Page 53 of Every Single Broken Piece
I’m overcome with satisfaction that I’m the only one who brings out this side in him.
Somehow, the kiss is both gentle and demanding, his tongue and lips alternating between different pressures that have me melting into his embrace. I move one hand to the back of his head, my fingers finding the short strands, while my other palm greedily explores the hard planes of his chest.
His stubble keeps scraping against my sensitive skin in the most delicious way, and I’m a second away from begging him to strip me naked when he wisely slows the kiss down until we’re both keeping still, our rushed breaths warming the air between us.
“Holy crap,” I whisper. “For a man who hates touching and kissing, you sure are good at it.”
A deep chuckle rumbles from his chest as he pulls me into a hug. I press my face into the crook of his neck and hold him as if he might up and vanish at any time.
I’ve learned the hard lesson to appreciate every single moment you have with a person because you never know when it will be your last.
Please, God. Don’t ever take this man from me. I won’t survive it.
By the time I lift my head and slip off Levi’s lap, our food is cold, and Lick needs a toilet break.
“I’ll warm our plates while you let Lick out,” I say, getting to work.
My steps feel light, and there’s an excited buzz all over my body. My stomach keeps fluttering as if a kaleidoscope of butterflies has taken up permanent residence inside me.
Mom pats my cheek. “One day you’ll meet someone who’ll make you feel differently.”
I shake my head. “Nope. I have zero desire to date.”
“You might change your mind a few years from now.”
The memory flashes through my mind, and I stop what I’m doing, suddenly realizing Mom was right.
I wish you were here, Mom. I wish I could tell you I’ve fallen in love with the most perfect man.
Grief ripples through me like a wave spilling onto the shore before it withdraws back into the darkness, where all my trauma is locked in the deepest corner of my heart.
“Kelcie?” Levi’s hand brushes up my back in a comforting way and settles against the side of my neck as he leans down a little to catch my eyes. “Are you okay?”
“I just remembered something my mom said.”
“Want to share it with me?”
Lifting my arm, I take hold of his wrist. “Before that night, I had no interest in dating because I was so happy with my life. My mom said one day I’d meet someone who would make me feel differently.” An emotional smile wavers around my mouth. “She was right.”
Levi’s eyes narrow slightly, and he tilts his head. “Have you dated before?”
Glancing to the side, I shake my head. “Not really. After I was done with school, I had my first kiss. It was with one of Jordan’s friends, but nothing ever came of it, because my brother would’ve lost his shit if he found out.”
Levi’s expression remains serious as he asks, “And sex?”
I pull a disgruntled face and roll my eyes. “Promise you won’t laugh.”
“Promise.” The word bursts from him, his focus solely on me.
“I lost my virginity in a field to a guy who was working at a carnival passing through town. It’s the most irresponsible thing I’ve ever done. When I woke up alone and saw they packed up and left during the night, I felt disgusted with myself.” My shoulders lift as I shrug. “And that sums up my entire experience with dating.”
Levi shakes his head. “I hate that for you.”
Curious as heck, I ask, “What was your first kiss and losing your virginity like?”
I place each plate in the microwave for a couple of minutes, and Levi waits until we’re seated at the table before he answers, “Margo, my ex-wife, was my first everything. I was drawn to her gentle nature. She tried to be patient with me, but in the end, she had to think of herself. Honestly, I was relieved when she divorced me.” Levi pauses to take a sip of water. “The first time I kissed her, there was no tongue, and it wasn’t too bad. No fireworks, but bearable, you know?”
He scoops some pasta onto his fork and brings it to his mouth. While he eats, I wait patiently for him to continue.
