Levi had worked hard all day with her and after their driving lesson, he’d helped with dinner. Then they’d come out here and he looked a bit uncomfortable. She leaned toward him, loving the scent of his body—it brought back memories of waking in his arms.
“You okay?” she asked in his ear.
“This is all”—he leaned closer, brushing her shoulder—“a lot to process.”
She patted him on the thigh. Gods, he was strong. Nothing moved beneath her palm. She shook her head. “You’ll be fine. Let me know if you want to leave.”
“I’m looking forward to you doing this karaoke.” His hand covered hers under the table and he squeezed gently before releasing it.
“Won’t be long. I believe we’re up after two more people.” She needed to focus or she was going to sound like a dying whale while her thoughts were solely on the man beside her, and what his touch did to her.
He reached for his drink. “Is it always like this here?” This question was louder and more for the group.
“Pretty much,” Rachel said, toasting him with her drink.
“And even though they can’t sing, these people still get up there?”
“I’m still shocked you’ve never been to karaoke before, man,” Jasmine said, finishing off her beer and waving for another.
Ta-Mara kept her counsel. It wasn’t easy for her to imagine either, however, considering this man had just kind of
appeared
in the back of the shop—from another time—his not knowing karaoke didn’t seem such a big thing to her. She stifled a chuckle at herself. In this instance, she believed he was from another time. Her mind was so scattered on what was true about him.
“Oh, oh, we’re next.” Rachel slid out first and the others followed.
Ta-Mara started to slide around as well, only to find Levi had stood up to allow her out that way. Sort of. He remained close so she had to brush by him to get out. His gaze burned as he looked down into her eyes. She was so tempted to touch him, she had to dig her nails into the palms of her hands. This wasn’t the time or place for that.
“Be right back,” she muttered, leaning back over the table for her drink. Another good-sized swallow then she was ready to go.
They stepped up on stage to a thunderous applause. Thoughts of Levi slipped into the back of her mind and she focused on the time with her friends. The familiarity of standing up with them and putting on a show for the crowd was front and center.
The music started and they began singing. It took her a moment before she realized they’d picked
Survivor
by Destiny’s Child. That wasn’t the song she’d been expecting. They did two songs then she hopped off and headed back while her friends were going to do a few more. She detoured to the ladies, then came out to head to her table.
Rachel and Heather flanked her, stopping then taking her close to the wall. Ta-Mara figured it had been coming from the looks they had been giving her all night. She leaned on the wall, sliding her hands into her pockets. From where she stood, she couldn’t see Levi since there were people blocking her.
“He looks better than when we saw him,” Heather said.
Ta-Mara focused on her friends. “I let him rest as you stated. After his swoon—thanks for putting that word in my head, by the way—he was fine.”
“He
is
fine.” Rachel wiggled her eyebrows.
“He is that.” Ta-Mara clicked her tongue. “When we went shopping yesterday, women were all over him.”
“And you wanted to punch them or snatch them bald.” Heather laughed. “I would be the same way with a man like that.”
“Me too.” Rachel bared her teeth. “I’d tell them to back off, he’s mine.”
“Levi isn’t mine.”
“You look at him like he is.” Heather moved closer, pressing her shoulder against hers. “What about him being a time traveler? Do you still believe that?”
“I have no idea what I believe.” Ta-Mara slid an arm around each of them and hugged them. “Thanks for earlier in the store when you acted like you didn’t know him.”
“No problem. We said we’d act like that.” Rachel put her arm behind Ta-Mara’s back.
Heather did the same. “He really is gorgeous. Jasmine about swallowed her tongue when she saw him earlier.”
“Yeah. I saw how she was looking at him.” Ta-Mara frowned, thinking of her friend who would have no qualms about making a play for Levi. Heather and Rachel she didn’t have to think that about. “She needs to cool it.”
“I’m thinking she’s not the only one you should be concerned about.” Rachel gestured her head sideways.
Ta-Mara glanced over. With the people next to them moving away, she had a clear view of their table where Levi waited. She frowned at the sight of the women lingering around Levi.
I understand it, for sure, but damn if I like it.
“Yep. In no way you think he’s yours,” Heather said dryly.
Rachel snickered. “She’s having visions of bald heads.”
“I hate you both.” Ta-Mara released them before she poked them each in their side.
They laughed then said simultaneously, “You love us.”
“I have no idea why.” She shook her head then started forward. “I’m going back to our table.”
Smoothing out her expression, she walked up as if not a care in the world—or that she didn’t care that he had other women practically serving their breasts to him with a smile.
Nope, not a problem
. Granted, in her mind, she’d not only killed but disemboweled the lot of them a few times over.
He stood and reached out a hand when she approached. Pasting a smile on her face, she took it and allowed him to seat her. The women glared at her but walked off.
“Offers for the evening?”
“Are all women so…forward now?”
He hadn’t released her hand and his thumb stroked tantalizingly along the back of hers. It was hard to remember that there had been other women near him when he touched her. Looked at her. Hell, when she thought about him. Yes, she had it bad. Her libido had been kick-started and it felt as if the switch to turn it off had been broken.
“Some are. So”—she lifted the numerous napkins with numbers on them—“calling any of them?”
“No.” He voiced his refusal so fast it surprised her a bit.
“You may hit it off with one of them.”
He turned from the stage and his gaze bore into hers. Intense. Arousing. Determined. “Is there a reason you are trying to push me toward another woman? Do you want me gone?”
“No.”
Oh God, no
. “I just don’t want you to think because we…” She gestured with her hand and searched for the words.
“Fucked long into the night?” His words slid along her skin, decadent and tempting.
Her slit grew damp and she struggled not to writhe on the seat. “Did what we did, you have to worry about my feelings. If one of them interests you, go for it.” See, she could do the whole not being jealous thing. Thankfully, no one could see inside her for it would tell a completely different story.
“As I told you in the clothing store, none of them excite me as you do, Ta-Mara. Not a single one of them does this to me.”
He moved her hand to settle upon his crotch and she felt his hard cock. Heat surged through her. She squeezed his length, loving how his gaze darkened.
“That’s because of you, Ta-Mara. You. I want nothing more than to bend you over this table, flip that skirt up and fuck you until you lose your voice. Until your legs can no longer hold you. Then I want to flip you on your back and begin again.”
“Damn, honey, if you don’t want to take him home, I will.”
The intruder was a woman who stood there in next to nothing, fanning her flushed face with her hand. Normally, Ta-Mara would be embarrassed by this but right now, she was too damn turned on. So she smiled, her hand still upon Levi, who never looked from her.
“Oh, I’m taking him home. Make no mistake about that.”
“Want one more?” the woman asked.
“No thanks.”
She shrugged. “Can’t blame a woman for trying.” Then she slipped away, but Ta-Mara had already focused back on Levi.
He slid closer to her, resting his arm along the back of the seat. Lowering his head, he nuzzled the curve of her neck where it met her shoulder. Each touch of his lips made her tremble. It wouldn’t take much for him to push her over the edge. Not here, not like this, especially with his words reverberating in her head.
Through barely open eyes, she saw her friends returning and moved her hand. He didn’t retreat. He lowered his arm so it boxed her in more, not that she had plans on going anywhere.
“Isn’t that looking cozy?” Rachel winked as she slipped in the booth right up to her. “So, Levi. Are we going to get to hear you sing?”
Jasmine and Heather nodded while they slid into the booth across from them.
“Maybe some other time.”
“Ta-Mara, get him up there to sing—or go sing with him.” Jasmine had a big smile.
“Come on, you two. We’re here to have fun.” Heather smirked at her from across the table.
Ta-Mara glanced to her right and caught Levi’s gaze. She didn’t want to push it. He wasn’t familiar with the music they played. Although he had been listening avidly to the radio—country music—and was good with some of those songs. “What do you think?”
“You want to sing with me?”
She shrugged. “I’m game. Your call though. I won’t push it.”
“We will,” her friends all said in unison. “We want to hear him sing.”
“Come on. He’s a guest.”
Heather shook her head. “Nope, he’s part of the group, so we have the right to heckle until we get what we want. No
visitor
takes liberties with you like that, so he’s something more.”
He kissed her cheek and got up from the seat, holding out his hand. When she placed hers in his, he drew her up. “You heard them. I’m part of the group. Let’s go.”
“You don’t have to do this, you know,” she said as he led her through the tables to the stage.
“What’s wrong?” he asked facing her. “Don’t want to sing with me?”
“That’s not it. Not at all. I don’t want you feel pressured into doing something you may not want to.”
His wink sent her insides to fluttering all over again. “I’m good. Trust me.”
She reached up and pressed a kiss to his lips. “I already know how good you are. I hope you sing as well as you, well…you know.”
He grinned and faced the stage again. Fingers firmly interlocked with his, she allowed him to pull her up on the rostrum when their turn came. When the familiar opening strands of Tim McGraw and Faith Hill’s duet
Like We Never Loved At All
played, she fought her blush. This would prove interesting.
“I know this one.” Levi smiled, partially lowering his lids.
The look in his eyes made her gulp. She knew the song. Ta-Mara sang her part. Levi stared at her not even looking at the words either. When his part came, he opened his mouth and Ta-Mara stared at his lips. The deepness of his baritone wrapped around her. Her gaze widened as she heard the perfect pitch of his voice. The emotions he poured into the song made her up her game. She turned to him and stared into his eyes, singing to him. Ta-Mara imagined what it would be like when he was gone and how she would feel when he did. Levi’s eyes narrowed and he grabbed her, pulling her to him and rocking her, singing to her. Her voice broke on the lyric but she powered through and poured out what she would feel.
Shit, I’m already in too deep. Stupid, stupid, Ta-Mara.
She closed her eyes, fighting back tears and finished the song.
The thunderous applause rose from the audience.
“Look at me,” Levi whispered.
Ta-Mara blinked and drew in a breath at the intensity of his gaze.
“I won’t ever forget you, Ta-Mara, no matter what happens.”
His promise was in his words and expression. Ta-Mara knew he wouldn’t, and neither would she. Levi would be etched in her memories long after they parted ways. Another song started, which Ta-Mara thought apt for this situation. Levi, if he was indeed from the time he said, could be taken from her at any moment—to a place where he belonged to another woman—Calliope—who knew she had his heart, body and soul. Ta-Mara led him to the stool on stage and encouraged him to sit as she sang the opening lyrics of Sugarland’s
Stay
.
Ta-Mara turned away from him as she again let all her emotions out in song. She couldn’t look at him when she sang or she’d cry, so she performed for the audience while meaning each word for him. She could have some great memories—or regrets about not enjoying each moment with him. For Ta-Mara, there was no decision. She would take each moment with Levi. As the song went on, she held out her hand to the people watching then pulled it into her chest. She rocked from side to side as she let them feel the loss she knew was coming. Finally, she turned to him and sang the last words to him.
Levi rose and Ta-Mara smiled shakily then put the mic back, getting down before he could reach her. She headed into the crowd who was on its feet cheering and congratulating her. Ta-Mara, blinded by what she was feeling, didn’t really register it. Suddenly she was pulled and she glanced up, seeing Heather and Rachel who walked her rapidly across to the ladies room. Rachel checked and, seeing it was empty, locked the door. Heather released Ta-Mara and both women stared at her.
Rachel touched her shoulder. “Oh, Ta-Mara…”
“I’m fine.” She turned away, hugging herself.
“You’re already half in l—”
“Don’t say it.” Ta-Mara cut Heather off.
“T—”
“I’m fine,” she said adamantly. “I have to go out there and face him. Act like it was just a song. So I don’t need you making it worse.”
They didn’t say anything, just came to stand either side of her then rubbed their hands up and down her back. Ta-Mara appreciated their comfort and breathed in and out, then when she felt calm, she rolled her shoulders.
“I’m ready.”
“Just one more thing.” Heather hugged her. “If you need us, we are here.”
“Come to us. Promise.” Rachel hugged her too.
“I will if I need it.” Ta-Mara shrugged. “It’s gonna be fine. He’s passing through and I know that. You don’t get wrapped up in someone like that.”
“Are you trying to convince yourself or us?” Rachel asked.