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Leo smiled. “What kind of questions?”
“The usual stuff. Did my crush love me? Would I move away and live in a mansion on a beach? Would I become an awesome career woman?”
My eyes shot to Leo that time and I realized I was babbling. He, however, looked interested in what I was saying. An invisible weight came over me, pressing down on my shoulders. “Looking back now, I think the origami fortune-teller was wrong.”
Leo closed the remaining distance between us and cupped my hips. “I don’t know about that.” Leaning in, he captured my lips in his, so softly, so sweetly that it knocked the breath from my lungs. Right then, I wished I had that damn piece of folded paper back, because there was one question I desperately wanted to ask it again.
Did my crush love me?
“You canceled on Cecilia two weeks ago and haven’t pursued any of the other women?” Kyros said as I approached Leo’s office. But the tone in his voice made me stop, and hover outside. Not eavesdropping . . . just hovering.
“My dating life isn’t really your business,” Leo snapped back. “Or Regan’s.”
“It is when I’m the one who deals with our family back in Greece. A family that constantly reminds us what’s at stake.”
“I’m very aware of what’s at stake. We don’t live in the dark ages, and settling down doesn’t mean what it used to.”
I heard Leo’s heavy stomps and knew I should go. But I couldn’t move my feet.
“You talk about this like you don’t want the same things,” Kyros said. “You want a family, a wife—”
“I had that!” Leo snapped, and what sounded like his hand came down hard on his desk. I jumped a little and clasped my palm over my mouth to keep from gasping. Leo had a wife?
“I know.” Kyros’s tone was softer. “And you haven’t been the same since. I just want you to be happy. I want you to move on from what happened. We all do. We’re just trying to help.”
I heard Leo laugh a little in the way I had seen. I could almost picture his face. “For the first time in a long time, I think I am moving on.”
My heart slammed into my chest.
“Miss Levine?” Sampson said, walking up to me.
I straightened. “Hello, I was just heading in to see Mr. Savas,” I clarified, hoping to hell he didn’t just catch me eavesdropping.
He just nodded and we both entered the room. Leo and Kyros immediately stopped their conversation and eyed us.
Leo smiled, like nothing in the world bothered him. I may have believed him too if not for what I had heard and the slight strain around his eyes.
“Paige,” Leo said. “I’d like you to join us in the meeting today.”
Kyros eyed Leo with surprise, just like I did. I didn’t need to look at today’s schedule to know what meeting he was talking about. It was the meeting to finalize details about the purchase of the slip from Jes Frolos. They had flown in specifically to close this deal.
“Okay,” I said, not sure what else to say. I had to calm my racing thoughts about the bombshell I’d just learned and focus on the present. Questioning his decision would be stupid, not to mention a waste of a good opportunity. Being a part of this transaction and seeing how these negotiations went down would be great for my resume and experience. Not to mention a good learning experience. I was an assistant, yet Leo made me feel part of his world.
“Is that necessary?” Kyros asked, not in a rude way. I couldn’t really blame him for his quest
ion either.
“With Jes bringing his son, Zander, we can use all the help we can get. Paige has been overseeing various aspects of this negotiation and I think she should be in there today.”
Leo kept his eyes on Kyros but my chest filled with something like acceptance. He was giving me credit. Thought me worthy. And it felt good. Beyond good. It felt foreign. But the piece of my chest Leo had been setting up shop in from the moment I met him was getting more and more deeply connected.
“Are you prepared, Paige?”
“Of course,” I said softer than I had meant. Because there was so much more I wanted to say. Starting with thank you and followed by a kiss. I never felt the need for something as simple as a look, a smile, any kind of light or nice gesture from another. Especially a man. But there in the middle of his office, with people watching, Leo spoke for me. Proclaimed his faith in me. And it was an amazing feeling.
I might have learned something about Leo’s past that he kept hidden, but I would have to respect him until he was ready to tell me. If he was ever ready to tell me. If anyone understood the desire to keep the dark parts of themselves tucked away, out of the light, it was me.
“Well, let’s get in there.”
