31. I More Than Liked You, Munch
I More Than Liked You, Munch
Zoe
I take his hand and let him lead me to the bedroom.
‘I need to show you something.’ He turns me around and taps my behind. ‘Sit down, Zo.’
I sit on the bed, fighting my smile at how good it feels to be here with him as he goes to his closet and starts digging around in the back. Pulling out an old sneaker box, he joins me on the bed, opening it and handing me an old notebook.
‘What is this?’
‘Open it.’
I open the book and read the inscription on the first page. Leo’s Book, KEEP OUT .
I laugh. ‘Ooh, I bet that had snoopers quaking in their boots.’
He shoves my shoulder. ‘I was ten, fuck you.’
Smiling, I turn the page. The first page is a beautiful sketch of my old dog, Bentley, and tears spring to my eyes. I turn the page and see a bunch of different sketches of Bentley’s paws. Clearly, he was trying to get them right.
‘Keep going,’ Leo encourages, so I turn again to find a page of writing. I meet his eye, and he nods for me to read.
Today, I took Luke over to Doug’s house. He liked them all a lot, and they liked him too. Zoe seemed to want to hang out with him the most, and that kinda sucked, but he looked so happy. I don’t know whether I should tell him that she’s who I want to marry. I think maybe that would make him sad, and he’s already kinda sad, so I probably won’t.
I inhale sharply and swallow the lump in my throat as he flicks through another book and hands that one to me.
Luke kissed Zoe. He said he thinks he loves her. I could tell him that I love her, that I loved her first, and I know he would step away, but he deserves this, and so does she. I’ll be quiet. I’m too young for her anyway. It just sucks.
‘Leo.’ I gasp as he hands me another book. I flick through the pages of beautiful sketches until I find a small paragraph of writing.
Luke and Zoe got married. Fuck.
I close the book and turn to look up at him with tears in my eyes.
‘What…’
‘We are connected, Zo. We always have been, and it will be a lot for our family to get used to, but they will get used to it.’
‘You liked me all this time.’
He smiles. ‘I more than liked you, munch.’
He reaches up to my cheek and guides me to him, bringing our lips together in a tender kiss. Then he moves, guiding me to lay back on the bed as his body moves over mine.
I feel him starting to harden against me, and my heart races.
‘You asked, what now? Baby, I don’t give a damn about the hows and whys as long as I get to have you like this.’
He leans down to kiss me again, and I widen my legs to let him in closer. As he kisses my jaw, I smile.
‘You mean you only want me for my body?’ I ask, and he pulls back.
‘Oh, baby, I want it all with you, but your body is a start.’
Together, we move backward onto the bed, and he holds himself over me as his fingers move to my inner thighs and slowly trail up.
‘That day…’ he inhales and breathes it out as he holds my gaze with his. ‘You thought I was relieved that it was negative, but you read me all wrong. You read me while I was still daydreaming about a life with you, a family with you. We both needed some time, but I’m all in, munch. I always was. I was just waiting for you to catch up.’ Oh my god. ‘I’m giving you forever, and you’re damn well going to take it.’
Laying in the dim light of Leo’s bedroom, my head on his chest, his fingers lazily running up and down my spine, I feel happy. I feel calm. This is right.
‘You’re sure about this?’ I ask sleepily.
‘Why do you keep doubting me, munch?’
‘You’ve never had a real relationship — you might not like it. I don’t want us to tell our families for you to decide it’s not for you.’
‘Munch, I never got serious with anyone because I was waiting for you.’
I close my eyes and inhale deeply, filling up my lungs with his scent and feeling it relax my body even further.
‘I’m sorry, Leo. I’m sorry that I never realized.’
‘It doesn’t matter.’
‘I loved him.’
‘I know.’
‘But if I’d known…’
‘Zo, you loved him, and I love that you did. He was the best man. You deserved longer with him. He deserved to have you love him the way you did.’
‘It’s a little weird talking about him when we’re both naked.’ He laughs softly under me, shaking my body with his, and I smile. ‘I talked to him. He knows all about us.’
‘So, we’re an us ?’
‘Well, Bree knows everything.’
‘And what does she think?’
‘She thinks I’m an idiot for taking so long.’
He laughs. ‘That’s why she’s my favorite.’
I sit up, a horrified expression on my face, and he laughs harder. ‘She is not.’
Leo pulls me close, pressing our bare chests together and bringing our mouths close enough to feel our breath on each other’s lips.
‘She’s not even close, baby.’
My eyes are closed, inhaling the steam and enjoying the beat of the hot water against the back of my neck, when a hard body presses up against my back and a strong arm wraps around my waist. I lean my head back against him and smile.
‘I can’t let you go.’ I sigh, resigned to the truth. ‘I want to do this with you, but I need it to be slow, and I need it to be a secret.’
‘ Zoe .’
‘Just for now. I don’t want to involve them until we know for sure.’
‘I do know,’ he says, his lips against my temple, and I moan my reply.
‘Please, Leo.’
His breath in my ear triggers my own deep inhale, and I turn in his arms. ‘You want to go slow?’
‘Yeah.’
‘What does that mean?’
‘I want us to date, get to know each other.’
He laughs, and it’s a deep rumbling that stirs something in my belly. ‘Darlin’, we already know each other.’
I roll my eyes. ‘Not as a couple.’ Saying that word quiets us both for a moment. ‘I want us to go on dates, hold hands in the street, make out at the movies. Learn about each other in the ways we never have.’
‘Okay.’
‘You sound pissed.’
Another deep breath. ‘I’m not.’
‘Leo.’
‘Munch, I’m not pissed, I guess I’m just a little impatient.’
‘I want to be with you. That’s not in question. It’s just a lot, you know?’
‘Yeah, I know.’
‘I promise you — I want this. I just need to ease into it.’
‘You promise.’ It’s not a question, and I understand it. He’s acknowledging the weight of that word.
‘I promise, Leo.’ I nod, gazing up at him. ‘I’m not walking away.’
‘I know. I just,’ he flicks his gaze to the ceiling like he doesn’t want to say what he’s about to say, ‘I just really wanted you to be my date for the wedding.’
Smiling, I press my body closer to his. ‘I can be your secret date.’
‘Secret date?’
Laughing, I lean back and find him smiling down at me, one eyebrow arched.
‘Yeah, we can hang out, dance, find a private spot to get a little handsy.’ I grab two handfuls of his tight butt as I say it, and he laughs. ‘And you can tell people you’re staying in my guest room to give Buck and Lu some privacy so that we can have a little sleepover.’
‘A naked sleepover?’
‘As naked as it gets.’
‘Secret date?’ I nod. ‘I’m in.’
Leo leans in to kiss my smile with his, then pulls back to look into my eyes once more.
‘Take the time, Zo. Take the time to really think about us because next time you drive up here, I’m taking you on a real date.’
I smile widely.
‘You fucked me four times yesterday and once this morning, and you’re about to do it again,’ I wrap my hand around his dick in time to feel it harden against my touch, ‘I’m not sure what more there is to think about.’
‘You’re right.’ He reaches down and picks me up, and I wrap my legs around him as he nudges my entrance with the thick head of his cock, I wince, and his eyes widen. ‘Are you sore?’
I nod. ‘Yeah, but it’s the good kind.’
He frowns and pulls back, but I wrap my arms around his neck.
‘Leo Bennett, don’t you dare look at me that way. I may be small, but I’m a grown-ass woman. If I’m too sore for you to fuck me, I will tell you, but I’m not, and I want you to.’
‘Zo…’ he groans.
‘Don’t be gentle.’
My words seem to unravel him, and he surges forward, filling me in one move and stealing my voice as my mouth falls open in a silent cry. This man and his magic dick will be my undoing.
‘Call me when you get home?’
I nod as I lean back against my car, Leo’s hard body pressed against mine, and he kisses me again. I wrap my arms around his neck and moan into the kiss, so he pushes closer.
‘Mornin’,’ The giggly female voice puts a pin in our public make-out session.
Leo pulls back a little, and we turn to see a grinning Fi and Gus walking into the shop.
‘Good to see you again, Zoe.’ Gus winks as he follows his girlfriend inside.
‘ Jesus ,’ Leo groans. ‘They’re going to be riding my ass all day.’ I laugh, and he shakes his head, then leans in to kiss me once more before stepping back. ‘Get out of here.’ He winks, and I turn to open the door of my car.
I get in, buckle up, and roll down the window as he steps forward, bracing his hands on the roof of my car and leaning in. ‘Think about us, Zo.’ For the first time, he seems uncertain. ‘Think about how you want this to work.’
I nod, and as he steps back, I drive away.