know we just went to bed a few hours ago!”
“I know, Myles, and I’m sorry to wake you up, man. I really am.”
“Well, what’s going on? Has something happened?” John asked, motioning him inside as his mind instantly ran to the many Kelly family members on the Eastwood Police force. It was only natural to assume that something might have happened to one of them in the line of duty, and that Levi was here to deliver some bad news to Frankie.
Levi hesitated for a brief moment, suddenly feeling incredibly stupid for bothering his friends and waking them up over his foolishness as he followed John’s perfectly logical train of thought.
“No. I … nothing’s wrong,” he mumbled as he turned around to face him. “I’m sorry. This is really, really … stupid.”
John studied his friend as he tried to make heads or tails out of what he was saying. “Levi … what are you talking about?”
Levi shook his head. “I don’t know what I’m doing,” he mumbled. Why had he come here? Why hadn’t he simply kept quiet at the restaurant instead of blurting out a stupid lie?
“Okay. Do I need to call Jeremiah or your grandfather or something? ‘Cause you’re starting to freak me out a little bit,” John told him.
“No, I … look … I’m sorry for waking you up, but I came to talk to Frankie,” he said, finally looking John in the eye. “To apologize to her, and to explain.”
“Apologize?” John asked, frowning at him.
“Well, that’s good, Hawks, because I think you owe me an apology,” Frankie said, emerging from the hallway as she tied a robe around her. She folded her arms across her chest as she looked at him with raised eyebrows.
“Do one of you want to tell me what’s going on?” John asked with a tired sigh as he sat down on the couch. The large German Shepherd hopped onto the couch beside him, laying his head in John’s lap. And John absentmindedly began rubbing the dog’s head as he looked up at his best friend and his girl.
“I told you about it, babe,” Frankie said, frowning at him. “Marina?”
“Marina,” John repeated with a nod as the tale came back to him.
“Look, Kelly, I did not mean to lie to her like that,” Levi began, looking at her imploringly. “But the truth is that I have not been able to get your sister off my mind since I first saw her with you at Jake’s Bar. And I don’t know how much Myles has told you about my past, but it’s been a long time since I’ve been this interested in meeting someone. I just want the chance to get to know her. Or I should say, for her to get to know me.”
He stared at Frankie, expecting her to say something. Anything. But she just kept staring at him like she expected more. So he kept rambling.
“Look, you told me that night that your sister wouldn’t date a cop. So obviously, I couldn’t tell her what I really do for a living. Not until she has a chance to get to know me first. Me, okay? Not my job,” he said.
Frankie said nothing as she listened to his excuse. She liked Levi Hawks. She really did. This minor indiscretion aside, he was actually just the type of guy she would choose for her sister. He was intelligent and kind, and he had a great sense of humor. He was almost ideal for Marina.
“Please say something,” he asked quietly.
“What do you want me to say, Hawks? I guess I understand why you did it, okay? But that doesn’t mean that I agree with it. I don’t like the fact that you’re lying to her. And I really hate the position you’ve put me in with my own sister! Did you even think about that? Do you expect me to lie to her for you?”
“No,” he answered, looking her in the eyes. And he meant it. Before he got here, his intention had been to beg her to go along with his little white lie for now. But now that he was standing in front of her and listening to himself, he knew that wasn’t right. “I don’t expect you to lie to her. That’s not fair to you. And that’s why I’m here. To tell you that I’m sorry. And to promise you that I will tell her. I promise. I will tell her everything … after our date tonight.”
“After your date?” Frankie asked, raising an eyebrow at him.
“Yes. Kelly, please. Look … I don’t know what your sister’s issues with cops are, and it really doesn’t matter. But I like her. I like her a lot. And all I’m asking for is one date. Just one date before I tell her the truth. Just to let her get to know me before she arbitrarily writes me off as undateable for no good reason,” he exclaimed. And Frankie could see the passion in his eyes as he talked. This was genuinely important to him. Maybe he really did have a thing for Marina.
“You don’t have to lie to her,” he continued. “Just don’t say anything. Don’t call her before our date. If she calls you, don’t answer. Just give me this one night so that she can make an informed decision before she kicks me to the curb.”
Frankie said nothing as she thought about what a silly mess this whole thing was. She knew her sister’s reasons for not wanting to date cops, and although she didn’t share them, she believed they were valid. She didn’t like any of this. And as her stomach twisted up, John suddenly stood and wrapped his arm around her, and she leaned into him.
“Do you know how upset she’s going to be with me when you tell her the truth?” she asked as her eyes welled up with tears. “I should have told her at the restaurant. I should call her and tell her right now.”
Levi lowered his head in defeat, taking a deep breath and letting it out slowly. He felt like such an ass. This was not him. He was not this selfish, insensitive jerk who was trying to pressure his best friend’s girl into lying for him. What was he doing?
“Okay. I’m sorry,” he said quietly, meeting Frankie’s tearful gaze once more. “You are absolutely right. I have put you in an impossible position and I had no right to do that. I am sorry, Frankie,” he said sincerely. “I didn’t mean to be dishonest. I just wanted a fair shot, you know? But you’re right; you should tell her. You should tell her everything, it … it should definitely come from you. The sooner the better. That way she’ll be less inclined to stay angry with you.”
They were all silent for a moment, and the tension in the air was thick and uncomfortable between them. Finally Levi moved toward the door.
“I’ll see you guys later. And I’m sorry … again, for … everything,” he mumbled, briefly meeting their gazes with an embarrassed expression. Then he opened the door and left without saying another word.
Frankie shook her head and wiped the wetness from her cheeks. And she appreciated John’s comforting palm running over her back.
“If it makes any difference, baby … Levi’s one of the good guys. You know that,” John said quietly, looking her in the eye. “He’s a good man who’s been kicked in the balls by love a couple times. And there for a while, me and Jeremiah … we didn’t think he would ever pull himself out his self-imposed exile. He’s been living like a monk for nearly two years now. But the past three weeks all he has talked about is Marina Kelly. I swear, if he had asked me one more question about your sister I was going to deck him because he’s been driving me crazy.”
“You think I should stay out of it,” she said, and it was more of a statement of fact than a question. “That I should do as he asked and say nothing for now. Give him a chance.”
John shook his head. “I didn’t say that. I understand where you’re coming from too. I know how close you and your sister are; I know what Marina means to you. And I would hate to see anything come between that.”
“But he’s your friend,” Frankie said quietly. “He’s important to you.”
John smiled. “Yes, baby, he’s my friend. But you’re my life,” he explained, caressing her face. “You come first, always. This is a sticky situation. And you need to do whatever feels right to you.”
*
Levi was a bundle of nerves the entire rest of the day. He knew that Frankie had probably called Marina the moment he left the house and told her everything. He kept watching his cellphone, certain that it would be ringing at any minute, and that it would be Marina eager to cuss him out for lying to her and for wasting her time. And when that phone call never came he thought that maybe she was simply too upset, or too angry with him to bother with a phone call. Whichever way it had played out, Levi was pretty sure that his date for the night had been cancelled.
He sulked around the station and even out in the field as he went about his job, going on burglary calls. Normally, Levi loved his work, and he usually threw himself into it with gusto. But today, he wanted to be anywhere but here. What he wanted was to crawl back into bed and forget that he had ever made such a mess of things with Marina.
The strange part of it all was that he understood her misgivings about dating cops. At least, he suspected he did. He wasn’t sure exactly what Marina’s issues were, but he remembered his own mother always being worried about his father’s safety, always praying that he would come home from the job safe and sound at the end of each day. And he had heard his grandmother state on more than one occasion that it took a very special woman to love a police officer. Victory Hawks would say the same about the women who loved firefighters and soldiers as well. When he and Jeremiah were younger, Levi had never really understood what his grandmother meant by any of that. But as he got older it became more clear, especially when he and Jerry both began to prepare to enter the family business themselves. Their parents were long gone by then, but their grandparents, Matthew and Victory, had stepped in to pick up the pieces, raising Levi and Jeremiah from the time they were just ten years old.
By then their grandfather had retired from the job as a lieutenant, but he was still very active on the Eastwood Police force, working part time as a jailer. Levi sighed as he thought about it now. The job was simply in his blood. He and Jeremiah’s family really wasn’t all that different from the Kellys’. Police work could be traced back five generations in the Hawks family tree, starting with Matthew Hawks’ grandfather. Levi knew that he had been born to be exactly what he was: a cop. And even though Jeremiah had left the EPD for the coroner’s office, he hadn’t really left the field completely. His position with the coroner had him putting his ten years on the force and his evidence technician training to good use.
He was driving back to the station from a crime scene as his mind mulled over his blue heritage and how Marina wanted no part of it when he stopped at a red light and realized that he was in the heart of downtown. Looking off to his right he saw the barkery just a few dozen yards away. And before he knew what was happening, he was headed straight for it, almost as if his car had a mind of its own. He didn’t let himself think about what he was going to say to her or how he was going to apologize enough for lying. He simply parked the car, got out, and marched across the parking lot to the store.
He saw her the instant he stepped inside, standing behind the counter and laughing as she talked with a customer. Damn, she was pretty. And suddenly Levi wondered if this was a mistake, coming here. He didn’t want to upset her, and he knew that he was probably the last person she wanted to see right now after hearing what Frankie must have told her.
He felt something heavy bump into his legs, and he looked down to see Marina’s dog leaning into him. He smiled slightly as he reached down to pet the dog’s head.
“Hey, Woolly Bear,” he said quietly. “How you doing, my friend? At least you’re not mad at me, huh?”
Marina saw Bear go trotting across the room and looked to see who he was after. And her heart fell into her stomach the instant she saw Levi standing by the door. Once her customer was taken care of, she quickly made her way over to him.
“Well, this is a surprise.”
Still petting the dog, Levi looked up and there she was, standing right in front of him. He searched her eyes, looking for some sort of indication of her mood or her level of ire at him, but all he saw was her pale blue eyes boring into him.
“Hi, Marina,” he said, smiling nervously as he straightened up. What should he say? Where should he begin? “Um, I’m … I’m sorry for …”
“We must be on the same wavelength or something because I was just thinking about you,” Marina said, smiling at him. And Levi was taken aback.
“You were?” he asked, frowning slightly.
“Yeah. I was hoping you would call, but this is even better! And I know that this makes me sound like a total flake,” she said, lightly grabbing his upper arm in a flirty gesture, “but … I couldn’t remember what time we said for tonight.”
Levi stared at her in a disbelieving fog for a moment. She was still planning on going out with him! She wasn’t angry that he had lied to her.
And in that instant, it hit him. Frankie hadn’t said anything. It had been hours since Levi had left John and Frankie’s place, and at the time he’d been certain that Frankie was on the phone to her sister before he had even gotten back into his cruiser. But apparently that wasn’t the case. She hadn’t said anything. She was giving him the fair shot he’d begged her for.
“Uh, we said seven,” he answered somewhat anxiously. “But we can change that if you need to.”
“Can we make it seven thirty instead?” she smiled. “That would give me a little more time to run home and shower.”
“Sure. Seven thirty is perfect,” he answered, smiling at her.
“Great,” Marina smiled. And then her smile morphed into a frown. “I’m sorry, you were about to say something before. What was it?”
“Oh, I uh … I’m afraid I haven’t been able to get that coffee off my mind,” he smiled. “Thought I’d just pop in for a cup to go.”
Marina smiled broadly at him. “Coming right up.”
She quickly fetched him a cup of coffee and then refused to let him pay for it. So Levi placed a few dollars into the tip jar on the counter. Then he smiled at her and left the store. And as he made his way back to his cruiser he felt like he was floating on air. Frankie had granted him a reprieve, and now it was up to him to make the most of it.
*
Marina dashed around her house, rushing to get ready on time. She was so excited about her date with Levi she almost couldn’t stand herself. And it took her forever to decide what she wanted to wear. The problem was dinner and a movie. Those were the plans they had made, and dinner could mean anything from a hot dog stand to a four-star restaurant while a movie was definitely more of a casual affair. In the end, she decided on a pair of black leggings and a sexy, flowy, sleeveless tunic in a fun black and white print. She stepped into a pair of black open-toed mary-jane heels and then looked herself over in the mirror.
“Not bad, Kelly,” she said to herself. Not too casual, not too dressy.
She was getting Bear squared away, putting him in the spare bedroom with his favorite toys and a small bowl of water when the doorbell rang. And the flutter in her belly made her both smile and roll her eyes at herself.
“Okay, you be a good boy,” she said, giving the dog a light scratch on his head as she left the room, making sure to lock the latch on the pet gate at the door of the room. Then she dashed out to the living room and opened the door.
“Hi,” she said, greeting him with a bright, breathless smile as she motioned him inside.
“Hi,” Levi smiled.
He stepped inside as he held her gaze, and the expression in her eyes immediately brought an image of rumpled bed sheets to his mind. He looked away with a shy smile. Maybe he really was ready to start dating again after all. Or maybe he was finally just horny as hell. Either way, Levi was hungry, and Marina Kelly looked like a smorgasbord of exotic treats to him.
“Just let me grab my purse and we can go,” she said, turning to dash down the hallway. He smiled to himself as he looked around the room, his eyes lighting on the various Kelly family photographs on one wall.
Marina looked him over as she emerged from the hallway, and thought, yum. He was dressed casually in a pair of dark blue jeans and a black dress shirt. And she had noticed when he walked through the door that he smelled amazing. He turned and smiled at her when she entered the room.
“Ready?”
“Yep,” she answered.
“You look really pretty, by the way,” he said, looking her over with an almost bashful smile, and Marina just wanted to eat him up. He was so sweet.
“Thanks,” she smiled. “You don’t look too bad yourself, you know?”
Levi chuckled lightly as they headed out the front door. Once outside, he held the car door open for her, and as he started up the car, Marina’s curiosity got the better of her.
“So, where are we going?” she asked.
“Well, that depends. How do you feel about Moroccan food?” he asked with a smile.
“Moroccan food?” she repeated, cocking an eyebrow at him. And the coy smile on her face brought that rumpled sheets image back to his mind. “On a first date? That can get pretty sensual.”
Levi’s smile grew wider. And a little bit wicked. “I’m game if you are.”
“Are you flirting with me, Mr. Hawks?” Marina asked, looking him in the eye.
“I’m trying my damnedest,” he answered without hesitation, still smiling at her. “How am I doing?”
“Surprisingly well,” she responded. “It’s working for me. Moroccan food it is.”
He pulled away from the curb and they talked easily on the drive to the restaurant. Levi learned all about the quirks and traits of the Bernese Mountain Dog and why they were the perfect breed as far as Marina was concerned. And he smiled as he realized that Marina had a real gift for gab. Probably one of the reasons why her unusual bakery was so popular. She was bubbly and fun, and her sense of humor was as wicked as his own. If the rest of the date went as well as the car ride to Spice, Levi had nothing to worry about.
When they arrived, they stepped into the restaurant and Marina was struck by the simple elegance of the place. The walls were painted a deep red color and the floors were covered in exotic-looking carpets. There were embroidered textiles and tapestries everywhere and brass lanterns strewn about the space. Inviting Moroccan music played softly in the background. Marina had been here a few times before, but only with family. She had never come here on a date, but it suddenly occurred to her that this was actually a very romantic place to bring a date, and she wondered if Levi had chosen it for that reason.
They were seated at a small, round table that was set with no silverware and sported intricately carved, brightly painted chairs. And Marina smiled when Levi sat to her right and she could feel his knee lightly bumping against hers.
“This is a romantic spot,” she said quietly, after they had ordered. She stared into his eyes, noting that they were so unusual. The deepest shade of blue she’d ever seen.
“You think so?” Levi asked.
“Mmm hmm,” she mumbled. “You disagree?”
He shrugged as he glanced around the place. He had to admit, he had chosen this restaurant deliberately. But he wasn’t sure that he wanted to admit that to her. “It does have a certain atmosphere to it,” he said, meeting her gaze once more.
“Do you come here a lot?” she asked as the waitress brought their drinks, and a small silver pitcher of water to wash their hands. One at a time, they held their hands over the small silver bowl as the waitress slowly poured the water into their palms. Marina rubbed her hands together beneath the stream. Then she was given a soft white hand towel to dry off with as the waitress turned and repeated the procedure with Levi. Once their hands were clean, he fixed her with a serious expression.
“I don’t eat here nearly as often as I’d like to,” he said, answering her earlier question. “I love the food here. But unfortunately, this place has been relegated to birthdays and special occasions. Last time I was here was for my grandparents’ anniversary.”
“How long have they been together?” Marina asked.
“Mmm, fifty-three years, I think,” he said, frowning as he tried to remember exactly how long it had been.
“Wow. That’s a long time,” she smiled.
Levi returned her smile. “Yep,” he nodded.
“What about your parents? Are they still together?” The moment she asked the question, Marina saw a flash of something in his eyes. Sorrow maybe? It only served to make her more curious.
“Yeah, they’re still together. They’ll be together for eternity, if you believe that sort of thing,” Levi stated, looking down at the table. Then he sighed and met her eyes once more, giving her a small smile. “My parents are dead.”
“Oh.” Marina gave a soft, surprised gasp, and suddenly felt horrible for asking.
“Car crash. Almost twenty years ago. We were coming home from a camping trip. We used to go camping a lot,” he said, smiling at the memory. “I don’t really remember much; I was sleeping when it happened. But I remember waking up to screeching tires and screams. The reports said they died instantly. Jeremiah and I both walked away without a scratch. We had just turned ten, and the camping trip was a birthday gift. Neither one of us has been camping since.”
Marina reached out and grabbed his hand, holding it in her own as she looked into his eyes. “I’m sorry,” she said simply.
The moisture in her eyes and the genuine compassion he saw there took him by surprise, and without thinking, he brought her hand up to his lips and kissed it tenderly. And when he looked into her eyes again, Levi felt the strongest pull toward her. He couldn’t have stopped himself if he had tried. He leaned in and tenderly kissed her lips, allowing his lips to linger there for a few fleeting seconds.
Marina closed her eyes as his lips pressed against hers, and she felt the impact all the way down in her toes as her skin tingled deliciously. When he pulled away and looked into her eyes, she smiled bashfully at him, biting her bottom lip as she looked away.
“I’m sorry if that was too forward,” he began.
“No,” she said emphatically. Then she smiled again. “It was nice.”
Levi smiled at her. And the kiss seemed to serve as a magical ice breaker between them. After that the conversation never lulled. As he strategically avoided the topic of his job, they talked about their likes and dislikes and discovered that they had quite a bit in common. They shared a love of classic pop and R&B music, and they both preferred action movies to chick flicks or the artsy stuff. They both considered their siblings to be their best friends, and they both had a love for travel, even though neither one of them got to travel as much as they would like. And when he finally got up the nerve, Levi asked about her family, hoping to get to the bottom of her cop issues.
“So tell me, what’s it like growing up in a family of cops but not being one yourself?” he smiled.
Marina rolled her eyes. “It was a living hell. My dad was as strict as a Marine drill sergeant, and he’s such a male chauvinistic, control freak anyway. You know, I actually see that in all three of my siblings too. Not the chauvinistic part, I mean, Storm and Ethan are both very supportive of strong women. But they all … Frankie included, they’re just such control freaks, you know? I don’t know why exactly, but I think the job makes them that way.”
“Really?” he frowned. Levi had never thought of himself as a control freak before. Granted, most cops he knew had a certain air of authority, a certain way of carrying themselves. But he had never considered that to be control freak behavior.
“That’s why I refuse to date them,” she smiled. And Levi met her eyes with interest.
“You don’t date them?” he asked.
“Nope. I want nothing to do with them,” she said emphatically. “I mean, obviously, I can’t get away from them because I do love my siblings and my cousins, but … I would just rather stay as far away from the whole law enforcement world as I can get.”
Levi swallowed nervously giving her an anxious smile and a small nod of his head. He knew that he was completely screwed.
When their food arrived, they ate in traditional Moroccan style, using their hands to facilitate a sensuous connection with the food. Their fingers became their eating utensils as they enjoyed the savory lamb and chicken dishes they had ordered.
“Remember,” the waitress said as she came by to fill their glasses, “eating with your hands is about sharing.” She gave them both a sly smile as she walked away, leaving Marina and Levi looking at one another with wide, hungry eyes. And Marina couldn’t believe it when Levi took a pinch of the chicken and rice between his fingers and brought it to her mouth. His eyes bored into hers as he silently challenged her. And she didn’t hesitate. She leaned forward and opened her mouth, allowing him to feed her from his fingers.
They stared into each other’s eyes as she chewed, and the expression on his face was so hot, Marina thought she might combust right there at the table. Tearing herself from his gaze, she reached down to the bowl and took some of the lamb in her fingers and offered it to him. He opened his mouth, never taking his eyes off of hers. And Marina licked her lips as she watched him chew.
They spent the rest of the meal in relative silence, feeding one another as their eyes drank each other in. The sexual chemistry between them was suddenly way too hot for either one of them to contain, and when Levi leaned in and kissed her again, this time like he meant it, allowing his tongue to slowly explore hers as he tasted her, Marina felt it in her groin.
“You know, there is a saying I heard in this restaurant a few years ago,” Levi panted softly as he looked into her eyes. “Eating with a knife and a fork is like trying to make love through an interpreter.”
“Really?” Marina questioned breathlessly. Then she shook her head slightly as she stared into his eyes. “I don’t think we’re going to need an interpreter.”
“You want to get out of here and find out?” he asked.
“Yes. Right now.”
All thoughts of catching a movie evaporated into thin air as Levi quickly summoned the waitress for their check. And once it was paid, he ushered Marina through the restaurant and out to the car. The drive back to her place passed by in a haze of traffic lights, probing hands and stolen kisses. And as he struggled to keep the car in his lane when Marina’s hand travelled up his thigh, he was really happy that they didn’t catch the attention of any of his coworkers along the way, because he knew for certain that he had weaved the line a couple of times.
When he pulled into her driveway they wasted no time getting out of the car and making their way to her door. And when she felt Levi’s hand move her hair to the side and his lips touching the back of her neck, Marina dropped the door key she had been fumbling with.
“Oh,” she breathed.
She felt his hands snake around her waist as he continued to kiss a trail from the back of her ear down her neck. With great difficulty, she pulled away from him, turning to look in his eyes. But before she could speak his mouth was on hers and he was pulling her closer, and Marina let herself melt into him with a soft moan, kissing him back eagerly as they fell against her front door.
Levi pulled himself away from her and quickly bent down to retrieve her house key from the ground. Without a word, he inserted the key into the lock and opened her door. Then he held her key out to her.
Marina took him by the hand and led him inside the house, closing the door behind them. And when she turned to face him he had the sexiest expression in his eyes as he stared at her. She stepped closer to him, looking into his eyes.
“I feel like I should tell you that it’s been a while for me,” she said softly, suddenly feeling timid.
Levi reached out with one arm and pulled her even closer as he held her gaze. “Something else we have in common. It’s been a long time for me too,” he told her. “So long that I was starting to believe I’d never feel this again. But then I looked up and there you were, and I have not been able to get you off my mind since.”
Marina smiled at his words as she settled into his embrace. And he kissed her again as his arms tightened around her. Then in one swift motion, he picked her up and her legs closed around him.
“Bedroom?” he asked in a heated pant.
“Down there,” she said, pointing to their left. “End of the hall.”
Clumsily, they made their way down the hall, passing a very interested Bear in the process. The dog whined as they ignored him and continued on to the bedroom.
When they entered the room he set her on her feet and didn’t hesitate as he reached for the hem of her top and lifted it over her head. And when he pulled her into his arms again, Marina quickly began to undo the buttons on his shirt.
They moved with eager, hurried hands as they undressed one another amid desperate kisses. When he had her stripped completely Marina suddenly felt her back against the cold, smooth wall of her room as Levi hungrily kissed a trail from her neck all the way down her torso, stopping briefly to tease each breast with his mouth. And when he knelt before her and lifted her left leg over his shoulder as his tongue tasted the depths of her sex, Marina wasn’t at all sure how she kept standing.
Her hands found their way into his hair as he lingered, and she began to shudder. And as her body began to build, her hands searched desperately for something to anchor her, but all she felt was the smooth wall behind her as her body raced toward a climax. She felt his large hand on her midriff, steadying her, and she moaned loudly as her orgasm rolled through her.
Eyes closed, she felt her body slump forward as she struggled to resurface. And when he picked her up and carried her to the bed, Marina opened her eyes and stared up into his as he laid her down.
“Your turn,” she whispered. Then she rolled over, forcing him to lay back against the pillows as she straddled him. She leaned down to kiss him, tasting her own saltiness on his lips and tongue. Then she kissed a meandering trail over his chest and down his stomach.
His impressive manhood stood up to greet her approach, and Marina licked her lips before she took him into her mouth. She let her tongue play over the head of his penis, sucking gently before she took him deeper into her mouth.
Levi grunted as he watched her technique, and the sight of his dick in her mouth was almost as hot as the sensations themselves. He reached out and weaved his fingers through her hair as her head moved up and down over him. He looked away, trying to make himself think of something mundane and boring so that he could last longer. But it was no use. It had been so long since he had been with a woman, and her mouth felt so damn good.
“Ah, fuck. Marina!”
It was all the warning Marina got before the warm creamy liquid hit the back of her throat. And she smiled as she slowly ran her tongue up from the base of his penis to his abdomen, and back up to his chest. He grabbed her suddenly and turned, rolling her onto her back as he kissed her hard.
“Please tell me you have a condom,” Marina whispered between kisses.
Levi looked down into her eyes as he recalled a phone conversation with Jeremiah where his brother reminded him to put a few condoms in his pocket before his big date, just in case. At the time, he had been ready to kill Jerry for meddling so much, but now he was grateful.
“Yes, I have a condom,” he smiled. He got up and quickly found his discarded jeans, fishing through the pockets for the treasures. When he found what he was looking for and rolled one on, he returned to the bed, kissing Marina’s navel. Then he kissed the spot between her breasts before finally kissing her deeply.
Still entangled in his kiss, Marina gasped as he entered her, and their breaths mingled as he moved in and out of her. She felt every inch of him as he thrust deeply into her, moving at a steady, even pace.
“Levi,” she moaned, feeling her body begin to sing as he increased his tempo.
“Oh, God, you feel so good,” he whispered harshly at her ear.
Her moans became louder as her orgasm began to spiral out of control, and Marina screamed his name as her whole body quivered.
“Ah!”
Levi groaned loudly as he exploded inside of her. And when he collapsed on top of her all he could think of was how good it felt being in her arms. He pulled out of her and slipped his arm beneath her, rolling onto his back as he brought her along with him. And as they lay struggling to catch their breath, Levi held her close.
They were quiet for a long time as they held one another, and Marina listened to the beating of his heart as her head rested on his chest. And as she lay there she knew that she was already a goner. Levi Hawks was incredible. Sweet, funny, romantic. Handsome as hell, sexy as sin. And Marina knew that she could fall so hard for him with very little effort. He was almost the perfect man.
“Oh, crap,” she said as she popped up with a start.
“What’s wrong?”
“I forgot about Bear,” she answered. “He’s been cooped up in the spare room since we left for dinner. I need to let him out before he has an accident on the carpet.”
Levi smiled as she crawled over him and got out of the bed. He watched as she bent down and picked his shirt up from the floor and put it on as she left the room.
Marina fastened a couple of the buttons on the shirt as she walked down the hall to the spare room.
“Hey, Woolly Bear,” she said, smiling at the dog as he wagged his tail happily at her. “You have been a very good boy tonight. Come on, let’s go outside.”
She opened up the pet gate and turned to head down the hallway, but Bear took off in the opposite direction, running straight for her bedroom.
“Bear!”
By the time she got to the doorway of her room the dog was sprawled across the bed as Levi scratched his belly and chest. It was the sweetest thing in the world, and Marina shook her head as she smiled.
“Can I get you anything while I’m up?”
“Some water would be nice,” Levi answered as he continued to pet the dog.
“Bear, come!”
Reluctantly, the dog rolled over and jumped off the bed, following Marina from the room. In the kitchen, she let him out into the backyard as she retrieved a bottle of water from the fridge. She watched through the window as the dog took care of his business and then came trotting back to the door. And when she let him back in, he shot past her and headed straight for her bedroom once more, eager to see his new friend again.
Marina smirked in a good-natured way as she entered the room and found Levi sitting against the headboard, petting the dog’s head.
“Your water,” she said handing the bottle to him.
“Thanks,” he smiled.
“Okay, Bear, I think you’ve bothered our guest enough,” Marina smiled. “Let’s go.”
The dog hopped off of the bed once more and followed her to the bedroom door.
“You don’t have to put him away for my benefit,” Levi said, taking a swig of his water.
“No?” Marina questioned.
Levi shook his head with an amused frown.
“Well, that’s good to know, ‘cause it’s sort of like … love me, love my dog,” she said as she walked over to the bed and sat down, turning to face him.
“Really? It’s like that, huh?” Levi smiled.
“Yep,” she nodded.
“Well then I guess it’s a good thing Bear and I are so close,” he smiled, and Marina giggled.
“I didn’t realize you two knew each other that well,” she said.
“Oh, yeah. We go way back a couple of days now. We’re like this,” he said, crossing his fingers for emphasis. He smiled as he listened to the sound of her giggles. And she looked so sexy sitting there in nothing but his shirt. He reached out and grabbed the shirt at her chest and gently pulled her to him, and Marina settled in his arms as he held her. He kissed her forehead as her arms circled him.
“This has been the most amazing night,” he said softly as his lips lightly grazed her skin.
“For me too,” Marina admitted.
“Best first date ever,” he grinned, and she giggled some more. “I don’t want it to come to an end,” he said almost cryptically.
Marina looked up at him and frowned. “Who said it has to end?”
Levi smiled at her. “Well, it’s just the laws of physics, I’m afraid. Eventually, the night will give way to dawn. There’s nothing we can do about it.”
Marina smiled as she looked up at him. “Okay, science guy. So, the night may come to an end, but the relationship is just beginning.”
Levi smiled broadly at her as he caressed her face. “I like the way you think,” he said before he kissed her.