39. Chapter Thirty-Nine
Chapter Thirty-Nine
Leo
A fter the craziness of today, Piper passes out soon after her bedtime, and Juliet and I are now alone to talk.
We retreat to Juliet’s bedroom and shut the door behind us. Juliet switches on the little lamp on her bedside table and sits in the middle of the mattress with me, a nervous look forming on her face.
“What?” I ask her as I face her.
Juliet shrugs. “I think part of me is worried that you’ll change your mind. You have a really nice life out there, Leo. Evergreen Heights is no New York City. ”
“The city is overrated,” I admit as I reach out and take her hands. “Evergreen Heights isn’t like any other place I’ve ever been to. I love the community here. They’re like family too. I just hope they’re able to warm up to me again.”
“They will,” Juliet assures me. “They’ll be so excited to hear what you’re going to do for this town. Reviving the logging company and building your headquarters here is going to be great for the local economy.”
“It’ll be a lot and take some time, but it’ll be worth it,” I tell her, willing to do anything to make things work out so that I can stay here, help the town, and keep my business.
Devon will be a neighboring competitor, but he doesn’t scare me in the slightest.
And he will heed my warning because this town isn’t big enough for the both of us.
“I know it will be,” Juliet replies with a warm smile. “I’m sure you already have big plans in mind.”
“I want to reconstruct the neighborhoods affected by the storm and the wildfire, and I’m going to have both of my companies working in tandem with each other,” I tell her, running through the growing list in my mind. “I think I want to start a foundation of my own too.”
“To raise money for what?” she asks.
My expression turns bittersweet. “Cancer research.”
Juliet leans forward and kisses my cheek. “He’s so proud of you, Leo.”
“He told me. He actually told me,” I murmur. “I never thought I’d hear those words come out of his mouth.”
“You deserved to hear them.”
“He apologized for threatening our relationship,” I tell her. “That was also unexpected.”
Juliet chews on her bottom lip for a moment. “That was another reason why I didn’t tell you about the pregnancy when I found out. I didn’t think he’d approve. I thought that would affect how you would react.”
I nod in understanding. “His opinions did have a lot of influence on how I felt. I get why you felt that way.”
Juliet reaches out and puts her hand on my cheek. “We were young, reckless and scared. Of course, we made bad decisions left and right. ”
Air puffs out of my nose. “Yeah, that puts it lightly.”
She smiles, amusement twinkling in her eyes. “What are you going to do now?”
I draw in a deep breath. “I’m going to have a meeting with my board and tell them the news.
We’ll make a plan of how to move forward and figure out the logistics of building an office here.
Outside of that, I just want to spend time with my family.
You, Piper, Dad. I know he doesn’t have much time left. ”
Juliet nods gently. “I’m going to let Piper miss a day or two of school this week so that she can spend more time with everyone, especially Grandpa.”
“Cool mom,” I lightly tease her.
“Like you didn’t play hooky every once in a while,” Juliet replies, nudging my shoulder.
“I did without my parents knowing. If I tried to stay home from school, they’d drive me there themselves,” I tell her. “Your mom was cool and let you stay home.”
“I was a straight A student who never got in trouble. I earned that,” Juliet says as she tosses her hair behind her shoulder .
That’s true. She was a perfect student.
Good thing for that because she definitely helped me get better grades by explaining what I didn’t understand.
I reach forward and grab her hips, pulling her into my lap so that she straddles my waist. “Were you that smart in college too?”
Juliet smiles and shrugs as she loops her arms around my neck. “Perhaps.”
That’s a definite yes.
“You know, I always thought that was hot,” I tell her, sliding my hands up her back.
“That I got straight As?”
“That you were smart,” I say with a laugh. “You still are.”
“I’m loving all these compliments,” she replies as she teases her fingers through my hair.
I lean forward and press a gentle kiss against her neck. “How much?”
She hums. “Keep going and I’ll tell you.”
I love her so damn much .
“You’re beautiful,” I tell her before kissing her throat. “And caring. And passionate. And generous.”
I kiss her with every compliment, feeling her grow more and more restless in my lap.
Juliet grips the frame of my face and kisses me deeply, her lips gliding along mine.
I slide my hands up the back of her shirt, feeling her smooth skin underneath my fingertips. The more she writhes on my lap, the harder I get, desire pooling low in my stomach.
“I love you,” I whisper to her.
She smiles into the kiss. “I love you.”
I lean forward until she falls onto her back. I pull her shirt up and over her head, leaving her in a red bra that perfectly cups her breasts. My head lowers so that I can kiss the top of them, coaxing a soft gasp from her.
Juliet lifts up enough so that I can undo her bra, goosebumps forming on her skin as the air hits her nipples.
I tug off my shirt and toss it to the side, my mouth immediately covering one of her nipples to suck hard .
“Leo,” she moans, her back arching.
I pull down on the waist of her leggings and panties, dragging them down her legs to join the growing pile of clothes. My lips move all over her body, kissing her breasts, her ribs, down her stomach, and the inside of her thighs.
Juliet runs her hands over my shoulders as I go lower. “Yes…”
I pull her legs over my shoulders, my head disappearing between her thighs. My mouth presses flush against her center, my lips caressing her clit in a gentle suck.
Juliet writhes under me, shaky breaths leaving her.
I reach up and take her breasts in my hands, squeezing her soft flesh as my tongue explores her.
Juliet covers my hands with hers, her hips rolling against my face.
I groan at her eagerness, letting her ride my tongue just how she needs.
Juliet grabs my hair with one hand, her body tensing as I tease her clit. “Oh… ”
My cock aches and strains against the front of my pants. She’s so effortlessly sexy that it drives me crazy.
“So close,” she breathes out, her voice trembling.
I suck on her clit again, making her back come off the bed.
Juliet buries both hands in my hair, her head falling back as she cries out. She shudders through every wave of pleasure that overtakes her, riding out her orgasm on my tongue until all the energy leaves her body.
When she slumps back down onto the bed, I kiss the inside of her thighs and push myself up onto my knees. “I think I’m going to do that every night from now on.”
She gives me a blissful smile. “Ambitious.”
“Piece of cake,” I assure her. This isn’t a chore. It’s a pleasure.
Juliet sits up and brushes her hand over the bulge in my pants, her eyes flickering up to mine. “I want more.”
“Greedy.”
But I love it .
As Juliet undoes my pants and tugs them and my briefs off my hips, I glance over my shoulder and spot the standing mirror in the corner of her room that faces us.
“I want you to ride me,” I tell her as I toss the rest of my clothes to the side before laying down on my back. I grab her hips and haul her on top, positioning us so that we can look to the side and have a perfect view of ourselves. “And I want you to watch.”
Juliet follows my gaze, a coy smile forming on her face. She lifts up and guides my cock between her thighs, slowly sliding down on me.
I breathe in deeply as she takes every inch. My eyes remain on the mirror, watching the beautiful arch of her body as she places her hands on my chest.
“You are so sexy,” I tell her, meeting her gaze in the reflection.
Juliet slowly rolls her hips, both of us moaning from the sensation and the visual. She starts bouncing on my lap, taking me harder and deeper.
My eyes are glued, drinking in every movement that she makes. She feels so damn good .
Juliet runs her fingers through her hair, pulling it back from her face as she goes faster. Her breathing gets more erratic, her skin becoming flushed.
“I can’t wait to feel you come for me,” I say, already feeling how she squeezes me.
“I need you,” she breathes out.
I wrap my arm around her and roll us over, pushing her down into the mattress below me.
Her head slightly hangs off the bed, her eyes widening as I fill her back up in an instant. Her responding moan echoes throughout the room.
I thrust into her hard, my eyes lifting to watch the reflection again as her legs fall open for me. I reach forward and take her jaw in my hand, coaxing her head back more. “Watch.”
Juliet’s eyes move to the mirror, our gazes locking.
I drop my hand between her thighs, my thumb rubbing circles against her clit as I pound into her.
Juliet fists the sheets, moans and gasps breaking from her until she can’t take it any longer. “Leo! ”
I groan as I feel her fall apart, her walls clamping down on my cock. I thrust into her one more time before I tumble over the edge right after her, filling her.
She whimpers at the sensation, her hands releasing the sheets. She grabs at my arms, tugging me down so that she can kiss me softly and slowly.
I wrap my arms around her, enjoying the warmth of her skin against mine. I want this forever. I couldn’t ever give this up.
I can’t believe I did once before.
Stupid teenager.
“You make me so happy,” I whisper.
Her eyes flutter open as she smiles at me. “You make me happy.”
And I plan to keep it that way. I’m not going to break her heart ever again, and I’m not going to break my daughter’s heart either.
“Come here,” I say before pulling her into another deep kiss .
I’ve been given a second chance, and I’m not going to mess up this time. I’m not going to lose what was always meant to be mine.