novelnext Filthy Brother
Filthy Brother
“Morning, baby,” he tells me.
I swear if I wasn’t already lying down, I’d have swooned so hard I’d end up horizontal anyway.
“Morning, handsome,” I whisper back, leaning in to kiss him.
For a moment, we just lie there together, soaking up the happiness. Then, Levi asks what my plan for the day is, and I remember that I promised Crystal, my co-worker and friend, that I’d cover her afternoon shift today. I groan, not wanting to move out of this bed. “I have to work at one,” I tell Levi with a reluctant sigh.
He chuckles, deep and rich. “Well, as much as I’d like you to walk around in my shirt all day,” he says, tugging at the hem of the shirt I wore to sleep in, “you’ll probably need to go home and change, right?”
For a split second, the still-aching, damaged part of my heart that Edward stomped on burns with pain. Is Levi kicking me out? But just as soon as the scared voice asks that thought, the warmth and comfort of Levi’s arms around me chases it away. No. Levi isn’t his brother. He’s so much better. He cares about me, he’s proven that. Hell, he’s taken care of me for months, asking for nothing in return.
I take a deep breath, calming myself.
“What happened there, baby?” he asks, stroking a warm hand down my cheek.
I swallow. “I just got worried for a second,” I admit, knowing I can share these things with him. I trust him. “Thought that maybe you wanted me to leave and go back home. But I know you didn’t mean it like that and I know it’s just my negative mind talking?—”
“Whoa, no, baby, I meant that I’d come back to yours with you,” he clarifies. “I’m sorry, Lace, I didn’t mean to make you worry. I’m not leaving your side, baby. You’re mine now. I meant that.”
“How are you so perfect?” I ask in awe, my heart feeling all warm and soft for him.
Levi shakes his head, sitting up and taking me with him, the blankets falling off us. “You’re the perfect one, Lace,” he says softly, helping me to my feet and stretching. “All I’m doing is trying to make you see that.”
Yeah, perfect doesn’t even cover it. If I didn’t feel the evidence that he was very real, I’d have questioned if I was hallucinating him because surely men like this didn’t actually exist. Or, if they do, they don’t want someone like me. A silly girl who didn’t see that her fiance was cheating on her for months, then went and got her heart broken by a man who never really loved her in the first place.
I refuse to let the thoughts of my ex ruin this, though.
Reluctantly, we get dressed, him in comfy clothes that look insanely mouthwatering on his muscled body and me in my dress from last night. I offer to help with breakfast when Levi goes to cook, but he pins me with a look and says, “You’re going to sit that cute butt on my sofa and let me take care of you. Understand, Lace?”
I nod dumbly, following his instructions. Is it weird that I like it when he bosses me around like that? There’s a loving demand in his voice that does weird things to my heart.
He feeds me a delicious meal of scrambled eggs, fresh fruit, and toast before calling a taxi to take us to my place. I don’t live far, but I’m wearing the heels from the club and really don’t want to walk in them.
Still, my apartment’s on the third floor, and I’m vowing never to wear these stupid things again by the time I finally get inside. I kick them off immediately, smiling as Levi laughs at me.
My smile dies the moment I take in my place, a weight settling over me. The apartment itself is nice, warm, and cozy but with more than enough space not to feel cramped. It’s the memories attached to it that make it feel suffocating. Immediately, I miss the peace of Levi’s place.
“All I can see in here is all the bad memories,” I mumble quietly, sighing and beginning to walk to the bedroom to get changed. Levi follows closely, a welcome presence.
“From here on out, you’re gonna have good memories, baby,” he promises when we reach the bedroom. I pause where I’m searching through my wardrobe, grabbing plain black jeans and a T-shirt for work. “I’m gonna give you good memories.”
Emotion clogs my throat, and I yank my dress off over my head to hide the way my eyes water at just how sweet Levi is. For a man everyone thinks is a scary grump, he’s got the warmest, kindest heart of anyone I’ve ever met.
Abandoning my quest to get dressed into work clothes, I step towards him. He meets me halfway, arms open and ready to embrace me. I tuck myself against his chest, naked skin rubbing on his clothes.
“Are there bad memories in this room?” he asks gently as he holds me close.
I nod against him, loving the way his hand strokes up and down my spine.
“Let me chase them away, baby,” he offers. “Let me show you all the ways I’ve dreamed about filling you with nothing but bliss for months.”
My body reacts immediately, absolutely on board with this plan. And my heart, as bruised and sore as it is, wants what he’s offering. Wants to have something good to chase away the shadows of all the bad things that have happened. Levi knows exactly what I need, and I want to let him give it to me. I’m safe with him. There’s no need for hesitation here.
In answer, I tip my head back and kiss him. It starts off sweet, a brush of lips, a little pressure, but when my tongue flicks against his, we grow hungry. The kiss turns needy, our combined moans rushing through my bloodstream. I feel myself growing wet, pressing my naked thighs together even though I know nothing will ease the ache between them except him.