Page 16 of Read With Your Heart

“Who?” Leon questions, and I lean over to him.

“Don’t ask.” I patronizingly pat his hand. I’m in this position when the front door to the bar opens and in walks Trent with another woman wrapped around his waist, and I freeze. My fingers curl over Leon’s wrist, digging into his skin as they did the night Trent followed me to the alley. I won’t be rushing off again, especially if Trent might give chase again.

Our table grows silent as Trent enters, and Baz speaks directly to Trent from behind the bar.

“No trouble tonight or you’re out,” the bald man behind the bar warns his newest customer. Trent salutes him and then his eyes find me and fall to my hand on Leon.

I should remove my fingers. I don’t know why I’m gripping a stranger, only I can’t seem to let go of him, and then Leon does the strangest thing. He sits back, a vision of casual and calm. He covers the back of my hand with his and moves it to his thigh. Then he lays his arm on the back of my chair. Trent’s eyes narrow, and Leon curls his fingers into the ends of my long hair. It’s possessive, and it’s freaking sexy.

I should be asking Leon what the hell he thinks he’s doing, but Trent hasn’t moved. The woman with him slinks around him to talk to someone at the bar, oblivious to the tension coming from our table. Leon reaches forward for his beer with one hand acting like it’s totally normal that the fingers on his other hand are wrapped in the ends of my hair while his arm lays on the back of my chair.

“Oh my,” Karyn whispers beside me, and I want to turn my head to look at her, but I can’t move. I’m locked in the cobra stare Trent has on me. The one he’s used countless times to get what he wanted or do what he willed. I can’t seem to break from it, but I feel my fingers curling into Leon’s thigh, my nails digging into the dark denim and thick muscle.

Leon leans toward me, his breath brushing the side of my face.

“A man could get jealous, his girl checking out another man in this place.”

I swallow. He can’t mean me. I’m not his girl.

“What is it, pretty lady?” he says to me, his voice a kiss against the clammy skin of my cheek.

Licking my lips to fight the dry feeling in my mouth, I finally pull away from Trent’s gaze to find Leon’s mouth hardly an inch from mine.

“I don’t like him.” I sound like a child. Trent Walker was mean to me. The tattletale voice mocks me. You wanted to hang with the boys, Trent’s voice retorts back in my head. I no longer want to be with him. I thought he wanted to be with me because he understood me, but I learned too late he didn’t understand me at all. It turns out, I didn’t know him either.

“Don’t like him staring at you,” Leon says, his voice dropping deeper. My eyes watch Leon’s lips, feeling the pressure of my family suddenly watching us.

“I don’t know how to make him go away,” I whisper.

“I do,” he says. His mouth brushes mine. It’s more a swipe, like a paintbrush’s first touch on the canvas, but it’s firm enough as he passes over my mouth that the burn blazes a lingering trail.

Do it again, my head screams.

“Um . . .” Jess clears his throat.

“That was epic,” Tom cheers with a clap-clap, and I pull away from Leon, startled myself. Turning to Karyn, I tenderly tickle my fingers over my lips as if something visibly remains. I don’t want to wipe it away, but I wonder if they can physically see his kiss on me.

“What happened?” I ask her, holding her eyes.

“I think Leon just pissed Trent off.”

My head swings back to the front door to find Trent and his date gone. Leon leans forward, slipping his arm over my head and returning his hands to his lap. His eyes lock with Jess’s.

“Sorry about that, man.” He scrubs a hand down his face.

“Don’t apologize to me. Apologize to her.” Jess tips his beer toward me as his brow pinches together. “Or maybe not . . .” His voice drifts as he stares at me. I have no idea what my expression must read.

Leon turns back to me. “I’m sorry about that. Just wanted him to step back.”

I wave a hand, a schoolgirl giggle in my throat. “Oh, that’s okay.” That’s okay that you kissed me. In front of my family. In the crowded bar. Where we explained that we just met.

That’s okay, I lie to myself as I realize that brush on my lips was better than any kiss I’ve ever had, and I’ll never be the same again.

Lesson 9

Home can be filled with troubled hearts.

[Leon]