Pulling the phone from her ear, she pressed the speaker button and dropped it on the counter. Lexi was talking a million miles a minutes and using present tense in reference to our relationship.
I opened my mouth to object when Levee covered it with her palm and wrapped her other arm around my waist, sliding it down into the back of my boxers. Raking her teeth over my earlobe, she whispered, “Is she the one your mom called a bitch?”
A relieved breath rushed from my lungs. Levee was, in fact, insane, but at that moment, it was working in my favor. I nodded, and she leaned away long enough to taunt, “Wait, Lexi, was this before or after he got my name tattooed…” She trailed off while inspecting the ink on my torso. Finding an empty space, she finished with, “On his left side.”
“What?” Lexi screamed.
I attempted to stifle a laugh, only barely keeping it packed down because Levee began dragging openmouthed kisses over my neck.
She paused to say, “Yeah, it’s huge. You definitely would’ve noticed it. I can send you a picture later if you’d like?”
My eyebrows popped up in question before she whispered into my ear, “You can Photoshop that, right?”
I shook my head. Then I shrugged and nodded.
I wouldn’t…but I totally could.
After lifting her to sit on the edge of the counter, I nabbed the phone and handed it to Levee. Whispering, I said, “You are an evil, evil woman. I wasn’t sure I could fall in love with you more. But stop giving her more fuel to be a bitch and hang up.” I gently glided my thumb over her peaked nipple, causing her to gasp.
She smiled, placing a lingering kiss on my lips as she took the phone from my hand and blindly pressed the end button. Locking her legs around my hips, she stated, “You really traded up for me. You know that, right?”
I laughed. “Yeah, I know. Although I figured you’d be serving up my balls as sashimi right about now.”
She laughed. “Why? Because you have a crazy ex?” Wrapping her arms around my neck, she nuzzled her cheek against the scruff on my jaw.
“No, because most women would have bought into all of that shit she was spouting.”
She sighed and leaned away to catch my eye. “I trust you, Sam. And, as hard as it may be, you’re going to have to trust me too.”
I twisted my lips in annoyance. “It’s not hard to trust you.”
“It will be when a magazine publishes pictures of me hugging some guy with the headline that he’s my new boyfriend. You would be amazed at the shit they find to publish about me. Every picture snapped, no matter how innocent, is fair game for them to manipulate.”
“Yeah, I heard you were pregnant with Henry’s love child last month. I’ve been waiting for you to tell me,” I teased, rubbing her stomach.
She slapped my hand away. “One baggy shirt and suddenly I’m knocked up by my best friend.” She groaned and then whined, “It was my favorite shirt, too.”
I chuckled, tucking a curl behind her ear. “I trust you, Levee.”
“That’s easy to say now—”
I cut her off by teetering her on the edge of the counter. “It’s easy to say, period. Give me a little credit here.”
Her shoulders fell as she dropped her forehead head against my chest. “I know. It’s just that I’ve never dated someone who wasn’t in the public eye before. I don’t want to lose you over a tabloid headline you pick up at the grocery store.”
“No, I’m not famous, but I’m not stupid either. Let’s make a deal. You deal with my crazy ex for me, and I’ll deal with the entire fucking world for you.”
Her head popped up with a smile. “Wow! That makes me seem really high maintenance.”
I exaggerated a sigh. “You really are. But I promise you, if the world ever becomes too much and I get jealous over pictures of you dry-humping small-cocked Thomas Reigns”—she laughed, slapping my chest—“I promise I’ll talk to you first, okay?”
Her whole body melted into my arms. “I love you, even when TMZ says otherwise.”
I kissed her neck and teased back, “I love you too, Lexi…I mean, Levee.”
She barked a loud laugh. “Hilarious.”