“Hawaii, I’m exhausted. Please tell me you don’t need another dick-down today.”
She laughed and rolled over, curling against my side and resting her head on my chest. “I’d fall asleep before we even started, Leo.” She tipped her chin up and kissed me gently. “I love having you here with me.”
I kissed her head. “I love being here with you.” The only thing better than falling asleep with Sophia in my arms was doing so with the waves crashing in the distance. I could really get used to this.
Chapter Thirty-Seven
Leo
Sophia and I walkedinto Joe’s by Kennedy in Waikiki, a café set just off the main streets where tourism seemed to be bountiful. A dark-haired man as tall as my father—but much broader—and about the same age, with a polite-but-tough demeanor stood behind the counter, handing a coffee to a customer. He looked up and noticed us, and when his eyes settled on Sophia, his face broke out into a big smile and the tension in his shoulders disappeared as he quickly came around the counter. She met him halfway across the room and he pulled her into a hug that I had to imagine felt like being hugged by a bear. A very strong, slightly intimidating bear.
“We missed the hell out of you, Soph,” he said, squeezing her tight before letting go.
She stepped back and smiled at him. “I missed you too, Uncle Eric.” She gestured to me. “This is Leo.”
Eric’s shoulders pulled back and his face hardened again, none of the warmth he displayed when looking at Sophia present. I might as well have been the customer he’d just served.
“This is the hockey player?” he said, looking me up and down.
“You’ve heard of me then.” I smirked, figuring that if I acted as confident as Iusuallyfelt, I’d feel that way again soon.
“Unfortunately, yes. I have,” Eric said, giving me another once over. “What are you doing with my niece?”
I glanced at Sophia, but she looked at me expectantly, almost likethiswas the time she wanted me to make the proclamation of love she kept teasing me about.
Okay, here goes.
“I’m an honorable guy, sir. I love Sophia.” I stepped forward, putting my arm around her shoulders as she leaned into me. “Made her my girlfriend the other day and everything.”
“The other day,” Eric said. His tone had zero inflection.
Is that how Navy SEALs are trained? To give nothing away when they speak? Because the training clearly worked on him. Or is he just like that?
He continued, “I’ve heard your name for far longer than that. You decided to be honorable just before arriving here to meet us? That’s convenient.”
“Uncle Eric!” Sophia said, giving him a stern look.
I was starting to sweat. This guy didn’t crack a smile even though I’d just seen him full of smiles seconds ago with Sophia.How am I supposed to know if he’s joking?
“He’s kidding,” Sophia said before pressing a kiss to my cheek.
“I’m not,” Eric said, looking me up and down again like he was assessing everything about me.
I panicked and started talking again. “I’ve been in love with her for a while. I mean, how could I not be, right? She’s smart and beautiful and funny. She’s also sweet, and have you heard her laugh? It’s like music.”
Eric glared at me. “You think I don’t know what my niece sounds like when she laughs? I met her the day she was born.”
“Right, of course.” I took my arm off Sophia before he considered chopping it off, and rubbed my sweaty palms on my shorts. “Please help,” I whispered to Sophia.
Sophia chuckled and gave her uncle an unimpressed look. “Uncle Eric, shift your protective energy to Elena. You’re scaring my boyfriend.”
“There’s no point, she feels no need to listen to my opinions.” He looked at me again. “If you hurt Soph, I can think of a dozen ways to torture you that won’t leave a mark.”
I swallowed audibly.
“Speaking of,” Eric said, stepping closer. I backed up instinctively. “You’re not the only person in Boston on my hitlist. I bet you know the name of the person I’d like to put at the top.”
I almost screamedHarley Greenat the top of my lungs.I’d clearly never make it through SEAL training given how little it takes to crack me.
