15. Leo
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
Sitting at the bar, I stare straight ahead, my eyes scanning the bottles lining the shelves. Luca is sitting beside me, but he's lost in conversation with Alanna. I haven't seen Aria since we got our medals earlier. When I finally made my way back to the hotel to shower and change, she had already been there and left before I arrived. That was hours ago now. I ended up getting dinner with a few of our teammates and then we wandered into a pub down the street. I have only had a total of two drinks all night and the one in my hand has watered down from the ice that melted in it about an hour ago.
Pulling my wallet from my pocket, I take out some cash and leave it on the bar as I begin to rise from my seat. I leave the glass with the watered-down liquor and turn to face Luca. He glances over at me, a little perplexed.
"I think I'm going to head back," I tell him as I fake a yawn. Our flight home isn't until early in the afternoon tomorrow, but I still haven't packed any of my things yet. My body was tired from the toll of the stress this morning. It's only nine o'clock at night and my mind is still running rampant. I don't want to drink the thoughts away. There's only one person I feel like entertaining, but she's not here.
And finding her isn't an option.
Luca nods and smiles at me. "Sounds good, man. See you tomorrow."
"Good night, Leo," Alanna says with a matching smile, her face relaxed from the alcohol in her system. I think everyone felt like they could finally breathe after the competition, but as soon as we get back home, we're going to be thrown right back into the cycle.
I leave the two of them in the pub and walk out onto the sidewalk. There's a steady stream of people trickling along the storefronts. I walk past couples and groups of people, tuning out their conversations as I focus on their faces instead. I can't help myself as I scan the crowd, my eyes searching every person's face, hoping that it ends up colliding with her gaze.
She's everywhere I look, yet she isn't here at all.
My chest feels heavy, like there's a vine snaking around my rib cage before it begins to constrict, wrapping tightly around me. In a way, it feels like I can't breathe, even though my body is having no trouble drawing oxygen from the air. The glass doors of the hotel slide open and I step inside. As I walk into the lobby, it's relatively empty, but there's a lot of noise coming from the bar tucked away in the left corner. I let my gaze drift over there as I begin to make my way in that direction.
There's a group of people crowded around the bar and a handful of other patrons throughout the small space, some occupying tables and some standing and talking. I look at the group by the bar and as soon as I see her black hair, I can't help but inhale deeply.
It feels like I can breathe.
Aria smiles brightly, laughter spilling from her lips. She doesn't see me, so I move closer but keep enough distance to not be noticed. She's wearing a pair of black flared leggings and a dark gray sweater that hangs off her left shoulder. Her midnight hair is pulled back in a high ponytail and the locks are wavy and long, hanging down her back. I stop by a high-top table and lean against it, finally looking at the entire group of people. And then I see who Aria is smiling at… and it's not one of the girls from our team that she disappeared with earlier. It's some guy that I've never seen before.
My blood instantly boils, but I don't intervene. Aria is allowed to make her own decisions. I didn't stake my claim. Hell, I don't even like her like that. I don't give a shit what she does or who she does it with. My jaw tightens as I watch him hand her a shot. She raises it in the air and taps it against his before she lifts it to her lips. As she tips her head, the ends of her hair dance across her back. Her throat moves in a delicate motion as she swallows the liquid.
Flames of irritation lick at my veins. Abandoning the table I'm standing at, I stride over to the bar, positioning myself a few seats away from Aria. She still doesn't notice me and I order a drink. I wasn't planning on getting drunk, but fuck. The bartender pours me a shot of bourbon and I down it in one gulp, not bothering to savor how the expensive liquor tastes. I can hear the sound of Aria's voice drifting past the two people separating us.
I hear her laughter as I down another shot. I hang on to the sound of it, analyzing it. She sounds happy, she looks happy, but there's something off in the way she's laughing. It's a little more high pitched than normal. It's something most people wouldn't notice. There's a hint of nervousness laced within the sound.
"Don't do that," she says to the guy in front of her, although I didn't see what he did or if he said anything to her first. I turn my head to the side, leaning back in my seat as I watch the interaction between the two of them. Aria's back is now to the bar and it looks like she's trying to step away from him as he closes in on her. "Stop. I already told you no."
Instantly I'm on my feet, closing the distance between us. Aria and her friend don't see me coming as I reach for him. My hands land on his shoulders and my fingers dig into his flesh as I haul him away from her. Aria's eyes are wide as they meet mine and her jaw falls open.
"What the fu—" the guy starts to say as I spin him around to face me. I cut him off before he can get the last word out as I move my hands to grip the front of his shirt.
I shake my head at him as my free hand curls into a fist. She told him no and he couldn't respect her. What if I wasn't here to stop him? This man is a total stranger. Who knows what he would have done with her or to her that she didn't consent to. "You should have listened to her when she told you to stop."
His mouth falls open to argue, but I silence him before he even gets the chance to speak a single word. I pull my arm back before driving my knuckles directly into the side of his jaw. His head whips to the right and the sound alone has everyone looking at us. Aria gasps loudly and the guy stumbles backward when I release the front of his shirt and shove him with my other hand.
His hands fly up to cover his face as blood begins to drip from his lips. His eyes are wild as he turns his head to the side and looks at me. My chest heaves, rising and falling with every shallow breath I take as my heart runs wild from the adrenaline. The guy drops his hands, forming his own fists before he comes charging at me. I try to duck out of the way, but he collides into me. I regain my footing, grabbing onto him just as his fist connects with my mouth. Pain erupts in my face and I instantly taste blood on my tongue.
"You should have minded your own fucking business," the guy barks at me as he tries to throw another punch but he isn't quick enough. I block him with my forearm before driving my other fist into the side of his ribs. The air leaves his lungs in a rush and he coughs as he goes to lean forward.
I'm not even thinking as I grab him, hauling him back up before punching him in the face again. "She is my fucking business."
He lifts his hands to shield his face and he still can't catch his breath after I knocked the wind from his lungs. I don't register her hands at first, but her voice is what breaks through the blind rage I'm in.
"Leo, stop."
I release the guy, giving him a shove for good measure as he stumbles back into the bar again. He falls forward, struggling to catch his breath. Ignoring him, since I know he can't do anything to me now, I turn around to face Aria. Worry is written across her facial expression and she stares up at me with her eyes damp. Her gaze falls down to my mouth and back to my eyes. My lip is cut open and blood is smeared across my chin. My breathing is erratic and my heart is thrumming away in my chest.
"We should probably go," she says quietly, not bothering to look at anyone around us as she pulls me toward her. Her hand finds mine and her fingers lace with my own as she leads me away. "Come with me."
She doesn't have to say anything more than that.
Her movements are quick as she pulls me out of the bar. No one follows after us and we walk in silence over to the elevator before getting inside. Aria scans her key card and pushes the button for our floor as the doors shut. I don't know if I'll end up getting in trouble for what happened, but hopefully not. Losing my shit on a stranger in a public place doesn't exactly look good for me. I stare straight ahead at the doors, still trying to calm myself down from the thought of that man doing something to Aria that she didn't want.
My mind barely registers when the elevator dings and the doors slide open. Aria's hand is soft against mine and she pulls me with her out into the hall. We're halfway to our room when I pull her to a stop. She spins around to face me, her eyes desperately searching mine.
"What's wrong?"
I swallow roughly, my fingers still laced with hers as I stare down into the depths of her gray eyes. My jaw tenses for a moment before I release the muscle. "Did he touch you?"
She pulls her lips between her teeth, wetting them. She blinks and shakes her head. "No. He was trying to, but you stopped him."
I close my eyes for three breaths. My nostrils flare as I inhale deeply and exhale. I'm relieved that he didn't do anything and I was able to stop him before he did. That still doesn’t erase the thoughts of him already disrespecting her when she told him not to do it. The thought of someone hurting Aria has me seeing red. Blood red. That man's blood painted all over the wood floor of the bar.
"Come on," she says quietly as she pulls on my hand. I open my eyes and look down at her as my breathing slows to an even pace. She nods her head in the direction of the hotel room, her ponytail bobbing with the movement. I let her lead me down the hall and we pause for a second outside as she holds her card to the keypad. The light flickers green and it beeps as the door unlocks.
Aria turns the handle and I push open the door, my hand meeting the solid wood above her head. I hold it open for her, letting it fall shut behind me as I step inside after her. I watch her for a second as she disappears into the bathroom and I turn back to lock the door. I walk over to the bathroom, stopping just inside the doorway as I see her at the sink running a washcloth under the water.
She lifts her head, her gaze meeting mine in the mirror as I stand behind her. Her eyes don't leave mine as she finishes wetting the washcloth and turns off the water. Spinning on her heel, she turns to face me. "Come sit," she instructs, pointing to the edge of the bathtub.
I obey without any hesitation. I step into the bathroom and drop down onto the edge as she moves closer to me. She lowers herself down between my spread thighs until she's on her knees in front of me. I had imagined her like this before, except the circumstances were a little different. The way I imagined it she had my cock in her mouth instead of her cleaning blood from my face.
Her touch is gentle as she slides the washcloth against my skin. She wipes the blood from my chin and below my lip before she makes her way to where it is split open. Her eyes are on my mouth as she begins to blot it against my swollen lip. "You know, I never asked how your shower was this morning."
I resist the urge to tilt my head to the side as I raise an eyebrow. "It was good. Why do you ask?"
"I heard you in there."
My heart skips a beat in my chest as I replay my early morning shower. The same shower that I stroked my cock to the thought of her and came all over the wall. "What do you think it is that you heard?"
She stops for a second, a fire burning in her eyes as she looks at me. "I heard you moaning my name."
Fuck.
My cock is hard at the thought alone and the memory plays out in my mind again. Aria presses the washcloth against my lip again. I let her linger for a second before I reach for her. My fingers wrap around her wrist and I slowly pull her away from my mouth. "Did you like listening to me come?" I ask her softly as I take the washcloth from her hand and drop it onto the floor. Cupping her chin, I tilt her head back as I run my thumb over her perfect bottom lip. I simultaneously run my tongue along the cut in mine. "Did you like knowing I was fucking my hand thinking about you?"
Her breath hitches. "I did," she admits as her hands fall onto my lap. She spreads her fingers on my thighs, gripping them through my pants. "I want to hear it again, but this time, I want to be the one making you come."
Jesus fuck, the mouth on her.
"First, I want to fuck that pretty mouth of yours."
Aria rocks back onto the balls of her feet, the fire burning with intensity in her irises. "Be a good boy and stand up and take out your cock."
I waste no time as I rise to my feet and do what she says. I unbutton my pants and slide down the zipper as Aria lifts herself up on her knees. Her hands reach for me as soon as I push my pants and boxer briefs down. Her palm is warm and soft as she wraps it around the base of my cock before wrapping her lips around the tip. A groan rumbles in my chest and I instantly tip my head back as my hand grips the top of her head. She inhales me, taking as much of my length in her mouth as she can before it's too much.
She begins to move, pumping her hand as she bobs her head back and forth. She tightens her lips around my cock as she pulls me in and out, fucking me with her mouth. The real thing is so much better than what I imagined. Her mouth is warm and wet, her tongue soft like silk as it slides along the underside of my dick. I could die now and I would die the happiest man on the fucking planet. I lift my head to look at her, watching my cock slide in and out.
"Look at how fucking sexy you look with my cock shoved down your throat."
Aria smiles around me as she begins to move faster. She doesn't stop as she takes my cock in deeper every time until I'm hitting the back of her throat. She gags, but she quickly recovers and doesn't let it deter her. I can't help myself as my hips start to buck. I hold her head, guiding her as I meet her with my own thrusts. I'm fucking her face while she's fucking me. A warmth builds inside me before I combust without warning. It spills over into my veins, running rampant through my system, as my orgasm takes over my entire body.
"Fuck, Aria," I moan as I spill my cum into her mouth. My head falls back and my entire body is a blazing fire of pure ecstasy. "That's it, baby," I murmur as I look at her again, my orgasm still tearing through me. "Suck me until there's nothing left."
Her head bobs a few more times, milking me dry. My body's humming and my cock is tingling as she slowly pulls back, releasing me. I straighten my head and look at her as she rises to her feet. She grabs the hem of her sweater and pulls it up over her head before she drops it onto the floor. My gaze is locked on hers as she unhooks her bra and lets that fall to the ground. Her hands slide beneath the waistband of her pants and she pushes them down her thighs, dragging her panties with them until they're pooling around her feet.
My cock is instantly hard again.
Aria stands back upright and she turns away from me as she walks to the door of the bathroom. My eyes follow the curves of her body, watching the way her ass moves as she walks. She stops, looking back over her shoulder as her gaze meets mine with mischief dancing in her eyes.
"Now you owe me."