“I’ve got you. Don’t worry,” he said.
I was so used to being alone, doing things alone. The only thing that worried me was how much I already relied on him and how necessary his presence was in my life. Not just when he was saving me from myself—which was a lot of the time—but when he was driving me or watching me at dinner or waiting for my reaction to a dry joke he’d set up. My body craved his nearness, his company, his thoughts, and his attention.
I wanted it all from him, and it made me feel greedy and out of control.
My stuck arm was freed, and he slowly brought it down, my fingers tingling as the blood rushed to the tips.
I turned my face away, muscles limp and pliable as he worked on the rest of the lingerie.
“This is humiliating.” I pouted. “All I wanted to do was try to be sexy for you. I wanted to get a room at the Lodge, and it was booked. I ordered chocolate-covered strawberries from Donner Bakery, but they looked like little Santa hats. Not sexy.” He chuckled as I went on. “I wanted to dress up provocatively, and here I am stuck like a mummy who just woke up from a curse.”
He paused in his work to kiss my temple. “Are we taking this off or...?”
“Cut it off me for all I care. I just wanted to be sexy for you.” I tried to get angry but just felt sad.
Sad, horny Mari.
“Oh. There’s a hook.” Something loosened, and the whole contraption slid to my ankles. “There we go.”
I stood completely naked, arms crossed strategically, humiliation making me glow. “Taken down by a negligee,” I said. Then I sniffled as I added, “Good album name.”
He chuckled and grabbed the throw on the edge of the bed to wrap me up.
“Mari, look at me.” I met his awaiting gaze with reluctance. “You are the sexiest woman I’ve ever met. You have been driving me wild since you brought a marching band to my lawn.”
“I think that emotion is anger.”
“No.” He cupped my face. “I have wanted you for so long. You’re incredible. You’re sexy. You’re talented and passionate. Trust me, none of this is necessary.” He gestured around the room. “Appreciated, but not needed.”
“Then...why?” I trailed off, kicking the last of the fabric off my feet. This wasn’t on him. I’d been pushing and pulling from the beginning. Maybe I’d been sending mixed signals.
“I’m in no rush. I was waiting until it was right for you. I’d wait forever.” He shrugged, and a hand tugged his hair. Why was that action so damn sweet to me?
But we didn’t have time. Didn’t he feel that same ticking clock?
There was a flush to his cheeks that hadn’t been there before, and his eyes were dilated as they darted quickly back and forth between mine. Maybe de-stringing me had affected him more than I thought.
“You’re too much. You say these things...and it’s like.” I grabbed his hand to rub at the area around my heart under the blanket. His hand felt cool compared to the burning skin. “I feel everything so much. It’s changing me. You’re changing me.”
He swallowed, tearing his gaze to where the blanket began to slip. “Is that good?”
“It’s more than that. It’s...” I struggled for the right word. “Real. It’s themost alive I’ve ever felt. It scares me a little, though. I’ve never felt like this.”I’ve never wanted to.
I expected the worry to set in, the understanding that this too shall end, but when I looked into Leo’s eyes, I didn’t feel anything but that familiar peace of his presence. I held on to it.
“It scares me too. You make me feel alive,” he said. “You make me feel like I’ve been sleeping or something. Like I’ve somehow wasted so much time already. You’ve turned my world upside down.” He cupped my hands, his bandaged knuckles wrapped around mine. “Let’s be scared together.”
I nodded and dropped my cheek to where we connected, rubbing against his abused knuckles.
He nudged me with his nose until I lifted my chin. His mouth dropped down to mine, and I opened for him. When I lifted to wrap my arms around his shoulders, the swoosh of the blanket, as it fell to the ground, was audible between our gasps for each other. He groaned against my mouth, deepening the kiss.
I loved the way his callused and wrapped hands scraped against my skin as they explored down my back. It was already so overstimulating, and it drove me wild to know how hard he worked. The soft caresses soon turned to greedy grabs as neither of us seemed to get enough of the other.
He stepped back to pull off the sweatshirt he wore over a tee as I tugged at the buttons of his jeans. He already strained hard against his briefs.
He looked down to catch me staring. “I want to be clear that I, uh, have been living somewhat of a monk-like existence these past few years.” He licked his lips and winced a little as he adjusted himself.
“I recently had a test and am good to go,” I offered so he wouldn’t feel weird discussing our health.
