Freefall (Santa Cruz Skydivers Book 1) (20 page)

Chapter Twenty-Two

Levi

I was a lot more nervous meeting Andi’s family than I let on. First impressions counted, and knowing that she was so close with her family mattered to me. With my mom gone and Derek being a total asshat I didn’t have anyone. I’d hate to do anything that might cause problems. While I hadn’t told her in so many words, I knew I loved her, and even though I wasn’t ready to start mapping out our futures just yet, I planned to spend a lot more time with her. She was sweet and funny and made me laugh. She also drove me wild. I was already planning on what to do to her later tonight. I intended to bury myself in her so deep only a search and rescue team would be able to find me.

It was nice to wake up with the person you cared about wrapped up in your arms. I felt invincible. She made me feel strong and complete. After we woke from our sleep, and reacquainted our mouths, she invited me into the shower with her to freshen up for her family dinner. I had to force myself to decline. If I showered with her, that would be it. We wouldn’t be going anywhere for the next twenty-four hours. Once we were both naked together again, I planned to keep it that way for as long as humanly possible. In my mind, I was ready to break the Guinness World Record for longest possible time spent naked in bed between two people. With her by my side, I was certain it would be easy.

While she showered, I dressed back into the jeans and T-shirt I had worn riding. I would have preferred to wear something a little more appropriate to meet her family, like a suit jacket and tie, but she told me we didn’t have the time to get back to my place and make her family dinner before her brothers arrived. Normally, having my tattoos on show wouldn’t bother me, and given Andi’s strict upbringing, I was unsure if her parents would approve of a tattooed, Harley-riding Australian. When I voiced my concerns, she had run her hand down my tattoo sleeve, assuring me everything would be fine, giving me the impression she would get a kick out of me flashing my ink to her conservative family.

I sat patiently on the end of her bed, waiting for her to emerge from her shower. As I finished pulling my boots on, she walked into her room with only a towel wrapped around her. Her curly, long hair was still damp, hanging loosely around her shoulders. She smiled shyly at me and adjusted her towel slightly, giving me a quick glimpse of her upper thigh. My cock stirred. It had a mind of its own, keen to get things started.

I stood and walked over to her, taking her in my arms. “Don’t think I don’t know what you’re trying to do.”

“What?” She gazed up at me, batting her eyelashes.

“You’re such a terrible liar. And a compete tease.”

She laughed. “You got me. Can’t blame me for trying.”

“You drive me crazy.” Unable to stop myself, I kissed her hard, biting down on her lip and pushing my tongue in her mouth.

Bad idea. As she kissed me back, she reached her arms up around my neck, entwining her fingers in my hair, letting her towel slip to the floor, and exposing her glorious body. Curves in all the right places. We still had a few minutes before we had to leave. Two could play at this little game of hers. Without our mouths losing contact, I pushed her up against the closed bedroom door, pressing my body against hers so she could feel my hardening cock pushing through my jeans. We continued kissing, our mouths becoming more urgent. I trailed my fingers down her body, over her breasts and stomach, and then moved my hand down the inside of her thigh, teasing her. She moaned against my mouth. And as I moved my hand up again, I ran my fingers lightly over the opening of her pussy, but instead of entering her like I wanted to, I reached around, slapped her ass lightly, and ended our kiss.

“Get dressed, party girl,” I whispered in her ear.

“Who’s the tease now, lover boy?” Her face was flushed with excitement.

“All good things come to those that wait.” I moved back to her bed to lie down and watch while she got dressed. “Don’t forget you’re staying at my place tonight, so pack a spare set of clothes for tomorrow.”

She looked at me while she was slipping on her underwear and frowned. “I’ve got to work tomorrow. Plus, my Jeep is at my parents’.”

“Can’t you take the day off?” There was nothing more I wanted to do then stay in bed with her all day. Although, bed wasn’t the only place I planned to have her naked.

Her face dropped. “I can’t. I’ve got no days in lieu left this month.”

“That’s okay. Drive your Jeep to my place, and tomorrow, if you like, I’ll take you to work and pick you up. We can always just pick up where we left off.”

She smiled at me, her face transforming. “You know what I’m picturing?”

I remembered that look of hers from the first night we met. “No idea, but you look sexy as all fuck when you look at me like that.”

“Well, I guess I’ll just have to show you later then, won’t I?”

“I can’t wait,” I replied.

She pulled on a pair of jeans and a top that looked like it had been made for her, accentuating her ample breasts.

“That top will be the first thing to go tonight,” I told her, eager to get my hands back on her.

Her eyes looked me up and down. “I can say the same to you.”

“Let’s move. This sexual tension is doing me no favors.”

She laughed and grabbed the spare jacket I lent her. It was a little tight on her, but she didn’t have one her own. Besides, its former owner didn’t have any use for it anymore. I wasn’t about to tell her it belonged to Taylor—even I had better sense than to tell her that. I had no idea why I had kept that jacket, but I was glad I had. It had turned out to be useful.

“Let me just fix my hair and makeup. I’ll meet you in the living room.”

She gave me a quick kiss on the lips and led the way before going into the bathroom and shutting the door. As I walked into the living room, I marveled at the change in her confidence. She was certainly a different girl from the one I had met Friday night. She had seemed so unsure of herself, standing in the shadow of Lili, but now she exuded confidence, like a butterfly emerging from its cocoon. Tonight was going to be a whole new experience for both of us, in more ways than one.

Chapter Twenty-Three

Andi

“Are you ready?” I asked Levi, trying to sound upbeat as we walked hand-in-hand up the path to the front door of my parents’ house, my heart thumping and stomach churning with nerves. My feet felt like lead weights were attached. I didn’t know why I was nervous, really. It wasn’t like I was walking to my death, but at the same time, it felt like I was on trial for a crime I hadn’t committed. Pausing on the doorstep, I gave him a smile. Although it was all really a front.

“Let’s do this.” He brought my hand up to his mouth, giving the back of it a kiss.

“I should warn you about Tony,” I blurted out, unable to contain my nerves any longer. “Sometimes he has trouble leaving his cop badge at home. And he’s very vocal about what he thinks is best for me. Mike and Bobby are okay, it’s just Tony I’m worried about.”

Levi smiled, completely ignoring my warning.

“Are you trying to scare me off? Because it’s not working.” He tucked a curl of my hair behind my ear. “Don’t worry about it. I’ve got nothing to hide, other than a couple of drunken misdemeanors that may or may not have involved public indecency. Besides, you haven’t met my father yet, so we’ll call it even.”

I knew it shouldn’t have excited me, but the thought of him having a criminal record only made me want him more. Bad boy looks and attitude. What more could a girl ask for? With every moment I got to know him better, he just kept climbing higher in my rankings.

I swallowed hard, gave him a shaky smile, shut my eyes, breathed deeply, and opened the front door with my house key. This was it. We were past the point of no return.

“
Ciao
, Mom, Papa,” I called out, my voice resonating with nerves. I had to get a grip.

“
Ciao,
Bella
,
” my mother hollered back at me. “Papa and I are in the kitchen.”

Of course they were. I took off the too-tight jacket and hung it on the hook just inside the front door. Next, I took Levi’s from him, hanging it next to mine. A little thrill ran through me every time I saw his tattoos, and in his short-sleeved T-shirt, his full tattoo sleeve was on display along with the top half of his neck tattoo. I tried to resist touching him, but I was weak, and snuck a quick kiss in, licking at his mouth while running my hand along his ink. Levi, initially surprised by my silent attack, first stiffened and then responded by grabbing my ass and kissing me back. It was like he was a warlock and he had cast a libido spell over me. Every time I looked at him, it was like he had bewitched my vagina.

I led him through the house, hand-in-hand toward the kitchen. As we walked down the hall, I looked at my parents’ house with new eyes. It was certainly the complete opposite of his place. Our wallpaper was old and outdated, peeling in some places, but the house was clean and tidy. My mothered relished her job as a homemaker, and apart from being a kick-ass cook, she had massive OCD when it came to keeping things neat and in order.

The sideboard in the hall entryway, an imported heirloom of my grandmother’s from Italy, was covered in hand-knitted lace doilies and adorned with photographs of my grandparents and extended family members from both sides of the family. More photographic memories cluttered the walls, leaving barely any free space. Along with framed photos of my parents on their wedding day, the wall displayed photos of my brothers and me all at various stages in our lives—elementary school, high school graduation, Mike’s wedding day, little Stella just after she was born, and Tony and Bobby in their uniforms. My heart swelled at the thought of being able to share my life with a guy I loved. And even though it was early days yet, one day I hoped there would be a picture of Levi and me adorning the family wall.

Levi pulled on my hand to slow me down and whispered in my ear, tugging on my hair. “Weren’t you a little cutie in grade school with your pigtails? Remind me later to get you to put your hair like that. I find it hard to resist the naughty school girl look.”

“Ha ha,” I replied to him over my shoulder. I looked at the photo he was referring to. I wasn’t smiling, I was scowling. My mouth was puckered up, my nose scrunched, and I had at least two chins. I remember Mom had dressed me in something horrid that day, and even though he was much older, Tony had teased me relentlessly about it until I cried.

I pulled Levi into the kitchen behind me. Aromas of a fresh pasta sauce punctuated the room. Instantly, my mouth watered for Mom’s homemade cooking. Mom had her back to the doorway, and was in her usual spot by the stove, while Papa sat at the table reading a newspaper.

He looked up when we entered, put down the paper, and held his hands out in a welcoming gesture. “Ah here she is, the local celebrity. And look, Mom, she’s brought Levi, too.”

I must have looked as stunned as I felt. How did they know Levi?

I left Levi standing in the kitchen doorframe and walked to my father hesitantly, unsure of what he knew about my connection with Levi. Maybe Bobby had spilled the beans after he dropped me at the party last night? I was going to kill him. Not that it mattered anymore really, now that Levi and I were official.

“Hi, Papa,” I greeted my father, and kissed his cheeks in the traditional Italian style. I greeted my mother the same way. I stole a glance at Levi. He remained standing in the doorway, a weird smile plastered on his face. He looked guilty, like he was hiding something from me. I frowned and turned back to my father. “Um, what’s this about a local celebrity, and how do you know Levi? Have I just entered
The Twilight Zone
?” My head swiveled from one parent to the other like I was at a tennis match.

My father didn’t reply. Instead, he held up his pointer finger, licked it, and began flicking the pages of the newspaper until he found the page he was looking for and handed it to me. Looking up at me in full color, smiling like a person high on drugs, was a giant-sized photo of Levi and me in the social pages. My cheeks were flushed pink and my eyes sparkled. If I had to be totally honest, it wasn’t a bad photo of me. I looked kind of cute, in a perky, chipmunk cheeks kind of way, with my head resting against his chest. Levi, of course, was just downright drop-dead gorgeous. No description needed. If the caption under the photo hadn’t named him as Levi James, heir to James Publishing, he could have been mistaken for a male model.

I looked at Levi with my eyebrows raised and pointed at the photo. “You’ve seen this?” The look on his face already answered my question.

He nodded, his mouth in a tight line. “I saw it yesterday.”

Immediately, I was horrified. “This was in yesterday’s paper and you didn’t tell me?”

He shrugged, acting like it didn’t matter our photo was almost half the page of the social section in the newspaper. “It slipped my mind. I figured Scotty would have told you. I didn’t know about Lili and Scotty breaking up.”

“Scotty.” I spat out his name like an expletive.

“Bella? What’s that about Lili and Scotty breaking up?” my mother asked. She had finally put down her wooden stirring spoon and now stood next to me, wiping her hands on her apron.

“Umm, yeah, Scotty broke up with her Friday night. It was the same night he took this photo,” I explained briefly, unsure exactly of how much I should elaborate on what had happened that night. My parents didn’t exactly know my penchant for partying. They thought I was still their sweet, innocent, virginal daughter. “They had a fight or something.”

Levi cocked his eyebrow. I shook my head discreetly. Later I would have to explain to him how very little my parents knew about my life. As far as they were concerned, I was a bookworm with no career aspirations that loved to read romance fiction. If only they knew what kind of romance.

My mother’s face fell. “Oh, that’s a shame. I was hoping to get a copy of the paper so I could frame it for the wall.”

“I’ll get you one, Mrs. LaRosa,” Levi told her. “My father owns the paper. I’ll just have to make a call to the editor. I’ll pass it onto Andi for you, or better yet, I’ll have it delivered.”

I was sure they already knew about his pedigree, after all it was captioned directly under the photo, which I guess would explain their open-arms attitude to him. Nevertheless, I was sure his offer won him a few extra brownie points.

My father stood and leaned over the table, his hand extended to Levi. “Levi, if my daughter won’t introduce us, I will have to do it myself.”

Levi walked closer to my father and stood next to me, not close enough to be touching, but just enough for me to feel his body heat, and shook my father’s hand, then my mother’s. “Yes, of course, so sorry. Pleased to meet you, Mr. LaRosa and Mrs. LaRosa.”

“Likewise, Levi. But please, call us by our names. I’m Anthony and this is Maria.”

“Thank you, Anthony. Maria, thank you for accommodating me for dinner at such short notice. You have a wonderful home, and your pasta sauce smells divine.”

My mother blushed, clearly enjoying his compliments. “Oh don’t be silly. I’m Italian, there is always enough pasta to go around. What about your mother? Where is she from?”

Levi paused, a shadow passing over his face, but smiled politely regardless of the pain I knew he felt. “My mother passed away quite a few years ago now.”

“I’m very sorry to hear that,” my mother said.

“Mom.” I cut in. I could see in her face she was about to start up with questions. “I was thinking I might take Levi on a quick tour of the house before the boys get here.”

She glanced nervously at my father. I bit my tongue. What the hell did she think we were going to do? Fuck ourselves senseless against my bookcase? Actually, a quickie in my bedroom wasn’t totally out of the question, although I had a feeling Levi wouldn’t be up for that, not right now anyway. Though, I’m sure he wouldn’t protest against a heavy make out session.

Turning my back to my parents, I looked at Levi, my eyes wide imploring him to help me out so we could be alone.

A smile played at his lips, and his green eyes sparkled mischievously. “Maria, do you mind if Andi shows me more of the photos in the hall? She was such an adorable little girl. I especially love the one of her with the pigtails.”

I could have killed him. My mother, a staunch family woman who was overly proud of her ever-growing photography exhibition, brought her hands together in a clap, her face beaming. Levi smirked, now going in for the kill like a silent assassin, laying his charming act on thick and hard.

“Andi has told me so much about your granddaughter,” he continued. “I’d love to see a photo. I bet she takes after her aunty and grandmother.”

If I hadn't been so impressed with his manipulation techniques, I would have gagged. My mother was still beaming, and even my father, who epitomized the stubborn Italian stereotype, looked to be won over. Papa was a real sucker for his girls.

“Of course, Levi. Andi, be sure to show Levi little Stella’s first birthday photo.”

Could this man do no wrong? One compliment and my hard-nosed, stubborn parents were like putty in his hands.

“Sure thing, Mom. I’ll show him around upstairs, too.” I grabbed Levi’s hand and led him out of the kitchen into the hall before his spell wore off and my parents changed their minds.

“Your persuasion techniques are amazing,” I whispered over my shoulder once we were alone in the hallway.

Seductively, he ran his hands over my hips from behind me. “I thought you already knew that.”

Once I knew we were out of earshot from my parents, I spun around and pressed my body against his, reaching up and wrapping my hands around his neck. My breath quickened. The added danger of my parents in the next room only further heightened the excitement, knowing that they could walk in here any second.

“Can you use your charm to convince my parents we can’t stay for dinner? I really just want to go to your place. I can’t wait.”

With his hands still on my hips, he pulled me even tighter against his body so I could now feel his hard cock pressing through his jeans.

“Believe me, so do I,” he said, his voice low and sexy. “I can’t stop thinking about you naked. I need to be inside of you.”

Forgetting where we were, I place my hand on his hardness and rubbed it with the palm of my hand. He moaned softly and slipped his hand up my shirt and under my bra, cupping my breast and moving his thumb across my taut nipple. Pressing my mouth against his neck, I bit him gently. We needed to get the fuck out of here.

The front door at the end of the hall unexpectedly opened. My brother Tony walked in, laughing over his shoulder at Bobby. Quickly, I shoved Levi away, breaking all physical contact, but wasn’t quite fast enough. Bobby had seen everything, his eyes bugging out of his head. Tony, on the other hand, I wasn’t too sure about. I prayed he hadn’t seen Levi’s hand up my shirt, because if he had, things were about to go south.

“What the fuck is going on here?” Tony bellowed, his rare laugh long gone, replaced with his alpha male cop routine. Bobby, on the other hand, was frozen with a shocked look on his face. Great. Tony
had
copped a full view of Levi and me feeling each other up.
Houston, we have a problem.

My face flushed with heat and I stepped behind Levi and tried to discretely adjust my boobs back into my bra.