His rigid posture softens before he wraps his arm around my shoulder. I snuggle into his side.
“Alexandra wanted to help me woo you,” he admits with a wolfish grin.
“Who’s Alexandra?” The name sounds familiar.
“She’s the woman with the set of twins you met at Get Baked a little while ago.”
“The girl you introduced me to?”
He nods.
“Oh, yeah! She was really nice! How does she know about us?”
“She may have heard me and Conner arguing about you the other day after your date with him.”
Grimacing, I shift in my seat before glancing up at Levi. “You got into a fight with Conner?”
“It was nothing,” he consoles, trying to put me at ease. “But, yeah. Then Alexandra pulled me aside and helped me come up with a plan to sweep you off your feet.”
“She did, did she?” The thought makes me smile.
“Yeah. The town car was her idea. What do you think?”
“I think I like it. But you shouldn’t have to go out of your way for me, Levi. You’ve already won me over, remember?”
“Yeah, but that doesn’t mean I shouldn’t treat you the way you deserve, either.”
“Well, thank you.” Lifting my chin, I wait for him to get the hint and give me a kiss. And because he’s a badass mind reader, he does exactly that.
When we reach the new arts center, the driver pulls up to the curb then opens the back door.
Cameras are flashing, and I squint my eyes to let them adjust to the unexpected attention.
“Damn, Levi. I didn’t know this was the red carpet,” I mutter under my breath. A soft smile spreads across Levi’s face when he hears me.
His arm wraps around my waist, practically plastering me to his side before he leans down and whispers, “With a dress like that, you look like you’d blend right in with that type of crowd.”
I take in his chiseled, freshly-shaven jaw, his slicked-back hair, his crisp suit that fits like a second skin. The whole package belongs on the front of a magazine.
“Dit
to, Mr. McCoy. You look good in a suit.”
“Careful, Ms. Bannon, or I might think you’re objectifying me.”
With a light laugh, I slide my hand around him and squeeze his ass, making him yelp and flinch beside me. I love that I can still tease him. That he can still tease me. That this new…romantic aspect isn’t tainting our relationship. It’s simply the cherry on top of our friendship. A really hot and sweaty cherry that tastes better than anything I’ve ever experienced. And I wouldn’t change it for the world.
The front doors open, and we’re guided to the elevators before going up to the second floor. When we reach our destination, Levi and I are gifted with a view of the grand foyer for the Jelani Okiro Arts and Cultural Center.
“So, do you know what this place is for?” Levi asks beside me.
I shake my head.
“Dexter Truitt knew the guy.” Raising his chin, he motions to a few pictures lining the walls. They all feature an older gentleman with dark, weathered skin and a kind smile. “His name was Jelani Okiro. I don’t know a lot of the details, but apparently, he had a pretty big influence on Mr. Truitt before he died of cancer. Mr. Truitt built this art center in his memory. Montague Enterprises is funding the whole thing.”
“That’s amazing,” I breathe as I take in the various Kenyan artworks scattered throughout the giant room and the glass cases lining the back walls. “Seems like Montague Enterprises is a pretty great place to work. Have you found out whether you’ll be getting the final position or not yet?”
He shakes his head. “Not yet. Soon, though. I’ve turned in all my reports for the project I was headlining and have a presentation due Monday. We’ll see how it goes. Conner had his yesterday, which is probably why he wasn’t pressuring you to go on another date with him this weekend.” The last part is spoken with a growl, his jealousy threatening to break to the surface.