The Summer Before

Chapter Thirty

Levi

"Then take us inside." Tessa's words echo in my head.

I want her. Fuck, I want her, but should I do this now? Is it too much too soon?

I'm frozen to the spot, hovering over Tessa as she makes her plea, begging me to give in to my carnal desires, telling me to show her how badly I want her. And fuck is it bad. I've wanted Tessa for years, and I've loved her even longer.

That's what scares me.

If we cross this line, there is no going back. We can never undo this if we decide to take things that far. What if it doesn't work out? What if things blow up in our faces? What then?

As I struggle with myself over what to do, Tessa melts away my every concern with one sentence. "I love you, Levi."

My heart swells as she tells me all I need to know. "I love you, and I want this. I've loved you for so long. I can't take it anymore, please."

She looks so vulnerable, so raw and unfiltered. She's terrified that I'll reject her, that I'll turn her down or tell her that her feelings are one-sided. I refuse to hurt her like that.

I steady my breath, preparing my words- the ones I've been so afraid to speak aloud- as I caress her cheek. "I love you too, Tessa. I always have."

Relief washes over Tessa's beautiful face as I release my confession, resting my forehead against hers. "You love me?"

I can't help but smile as I kiss her lips tenderly. "I. Love. You," I tell her, kissing her with each word. "Ever since we were kids, Tess. I've always loved you."

The smile she gives me could light up the world. It's filled with pure joy and ecstasy. I give in when she pulls my face to hers, joining our lips in another heated embrace. Our kiss is passionate yet tender, exposing a lifetime of secreted feelings, unearthing a desire we'd both hidden for so long.

I could feel my entire body starting to respond as our kiss continued, making me delirious with a hunger that only Tessa could satisfy. The gasp she released as I pressed into her told me she could feel it too. Our heady breath intertwined as our lips parted.

If we were really going to do this, I didn't want to be out here in the open. "Tessa," I started, wanting to make sure this was truly what she wanted.

"I want this, Levi. Please," she breathed, bucking underneath me.

Fuuuck.

I could feel my body trembling with need as she bit her lip. "Not here," I answered.

Tessa nodded. "Then take us inside, Levi. Please."

I sat up, pulling Tessa with me, giddy to get her inside. In no time, I wrapped her around my waist and planted a trail of kisses down her neck as I carried her to the house.

We went straight to her room; our faces joined as one while we refused to separate. Our kisses became frantic as we pawed at our clothing, needing to remove the last remaining layers between us.

My clothes quickly joined Tessa's on the floor until all that covered us were the thin layers of our underwear. I broke away from the kiss and stared into Tessa's eyes. "Are you sure about this?"

Her green orbs stunned me as she whispered, "I've never been more sure of anything in my life."

I felt my lips twitch as I let my gaze wander over Tessa's toned body, wanting to soak in every ounce of our first time together. She was the most beautiful woman I'd ever laid eyes on and the last I ever wanted to.