Page 105 of Levi

CHAPTER26

Levi

We were supposed tohave dinner first. After all, I dropped by Zia Josefina’s on the way back from LAX and selected Jules’s favorites. Those plans went up in smoke the second I opened the door and laid eyes on her. She looked like a fucking vision in her white maxi dress. I couldn’t resist. My desire for her overtook any logical thought. I all but dragged her by the hair to my bedroom to fuck her senseless. After two steamy rounds, we stuffed our faces silly with succulent Italian food. Now, we’re chilling in the backyard, contemplating the beautiful night. We’re both on the outdoor couch located under the gazebo. It’s made of a wooden frame, a steel slope roof and tempered glass. It’s a bit of an extravagance, but I couldn’t resist. The success of our company has allowed me the luxury of buying a house on McKinley Avenue in Venice—an upscale and coveted Los Angeles neighborhood. My brother doesn’t live too far. It’s a far cry from the modest home Linc and I grew up in. Dad worked his whole life as a contractor for hire electrician in the music industry. After years of being a stay-at-home mom, my mother went back to work as a part-time nurse.

I’m proud of this house, but I’m mostly proud of the backyard, which I had designed as my little getaway. In our business, the hours can be punishing. The expansive pool, lush greenery, pit fire and full outdoor entertainment area make up for it.

I’m lounging in nothing but a pair of shorts. I didn’t bother with a t-shirt. Jules’s sexy body is adorned in nothing but the black shirt I was wearing when she arrived at my place. Her pretty white dress was a liability around tomato sauce. Her head is rested on my lap as I caress her long blonde hair, both of us admiring a dark sky dotted with twinkling stars.

“It’s probably because I’m always in such a rush when I’m in New York––my days are so crammed––but I never notice the stars,” I note. “Here, in LA, I do. I’m glad to be home.”

“I’m glad you’re home too,” she smiles up at me, her fingers walking about my abs.

My eyes travel the length of her bare legs before meeting her gaze. “You say that because I made you come three times,” I tease.

She swats my stomach. “Hey.”

I wink.

“I hope one day I’ll be able to visit New York,” she says, changing the subject. “I’ve never been.”

“Our little project is going to do so well, you won’t have a choice but to travel to New York to promote the hell out of the Fit Thonix line of products.”

Her eyes sparkle with wonder. “Oh, I love the way you think.”

“It’s in the cards, baby,” I say.

She smiles shyly before pulling her lower lip between her teeth. She does that when she teeters between belief and disbelief.

“Everywhere I turned, I could see dollar signs––so many possibilities. I predict, we’ll have a billboard in Times Square or outside Penn Station within a year.” Even though I was in New York for the business I share with Linc, our venture was always at the back of my mind.

“What?” she exclaims.

“Imagine how many eyeballs we’ll get from a day or two of promotion?”

“You’re crazy, Levi,” she scoffs. “It must cost a fortune to get a billboard ad anywhere in New York, let alone Times Square.”

“It does. It’s ridiculously expensive. I already checked. Within a year we’ll be able to afford it. If all goes better than planned, then we might actually cut that timeline in half.”

She sits up, angling her body so she’s staring straight at me. “You’re shitting me?”

I shake my head.

“In no time, we assembled a dream team––you, Alice, Collin, Shane, Shane’s venture capitalist former consultant, Dominika, and yours truly. Everything is falling into place. There’s nothing stopping us from dreaming big, Jules. Really big.”

Her long, dark eyelashes blink a mile a minute, her mouth gaping open.

“It’s a lot to take in?” I ask.

“I was thrilled by the prospect of getting into the black and not having to dodge creditors all the time. What you’re talking about isn’t even on my radar.” She pauses. For a few beats, it seems like she’s having a conversation with herself. “But now, it most certainly is,” she affirms. “New York City, hear me roar!” she exclaims, lifting her hand into a raised fist over her head.

“You’re stepping into your boss lady role,” I tease.

“I am and I like it,” she says.

“You’re sexy when you’re bossy.” A hint of red touches her cheeks. “I didn’t know boss ladies blushed.”

“Well, this one does,” she says, squirming in her seat.