So This Is War

“May we come in?” one of the deliverymen asks.

“Of course,” I say as I step aside. They roll in a large square box and a second smaller one.

“Over there in the corner,” the other man says.

“Is that the corner he was talking about?” the other guy says.

“Yes, matches the picture.”

What on earth did Levi get me?

I keep the door open as I watch the men open the box, peeling the sides down to reveal a camel-colored oversized leather chair. They set it in the corner, near the window, and then remove a side table that they place right next to it. Then they look around the room for a second until they spot the fiddle leaf fig tree and move it to the side table and place it on top.

My heart flutters.

They then pick everything up and hand me a card before leaving. When the door’s shut, I open the letter and read it.

Wylie,

I wanted to offer you a space where you can curl up and let your art inspire. I know you’re going to create beautiful things, and I can’t wait to see it all.

Enjoy, baby.

Yours,

Levi

I clutch the letter to my chest and let out a deep sigh.

No one has ever done something so thoughtful for me. No prior boyfriend and certainly never my father . . . It makes me feel so cherished. As if what I need, what I feel, is extremely important. As I consider Levi’s apology, his restraint—and then his lack of restraint—his complete focus on me? That’s . . . incredible.

Oh God . . . I think I might be falling for him.

I’M SITTING cross-legged in my chair when Levi arrives home.

He walks through the door, and the largest smile spreads across his face when his eyes land on me.

“You didn’t text me,” he says.

“I wanted to show my appreciation in person,” I say and pat the chair. “Come here.”

He sets his things down, takes off his shoes, and walks over to me looking all kinds of good in a tight long-sleeved shirt and joggers.

He takes a seat next to me since the chair offers enough space for us both, and he puts his arm around me. I snuggle into his chest and lift to place a kiss on his cheek. “This was incredibly sweet, Levi. Thank you.”

“You’re welcome,” he says, resting his hand on my hip. “I wanted you to have a comfortable place to draw, and I thought near the window and the fiddle leaf fig would be ideal.”

I chuckle. “The fig tree was a nice addition. You should have seen them look for it and then carefully place it on the table.”

“I’m glad you said carefully. I told them it was of the utmost importance that they were careful, and I tipped them well, so I’m glad they listened.”

“They did.” I draw small circles on his chest. “This was one of the nicest things anyone has ever done for me.” I look up at him and try not to get emotional, but I can’t help it. “I love that you believe in me, Levi.”

He shifts to look at me as well. “Of course I do. If you’re passionate about something, then I’m going to believe in you and support you. That’s how it should work.”

“You’re right,” I say softly. “That’s how it should work.”

Unfortunately, that’s not how it works with my dad.

He must be able to tell what I’m thinking about because he lifts my chin and says, “He’ll come around, Wylie.”

“But what if he doesn’t?” My eyes well up with tears, and I hate that I’m getting emotional over this.

“Hey,” he says softly as he pulls me onto his lap so he can look at me better. I reach up to wipe at my tears, but he beats me to it. The pads of his strong thumbs run below my eyes, catching my tears. “Don’t cry, Wylie.”

“I’m sorry.” I let out a low breath. “I just . . . I’ve never had someone believe in me like you do, other than Sandie, and you haven’t even seen anything I’ve done. How can you so freely hand it over, and my dad can’t?”

He runs his hands over my sides soothingly as he says, “I really don’t know, Wylie. I wish I could give you a reason, but sometimes parents can be blinded by the future they planned out for their children, not realizing, that it’s not up to them to plan it. It’s up to them to nurture the plans you have for yourself.”

My lip wobbles before more tears fall down my cheeks. “I wish he was different. I wish his love wasn’t conditional. I wish he would accept me for who I am and what I want.”

“I wish that too, Wylie,” he says softly. “And maybe someday he will, but you have to keep being you. You have to keep being the person you want to be, and you have to keep working toward your goals, regardless of whether he approves. Allow him to catch up to you. Don’t fall back to appease him.”

I stare down at his handsome face and endearing eyes, and I think he’s such a different man than I initially believed him to be. In my head, he was the playboy, the guy who fought on the ice and fucked at night, and I wanted a piece of that. It felt dangerous and exciting, but sitting here with him, being around him the last few weeks, I can see he’s anything but that man.

He’s kind.

He’s hilarious.

He has a warm heart.

He’s compassionate and supportive.

He’s the complete and total opposite of my father, and I truly believe that’s why I want to cling to him.

Why I need him in my life.

Why I want him so desperately because I want the comfort. I want the protection. I want the stability he offers so freely.

“Thank you,” I say to him as I lean down and kiss him softly on the lips.

When I pull away, he says, “No need to thank me, babe. I’m here for you.”

“I know you are, and I can’t tell you how appreciative I am of that.”

“You don’t need to,” he says. “We support each other. That’s how it goes. At the end of the day, we’re there for each other.”

I play with the collar of his shirt. “You say that as if we’re in a real relationship.”

His brow quirks up. “Uh, we are.”

I chuckle. “So . . . if presented with the opportunity, you’d introduce me to someone as Wylie, your girlfriend, not Wylie the wench who lives in the nanny hole?”

He lets out a laugh as he considers it. “Wylie, the wench who lives in the nanny hole, has a nice ring to it, honestly, but I’d have to go with Wylie, my girlfriend.”

“Good answer.” I smooth my hands up his chest and lean forward, making out with him for a few seconds, letting our mouths explore as his hands wander down my back to my ass.

That’s when I pull up, and he groans in disappointment.

“Baby, keep kissing me,” he complains.

“Can I show you something first?”

“Is it your tits?”

I chuckle. “No, it’s a drawing I did.”

“Then, hell yeah, show me.” Smiling, I move off his lap, but he stops me. “You don’t need to get off me to show me.”

I roll my eyes. “Really? You know I’m a sure thing. You don’t need to keep me on your lap.”

“It’s a comfort thing. I like you here,” he says, those pleading eyes nearly cutting me in half.

Hard to say no to that. So instead of dismounting, I lean over to the other side of the chair where my iPad is and wake it up. Feeling slightly nervous, I stare down at the drawing I was working on, then hold it to my chest.

Looking Levi in the eyes, I say, “Please be honest with me. Don’t say it’s good just to spare my feelings.”

“I’ll tell you the truth.”

“Promise?” I ask.

“Promise,” he says.

I let out a pent-up breath and say, “So a little backstory, I’ve found great fun in drawing and not really focusing on graphic design for marketing purposes. That doesn’t really excite me, but this does.”

I turn the iPad around and watch Levi’s expression as he takes in the erotic drawing I did of Patty Ford with a man between her legs, being pleasured.

His brows lift, and his mouth parts as he takes the iPad in hand and stares down at it.

“Holy fucking shit,” he says as he takes it all in.

Excitement flows through me because that is an honest reaction. That’s the kind of reaction I was hoping for.

I spent all day working on it, going back and forth between Patty Ford’s website and envisioning what I thought she’d look like if she had someone else with her. I worked tirelessly on making sure her face was accurate and her proportions made sense, and I spent probably more time than I should have on her chest and refining her nipples.

“Wylie,” he says as he shifts under me. “Fuck, this is really hot.”

“Really?” I ask.

He looks up at me and nods. “And really good. Jesus.” He drags his hand over his mouth and stares at it some more. “The shadowing is amazing, the way you contoured her body. Your lines are smooth. The expression on her face almost has movement to it. The whole drawing does. I can virtually see her panting if I stare at it long enough. Fuck. It’s good.” His eyes fall to mine. “And I’m not just saying that. This is really fucking amazing.”

I can’t help the smile that spreads across my face. “Thank you,” I say. “I worked incredibly hard on it, and to be honest, it came to me while I was sitting in this chair.”

“It’s insane, like . . . fuck, babe, I’m hard.”

I chuckle and wiggle on his lap, feeling exactly how hard he is.

He groans and sets the iPad down. He grips my hips and asks, “Are you going to send it to her?”

“Do you think I should?” I ask as he grabs the hem of my shirt and pulls it up and over my head, revealing my bare breasts. He sighs happily before reaching up to play with them.

“Yes, I think you should,” he says.

I bring his shirt up and over his head as well and say, “What would she do with it?”

“Sell it,” he says as I move down between his legs and pull down his joggers and briefs until he’s fully naked on the new chair. His erection’s stretched up to his navel, and instead of grabbing it, he rests his hands at his sides, letting me take charge, something that I love about him. He’s very much a man in control, but he has no problem submitting every once in a while.

I smooth my hands up his thighs. “You think she’d sell that?”

“Fuck yes,” he says as I spread his legs.

“Wait, was that a fuck yes to selling or a fuck yes to me spreading your legs?”

“Both.” He chuckles.

I press kisses along his inner thigh and move up toward his aching cock. “Should I email her?”

“Yes.” He swallows hard, then lifts my chin with his finger. “Let me finish this conversation before you finish me.” He takes another breath and then says, “Email her with the idea that you could make more of these prints in different poses and fantasies, and she can sell them in bundles. Trust me, she’d make a fortune.”

I sit back on my legs and say, “That’s a good idea. Yeah, I think I will email her.”

“Good.” He cups my cheek. “I’m proud of you, Wylie.”

I smile up at him, then bring my mouth to the head of his cock where I swirl my tongue around the tip.

He sinks deeper into the chair, and his muscles contract as I pleasure him with my mouth. The entire time, I can’t help but think how lucky I am that my dad set this up. Little does he know, he set me up with the man of my dreams.

I REREAD my email for the tenth time, making sure my proposal makes sense.

After getting Levi off and him getting me off in return, we talked about what other images I could draw. I’ve been working tirelessly over those. I did one of her with her legs spread, completely naked, and her fingers playing with her clit while the other hand pinched her nipple. Levi really liked that one—it was his idea after all—and then he made me mimic the pose last night while we were FaceTiming. He had me angle the camera down and made me play with myself while he did the same. I’d much prefer for him to be here, but I’ll be honest, my orgasm tore through me faster than I expected.

And when he’s not home, he makes me sleep in his bed, which I also love because it smells like him and reminds me of him.

The other drawing we decided on was of Patty wearing a white button-up business shirt and nothing else. She’s pressed up against the wall, holding the bottom of the dress shirt up to show off her ass, while the top hangs off her shoulder, exposing one of her breasts. That’s my favorite because there’s mystery but also, it’s tasteful. A tease.

And now that the images are done, I’m ready to send them.

Or am I?

I glance down at the time. Levi should still be in the hotel, so I call him.

He answers on the first ring.

The first thing I see is his abs with a towel wrapped around his waist. Then he comes more into view as he props his phone up and leans one hand against the bathroom counter, the other brushing his teeth.

“Hey, babe,” he says before spitting his toothpaste in the sink. “You’re up really early.”

“I sleep better when you’re here, and I have a lot on my mind.”

“What’s going on?” he asks before leaning down to look at me.

And there he is.

In his handsome glory, hair wet, eyes bright, ready to listen.

“I think I’m ready to send the email to Patty.”

“I thought you sent it already,” he says.

“I made some adjustments this morning. Just minor tweaks after you read it last night. I’m second-guessing everything.”

“Don’t. And what’s the worst that can happen? She says no? Then we move on to the next idea, which I wanted to talk to you about.” He picks up the phone and moves over to his bed. “Had dinner with the boys last night, and Halsey was telling us how his favorite author, W.J. Preston, put out a search for illustrators.”

“Really?” I ask.

“Yeah, Halsey was excited about it because it seems like the author is looking to include illustrations in some of his books. Got me thinking. You should enter. I looked it up last night but didn’t want to bother you because I knew you were working on this email. He gave prompts of what he’s looking for, and I think it might be fun for you. There’s also another author on the entry form as well. A romance writer. Rylee Ryan. Have you heard of her?”

I shake my head. “No.”

“Well, she’s looking to do the same thing, and they’re teaming up. Anyway, I’ll send you the link. I think the romance author is looking for more of a Patty Ford style, whereas W.J. Preston is looking for murder.”

I chuckle. “I’ll do both, I don’t care. Oh my God, Levi, you are amazing.” I press my hand to my heart. “Seriously, thank you.”

“Anything for you, babe.” He runs his hand through his hair. “I have to go. I have to meet the team in ten minutes. But send the email. I know she’ll love the pictures and the ideas you have. You’ve got this, babe.”

“Thank you, Levi.”

He winks. “Talk tonight.”

And then he hangs up.

I lean back in my chair and stare up at the ceiling.

You’ve got this.

I turn back to my computer just as a text comes through my phone.

Levi: Here’s the link. Proud of you, Wylie. <3

I smile down at his text, and with my phone pressed to my heart, I send the email to Patty Ford. Now, only time will tell.

Meanwhile, I might as well check out this link and see what other types of work I can put out there.

“THESE ARE INCREDIBLE,” Sandie says as we sit on the couch with bowls of ice cream on our laps. “Like . . . can you send these to me? I want to show Dale.”

I wiggle my eyebrows at her. “Oh yeah?”

Sandie’s cheeks blush. “Well, I was telling him about Patty Ford the other day and how you were drawing pictures for her. He had no idea who I was talking about, so I showed him, and well, one thing led to another.”

I press my hand to my chest. “Sandie, did you and Dale get off to Patty Ford?”

“We did.” She winces. “And oh my God, it was so much fun.”

“See, she’s fun for everyone.”

“She really is.” Sandie sets my iPad down. “So you haven’t heard anything yet?”

“Not yet,” I say, “but I figure it will take some time. I don’t expect a response right away, especially since it was a cold call and not what she was asking for. She might just hate the idea altogether. But I have been working on those illustration entries for those authors. I think Levi was right. I might be a better fit for the romance author. He was helping me think up some different angles to draw last night.”

Sandie lifts her spoon to her mouth. “He seems . . . amazing. Every time you talk about him, he’s either doing something incredibly sweet for you, or helping you, encouraging you. I’m crushing, and he’s not even my boyfriend.”

I bring my knees into my chest and say, “Sandie, I’ve never been treated like this before. He’s so different from any man I’ve ever had in my life. And we’re not just talking about the sex, that’s a definite plus, obviously, but the way he treats me, the things he says to me. He makes me feel special.”

Sandie tilts her head and smiles. “That makes me happy, Wylie. You deserve someone like him.”

“I do,” I say.

“Are you worried at all what your dad might say?”

“I’ve honestly put it to the back of my mind because I don’t want to think about it. I don’t want to think about him. I haven’t talked to him in a while, and it’s not from a lack of trying on my end. I’ve sent him a few texts, and he hasn’t responded. I know he’s busy with the team, and they’ve been off and on with wins, so he’s probably stressed and finding a way to level out the team, but . . . yeah, there hasn’t been much communication.” I shrug. “And I’m starting to see that I’m okay with that. Levi is showing me that I don’t need to win the man’s affection. He either loves me for who I am, or he can miss out on the great things I’m going to do.” I had been ruminating on this a lot after Levi first asked me if it would really matter to my life if my dad didn’t approve of my life choices. And it was a healthy wake-up call that if he can’t believe in me, can’t acknowledge that I want to be on a different trajectory, that I’m okay with that. His validation just doesn’t have the same desired effect as say Levi’s or Sandie’s. I feel freer to be me.

Sandie reaches out and rests her hand on my knee. “Oh my God, look at you. He is seriously good for you.”

“He is,” I say, feeling my cheeks blush. “I think he’s it for me, Sandie.”

“Yeah?” she asks, her hope soaring. “Like . . . you could possibly love him?”

I nod. “Yes. I’m easily falling for him. I don’t see how I can’t. He’s just . . . he’s perfect.”

“Wow.” She shakes her head. “Never would have seen this coming, but I don’t think I could be happier.” She scoops up some ice cream and plops it in her mouth just as my phone buzzes. I glance down at it and see that it’s Levi.

“Speak of the devil.” I answer the phone. “Hey, you,” I say.

“Babe, I need to see that pussy. Undress and grab a toy. I want you coming in seconds.”

Sandie snorts and covers her nose.

I smile at Levi and say, “Uh, my friend Sandie is here with me.”

I turn the phone toward Sandie who waves at him before I turn it back. The look on Levi’s face is priceless.

“I might have to wait to undress unless Sandie wants a show.”

“I prefer not to be here when you undress,” Sandie says.

“Fuck, I’m sorry. Uh, sorry, Sandie. Nice to meet you.”

“Nice to meet you too,” Sandie says. “Thanks for being amazing to my girl.”

I turn the phone so Levi can look at Sandie when he answers. “No need to thank me, although, I do have a bone to pick with you. That whole stunt you pulled with Wylie, having her walk around in your shirt that was too small. That nearly killed me.”

Sandie casually shrugs. “Don’t mess with my girl, and we won’t mess with you.”

“Lesson learned.”

We all laugh, and I turn the phone back toward me. “I know I didn’t ask, but is it okay that she came over?”

His brow pinches. “Wylie, you don’t have to ask for permission. That’s our apartment. Do what you want, just don’t do anyone else.”

“That’s fair,” Sandie says. Our apartment. Shit. Ours . . . Yes, I want that.

“Just wanted to check. Are you headed to bed soon?”

“Yeah, but I’ll wait up. Take your time.”

“Maybe you can play around with Patty Ford for a bit. Sandie and Dale did the other night.”

“Oh my God.” Sandie gasps and then pushes me with her foot. “Don’t tell him those things.”

“Why not? He’ll think it’s hot.”

“It is hot,” Levi says. “But I want the real thing tonight, so call me when you’re done visiting and don’t rush.”

“Okay. I’ll call you in a bit.”

“See ya, babe, and bye, Sandie.”

“Bye, Levi,” Sandie says right before I hang up.

I set the phone down, but I can feel Sandie’s eyes on me. “You are so freaking in love.”

I cover my face with my hands. “I know!”

“FIRST THING’S FIRST,” Penny says as she clasps her hands together and looks me in the eyes. “I need to know, has Posey eaten bologna off you as a sex thing?”

I nearly snort out the sip of coffee I just took. Instead, I swallow, then chuckle. “Uh, no.”

“See, I told you he was classier than that,” Blakely says as she takes a sip of her drink.

We all met at Café Peppermint, one of Levi’s favorite places I found out, and we’re discussing what I can do to help out the team, Levi’s idea to get my dad to stop asking me to do crazy shit.

“You know, I’m kind of disappointed in him,” Penny says. “I expected more.”

“Did you want him to have bologna sex?” Blakely asks, almost horrified.

“I think I would have felt more at ease if he did.”

I chuckle. “I think your perception of Levi is way different from the person he actually is. I understand the man you know because I’ve seen it too. Kind of goofy, but also tough and dangerous. He can be self-centered, thinking he is God’s gift to the world, but I think that’s how he is around his friends.”

“Yes, that’s exactly how I see him,” Penny says. “The number of times I’ve rolled my eyes at that man.”

“Same,” Blakely says. “But I do believe there’s a different side to him. Halsey said he sees it on occasion.”

“I see it all the time,” I say. “He’s so not the guy he puts out there for the media and the fans. He’s so different when it’s just us. He’s selfless, thinks of me all the time and my needs, not his.”

Penny props her chin on her hand and leans on the table. “How so? Also, I know we are here to talk business, and we’ll get to that, but I need to know more about this relationship. I’m fascinated.”

“As long as you promise to tell me how you felt when Eli texted you that he just ate an apple.”

Penny laughs. “Oh my God, he told you that?”

I nod. “He takes responsibility for all his friends being in love, and he went into great detail about it, but I’m sure what he didn’t say to you guys is how each of you are the perfect counterpart.”

“He said that?” Penny asks, looking surprised.

“He did. And he’s really happy for all of you, especially his boys.”

“See.” Blakely swats at Penny. “He might be a little off, but he’s a good guy.”

“I never said he wasn’t a good guy. I’m just perplexed by him. Is he good in bed?”

“Incredible,” I say. “And adventurous.”

“Huh.” Penny looks over at Blakely. “Maybe it’s in the Gatorade in the stadium or something.”

Blakely chuckles. “That has to be it. Although, you’re the only one with a baby.”

“Trust me, everyone will be right behind me. I know it.” Penny glances at me. “By the flush in her cheeks, I would say she’s next.”

“Ooo, not sure I’m ready for that yet, but I do want kids someday.”

Penny shakes her head in disbelief. “She does seem perfect for him, don’t you think?”

“I do,” Blakely says. “And let me tell you, we are not kidding when we say that man is infatuated with you. Like absolutely crazy for you.”

“He is,” Penny says. “I’m sure he’s showed you how crazy he is for you, but when he first needed our help, he was losing it. He wanted nothing more than to make a move on you, to make you his, to show you that he’s not a playboy, that he can be a one-woman man. He also wanted to get to know you more, and not in the way where he was seeing how annoyed you would get over the asinine tasks he gave you. He hated everything he was making you do. It actually made him sick.”

I smile softly. “Yeah, he told me, and he’s apologized far too many times for it.”

“Because he’s a good guy,” Blakely says. “Even though he says weird shit to us.”

“Eh, we say weird shit to him,” Penny says, then turns her attention back to me. “Okay, enough of that. I have an idea for you if you don’t mind. I know you’re struggling with your dad and him understanding what you want to do with your career. I hope it’s okay that we know.”

“It’s totally okay,” I say.

“Well, Blakely and I were thinking we have an upcoming charity event for American Thanksgiving. We call it a week of giving back. The fans bring in food donations, and we do themed nights. One of the nights is kind of stupid, but the fans love it—we turn the players into different dishes.”

“Yes,” I say. “I’ve seen this. I especially loved the one where my dad was turned into a cooked turkey.”

“Exactly,” Penny says. “I was thinking that maybe you could head up the graphics for those. The guy who did them last year left the organization, and we weren’t going to do it, but then we thought, maybe we could ask you. We’ll have you help out that night as well, so you get the feel of it. Posey is a big contributor to the week, so it all fits together. And you get to be involved in both business-focused activities, per your dad’s request, and use that creative head of yours.”

“Yes, I’d love to. But only if I can turn Eli into apple pie.”

Penny and Blakely both snort.

“I wouldn’t have it any other way,” Penny says. “Although”—she taps her chin—“we did make a baby over a French silk pie, so maybe go with that.”

“Consider it done.”