29. Chapter 28
Ria
Leo Brent is confusing me. He has always been easy to read, or so I thought.
He was the joker, the one people turn to when they need to smile and get some sunshine.
Not the man who made me wonder how his lips would feel on mine or trailing over my skin.
Or how his large strong hands would feel gripping my hips. But that is exactly how I’m feeling.
His gentle and kind words mixed with his little touches and thoughtful actions over the past few days have had my brain short-circuiting until he is all I’m thinking about.
And Grace is no help. She always says sex is the best medicine or the best way to solve an argument or problem.
But won’t that make this little problem worse?
All weekend, I’ve been trying to remind myself that this is fake, but with every lingering touch and flirty comment, I’m struggling to remain focused.
The lines are blurring for me. So much so that last night after we had spent the evening curled up on the sofa watching a romantic comedy, my legs in his lap as he ran his hands up and down my calves, I was already worked up.
Then before we went our separate ways to bed, and he wrapped his arms around me and tilted his head down to drop a kiss to the corner of my mouth, whispering goodnight, I almost pulled him back down to claim his mouth.
When I was safely in my room, I had to find my trusty pink vibrator, and it was his face that I imagined and his name I mouthed when I came.
“Morning, Ri Ri.” Leo jolts me out of my thoughts as he comes up behind me, gently squeezing my shoulders and dropping a kiss to my cheek. “You look beautiful this morning,” he whispers against my skin before he grabs an apple out of the fruit bowl.
See? It’s things like this.
My stupid heart is threatening to beat out of my chest at his touch, and my head feels like this is real. “You too,” I mumble and he tilts his head, a small grin on his lips.
I’m a mess.
“You think I’m beautiful?” he says in a teasing tone.
“I suppose you aren’t too bad to look at in the morning.” My tone is also teasing as I try to give myself a small bit of my dignity back.
“I haven’t been called beautiful before. It feels good.” He bites into his apple, his eyes on me the whole time.
“I’m sure you’ve had your ego inflated by many girls.” Rolling my eyes, I slide off my stool and reach around him to grab my laptop. He halts me by snaking his free hand around my waist to settle on my hip.
“Not by anyone who counted.”
“We’re going to be late.” I swallow as my gaze darts between his eyes and his lips.
“Right,” he says quietly but doesn’t move to leave.
“Leo, please.” I’m not sure what I’m asking for. For him to leave with me or for him to kiss me. But he makes the decision for me as he straightens and releases me.
“Let’s go, Ri Ri.” He throws the rest of his apple into the trash and grabs his own laptop.
Walking silently, we leave the house. Our fingers brush against each other, and he tucks my hand into his.
I look up at him, and he smiles before leaning down.
My body instinctively moves closer and I tilt my face up to his, my heart beating wildly as he tucks a piece of hair behind my ear.
“Cole is watching,” he says quietly, and my heart drops into my feet.
Of course, this is an act.
“Okay.” I force a smile onto my lips and lean into his chest to hide my blush of embarrassment as we continue to walk hand in hand.
“Good morning.” Cole walks up to us after signaling to his driver he will be a few moments. “I’m glad I caught you. I wanted to let you know that I have arranged for you to stay in our honeymoon suite on Saturday night after the gala.” He beams.
“You didn’t have to do that,” I say, and Leo’s hold on me tightens as he tenses.
“I know, but I wanted to give you both a wedding gift, and as you’re self-proclaimed workaholics, the night will be just what you need. Oh, and I’ve booked you both into the spa on Sunday as well. Enjoy all the treatments on me.”
“Oh my, that’s…” I stutter, my heart that was in my feet now in my throat. This man is too kind and we’re out here deceiving him.
“Perfect,” Leo finishes for me, kissing my cheek as he moves to curl his arm around my shoulder, tilting my head up with his finger. “You deserve time to relax, baby.”
Baby?
My body shivers at his words and I just nod.
“We really appreciate it. Thank you, Cole.”
“You’re more than welcome. I hate to talk shop when we aren’t in the office, but I’d like you both to know I will have my decision in a few weeks.
I have some pretty big deals going down in Europe at the moment and things are pretty hectic.
” He sighs. “Some of the hotels aren’t where we would like them to be and…
Actually, you don’t need to know my problems.” He lets out a small laugh.
“Look, we’re going in the same direction. Would you both like a lift?”
“Oh, that would be great,” Leo answers for us both, guiding me toward the waiting car as I still can’t seem to form words.
Baby.
One word.
Four letters.
Is all it takes to disarm me.
It’s been a tough few days living with Leo and his ever-increasing touches and soft kisses when no one is watching.
But he hasn’t tried to take it any further.
It’s like he is testing the waters, but every time I react and lose myself, sensing something is shifting, he pulls away.
I’m obviously imagining everything and making up the scenario in my head that he wants me behind closed doors.
Add that to finding nothing on Ezra and Dale, and I’m coiled so tight I’m about to snap.
But no amount of yoga or relaxation is relieving the tension.
Dressed in my midnight-blue, floor-length satin dress with a slit up the side revealing my thigh, I twist, examining my look for tonight's gala.
The neckline is high, showing a slight hint of cleavage, with twisted thick straps that drape down my back and tie into a delicate bow just above my ass.
The dress is completely backless and gives the illusion of a perfect hourglass shape.
Gold Gucci sandals peek out from the bottom of the dress, and I have placed quite a few thin gold bangles on my right wrist, framing the gold Patek Phillipe my parents presented to me for graduating from Harvard.
I have pinned my hair up in an intricate half twist with golden pins to ensure it all stays in place, but have left the rest of my waves trailing down my back. My makeup is dewy and natural. I hate being too made up, but for events like tonight, I enjoy putting on my makeup and feeling feminine.
Pleased with my appearance, I grab my gold Birkin clutch and head into the living room, my steps faltering to a stop when I lock eyes with Leo who is pacing, his hand wrapped tightly around a tumbler of scotch.
I’ve seen Leo in a tux before, but it is the look of pure adoration swimming in his eyes that I haven’t seen before. We just stare at each other for a beat, both frozen, neither daring to break the moment. It is Leo who speaks first.
“Ria, Christ, you look sensational.” Placing his tumbler down, he closes the gap between us slowly, and heat rises through my entire body.
The sheer intensity of his gaze has me gasping for breath as he reaches down to drop a lingering kiss to my cheek.
My eyes close automatically, my body stiffens, and my fingers twitch around my clutch as I force myself not to sink them into his soft blond waves and take his lips in mine.
“Thank you,” I say almost breathlessly.
“We have to work on this,” he says quietly as he pulls away slightly.
“Work on what?”
“You relaxing when I touch you like this.” Resting his hands on my hips, he pulls me into him and my chest presses into his.
The contact has tingles rippling down my spine, and my nipples harden as they brush against the thin silk fabric of my dress and the heat radiating from him.
“People aren’t going to believe we’re a happily married couple if you tense up every time I touch you. ”
“So that’s why you’ve been more touchy this week?” The thought that he was only playing his part hits me square in the chest.
“Partly. Come on.” Sliding one of his hands around my back, he turns and guides me to the couch.
Goose bumps coat my skin at the warmth of his hand on my lower back, and I have to remind myself that this is just my body reacting to a touch it hasn’t had in so long.
Jade and Grace have gotten in my head, making me believe this is more than it is.
He pulls me down onto the couch next to him.
“Here, have a sip of this.” He hands me a glass of scotch before picking his own back up.
“This should loosen you up.” We click our glasses together before both taking a sip.
The smooth amber liquid slips beautifully down my throat, and the heat of it settles in my stomach, warming me from the inside out.
“Thank you. You’re right that I needed that.”
“You know I’ll never get tired of hearing that.”
“What?”
“That I’m right.” I roll my eyes and he laughs. “People don’t say it enough to me.”
“I don’t think they want to inflate your ego any more than it already is.”
“You wound me, Ri Ri.” Giggling, I take another sip of scotch. “This is what I need.”
“Huh?”
“This.” He drapes his arm across the back of the couch, the tips of his fingers tickling the bare skin on my shoulder. “This relaxed Ri Ri.”
“Maybe I need a few more of these.” I lift the glass to my lips, but he swiftly takes it from me, placing both my glass and his down on the coffee table. “Hey,” I complain.
“You can have it back in a moment. But first…” He continues to trace circles on my shoulder, and I swallow down the lump forming in my throat.
“What’s on your mind?”
“God, you’re so beautiful,” he blurts out.
“Shit. Sorry, that wasn’t what I was going to say.
” He freezes, his eyes widening in pure shock.
“I mean you are fucking stunning all the time, shit.” Removing his hand, he pushes the tips of his fingers into his eyes, groaning as his legs begin to bounce restlessly.
“You’re so fucking hard to look at sometimes, and being with you all the time is messing with my head. I need to stop talking.”
Placing my hand on his knee and feeling the tremors rolling through his body, I know he’s fighting not to ramble.
He does this when his thoughts get to be too much.
“You don’t have to stop talking. Show me one woman who doesn’t like to be told she’s beautiful.
” Bumping his shoulder with mine, I try to bring some humor to the moment as his safety net is always to get people to laugh.
I’ve seen it all my life with him. He is the one person who can get a smile out of anyone when they are down. He refuses to see people hurt.
He huffs out a laugh and then he encases my hand with his, his legs still trembling even as his hands quiver in mine.
“You aren’t just beautiful, you know. Your mind and your intelligence amaze me.
You’re so strong.” His cheeks flush slightly and he lets out a nervous laugh, but I’m speechless when he gently wraps his hand around the back of my neck and presses his forehead to mine.
“Sometimes I wish this wasn’t fake.” My pulse races as his thumb grazes up and down the column of my neck.
“I wish you were actually mine, but I know we can’t. ”
“Why not?” I say softly, pulling back so I can look into his eyes and hope he can see the truth in mine—that I want this.
I wet my lips, and his eyes track the movement.
His hand tightens around my neck, sending sparks through me as he lowers his face to mine.
His unique woodsy-clean scent wraps around me, and his lips brush against mine.
I can sense he is holding back. He says I need to relax in his hold, but I think he needs to do the same.
Pulling back slightly, I study his face.
His jaw ticks as I slide my hand up his side and curve it around his back, pulling him farther into my space.
“It’s not fake,” I whisper against his lips.
This time I touch his lips with mine, and he doesn’t resist. The hand behind my head guides me to where he wants me.
He demands and controls the kiss and I let him.
His free hand snakes behind my back, gliding his palm along the exposed skin.
The heat radiating from his palms sets a fire inside me, and I sink deeper into the kiss.
There is no distance between us as the tip of his tongue swipes at my lips and I open for him.
Our tongues glide over one another, tangling in the most delicious way as we moan into each other's mouths.
The kiss becomes desperate as his grip on me tightens, and he groans into my mouth when I nip at his bottom lip gently.
The shrill noise of his phone blaring startles us apart, staring wide-eyed at each other and breathing heavily. “Don’t you need to get that?” I ask breathlessly, my chest rising and falling quickly.
Wordlessly, he takes his phone out of his jacket pocket. “Uber is here; Jade and Hunter are waiting,” he says quietly.
“Okay.” I nod but don’t make a move to leave. The shock waves of that kiss are still rushing through my body.
“Okay,” he mirrors, also not making a move to leave as he swallows roughly. “We good?” he questions, his brow creasing.
“We’re good.” I offer him a small smile.
“We should leave.”
“Yep.”
Neither of us make a move to leave; we just stare, gazes locking on each other’s lips. Just as we both lean forward, closing the distance between us, his phone beeps again, snapping us out of whatever trance we were under.
“We’d better leave.” He shakes his head and goes to stand, and I stand as well. Grasping his hand in mine, I pause his escape, confusion swimming in his eyes as he gazes down at me.
“Hang on.” I brush the pad of my thumb across the corner of his mouth, swiping the smeared lipstick off his lips. “You look good in red.”
He huffs out a laugh before cupping my face in both his hands. “You look good in any color.”