66. Leo
Leo
When I walk through the front door and see Lucy jump up and run over to me, something inside of me settles.
That panicked, frenzied energy that’s been coursing through me for the past hour starts to fade away.
My nervous system calms. My heartbeat slows down. I feel like I can breathe again.
I wrap my arms around her and hug her tight. I tuck her head under my chin and close my eyes.
“You’re so cold,” she whispers, tightening her small arms around me.
“I feel warm now,” I rasp. “With you.”
I lean back and gaze down at her. She peers up at me with those big blue eyes that shine like sapphires.
I think about what she said to me on the phone earlier.
I’m here for you. Always. No matter what.
I know she meant it in the moment. But will she mean it when she finds out what I did? When she sees that video of me beating up Jeff? When she hears everyone calling me a psycho and a monster?
The thought of losing her makes me sick to my stomach. But she deserves to know what I did.
“I got into a fight with Jeff,” I say.
She doesn’t even blink. “I know.”
“You do?”
She nods. “Your sister told me everything.”
I let out a breath. “Is she okay?”
“Yeah, she’s with your mom and the rest of your family. Everyone’s still at the restaurant. She’s getting the support she needs. You don’t have to worry about her right now.”
“You’re not upset?” I ask.
Her eyebrows wrinkle like she’s never been more confused. “Why would I be upset?”
“Because there’s a video of me beating up Jeff going viral. I look like a monster.”
I look down at myself, at the blood splatter on my suit jacket, at the cuts on my knuckles. I really do look like a psycho.
“People are sharing that video and saying all sorts of stuff about me online.” I swallow hard, feeling overwhelmed and hopeless at the same time. I don’t know how to fix this.
Lucy reaches up and cups my face in her hands. “You’re not a monster, Leo. You’re a hero. You defended your sister against her abuser.”
Emotion twists up my chest and throat hearing her say those words.
“You really think that?”
She nods, holding my gaze. “Yes.”
I let out a breath as relief floods through me.
“I don’t care what anyone says about you. It doesn’t change how I feel about you. I know you. I know your heart. You’re the best person I know.”
My eyes burn as I blink back tears. She doesn’t doubt me, even for one second.
She grabs one of my hands in both of hers. “We need to warm you up.”
I follow her upstairs to the bathroom. She flips on the shower, and while the water warms up, she helps me undress.
I step under the hot spray, moaning as the water rains all over my cold, tense body. She steps in after me, and I reach for her. I pull her against me. For a while, we just stand there, hot water pouring all over us.
I swallow, my throat feeling tight. “This could get bad, Luce. Jeff could call the cops on me, and I might get arrested. Things could blow up even more. I could get expelled from Hollis and lose my spot on the team. I got drafted to play for the Las Vegas pro hockey team after college, but I could lose my chance to play for them if they see it too —”
She cuts me off with a kiss. Then she pulls away and holds my face in her hands, looking me square in the eye.
“I don’t care. I’ll be with you through it all, Leo. No matter what.”
I look at her, stunned. “I could lose everything, Luce. You sure you want that?”
“I’m positive. Look, I know how much hockey means to you. If you can’t play anymore, that’ll be devastating. But that’s not why I’m with you.”
She slides her hand up my chest, pressing her palm over my heart.
“I’m with you because you’re the most incredible guy I’ve ever met.
I’ve never met such a kind, generous, pure soul.
” She swallows. “I’m with you because you always do the right thing, no matter what.
I’m with you because of the way you make me feel.
You make me feel safe and cared for and special. Like I matter.”
Emotion flashes in her misty eyes, and my pulse kicks up. “I don’t care if everything falls away, and it’s just you, me, and Wally living in a car. I would still be the happiest because I’d have you, Leo.”
That tight, overwhelmed feeling burrows deeper in my chest, wrapping tight around my heart.
I hold her face in my hands and kiss her, soft and sweet.
And then, when we break apart, I say the words I’ve been aching to say. The words I can’t hold in any longer.
“I love you, Luce.”
Her eyes are as big as saucers.
“I know it probably freaks you out to hear me say that because it’s way too soon, but I can’t hold back anymore. I love you so much, and I—”
She grabs my face and kisses me. When she finally stops, I’m dizzy and breathing hard.
“I love you too.”
I stare at her, mouth open in disbelief. “Wait, seriously? You love me?”
She lets out a cute laugh, and her eyes go teary. “Of course I love you.”
I pull her against me and kiss her, slower this time. I want to savor everything about this moment. The sweet taste of her mouth. The warmth of her body. The softness of her skin. The way I can feel her heart beating against my chest as she touches me and kisses me.
I want to remember every single thing about this moment, when the world around us fell away, and everything was perfect and right because Lucy Bailey told me she loves me.
“I’ve been wanting to tell you,” she says against my mouth.
“Since when?” I rasp.
“Yesterday when we were in bed together.”
I pull away, breaking our kiss so I can look at her. “Really?”
She nods, biting her lip. I brush her wet hair out of her face.
“That’s when I felt it too,” I say. “I wanted to tell you. But I thought it would freak you out.”
She lets out a breathy laugh that echoes within the shower walls. “That’s why I didn’t say it either. I’d thought you’d go running for the hills.”
I walk her back so she’s against the shower wall, then I lean down and kiss the side of her neck. She whimpers as I lick her skin.
“Oh, Luce. The only direction I’m running from now on is straight to you.”
She makes a sweet, desperate noise as I run my mouth up the delicate slope of her neck.
My cock is throbbing, aching to be inside of her. Not yet though. I need to make her come first.
She reaches up and runs her fingers through her hair, pulling my mouth to hers. Our kiss is filthy and teasing and hot. My pulse hammers through my whole body. All I can feel and see and smell and taste is her.
“I can’t believe we both felt it at the same moment,” she says. “And that we were both nervous to say it. That’s so perfect.”
My heartbeat hums in my ears. My whole body is vibrating.
“You’re perfect,” I say against her skin.
I kiss down her shoulder and the top of her arm.
“I love everything about you, Luce. These cute little noises you make when I kiss you. The freckles on your chest and shoulders. The way your face turns red when you’re flustered and turned on. How hard you come for me.”
She whimpers as I kiss down her chest, stopping between her breasts. “I love your heart. Your good, good heart.”
I run my tongue over her nipples, over and over, until her breathing turns ragged and she’s making those insanely cute whining noises.
“I love your sweetness. Your fiery attitude. How hard you fight for the things you love.”
I kiss down her stomach and get on my knees.
I gaze up at her. Her wet hair drips down her shoulders. Her peaches and cream skin is wet and flushed. She looks like a goddess.
Gently, I push her thighs open and run my tongue over her soaking wet slit.
Her thighs twitch on either side of my face as I circle my tongue over her clit.
“Fuck, I love you, Luce,” I groan into her pussy. “I love you so damn much.”
I flick my tongue over her pussy, keeping that soft, steady pressure she likes.
Seconds later, she comes on my face, screaming my name. She tugs hard against my scalp, and I groan at the burn. She grinds all over my mouth, writhing on my tongue. Fuck, this is heaven. My dream girl coming on my face, knowing how much she loves me.
When I’m back on my feet, I reach out of the shower, grab a condom from one of the drawers, rip it open, and slide it on.
Her eyes flicker as she gazes down at my hard, throbbing dick. I haul her up against the wall, and she wraps her legs around my waist.
I slide into her, and we both can’t hold back. She whimpers; I growl.
Pleasure rockets through my cock and balls. That too-intense, too-tight feeling spreads through my torso. It’s on the razor’s edge of too much.
I rest my forehead against hers, close my eyes, and take a breath. “This feels different than every other time, doesn’t it?” I rasp.
She looks at me, her eyes hazy with arousal. “Yes.”
I thrust into her, slow and hard. Her eyes roll back as she whimpers and moans.
“Leo, this feels…oh, god…” she sobs.
I bury my face in the crook of her neck. I bite her softly, then kiss her skin.
Hot water rains around, creating a shield from the outside world.
Every bad thing that could happen, everything that could go wrong—I don’t care about any of it.
Not when I feel Lucy’s lips against mine.
Not when her silky tongue teases and laps at my tongue, making it impossible to think.
Not when I’m consumed by the sweet taste of her.
The woman I love more than anything in this world.
The pressure in my lower abdomen tightens and intensifies. The edges of my vision blur, and I know I’m close to losing it.
I reach down between us, teasing her clit.
“I’m close, Luce,” I grit out.
“So am I,” she gasps.
With my free hand, I grip her chin in my hand, making her look at me. “Look me in the eyes when you come,” I growl.
Her eyes go unfocused and dazed. Seconds later, she screams.
Her pussy tightens around me, and I lose it. I come with a roar. Pleasure hurtles through me like an unstoppable force. My head is heavy, and my heart beats harder and faster than it ever has.
“Fuck, Luce,” I mutter, my voice rough and low.
I brace my hand against the tile wall and rest my forehead against hers, panting as I catch my breath.
She rests her mouth on my shoulder, pressing soft kisses against my skin.
“So that’s what making love is like,” she murmurs.
I lean back and look at her. She flashes the cutest smile ever. I cup my hand over her cheek and kiss her, soft and sweet and tender.
“So fucking good, right?” I whisper against her lips, feeling so damn lucky.