“Hard,” Lacey whispers into the kiss, scrabbling to pull me closer. “Fuck me as hard as you can, Levi. I need it.”
Fuck. As if I could ever deny that request. Those words from her lips send my possessive instincts even higher, and whatever control I managed to cling to this whole time snaps completely. I tighten my grip on her and pull out, thrusting in deeper and harder than before. I set a rough, hard pace, driving into her until there can be no fucking doubt about who owns her.
The workbench creaks and squeaks as it rocks beneath us, the legs scraping against the concrete floor. A tool falls off the edge and clatters to the floor. I don’t stop. The whole building could come down around us right now and I wouldn’t stop.
“My girl,” I growl.
She moans and whimpers and scratches me through my clothes. Her pussy begins to flutter around me, and her kisses become desperate and messy as she nears her edge. My orgasm barrels closer, but I hold back, needing her to come with me. “All mine, Lace. Forever. Be the perfect girl I know you are and come for me. Your body knows who it belongs to. Show me.”
She does, her back bowing and my name leaving her lips on a breathless cry. I curse, groaning her name as my release takes me, filling her with my come as we both give in to the bliss of the moment.
“That enough reassurance for you?” I rasp as we catch our breath.
She giggles. “I don’t know,” she answers with a teasing tone, still a little breathless. “You better take me home and prove it again.”
“Goddamnit, Lacey, you’re so perfect,” I breathe, helping her throw her clothes back on so I can take her home and do just that.
6
LACEY
“That’s the last one, kiddo!” Mr. Anderson, who insists I call him Craig, calls out as he sets a big box of clothes down on the living room floor. The whole place is a mess of boxes and luggage, the couch stacked high with sheets and coats that didn’t fit in the boxes. It’s a chaotic collection of stuff, but instead of stressing me out or overwhelming me, it makes me insanely happy.
I stand up from where I was fussing about with a box that got squished on the driver over, grinning at Levi’s dad. Obviously, I’ve known his parents for over a year, considering I met them first when I was dating Eddie—their other son. And yeah, it’s a little awkward now that I’m with Levi instead, but they’ve handled it really well.
They were always kind people, sweet and welcoming to me. After Levi explained everything to them and re-introduced me as his girl, they not only continued to welcome me with open arms, but they apologized for the way Eddie treated me.
Hell, they were here helping me move. Craig dusting off his hands after lugging up the last box, and Carissa, his wife, fussing over the glassware as she unpacks it in the kitchen, ensuring none of it is damaged or has a speck of dust on it.
“Was this chip always there, sweetie?” Levi’s mom calls out, and I stroll over to see her holding up an old mug I got in college.
I smile. “Yeah, but it’s sentimental to me so I couldn’t throw it out,” I explain with a laugh.
She grins widely, her green eyes sparkling like her son’s do. “Ah, I’ll pop it away with the others then.” She sets the mug down and turns to me fully. Behind us, in the lounge, I can hear Levi and his dad discussing something in low voices, but they’re too quiet for me to overhear the exact words. “Lacey, I hope you know that Craig and I are so glad to have you in the family.”
I nearly well up with tears because there’s so much kindness on her face and honesty in her words. She really means it when she says that. “I know it’s been a little…weird for you and Mr—Craig,” I catch myself, remembering to use her husband’s first name even as I stumble through my sentence. “Well, with everything that happened. I’m sure Edward saying some…not very nice things about me after it all, and I want you to know that nothing happened between Levi and me until months after Edward and I broke up?—”
Levi has already explained everything, but it still weighs on my mind. His parents are important to him, and though he won’t say it, I know his brother is too. He hates what Edward did to me, but he’s also so disappointed. At the end of the day, that’s still his brother, and it sucks that he’s turned into a cruel man, no longer the sweet kid Levi grew up beside.
My heart hurts, not for me but for him. I no longer feel anything for Eddie, not even pain. I’m grateful for what he did, well perhaps not the lying and cheating part but definitely the breaking up and canceling the wedding part. Marrying him would have been a huge mistake.
Mrs. Anderson puts her hand on my arm gently, stopping my apologetic rambling. “We know,” she says with a motherly smile. “Eddie clearly needs time to figure himself out, and you never should’ve been caught up in that crossfire. He has shown his immaturity, and we have informed him that, pardon my language here dear, until he has his shit sorted out, he’s to stay away from his brother and you.”
God, I’m so grateful for Levi and the people who raised him it’s insane. “Thank you, Carissa,” I say, hoping she knows how much her acceptance and love means to me.
She tuts, a sly smirk forming on her face as she leans in close to whisper, “You can pay me back by giving me some grandchildren to spoil.”
I burst into laughter, grinning widely at her suggestion. Though deeper in my chest, I love the idea of that. Of Levi and me married, and kids running around our feet. I want it. And I’m not scared of it anymore.
“Come on, love. Let’s get these young’in’s get settled in,” Craig calls out to his wife. She spares me a wink as she and her husband say their goodbyes, wishing us well.
Levi closes the door behind them and turns to me. For a second, we just stand there, taking in the sight of all my things in his apartment. Our apartment now.
My lease ran out, and I had absolutely no desire to renew it. Plus, I never liked living alone. When I told Levi I was going to have to look at new apartments, he looked at me like I was crazy and told me that I was moving in with him. No questions asked.
It was so easy to agree. I wanted nothing more than to live with him, and his place was amazing. Big, spacious, and cozy. Plus, Levi told me I could decorate however I wanted since he’d done very little with the space. Typical man. I’m already planning what prints to buy for the entryway.
“What were you and your dad talking about?” I ask, curious and not bothering to hide it. I don’t have to hide anything from Levi. The trust we have is a safety net, and I’ve never felt more secure.