Page 58 of Read With Your Heart

“Walk away,” Leon hisses, tugging Trent’s arm higher.

Trent struggles with a strained scoff and says, “Are you watching this?” He calls out to the people closest to us when Tom and Jess approach.

“We’re watching, and out you go,” Jess says when his powerful hands grab one of Trent’s biceps, and Tom grabs the other. Leon releases Trent, and my brothers cart him to the door.

“He touched me. He should be arrested. Someone call the sheriff!” Trent yells over his shoulder. I’m so embarrassed by this scene that I tuck my head into Leon’s chest. His arm remains around my back, pulling me tighter into him. I can’t get close enough. My fingers claw at his shirt.

“I won’t let them take you,” I say, knowing I’d have no choice if the authorities came for him. My voice strains, panic catching up to me. “Nothing is going to happen to you.” I rise up on my toes and circle my arms around his neck. His other arm wraps around me, and he finally relaxes against me.

“I’m okay, baby,” he whispers. He tugs me a little tighter. “I’m okay.”

“You came?” I question because he didn’t want to attend the party. Leon draws back, only enough to peer down at me.

“I never said I wouldn’t. I just said I didn’t want to.” He pauses, lowering his head but his hat brim taps my head. “Thought my girl might want to dance, and I don’t want her dancing with anybody else.”

“I’m so sorry for the other night. I don’t want to fight.” I’m not even certain what we were fighting over, but he was clearly upset.

“Pretty lady, that was all me.” Leon sighs and squeezes me. “You’re too good for me. I don’t want to ever do anything that makes you . . . uncomfortable with me, with where I’ve been and who I am.”

“Don’t say that.” My eyes latch onto his, but he quickly looks away. I reach for his chin, forcing his attention back to me. “Leon, why would you say such a thing?”

I don’t want to fight again, but I want to understand.

“Tricia, you’re a smart, educated woman with a great job, a good family, and a plan. You’re . . . perfect.” His compliment is flattering, but it’s also not true.

“I’m not perfect. I’ve made huge mistakes.” I scoff. My soon-to-be ex-husband is example number one. “Did you not see that man just dragged out of here?”

“I can’t even defend your honor without it being a risk.” Leon wearily gazes down at me, hinting how he couldn’t fight Trent.

“Let me worry about my honor. You just stay out of trouble,” I tease, but there’s genuine concern behind my joke. “Could you really go to jail for a fight?”

“Conditions of release. No trouble.” Leon squeezes me against him again and playfully adds, “But from the moment I met you, Tricia Carter, you’ve been nothing but trouble.”

My shoulders fall a bit. “I don’t want to be trouble for you. I don’t want to be a risk.” This is a real fear. Will my connection to Trent be an issue for Leon? How long will he hold out for my divorce? How long will Leon deal with this Trent drama?

“You’re worth every risk, baby. Now, let’s stop talking about that asshat while you’re in my arms. Dance with me, Esméralda.”

I slowly smile with pleasure that he recognizes my costume, and while Esmeralda and Zorro don’t classically go together, we do make a striking couple.

“Zorro, huh?”

“Latino lover at your service.”

“He was also a hero,” I remind him.

“He was an outlaw,” Leon snorts, leading me to the dance floor.

“A hero-outlaw then, and I like his kind of trouble.”

Leon stops, spins to face me, and cups my cheek. “See? I don’t deserve you,” he whispers.

“Yes, you do, because I feel like I deserve you.” I believe this. I went without love for too long in my own marriage and I deserve whatever this is with Leon. Roommates with benefits? Casual sex between friends? I won’t question it. I’m going to soak up everything it’s doing for me—restoring my faith in love, rejuvenating my body, and feeding my soul.

“So come dance with me, my Esmeralda.” He winks.

“Unfortunately, unlike her, I don’t really know how to dance,” I whisper, hesitating on a sudden sense of embarrassing myself in front of him with my lack of rhythm.

“Oh baby, you let me lead,” he hums, and I guess I don’t have a problem with that. I’m following his lead already, and so far, I’m enjoying the dance.