Page 103 of Needed You

“We’re going to get out of here, Mom.”

Her eyes crinkle with the warmth of her smile. “Thank you both for coming,” she says, hugging Lev and then me. “Please come back any time, Darian.”

The way she says it isn’t in the normal way that other people say it. Her tone is genuine, not pitying. It warms me from the inside. We say goodbye and thank you to everyone else and after Lev’s mom inundates us with too many containers of leftovers, we clamor out to Lev’s car and make the short drive to his apartment. I know no one is home at my house tonight, but I want to stay at Lev’s anyway. Given the day we had, I really want to be in his arms and in his bed.

I got to see a side of life today that I never thought I would be a part of. Sure, I’ve always kind of wanted to eventually get married and maybe even have kids, but I never pictured that it might be with Lev. Spending a holiday with his family and seeing all of them and how they interact, the ease of their conversations and playful banter was so refreshing and fun. The fact that they brought me into the family with no questions or hesitation or concerns was also just . . . nice.

The thought that this—holidays, picnics, or even just family dinners with the Richardsons—might be something I could have more of settles an ache deep inside of me, and I imagine the future for a moment. Us having dinner with his parents and sister and then coming home to our house. The thought warms me from head to toe.

Lev wraps his arms around me, and I lean against his chest as we make ourselves comfortable for the night. Once we’re both settled, I tilt my head back to look up at Lev and begin tracing his jawline with open-mouthed kisses. He hums and lets his head fall sideways, giving me more room. I move to his neck and then back to his chin, and when I find his lips again, he meets me in a fervent kiss.

We pull away a moment later, both breathing heavily, and I gaze at him. This man loves me. And he said it first. My heart swells as I look at him.

“Lev,” I murmur.

“Hmm?” he asks quietly.

“I love you, too.”

Chapter 50

Levon

The day after Thanksgiving, Dare and I stay in bed making out, snuggling, and trading orgasms for the majority of the morning. We may or may not say “I love you” about a thousand times, and I don’t know that I will ever get tired of hearing those words coming out of his mouth. I hadn’t really planned to say it to him in the car at my parents’ house. Well, maybe I had meant to, but in the moment, it slipped out, and I just went with it. My feelings for him are strong, and I guess it was just time to share that with him.

Thanksgiving with my family was great, made all the better with Dare by my side. I saw him get reserved and pull into himself a few times, and I know he was thinking about his parents. How parents could just abandon their children like his did makes me angry and very confused. I want Dare to have it all. He deserves it all, and I know my family will easily allow him to integrate in and be part of us. He just has to let us and believe that he deserves it.

Around lunchtime, we force ourselves to get out of bed and shower, cleaning ourselves up and washing all the cum and sweat off of our bodies. We eat some leftovers and hang out a bit more before Dare decides to go home. We both have to work the next day, and although I tried to get him to just grab his laptop and work here, he informed me that he needs his setup the way it is at home and that I would be too much of a distraction. He’s probably not wrong.

Given that Julian said he liked Dare’s portfolio and wants to set up an interview with him, I know he’s got a lot of work to do. He was so excited about it, and I know he likes the idea that he might have a steady stream of income coming in.

Which is why he’s also seriously considering buying the house from his parents.

When he told me that yesterday, I was surprised, but it all makes sense to me, why he would want to do that. Now that I’ve spent some time over there, it’s not as bad being there as I thought it would be, except when you count his father walking in on me in the kitchen.

Before I go to bed for the night, I text Dare.

Me: Night Lycan. I’m going to bed. I love you.

Lycan: Night, yourself. Ryan asked me to go out for a while. Heading out soon.

I chuckle and shake my head.

Me: Be careful, please.

Lycan: I will.

Me: I love you.

Lycan: I’m smiling and I love you too, Lev.

I have a huge smile on my face as I roll over and go to sleep.

***

The ringing and buzzing of my phone wakes me out of a deep sleep. My bed is empty, and the room is dark. I am disoriented as I come to my senses. I roll over and pull the covers up, only to hear the noise of my phone again. Groaning, I reach behind me and bring the bright screen to my tired eyes. Squinting, I notice that I have multiple missed calls and texts, all from the tag Little Lycan.

My heart shoots into my throat as I sit up, now wide awake.