“You’re my hero,” I said to Leo.
“Like I would’ve ever let that bastard kill Rafe.”
“I’m talking about how you swooped in like a knight in shining armor and saved not only your brother, but the damsel in distress.”
“You’re too ballsy to ever need a knight.”
“That’s not true at all. I need your emotional strength more than anything you could physically do. But don’t ever forget, you stepped in front of me, not Rafe, when it truly counted. That’s what makes you a hero.”
He preened under my compliment. “I suppose what I did today was heroic.”
I laughed. “Now that I’ve convinced you, don’t go getting the big head.”
He shifted on the seat to press his body closer against mine. “You always give me the big head.”
“Would you be serious for just a minute? We both just experienced something life-altering.” Holding out my hand, I showed him how I was trembling. “See how I’m freaking out?”
“It’s the adrenaline. It’ll run out soon,” he reassured me.
“Yeah, well, I think it just shows I am a damsel in distress.”
“Why do you think I wanted to be alone with you?”
“So we could fuck. You said so yourself.”
Leo shook his head. “Because I was falling apart on the inside, and you’re the only one who could put me back together.”
My heart melted at his words. Leaning over, I cupped his face in my hands. “I feel the same way.”
Leo’s intense gaze dropped to my lips. “Can I kiss you again, wife? Or should I say, can I kiss you for real?”
A shudder ran through me at his request. “Yes, please.”
Dipping his head, he brought his hungry mouth to mine. The moment his lips touched mine, I moaned. Our first kiss as man and wife had been reverent.
This kiss was positively debauched.
It was wet tongues battling each other. Teeth nipping and nibbling. Harsh breaths of pleasure. Hands sliding up and down bodies.
I knew the kiss differed not just because we weren’t in church anymore. It was about once again how close we’d come to being denied the other. I was his wife, and he was my husband. Nothing like marriage contracts or family honor could part us ever again.
Except the baby in your belly.
That thought doused me with cold water as a revelation went off in my brain. Deceiving Rafe wasn’t the same as deceiving Leo. While I cared for Rafe, I didn’t love him. I feared Rafe learning the truth because of what he might do to me.
Everything about that situation was amplified ten times with Leo. My heart was on the line as well as my life. I wouldn’t be hurting just a man I cared for. I’d be devastating the man I loved.
For a moment, I tried losing myself in Leo to push those agonizing thoughts from my mind. I brought his hand to my breast, urging him to touch me. As he squeezed me over my dress, I didn’t feel any pleasure.
Pain twisted its way through my chest. It was so intense it affected my breathing. The air started depleting faster and faster from my lungs.
In a panic, I shoved Leo away. Gasping for breath, I clung to the lapels of his tux.
Through heavy-lidded eyes, he asked, “Drea, what just happened?”
“I…I just need a minute.”
He gave me an apologetic look. “I’m sorry. Did I come on too strong?”
