33. Leo
33
LEO
T his damn ferry better speed up, or I’ll swim to the fucking docks myself. I can see Olive in the distance, bouncing on her toes. My stomach flips with excitement and my smile takes over my face.
I’m the first passenger off the boat. As soon as my feet touch the ground, I sprint toward her. Ignoring the chance of my stuff being stolen, I set my suitcase and computer bag to the side as she gets closer. With pure elation, she leaps into my outstretched arms where she belongs.
There’s no time to speak. My mouth has more important things to do, like kiss her senseless. Her lips are petal-soft and taste like mint with a hint of coffee. I hold the back of her neck and deepen the kiss, disregarding the people passing by. Her body melts into mine, as if yearning to become part of me.
Someone clears their throat loudly as they pass us, and Olive releases my tingling lips. I chase her for one more peck.
We separate slowly, eyes locked on each other. “Hi,” we say at the same time.
She gives me another quick hug. “I can’t believe you’re here.”
“Well, believe it.” I caress her cheek, then suck in a breath. “Shit, my luggage.” I turn around, but my bags are right where I dropped them. I retrieve them, then extend my hand for her to hold.
She grabs it and pulls me toward the parking lot. “Let’s get out of here. I need to be alone with you,” she says. I toss my stuff into the trunk without even noticing what she drives.
Once we’re inside, we kiss until we’re breathless and the windows fog. “I don’t want to stop kissing you, but this isn’t the best place to be doing this,” I say, panting as I adjust my increasingly tight jeans.
“You’re right. Let’s go home and resume there.” We fasten our seatbelts.
Home. I love hearing that.
As we drive to her place, she points out different landmarks, cafés, or restaurants she likes. We pass by her old high school, and I try to imagine her at seventeen years old. “I want to see pictures of you when you were younger. You’ve seen some of mine.”
“Sure.”
She places her hand palm up on my leg, and I lace my fingers with hers. I sigh in relief. This is what makes sense. We make sense. I bring our clasped hands to my lips and kiss the back of hers. “This weekend is about having fun. At least tonight, anyway.”
Olive glances at me from the corner of her eye. “It is. I’ve invited another person for dinner tomorrow night. I hope that’s okay with you.”
I twist in my seat to see her better. “Your brother?”
“I wish. I told my uncle Bruce how my trip went and about you. He wants to meet you, so I asked him to come for dinner with Mom. I really want you to meet him. He helped me escape on my birthday.”
“That’s fine. Sounds good, actually. You’ve already met my family. Now it’s my turn. Bring on the interrogations.” I shake out my arms.
“I wish I could say there won’t be any.”
I notice her tense profile. “I don’t have anything to hide, and nothing they say or do will scare me away.”
“Good. I’m counting on that.”
She asks about my family and little Smokey. I confess it was a hard goodbye. I hugged Mom the longest, thanking her for everything and for being supportive through my toughest times. It’s not like I won’t be going back. However, I think life will be very different when I return home.
The thought of living out of my suitcase for the next six weeks fills me with dread. I know I shouldn’t complain—I’ll be staying in five-star hotels, living like a king, surrounded by luxurious rooms, spas, and starred restaurants. But I’d rather be taking this trip with Olive. Exploring cities with her, showing her new places, and spoiling her with luxury would be amazing. The time will come. Patience.
The clicking of her turn signal grabs my attention.
“Here we are. It’s not as beautiful as the hotel, but it’s my home for now.”
For now. That thrills me, knowing she doesn’t plan to be here forever.
“Wherever you are is where I want to be. You’re gonna have to pull me off you like a banana peel. Eww. ” I cringe. “That was really bad.”
She crinkles her nose. “Kind of. But I know what you mean. I guess we have to do everything together, down to taking showers.”
“I like the sound of that. Can we please go inside before I devour you in the parking lot?” That has her jumping out of the car like her ass is on fire.
Her apartment building is pretty standard. It could use a fresh coat of paint, but the grounds are well maintained. Reality hits me. I’m going to see how she lives. What if she’s a messy person or a hoarder? What if she only has Twinkies in her refrigerator or stashes of canned kidney beans in the kitchen cabinets? Or has a collection of freaky porcelain dolls?
Chill the fuck out, Leo.
She’s standing next to me, looking puzzled. “Does it look that bad?”
I dangle my arm over her shoulders. “Not at all. I’m trying to picture you living here. We aren’t at the hotel anymore. This is real life now. I can’t wait to see what makes you tick.” I kiss her temple.
She pops the trunk, and we grab my stuff. Before I know it, we’re in her living room. I scan the layout to see if anything looks different from the virtual tour she gave me the other day. With the sun shining through the windows, it feels warmer and more welcoming. Other than that, it looks the same. It’s a spacious open-concept apartment. The kitchen, on the right, has a table and four chairs. A vase full of flowers on the counter adds color to the room. There’s minimal clutter and not a doll in sight. The hallway on the left leads to the most important room. Her bedroom.
I put my things to the side and we take off our coats. Olive turns, and the atmosphere shifts. The need to touch her overwhelms me. I pull her into my arms.
“Show me your bedroom,” I growl.
Her eyes glaze over with need. “Follow me.”
Then she runs away, shaking her ass seductively, and I chase her like I always will.