34. Lucy
Lucy
Ican’t help but giggle as we snake our way around the ballroom in search of the elusive cheesecakes. We finally spot the server a couple of minutes later.
“Crap, there’s only three left,” I say.
Leo darts ahead, grabs the tiny cheesecakes in his massive hand, and then leads me out of the crowded ballroom.
We stand a dozen feet from the entrance, in a dimly lit hallway, leaning against the wall as we share the cheesecake.
“Oh, fuck, that’s good,” Leo says around a mouthful.
“Not as good as The Cheesecake Factory.”
He shakes his head. “No way. That’s the best.”
I giggle and finish my mini cheesecake. He offers me the last one, but I shake my head. “Nope, you get the last one. You earned it after all the polite smiling and small talk you had to do.”
He grins and devours it in a single bite.
“Leo, what the hell are you doing?”
We both look up and see his dad standing at the end of the hallway.
I push up from the wall and stand up straight. Leo does the same.
“What do you want, Dad?”
Leo’s dad glowers at him as he walks over to him.
“I want to know what you’re doing hiding out in this hallway instead of in the ballroom where you belong.”
Rocco looks down at the small, empty plate sitting on a nearby food cart. He glares at the trail of crumbs on the white china. “Were you eating cake?”
He sounds as offended as if he just walked in on Leo shooting up heroin.
Leo straightens up and rolls his shoulders. “Yeah. I was.”
“Well, that’s just great,” he mutters. “First, you act disinterested in front of all the guests at the gala. And now you’re sneaking off to eat junk food? How the hell do you expect to play well when you’re loading up your body with crap?”
Leo’s jaw tenses as his dad goes off on him. He looks like he’s about to say something. But he stays silent. Almost like he’s holding back.
A second later, his dad’s angry gaze cuts to me. “Is this your doing?”
“Excuse me?”
“Don’t talk to her.”
We both glance over at Leo. When I see the look on his face, my breath catches. There’s a murderous gleam in his eyes. The veins in his neck are bulging, and he’s balling his hands into fists at his sides.
“I don’t know what your little friend’s agenda is, Leo, but I don’t appreciate the influence she seems to have on you.”
My skin pricks at the dismissive way he speaks about me. He doesn’t even know me and he’s being such a jerk.
But before I can say anything, Leo takes a step forward, into his space.
His dad leans back, his brow lifting in surprise.
“Let’s get one thing straight. You can shit-talk me all you want. But don’t you dare speak a negative word to her.”
I swallow hard at the low, lethal tone of his voice.
“Lucy is the only reason I showed up tonight. I didn’t want to come and pretend like we’re one big happy family when I can’t stand to be around you. But she offered to show up and support me. So you’re not going to stand there and question her character or accuse her of having an agenda.”
Rocco purses his lips like he’s pissed. “You listen to me, you little—”
“We’re done.” Leo cuts him off before grabbing my hand and leading me down the hallway, around the corner.
As I walk beside him, my heart is pounding. Watching him stand up to his dad—stand up for me—has me feeling dizzy and hot all over.
I gaze up at him, at the wild look in his eyes and the tight set of his jaw.
I tug his hand, pulling him to a stop. I need to make sure he’s okay.
I reach up and grab his face in my hands.
“Leo,” I say softly. “Leo, look at me.”
A hard swallow moves down the length of his thick throat. He blinks, and that hard look in his eyes fades. The focus returns in his rich, mahogany stare. And something warm. Something that makes my skin tingle and my tummy dip.
He rests his hands on my waist. I can feel the energy racing through his body. He’s on edge, still buzzing. His chest is rising and falling as he breathes.
“Hey,” I whisper. “It’s okay. Just breathe.”
He nods and closes his eyes, resting his forehead against mine.
“I…I just can’t…” His voice is ragged and desperate. He pushes me back a few steps until I’m against the wall.
I move one of my hands from his face to his chest and rest my palm over his heart. It’s beating like crazy.
“It’s okay. Breathe, Leo. For me,” I whisper.
He nods, eyes still closed, forehead still pressed against mine. We stay like that for a minute, until his heartbeat starts to slow.
He exhales slowly. His hot breath ghosts over my face and my neck. I shiver.
A second later, he leans his head back, holding my gaze.
His hands grip my waist harder. He moves closer and presses the front of his body against mine. He’s firm and warm, a wall of muscle.
“I can’t take him talking to you like that,” he finally says. “He can say whatever he wants to me. Not you. Never you.”
My heart skids in my chest at the words he says, at the rough sound of his voice, at the way he’s looking at me. Like I’m the only thing he sees. Like I’m the only thing that matters.
Now I’m the one breathing hard.
His fiery stare falls to my lips. His tongue peeks out of his mouth, running along the seam of his lips.
I tug at the front of his tux. I want him closer. I need him closer.
He hovers his lips over mine. He exhales, and my mouth waters at his breath skidding over my skin.
Goosebumps flash across my body. Every part of me is aching, throbbing.
We’re friends. We’re not supposed to do this…
But in this moment, I want his mouth on me. Now.
What is happening?
The corner of Leo’s mouth quirks up. “Did you really just ask me that?”
Oh. I guess I said that out loud.
I bite my bottom lip and shrug.
His mouth is a hard line again, and his eyes lock with mine
He gently brings his hand underneath my chin and tips my face up
“I don’t know what’s happening, Luce. All I know is that I want to kiss you.”