Chapter Thirteen #2
He frowned at my finger. “Who told you that?”
“Dennis!”
He reared back. “Who the fuck is Dennis?”
I thought back. “Dusty.”
Leo raised a brow. “You mean, Dustin?”
I nodded once.
“I’m going to kill that kid,” he murmured, dropping back onto the bench and wiping a hand over his mouth.
His huge hand with perfect fingers. It’s weird but I’d always thought Leo had really nice hands for a man.
Just the right length of fingernails too.
Not long but not chewed and bitten down to the quick.
I reached out to him, placing a hand on his shoulder, trying to draw his attention. His skin was so soft and smooth, warm under my touch and I wanted to rub up against him.
God, I needed to get laid. It had been a while, couldn’t exactly resume normal activities with a broken leg and hip.
“Leo, I need you to be honest with me,” I began, placing my other hand on his shoulder, drawing him closer. “Why didn’t you go on tour?”
He hung his head, then glanced up at me. “Which time?” He spoke softly and his words landed with a blow.
I swallowed around the lump forming in my throat. “How many times could you have gone?”
“Twice.”
“Why didn’t you go the first time?” My chest was heaving, I felt like this was somehow all my fault, and I didn’t even know why he hadn’t gone.
“Sherry.”
I stumbled back, pressing my hand to my throat. “Oh, God.”
“I couldn’t…couldn’t leave you like that, Mads. Charlie asked me to stay, and I was not going to say no. You’re my family.”
“What!”
I couldn’t believe Daddy had asked him to stay. I was suddenly irrationally angry at that. Like Leo had been tied to us and put his entire life, his passion and career, on hold because of it.
“I’m so sorry.”
Leo shot forward, flinching slightly and cupped my cheeks. “No. Don’t do that. I was happy to stay and help out. You all needed me and there would be plenty more chances. Do not feel guilty, do not apologize, it was my choice.”
“Then you had another chance. A few months ago?”
He nodded, his warm eyes searching mine.
“And you didn’t go?”
“No.”
“Why?” I croaked out, gripping the hands that were cupping my face. I felt a tear leak out and his thumb immediately swiped it away.
“Because you needed me, Maddy.”
I cried out. I didn’t mean to and this all felt very dramatic, but I just learned that because of me, my best friend was stuck in this small town instead of off living his dream and being the best he could be.
It’s not like I could be mad really. If it wasn’t for the help he’d given me in the last few months, I don’t know if I would be walking so soon.
I might have needed surgery and lost my career.
I certainly wouldn’t have been as determined because he knew how to motivate me, how to push my buttons and get my ass moving. I wasn’t a wallower, and he knew that.
He pulled me into his arms, squeezing me tight. “I’m sorry, Maddy. I didn’t want you to find out. It’s fine, I’m happy here, really.”
I buried my face in his chest, feeling the soft hair brush my cheek. God, he smelled amazing, like leather and a faint woodsy smell, probably the rosin that bull riders used. My arms came around him, palms rested on his back, the muscles contracting under my touch.
One of his hands lost itself in my hair, cupping the back of my head, his thumb rubbing a spot just behind my ear which had the weird sensation of making me sleepy but also turning me on. My breathing deepened and my hands started trailing up and down his back, my nails grazing his skin lightly.
His breath hitched and he pressed me into the row of lockers, taking my weight off my leg and his weight off his ribs. His whole body warmed me. I felt goosebumps raise on his skin, and I loved the fact that I was having this effect on him.
I watched Leo get women all the fucking time, but he acted different with them.
They wouldn’t notice because they didn’t know him like I did.
He always seemed vaguely disconnected, kept them at arm’s length and didn’t let them in.
He didn’t soothe them, comfort them or even touch them how he touched me.
And right now, I was really enjoying that touch.
It had been months since a man touched me, that was probably why this was so nice.
The adrenaline pumping through us and the emotions were definitely heightening our feelings.
That would be the only reason I leaned up and pressed a kiss to the warm, tan skin of his neck, his pulse thudded wildly under my lips.
He huffed deeply, his hand tightening in my hair, tugging my head back.
I met his gaze in the low light of the locker room. His pupils expanded, his stare intense and hot. His eyes drifted down to my mouth, and his lids dipped.
My insides felt like an inferno as I remembered our kiss. From so long ago I was surprised the memory hadn’t faded. Maybe it was because I recalled it so often that it never felt like a memory. It felt like I was reliving it.
He lowered his head and I could feel his breath against my mouth. My blood pounded in my veins and everything was so hot. I was so tense, ready to explode under his touch.
“Leo? Maddy? Just checking you’ve not killed each other!” Kat shouted and we leapt apart, me banging into the lockers and Leo grabbing his ribs as he grunted in pain.
“We’re okay, Kat, thanks!” Leo shouted back, turning away from me.
I shook my head, trying to clear the brain fog. What had we just been about to do? We were too wound up from spending so much time together recently. We’d gotten far too comfortable with each other. It must have been all the tension from our fight exploding.
Our fight.
“Promise me now Leo, if you get another opportunity to go, you’ll take it. Don’t stay for me anymore, for us. You deserve to have everything; you work so hard and you’re so talented. And stop missing training to help me, you could have died today!” I snapped.
He didn’t say anything but then his shoulders started shaking and he barked out a laugh, clutching his ribs.
“I don’t think this is very funny,” I huffed.
Leo turned to face me again, still laughing his stupid face off. “It’s not, but you’re being funny now by telling me off.”
I narrowed my eyes at him and he sobered.
“Fine, I promise I will train more. Especially now that you’re nearly back to normal.”
“And?” I raised a brow.
He rolled his eyes. “And I promise I won’t miss any more opportunities.”
I nodded, satisfied and also glad that the weird tension between us had lifted.
“Good, I’ll leave you to get dressed and then I’ll take you out for a pretzel.”
“Yes, ma’am.” He bounced a pec at me.
“Ugh,” I grunted. “Put a shirt on, you’re so hideously unattractive right now.”
He laughed again and then grabbed his side. “Can I be mad now at you coming to watch me after I asked you not to?”
“Maybe.”
“Good.” He planted his hands on his hips. “Because I am mad.”
“I know and I really want to be sorry, but I’m not.”
He shook his head, a small smile on his face. “I need you not to come, Maddy. It distracts me and I could get hurt if my head isn’t in the game. I’ve promised you that I won’t miss any more opportunities. Promise me, and mean it, that you won’t come again.”
“I just want to support you,” I whined.
“I know you do, but you can still do that without coming here.”
“Okay then.”
He dropped his head to the side. “Nice try, say it out loud please.”
I hated that he knew me so well. “I promise.”
“That…?”
I huffed in exasperation. “I promise I won’t come and watch you bull ride anymore.”