Chapter 32
CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO
Shelby
“Ahhhhh!”
Riley’s scream rings out as I chase her around the wood-chipped area and onto the grass. Steering her toward her dad, I mouth, “Help me.”
Leo grins from his place on the picnic blanket. Shooting to his knees, he catches her around the waist.
“I win!” She grins.
“I . . . didn’t realize . . . we . . . were racing.” I pant out.
Collapsing onto the blanket, I starfish.
“I wanna play tag again!” She wiggles in her dad’s hold.
“It’s your turn.” I wave at him.
“Baby, go play on the slide and let Shelby recover. Apparently, she’s getting old.” I don’t need to open my eyes to know he’s grinning. I can hear it.
“I got it from you.” I huff, still trying to catch my breath.
“Old age isn’t contagious.”
I feel him lean over me a second before his lips brush mine.
My eyes snap open. Turning my head, I check if anyone saw.
“Someone might see.”
“Why would I care if someone sees me kissing my girlfriend?”
I turn at his tone.
Leo grips my jaw, holding me steady as he places a firm kiss on my lips and then another.
“Is that what I am?” I ask shyly.
We may be fucking a lot, but other than that first night I found out, we haven’t spoken about us.
“That’s exactly who you are, at least until I marry you. Either way, you’re mine, and I want everyone to know it.”
I swallow under his intense stare. My eyes drop to his lips, and I watch as a smirk takes place.
“Come here,” he whispers.
Seeing him lean in again, I allow the hand on my neck to brace me as I meet him halfway. Our kiss is gentle and too brief.
Sighing, Doc pulls back. “What did Cooper want?”
“Nothing.” I brush off his question.
“What did he want?” he repeats.
“Nothing.” I shake my head, tone sharper.
Subtle, Shelby. I roll my eyes.
“What have I told you about that?” Leo growls, tracing his finger down my jaw. “It’s rude. I’m not a strict lover, Shelby, but lying has no place in this relationship.”
I glare, snapping before I can rein myself in. “Oh, you mean like you did?”
Maybe Cooper’s words got to me more than I thought. Retreating in more than one way, I push up off the blanket. Leo quickly joins me.
“Hey,” he calls softly.
I hiss when his hand catches my arm, the skin under my sleeve sore from Cooper’s rough handling.
“I’m sorry,” he says, releasing me immediately, guilt and worry clear on his handsome face.
“It’s not your fault,” I reassure.
Leo cups my shoulders, his touch even more gentle than normal. Heat travels up my neck as his thumbs brush back and forth.
“I would never intentionally hurt you. I lied because it was necessary. I needed you to be ready. Ready for me, for us,” he corrects.
I know.
“Not even if I roll my eyes again?” I tease.
“Not even,” he swears, his voice serious.
We stare at each other for a few minutes before he places a sweet kiss on my forehead.
“What did he say, Shelby?”
“He was talking about you and Riley. He was being a dick, so I got mean, and he grabbed me.” I shrug.
Leo nods. “That’s unlike you, so whatever you said, I’m sure he deserved more.”
I give him a small smile.
Strong hands frame my face. “I’m sorry that he bothered you. I’ll make sure it doesn’t happen again.”
I open my mouth to ask how, but the words die beneath his lips. A moan escapes instead.
Stepping into him, I return the kiss. Quickly, we get lost in the taste of each other.
“Daddy?”
The little voice comes from close by, too close.
Ripping us apart, I shove Leo in the chest and step back. Looking down wide-eyed and panicked, I see Riley smiling.
“Hi, baby,” I greet too loudly.
Take it down a notch.
“You want me to play on the swings with you?” I try again more calmly.
The little girl looks between her father and me with a grin plastered to her face.
“No.” She shakes her head.
“Are you finished playing?” Doc asks.
“No.”
Leo and I share a look.
“You and Daddy stay here.” Stepping forward, she points at where we were just seconds ago. “Right here.” She points, not leaving until we both nod.
“Well, that’s us told,” Leo jokes. “You heard the girl. You’re needed right here.” Snagging my hand, he pulls me in close, our chests pressed together. “Right here,” he whispers.
Pushing up onto my toes, I kiss him, earning a deep chuckle, one that makes my toes curl. But I’m not about to get caught twice. Leo might want the world to know, but I’m not ready for that. Not yet.
Pulling back, I smile up at him, shy and self-conscious. “I have a boyfriend.”
“You do.” He grins, thumbing my chin.
Shit, I said that aloud.
My face flames.
“Don’t laugh.” I pout. Curling a fist, I nudge him in the stomach with it, not that he felt it, stupid abs.
“I’m not.” But his words are countered by the chuckle that escapes with them.
Catching his eye, I roll mine.
“Brat.” He mock glares.
I grin at my win.
“Come here,” he orders, his voice dropping to a deep husky tone while he reaches out for me.
“Shelbs?”
My heart stops. I know that voice. Shoving Leo again, I step back so quickly that I nearly lose my balance.
Smooth, Shelby.
Waving my arms, I save myself, but not before two strong, firm hands catch my waist. Wide-eyed, I push at his forearms and put some distance between us.
Turning, I come face-to-face with a smiling Helen Cromwell and an irritated-looking Christopher Cromwell close behind. My heart is in my throat. My best friend’s parents are my second family. They practically co-raised me.
“Helen,” I greet, my voice too high.
So much for not being caught.
“Hi, baby, I thought that was you,” she greets, pulling me in for a hug. Her arms squeeze extra hard.
“Hi,” I breathe, melting into her.
“It’s been far too long since you came for dinner.”
“It has,” I agree. “Hi, Chris.”
At my wave, he turns from staring down Doc. “Hi, sweetpea.”
I give an honest smile at the nickname.
“I’ll come by soon,” I promise Helen.
“Anytime. And you know you can stay over even if Sam isn’t home.”
I nod, gratefully.
“How is Sam?” Christoper asks with a raised brow.
What? It takes every ounce of self-control I have not to roll my eyes. Fucking Samatha. I’ve known the woman long enough to know she’s using me as an alibi.
“Good, you know how she is,” I answer vaguely.
“I do.” He nods. “I’d rather you both be at ours, though, especially if you’re worried about being home alone.”
“It’s okay,” I rush, not wanting to worry them. “It’s okay. With Sam there, we’re okay.”
“Good.” Christopher turns to Leonard again.
“Oh, um, you guys know Leo.” I gesture to him. “I’m the new nanny.” I don’t look toward him when I say this. I know it hurt. The words even sting me.
“Oh, that’s good.” Helen smiles, finding Riley on the playground.
“Leonard.” Christopher nods, but his brows are furrowed.
“Christopher.”
I stay turned away, but his tone shows just how impressed he is.
Christopher’s phone chimes with a text.
“We need to head to the truck yard. They need a hand in the office. Kaleb needs to delegate more. This phone hasn’t stopped since I told them to bother me instead of him.”
Leo stands straighter in my peripheral vision.
Seeing my confused look, Helen clues me in.
“Kaleb needed a break. He’s staying at the cabin for the week.”
So is Sam, I silently add, the puzzle falling into place. The only reason she’d lie to her family and not tell me is something involving Kaleb. That man owns her, so maybe she’s finally admitted it.
A few more hugs are given, along with promises to get together soon before the Cromwells walk away.
They’re barely out of earshot before a body presses against my back. “Don’t ever refer to yourself as my nanny ever again. Am I clear?”
Oh, he’s mad, mad.
I swallow thickly.
I start to turn, but he holds me by the waist.
“Answer. Me.”
“Yes, sir.” I practically pant.
The hands touching me squeeze.
“Why did you lie for Samantha?”
I try to turn again, but can’t.
“Because I love her, and she needed me to.”
A kiss is pressed to the back of my head.
“Good to know. You ever lie to me like that, and I will not be the gentleman you know.”
When I stay quiet, Leo stiffens.
“Have you ever lied?”
Our earlier conversation comes back to me, but I don’t want to argue.
“That gnome that you have in your garden, the one that Riley loves?”
“Hmm.”
“I hate it,” I confess. “It terrifies the shit out of me, with its creepy little eyes.”
I expect him to admonish my cursing like normal, but instead, he laughs.
“She picked him out.”
“I know.” I nod. “And I know how much she loves it. That’s the only reason it’s not been kidnapped and decapitated.” I scrunch my face and tilt my head back on his chest to see him throw his head back in laughter.
Looking down at me, he whispers, “Maybe I won’t be so careful next time I mow the lawn. Accidents happen.”
“That they do.” I nod along. “But she loves him.”
“She does,” he agrees, wrapping his arms around me.
“Maybe we can face him the other way?”
“Now that, we can do.” Leaning down, he presses a kiss to my nose.
“I’m sorry I lied to them,” I whisper.
“What am I going to do with you?”
I smirk. “Anything you want.”
Before we can get lost in each other again, someone else interrupts us.
“Was that the Cromwells I just saw?”
My body locks up.
I hate this man. Cooper walks toward us confidently.
“Mr. Cooper, now is not the time to test me,” Leo warns, pulling his arms from around me. “Go get Riley, please. We’re heading home.”
Dry mouthed, I nod, but my feet don’t move. Standing between the two men, I can feel the tension building.
“I don’t know why I’m surprised. Your kind stick together, don’t they?”
I frown.
“I wasn’t aware any of the Cromwells were doctors,” Leo responds, sarcasm clear.
“Killers,” Cooper hisses, stepping closer.
My mouth drops open.
“Shelby!” Leo snaps.
I jolt, heading to where the little girl is playing on the swing set, but I move slowly, wanting to hear the rest of the conversation.
“Boy, I am not the Cromwells. Do not fucking push me.”
I don’t recognize his tone. If I didn’t know better, I’d have thought someone else responded, but they didn’t. My Leo did.
Heart hammering, I head to Riley.
That wasn’t my Leo.