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“You don’t have to explain yourself to me, Zara. I’m here for you, just like I told you I would be.” He doesn’t let me finish, and I’m fine with that because it’s clear that I’m in the friend zone with him. That is probably the safest place for me to be.
“Thanks, Levi.” I step into him and wrap my arms around his waist, not giving him a chance to push me away. It’s an eternity before his arms cocoon me. I feel safe and warm and feel like this is where I’m meant to be.
“Are you ready to head back?” he asks as his hands rub up and down my arms.
I nod against his chest and slowly peel myself away, but don’t fully step out of his grasp.
The sun continues to blaze behind him, and the horses stand next to us. Levi looks down at me, and that’s when I know it’s now, or never, friend zone be damned.
I rise up on my tippy toes and press my lips to his. His lips don’t pucker by the time I pull away, but the back of his hand brushes lightly against my cheek, and he bends slightly, letting his nose ghost against mine until he finally kisses me.
His lips are soft, yet firm, and his mouth covers mine hungrily. A wave of heat spreads through me when his tongue touches mine causing a desire that I haven’t felt in so long. My fingers push into his hair, knocking his hat to the ground, to feel the silky locks that I have been thinking about since I met him. Levi’s hands trail down my sides until they hook under my legs and I’m suddenly wrapped around his waist as he lowers us to the ground with me sitting on his lap.
His hand pulls on my ponytail, bringing my head back and my lips away from his. I’d cry out in protest, but he’s kissing my neck, and while he’s surprisingly gentle the roughness of his stubble is not. It burns, and the sensation causes a deep ache in my core. I’m tempted to move closer to him, to rub myself against him, but I hold back so I can enjoy his masterful lips against my heated flesh.
He stops and slowly looks at me. His eyelids are hooded, hiding the lust in his brown orbs. Levi runs his thumb over my lower lip before using the strength in his hand to open my mouth full for him. I rejoice fully when he plunges his tongue back into my mouth not because he’s kissing me but because he wants this too.
Once again, the horses interrupt us, but this time they’re stomping their hooves, and we’re right in their path if they decide they’ve had enough. Levi kisses me softly before he helps me stand and follows suit immediately.
There’s an awkwardness surrounding us, neither of us knowing what to say. I feel like it should be me speaking since I made the first move, but words escape me. I want to thank him, mostly for not shunning or turning away from me or reminding me that we can only be friends.
I don’t know that I’m looking for anything other than friendship right now, but I knew I had to kiss him to answer the questions in my mind. I was right to make that move.
“I’m not sorry that I did that,” I blurt out.
Levi smiles, and again it’s that shy one that has been making me weak in the knees.
“I’m not sorry either, Zara.” He pulls me to him and kisses me again. This time it’s chaste, but could be seen as a sign of things to come later.
Levi helps me back onto Willow’s horse and much like the ride out here, he’s right by my side. Before his house comes into view, though, he takes Abby’s reins and holds on to them. I look at him questioningly, wondering why he would do that.
“They tend to pick up speed once they see the barn. I don’t want Abby to start running. You’ll likely get scared and spook her, which will make her buck and run faster.”
“Thank you for looking out for me.”
“Of course. Do you want to go a bit faster?”
I think about it for a minute knowing that if we did we’d get back to the house sooner, but the thought of falling off scares me. I shake my head, and he laughs.
“Maybe next time you can ride with me, and I’ll show you what Night can really do,” he says, winking at me.
“I’d like that.” It’s not that I’m looking forward to letting his horse run while I’m sitting on it, but looking forward to riding with Levi. The way I see it, we’ll ride out into the sunset with him sitting behind me. That is the type of romance that songs are made from.
levi
Eighteen
As soon aswe get back to the barn, I tell Zara that I can take care of the horse if she wants to go inside and freshen up. She takes me up on the offer and quickly rushes back to the house, but not before I stand and watch her leave.
Truth is, I need some time to comprehend what just happened. I’m beyond thrilled that she kissed me but don’t want to assume that this means anything. She’s hurting, her life has been flipped upside down, and her wounds are fresh. Not that there is any predetermined time limit on when you think you’re ready to move on, but I’m the type of guy who doesn’t throw caution to the wind because I have too much at stake. My daughters are always my number one priority, and they just lost their mother. Somehow, I think that jumping into a relationship might not be the best idea right now.
I take my time with the horses, making sure they are hosed down, brushed, and fed. I even go as far as taking Stormy’s girl out and giving her the same treatment, minus the long ride she’s probably been missing. What she really wants is Stormy to come home, and I know that I have to make that happen.
It’s well after dinner when I finally make my way into the house. There’s a note on the counter from June saying my dinner is in the refrigerator and that she’ll see me in the morning. The rest of the house is quiet, making me feel like the biggest dick in the world.
Any man would be blessed to have a woman like Zara kiss him, to make the first move, and believe me I was until my brain started warning me about rebound sex and the complications of screwing your houseguest.
With my dinner now warming up in the microwave, I pull out my cell and call the girls.
