Cami
“You must be Cami!” A friendly woman with beach blonde waves and bright blue eyes opens the door. She’s smiling warmly and I like her instantly. She kind of reminds me of an older, more mature Jenna.
“I am,” I say, hugging her hello.
“I’m Maisy.” Maisy hugs me back.
“Thank you so much for having us tonight,” I say, stepping aside so Stella and Leif can greet Maisy.
While they say hello, I’m intercepted by a giant of a man with dark eyes and a man-bun. I grin. “You must be Brawler.”
He smirks. “I like that my name precedes me.” Brawler pulls me into a hug.
“Thanks for inviting me.” I hand him the bottle of wine I picked up. Leif also has a few bottles but I wanted to bring something too. I wanted Leif to know that I’m making an effort to connect with his teammates.
“Thanks, Cami. You didn’t have to bring anything.” Brawler places the wine bottle on a countertop. “Let me introduce you to everyone.” He guides me deeper into his home. It’s an open-concept floor plan and I love how the spaces blend together.
When we enter the living room, two hulking men—obviously teammates of Leif’s—stand. Two women chatting by the fireplace turn toward us and come closer. “This is Damien—”
“Team Captain,” I say.
Damien grins. “You got it. Good to meet you, Cami.” He holds out a hand and I shake it. “This is my fiancée, Harper.”
“I still love hearing that!” Harper singsongs, pulling me into a hug. “It’s so good to meet you. I’m in the midst of wedding planning so we can compare notes.”
I smile at her friendliness. “I’d like that.”
“This is my daughter, Lola,” Brawler continues.
“Hi, Cami!” Lola hugs me hello. Just then, a little cry rings out. “Oops, Mia’s awake. Excuse me.” She darts down a hallway.
“I’m River.” The tough-looking guy with tattoos stretching from his neck to his knuckles says, holding out a hand.
I exchange a handshake. “I’ve heard of you.”
“Uh-oh,” Harper teases.
I blush and shake my head. “No, nothing bad. Stella was just saying how nice it was to see you again since you used to play in the same circuit as Leif and Jensen.”
River nods. “It’s been a long time, but Stella is a trip.”
“She definitely is,” I agree.
Damien laughs. “What are you drinking?”
“I got it,” Brawler says, moving toward the kitchen to get drinks.
“Oh, thanks!” I call after him.
“I know Cole and Beau are going to be disappointed they missed meeting you,” Harper says, referencing two more of Leif’s teammates. “They’re practically brothers-in-law since Beau’s little sister Bea is dating Cole.”
“And they’re in Mexico at the moment for their Gran’s birthday.” River shakes his head, looking amused. “Gran’s turning ninety-three—”
“Or ninety-four?” Damien asks.
River shrugs. “She’s in her nineties, man, and the fact that she can still rally and get all her grandkids to take a trip to Mexico is the biggest flex I’ve ever seen.”
We all laugh. “I hope I’m like that in my nineties,” I admit.
“You and me both,” Stella agrees, coming into our huddle.
Brawler hands me a glass of wine and I relax. Little pockets of conversation break out. When I look over my shoulder, Leif’s eyes are on me, watching. I give him a smile and he grins back, his blue eyes dancing.
We’re doing it. And it feels good. Right.
“It’s crazy to think you two married on a fluke,” Harper comments.
I look at her, waiting for an explanation.
She looks between me and Leif and then leans closer, lowering her voice. “He looks at you like you’ve known each other for years. Like he’s smitten.”
“You think so?” I ask, wondering if she’s being truthful or just trying to make me feel better.
“Yeah, I do.” Harper’s tone is serious, her expression certain.
“I hope so,” I whisper back, grateful to feel a connection to someone here.
“Me too,” she agrees, grinning. “And I love your purple ring.”
I hold out my hand and we both laugh.
When I look up, Leif is still watching me. And I realize Harper’s right, he does look smitten. I wonder if I look at him the same way.
It’s only been a handful of weeks but the way I feel for Leif is different. At the end of the day, I look forward to speaking with him. When too many hours pass, I find myself wondering about his day. I get excited when he comes over or we make plans.
Is this what dating is supposed to feel like? Is this the beginning of falling in love?
God, I hope so.
I’m tipsy the moment I pull Leif into my apartment.
Stella, bless her, grabbed a ride home with River, Lola, and Mia since they were going in the same direction as Leif’s place. In fact, she seemed giddy at the thought of Leif and me shacking up.
Another nonconventional reaction I’m embracing because for the last third of the evening at the Daires’ house, all I could think about was getting my husband naked.
Leif closes the door behind him and locks up. When he turns to face me, I’ve already whipped off the dainty, floral camisole I wore to dinner, and I’m working on the zipper of my skirt.
Leif freezes, his eyes drinking me in. Then, he’s at my side, stilling my hands, touching my waist, and stepping into my frame. “Don’t rush tonight, Knox. Tonight, I want to enjoy every inch of you.”
I shiver from the promise in his tone, from the gravity shading his eyes. “Leif…” His name is a whisper on my lips.
He sweeps my hair behind my shoulders, gathers it in his large hand, and twists, angling my head as his mouth drops to mine. His kiss lingers and we take our time, our tongues meeting in languid strokes. I tug on the hem of his shirt and manage to roll it up his body until he reaches behind his neck and tugs it off, dropping it on the floor.
Then, my palms are on the smooth skin of his chest, my fingers inching down to trace the ridges of his abs. His arms wrap around me, one hand grabbing my ass as he presses me against him.
He’s already hard, already wanting, and the knowledge that I can turn on a man like Leif Bang is an ego boost that hits like a shot of adrenaline. I pop the button on his jeans, he slides down the zipper of my skirt, and within minutes, we’re clad in our underwear, our bodies pressed together.
This time, our coming together is different. We’re not drunk. We’re not even tipsy. We’re just us, inhaling each other’s exhales and learning the map of each other’s bodies.
My hands track over Leif’s strong back, my fingertips brushing the colors of the sunset. Leif’s mouth trails down the column of my neck, his fingers hooking under the thin straps of my bra. Then, he lifts me. He does so easily, and I wrap my legs around his waist as he walks into my bedroom, one hand gripping my ass, the other splayed wide in the center of my back.
He lays me in the center of my bed. Gently.
He looms over me. A giant, taking up all the space, the air, of the room and commanding my entire focus. I shiver from the pure desire flaring in his eyes.
And I don’t compare the man before me to Levi Rousell. I don’t even think of Levi. Because there is no comparison. Leif Bang blots out my past mistakes, my greatest source of shame, my inability to fully trust the man I’m with, and allows me to let go.
To surrender to the moment.
I reach for him, and he comes gladly, settling his strong, ripped, gorgeous body between my thighs. He kisses me deeply. His touch is sure and thorough. The most incredible man I’ve ever met with the bluest eyes I’ve ever seen makes love to me like I’m worthy of every single thing he has to offer. Like I’m worthy of him.
He removes my bra slowly, rolls my panties down my legs, and kisses his way down. He takes his time enjoying my breasts, pulling them in between his lips one at a time. He flicks his tongue over my nipples, trails kisses over the soft swells. He licks a path down my abdomen, brushes his fingertips over the ink on my ribs.
I’m so turned on, I can feel the heat gathering between my legs. I arch my back each time his lips make contact with my sensitive skin, wanting his mouth to claim my core with a desperation that borders on needy.
But Leif wasn’t kidding. Tonight, he is savoring me, and we share another moment. Another instant when time seems to stop.
My fingers grip the hair on the side of his head. One of my legs is tossed over his shoulder, the other bent at the knee. His large hand grips my inner thigh, the other slips underneath my ass. I look down at him and bite my bottom lip to keep from calling out.
I’m hot and achy. Keyed up and desperate. It feels like I’m about to unravel and I’ve never wanted it as badly as I do tonight.
Leif’s eyes are hooded. Electric blue and an arrow to my heart. “You’re it for me, Knox.” His voice is a rasp. A confession. A promise.
And then, his mouth drops to my core, and he licks a path through my slick folds before sucking softly—deliciously—on my clit. And I see stars.
“Leif.” His name is a prayer, an exaltation, on my lips.
My hips come off the bed and my eyes squeeze shut.
Leif holds my thighs open as he licks and nibbles and worships the most sensitive part of my body in a way no man has bothered before. It’s a matter of mere heartbeats before I’m ready to shatter.
Need coils in my lower abdomen. Pressure builds. My heat rolls and the sound of Leif smacking his lips is a reminder that I’m so damn wet for him. Dripping.
He slides two fingers inside and curls his finger.
“Oh, God,” I cry out.
He pumps them slowly.
I grasp at my duvet cover, fisting it in my hand.
His mouth sucks at my clit, his tongue flattening against the little bundle of nerves.
And I shatter.
“Leif…” I reach for him with my free hand. But he continues his ministrations, wringing the orgasm from my body and allowing me the time to crest and coast on the pleasure it provides.
It’s intense and wonderful. It’s colors and light. It’s unlike any moment I’ve ever shared with a man, and it wraps me in the knowledge I’ve been seeking.
This is right. Leif is good. We’re meant to be.
Fate. Kismet. Destiny.
I believe it. I believe in him. Us.
I arch my back one final time before pressing my body back into the mattress. Leif smirks before kissing his way back up my body. My skin feels hot, feverish. His mouth is cool, a salve. When his lips take mine, I kiss him deeply, passionately, and he enters me easily.
My body is ready for him. Wants him. Hell, needs him.
“Oh, fuck, Cami,” he mutters as he bottoms out. His fingers push my hair out of my face and he looks at me, truly sees me, while our bodies our joined. We’re connected on every level possible and it’s heady, exhilarating, home. “You’re it for me.”
“You’re mine,” I reply, closing my eyes and pulling him closer for another kiss.
Leif begins to move, pumping in and out, rolling his hips, and setting a pace that is both languid and delicious. He makes love to me like I’m a treasure and I savor him because I know he is.
Wearing only my purple ring, I come together with my husband and know in my heart that I’m starting to fall for him.
I relish knowing this isn’t a mistake. No, being with Leif is only the beginning.
We come together, ride out that delicious wave, and collapse beside each other, breathless and giddy.
“Cami, that was…” Leif trails off, his eyes wild.
“Thanks for not giving up on us, Leif.”
He shakes his head slightly, his lips pressing together. He grabs my hip and pulls me closer, until my mouth can press a kiss to the hollow of his throat. “I’ll never give up on us, Cami.”
The reassurance in his voice makes me smile.
Against all odds, Leif gave me something real to trust in. Him. Even though I don’t deserve it. Even though I’ve spent three years faltering and confused about how to move forward with a man. I’m doing it with my husband, and I’m not scared. I’m emboldened. Confident.
I’m falling in love.
I bite my bottom lip as Leif hugs me to his chest. We fall asleep in each other’s arms, and I feel safe. Home.
I wake to the sound of dripping water. Slow, steady, continuous.
At first, I think it’s rain but then, I realize that it’s coming from inside my apartment. Shaking myself awake, I sit up in bed and look around my bedroom.
“Leif.” I give him a little nudge.
“Hmm?” He turns, one hand bent behind his head. His bare chest is on full display and his lips are pursed in sleep.
I take a moment to admire him because I’m human. Lightly, I trace his mouth. “You’re beautiful.”
His lips curve into a smile. His eyes blink open. “Love waking up to your face, Knox.”
I smile back. “I’m glad to hear that because I think we have a situation.”
Sleep fades from Leif’s eyes at the truth in my tone. He sits up, his body now alert. “What’s that sound?”
“So you hear it, too?” I snort. Then groan. “We must have a leak somewhere.”
“Stay here.” He slips from bed, and I get a glorious second to admire his ass. Then, he pulls on his jeans. Boo.
Leif pads into the hallway and I wrap myself in a robe, moving to follow him.
When I step beside him by the kitchen, I note he’s looking up. I follow his gaze and snort.
Water is dripping from the ceiling, splattering to the floor right in front of my kitchen sink.
“The apartment above you must have a busted pipe,” Leif comments.
“I like that you know these things,” I muse.
He looks at me. “Are you upset?”
“About what?” I shrug. “It’s just a leak. We’re not getting carried away in floodwaters.”
Leif smirks. Tosses an arm around my shoulders. “Sometimes, I think we’re too much alike, Cami Coleman.”
“Is that a good or bad thing?” I snuggle closer.
“Still deciding,” he admits honestly.
I snort and press a kiss to the side of his chest.
He tightens his hold on me. “You know what this means, right?”
“What?”
“You’re moving in with me, my wife.”
“I…” I trail off. Because I don’t hate the idea. In fact, a tiny thrill shoots down my spine. I bite the corner of my mouth and glance around the space Mom and I decorated. “I only lasted here a month.”
Leif snickers. He drops a kiss to the top of my head. “If you’re not ready to move in, we’ll set you up someplace else,” he offers like the gentleman he is.
“No, it’s okay. I want to move in with you.”
“Yeah?” His eyes dance.
I nod. Smile. Commit. “Yes.”
Leif lets out an exhale. “I’m glad to hear it, Cam.”
I frown. “Really?” I didn’t think us living apart was bothering him.
He nods. “This means my mom will go home and give us a break.”
I sputter out a laugh at Leif’s reasoning and realize I would feel the exact same way. We stand in my leaky kitchen, half naked, and fold over with laughter.
And I relish that too.