15. Cherise
Chapter fifteen
Cherise
Lord, if you wanted me to be with Leo… just say that.
I was trying to act normal. Whatever that meant when you’re sharing a bed with a man who makes your uterus sing hallelujah and happens to be your ex’s twin.
I rolled onto my side, facing away from him.
Big mistake.
Now my entire ass was pointed at him, a beacon of bad decisions.
I flipped onto my back, eyes locked on the ceiling. Okay, Cherise. You can do this. You can share a bed with a man and not want to climb him like a tree.
He’s your ex’s twin brother. Off limits.
Absolutely forbidden. A giant walking red flag wrapped in soft sarcasm, chocolate skin, and the kind of warm smile that made you believe good men might still exist. Even if he looked at you like you hung the moon…
even if he made you laugh so hard your stomach hurt. Leo is off limits!
I turned my head and caught him already watching me.
“You’re not sleepy either, huh?” I asked, voice soft in the dark.
He smirked. “Too much adrenaline from fighting that death trap of a pull-out.”
I snorted, rolling on my side to face him. “You should have taken my offer and slept on this perfectly good king-sized mattress from the beginning.”
“I wanted you to be comfortable, even if that meant I sacrificed my own.”
And then he had to go and say some shit like that.
My lips twitched. “Well, thank you for risking your life for me.”
He chuckled. “My pleasure.”
A comfortable silence settled, then he laughed. Low and sudden.
“What’s funny?”
“I was just thinking about Savannah’s face after Chelsea cannonballed into the ocean. She really did look like a wet raccoon.”
We both broke out laughing. My chest loosened, the tension evaporating.
“You and Chelsea are tight,” Leo said, his voice more serious now. “It’s cool. She’s always got your back.”
“Yeah,” I said, smiling. “We’ve had a rough upbringing. The only way to make it through what we experienced was to do it together.”
Leo shifted, turning on his side to face me. “What happened to you and Chelsea? If you don’t mind me asking? I’ve never heard you talk about your family before.”
I hesitated. It was a sore topic, but Leo’s voice didn’t sound nosy. It sounded… gentle. Like he genuinely cared.
“Our mom had cancer. She passed away when Chelsea and I were younger,” I said softly.
Leo stiffened. “Oh, I’m so sorry. Now I feel bad for even asking.”
I shrugged. “Don’t be. I was four when she died.
My dad… he didn’t handle it well. Started drinking and slipped into depression.
One night, he got behind the wheel drunk.
” I paused. My thoughts replaying the memory, and I had to swallow the lump forming in my throat.
“There was a crash,” I continued. “He survived… but the pregnant woman he hit didn’t. Neither did her unborn baby.”
Leo’s eyes widened. “Damn.”
I exhaled. “He went to prison. Chelsea and I didn’t have anyone else, so we were put in foster care.”
“Wow. I definitely wasn’t expecting you to unload all that. Rough doesn’t even begin to describe that. You and Chelsea are strong to go through all that and still be ok.” He looked down, then he glanced back over at me. “Did you get a chance to reconnect with your dad when you got older?”
I shook my head. “When we got older, we tried to find him. The foster care finally told us what he had done and gave us the address to the prison he was sent to. Chelsea and I went there to see him. Only he wasn’t there anymore.”
Leo’s brows creased. “He got released?”
Sadly, I had to shake my head no again. “We were informed that the grief consumed him, and he committed suicide while still in prison. The only thing we had left of him was the apology note he’d written to us before he took his life.”
Leo reached over and wrapped his fingers around mine. “I’m so sorry, Cherise.”
I nodded, blinking quickly. “Thanks. It sucked, but it made me and Chelsea unbreakable. She was all I had. Still is.”
“I wish Derrick and I had the kind of bond you and Chelsea have,” Leo said after a moment. “You’d think being twins would mean something, but we’re polar opposites and can’t stand each other.”
“Maybe it’s a good thing you’re nothing like Derrick.”
He raised a brow. “Is that your subtle way of saying you like me better?”
I looked over at him. “I’m not saying I don’t like you better,” I said, smirking. “But don’t let it go to your head.”
He chuckled. “Too late. When a beautiful girl compliments you…it tends to boost your ego a bit,” he said, grinning.
I released his hand and stared back up at the ceiling, praying the sexual tension between us would simmer down.
It didn’t.
Not when he was looking at me like that. Or when his voice dropped and curled around my spine like warm honey.
I needed a distraction. Something that didn’t involve sliding on top of him and riding him like a damn dolphin in heat.
“Let’s stop talking about all this mushy stuff,” I said quickly, sitting up and switching on the lamp on the nightstand. “Let’s play a game.”
He raised an eyebrow. “A game?”
I wiggled my fingers at him. “Never have I ever. You’ve played it, right?”
“I’ve been to college.”
“Perfect.” I held up all ten fingers. “We’re doing fingers, not shots. Sorry to disappoint you.”
Leo mirrored me, fingers up, expression curious.
“Alright. Hit me,” I said.
“Never have I ever… had a one-night stand.”
One finger down for me.
Leo didn’t move. “Shocker,” he teased.
“Don’t start.” I grinned. “Never have I ever… sexted the wrong person.”
Leo groaned and dropped a finger. “Freshman year of college. I meant to send a flirty message to my girlfriend. Accidentally sent it to my mom. She still brings it up.”
I howled. “That alone should’ve taken five fingers down.”
We kept going, laughter spilling between us.
“Never have I… had sex in public,” Leo said with a smirk.
I dropped a finger.
“Where?!” he asked, eyes wide.
“Ferris wheel. County fair. Seatbelt stayed on the whole time, for the record.”
“Of course it did,” he mumbled, blushing.
I leaned into him. “Never have I ever tried anal,” I whispered.
Another finger down for me.
Leo’s eyes nearly popped out of his skull. “Seriously?”
I winked. “Seriously.”
“You're not supposed to make yourself put a finger down by the way. You are supposed to say things you haven’t actually done to win the game. The more fingers up the better.”
“Think about it, Leo. If you still have so many fingers up, does that really make you a winner? Or does it make you a lame loser with no life?”
His jaw dropped. “Okay, okay.” He shook his head. “Never have I ever… made out in a library.”
I dropped a finger.
He looked personally attacked. “What haven’t you done?”
“Apparently not as much as you,” I said with a mischievous grin.
“Never have I ever… been tied up,” he threw back at me.
Finger down.
Leo gawked. “Cherise!”
I laughed. “What? It was silk. Very romantic. You should try it.”
“Clearly, I’m the most boring man alive.”
“Never have I ever… used food during foreplay,” I said.
Another finger for me. He hadn’t moved a single one since the mom text. I squinted at him.
“Wait a damn minute.” I looked at his hands. “Leo. You basically have all of your fingers up.”
He held both hands up proudly.
“Not all, nine.”
I gasped, scandalized, a palm against my chest. “Are you… a virgin?!”
He turned beet red. “No! I’m not. I’ve had sex. Just… not as uh… creatively as you.”
I narrowed my eyes. “Be honest. Have you ever even tried handcuffs?”
“Plastic toy ones in sixth grade. I was a cop for Halloween.”
“Leo! I mean during sex.”
He laughed and rubbed the back of his neck. “I know, I’m joking. I’m not a virgin, but apparently, I’m a vanilla cracker compared to you.”
I tilted my head. “That’s not a bad thing. Every flavor has its place.”
He glanced at me, unsure. “Even vanilla?”
I reached out, couldn’t help myself. My hands had a mind of their own now. I brushed a knuckle down his jaw, then my fingers rested on his chest. “Especially vanilla. It makes it that much sweeter when you start adding heat.”
His breath hitched. “Cherise…”
You know what, I’m sick of this.
There is no way I am going to be able to resist whatever the hell this is for an entire week. I have needs, and right now, I needed Leo. My high libido is not equipped for this level of sexual restraint.
I leaned in, glancing down at his boner that was trying to fight its way out of his pajama bottoms. “I can help you with that.”
He exhaled slowly. “What about Derrick?”
I hesitated, contemplating the words that were about to come out of my mouth, then I decided to just go for it. I whispered into his ear three words, “Derrick. Isn’t. Here.”
He closed his eyes and bit down on his lower lip.
A pause.
My heart pounded against my ribs as I waited for his response. He opened his eyes and looked directly into mine, and I could see every ounce of longing in his stare.
Then…
“Fuck it,” he said, crashing his lips onto mine.
The kiss exploded like a lit match to gasoline.
His hands gripped my waist, pulling me into his lap.
My knees straddled him on instinct, our mouths collided again and again, both of us starving for this moment.
His tongue tangled with mine, slow and teasing at first. Until I rolled my hips on top of him and all control shattered.
“Fuck,” he breathed against my throat.
“Oh, you ain't felt nothing yet,” I whispered, already reaching for the hem of his shirt. I lifted it off him and slid my hands down each ridge of his six-pack abs.
His lips found the curve of my neck again, tongue licking and sucking. My nipples hard and pebbled against the fabric of my pajama shirt, desperate for his touch.
As if he could read my thoughts, Leo unfastened my top, one button at a time, his eyes practically bugging as he saw my bare breasts waiting for him.
He wrapped his hands around them and took one in his mouth, hot, wet, and just the right amount of teasing as he bit the tip of my nipple softly.