Page 113 of Needed You

At the end of the conversation, I give him the name of a realtor that Ryan put me in touch with recently, and they encourage me to move forward with the purchase.

I can’t believe this could actually happen!

***

Lev picks me up later that night and takes me out to dinner. We already made plans for next weekend with Julian and Lindsey to celebrate, but he said that he wants to celebrate with just me tonight. I’m wearing my black jeans, a long-sleeved gray T-shirt with a short-sleeved one over it that says Your butt or mine? in small print. My black boots and spiked choker finish the look, and I change out my lip ring for a crescent-shaped bar with two balls that meet in front of my lip. My hair is tousled, and I bypass the eyeliner because it’s just dinner.

I meet Lev at the front door, giving him a smile and a kiss.

“Hey,” I say, pulling away and shutting the door behind me.

“Hey yourself,” he says against my lips. He looks hot, as always. He’s wearing a pair of jeans, brown boots, and a lightweight navy-blue crewneck sweater. His hair is styled, and when we pull away, that dimple is on full display.

I can’t help myself and lean in again, kissing his cheek and popping the tip of my tongue into the dimple. He laughs and pushes me away.

“Get out of there,” he says. Laughing, he grabs my hand, and we walk down the sidewalk to the car.

We decided to go to a local Italian restaurant about twenty minutes away. I tell him all about the call today, the job, and what it means. He sends glances my way as I talk, smiling at my energy. I admit, I’m sort of buzzing. He rests his hand on my thigh and rubs up and down as he drives. The touch feels so good.

“So, after I got the paperwork and realized how good it was,” I say as we pull into the parking lot of the restaurant, “I called a real estate attorney to talk about the house.”

Lev pulls into a parking space and puts the car into park. “The house.” It’s a statement and not a question. He turns off the ignition and gets out of the car, coming around to my side as I open the door. He puts his hand out, and I take it, a warmth settling in my bones. “Hold that thought, ’kay? I want to talk about it once we’re seated.”

The restaurant isn’t fancy, but it’s nice. Mostly four-top tables set with enough room between them for people to comfortably get around. There’s a fireplace at one end of the room and a bar area in another room off of the main dining area. It’s rustic and homey and smells like garlic and butter and various sauces.

The hostess seats us at a table in the corner close to the fireplace, out of the way of the bustle of the room, and hands us our menus. She takes our drink orders and leaves the table. Lev and I look over the menu.

A few minutes later, she returns with water, Lev’s lime and soda, and my bourbon. She also puts a basket of warm bread and rolls on the table. We order our entrees, and she tells us she’ll be back if we need anything. I waste no time diving into the bread.

Warm bread with melting butter? Who could resist that!?

“Soooooo,” Lev says as I take a huge bite of the gooey, crusty bread. His plump, pink lips turn up into a smile. “You’re gorgeous.” He lets out a scoff, and I know he’s referring to the fact that I have a huge bite of bread in my mouth.

I laugh and eventually swallow it down. “I’m hungry, and it’s bread,” I say matter-of-factly. I take a big sip of my water and then put the glass down, making a show of focusing my attention on him.

“Yeah, sooooo, the house.” It’s a topic that I’ve mentioned to him a few times, but now that I know for sure I can afford it and I made contacts to get the ball rolling, I’m feeling like I’m going to make it happen. I just really want Lev to be on board, and I don’t know how he truly feels about it. “Um, so after the call with Brian and Julian, I called an attorney.” He nods and helps himself to a roll. “I want to work out some logistics, but Lev? I can buy the house when my parents put it up for sale.”

Now that it’s fully out there, I feel better. I breathe a sigh of relief and shove another big bite of bread into my mouth.

Lev swallows, and my eyes track to his Adam’s apple. Why is that so sexy? I slide my eyes back up to his when he talks again. “Is that what you really want?”

I nod. “I really do. I have so many memories there, Lev. I basically live there by myself anyway, and if we . . . if I could be there and know that my parents weren’t going to have access to it any time they want, and you know, walk in on my half-naked sex partner in the kitchen”—I smirk—“that would be nice.”

He tosses the straw paper at me. “Asshole,” he mumbles, a warm smile on his lips.

“I’ve already started making small changes, and you know I added the bathroom to my bedroom. I have some ideas for the rest of the house to make it more mine and less my parents’.” I take a deep breath. “But what I really want to know and what I need you to tell me, is if you’re okay with it.”

Lev leans back in his chair. “It’s not my choice to make for you, Dare. If you want the house, and you see it as a good investment, then buy it.”

My stomach does a somersault. I want him to be on board too. I want a future with this man, and if he isn’t on the same page, then I need to make a decision.

“Lev,” I start, but then the server interrupts us with our meal, and I have to wait.

“Here you go, gentlemen.” She places the food in front of each of us and grates the parmesan cheese over our pastas. “Is there anything else I can get for you?” We both answer that we are fine, and she tells us to let her know if we need anything else.

After she walks away, I continue. “Lev,” I try again. He looks at me. I don’t know why my voice is quiet, but I think I’m scared of what his thoughts are on this. “I want to buy the house, but I want to be with you more.” I notice his eyes flash in the light. “I like what we have, and . . . and . . . I want this to be . . . I want . . .” Lev patiently waits for me to get out what I need to say. “I want this—us—to be for the long haul, and I want you to be on board with my decisions. I want this to potentially be something you have to consider too.”

I gulp my water down and wait for him to speak.