Levitate by Kaylee Ryan Page A

our best to ignore each other, at least I try my best. I follow along and ooh and ahh at the right places. It’s not a hardship. This house is amazing. I’m again reminded of my initial thought when we arrived earlier. This does not feel like the house of two confirmed bachelors; this feels like a home. Something I miss more than I realized.
    We stop at a door. It’s at the end of the hall. I realize Nicole and Brighton are in the room directly across. I feel him come in close behind me. “This is mine,” he says as he slaps me on the ass with one hand and reaches over my shoulder with the other to push the door open.
    Once we are in the room, he walks around me and sits on the edge of the bed.
    “You couldn’t handle me,” I mumble under my breath as I walk further into the room. Taking it all in. It appears that Maxton has supersonic hearing. He stands and stalks toward me. Two steps and he’s right in front of me, once again invading my personal space. My body reacts to him as my nipples harden and I press my legs together. Suddenly, his “this is mine” statement means something completely different.
    He bends down and his shoulder hits my belly as he picks me up. I protest by beating my fists on his back. It’s a short ride with his long legs and I find myself sitting on the bed, Maxton between my legs leaning over me. I lean my head back to look at him and he takes advantage of my exposed neck. He runs his tongue from my collarbone to my ear. “I can handle you, sweetheart. The question is… can you handle me?” I can feel my legs quivering; apparently, so can he. He places his big hands on my thighs and runs them up and down. “You’re quaking for my touch.”
    I realize I’m sitting on his bed, two seconds away from letting him seduce me. I’m about to become another one of many, something I said I would never be. What is it about him that reduces my brain to mush?
    Placing my hands against his chest, I push with all of my strength and he doesn’t move. He’s a big guy, but I’m not afraid of him. “Maxton, please,” I say. I thought maybe, if I was nice, he would relent and let me up.
    Instead, his eyes flame with lust as he moves in closer. I can now feel his erection against my center and I want to moan at the simple contact. Jesus! What is he doing to me? “Are you begging for me, pretty girl?” His voice is deep and laced with the same desire I see in his eyes.
    “No! Please, let me up. This is not happening,” I tell him, pushing again on his chest. This time he steps away from me. He runs his fingers through his hair, and for a split second, I think he might be just as affected. I know he wants me. I could feel the evidence, see it in his eyes. But for that one split second, I thought I could see that it might be more than that. However, the look on his face is gone just as quick as it arrived.
    It’s just my mind playing tricks on me. I want him; he’s sexy as hell—tall, muscles in spades, strong jaw line, all that thick dark hair, the scruff on his face, and let’s not forget about those eyes! He has my hormones working overtime, and I need to keep my head clear. I know he sees me as a challenge. He just needs to realize I’m one challenge he is not going to win.
    Taking a deep breath, I rise from the bed and walk out of his bedroom. I hear Brighton and Nicole across the hall. I just keep walking until I’m back in the kitchen. I sit myself down on a stool at the island and wait. I pull my phone out of my back pocket and tap on the Facebook app. I leisurely scroll through my newsfeed. I’m not really paying much attention, just trying to look busy.
    I hear footsteps as Maxton joins me. He reaches into the fridge and pulls out two bottles of water. He sets one in front of me as he downs the other.
    “Thank you.”
    He nods before taking the stool next to me. He too pulls out his phone. I assume he’s doing the same thing as me. Trying to look busy. Trying to avoid the