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She wanted to believe him. She didn’t care much about all the women he partied with in his past. Whitney was different. She was married to Malcolm now, but Leo had been in love with her. Those were old, but deep feelings. She wanted to know if he still thought about his ex-girlfriend and wondered what might have been between them. “Do you ever have any regrets?”
Leo exhaled deeply and swerved into a nearby parking lot and killed the engine. He turned to her with his mouth set in a hard line. “Let’s get this cleared up right now. Whitney was my first serious girlfriend. I thought I was in love with her, but it would never have worked out. She was skittish about sex, and I was miserable. She’s with Malcolm. They’re perfect for each other.”
He was angry, but she wasn’t going to back down. “And what am I?” she asked.
Leo wrapped his hand around the nape of her neck and tugged her close to him. His eyes sparked with fire. “Mine.”
His mouth crashed against hers, staking his claim. His tongue parted her lips and delved inside. It seemed like an eternity since he last kissed her.
His kiss was pure unleashed passion, and she wanted more. She didn’t care if they were in a parking lot. She yanked his T-shirt out from his jeans, burning with the need to touch him. “Leo,” she said around his mouth, her fingers brushing against his hard muscles.
“You make me crazy,” he muttered through another scorching kiss.
“And you make me horny,” she said, smiling around his lips.
A horn honked behind Leo’s car. “Dammit.”
She turned to look over her shoulder. “You’re blocking the entrance.”
“Yeah, I can see that.” He started the car and left the lot. “I got a little excited by a gorgeous brunette who needed a reminder of how I feel about her.” He glanced at her with a smile.
“Thanks for the reminder.” She placed her hand on his firm thigh with a newfound sense of possession. The anxiety of meeting Leo’s friends evaporated, as did jealous thoughts about Whitney.
****
Leo was quiet during the drive home. The afternoon with Ben, Amanda, and their sons had been fun. They were gracious hosts who made a point to include her in their stories about family, friends, and Leo. Cassie wasn’t an outsider; she was part of their circle. She took a closer look at Leo. His expression had turned serious, suggesting something troubled him. She still had to tell him about the phone call she’d had with her father. It wasn’t going to be easy, but she wanted to keep it from him.
He parked his car near her flat and turned the engine off. “There’s something I need to tell you.” Leo reached out and took her hand, giving her knuckles a kiss. “I saw your father while I was in New York.”
“I know. He called me afterward. We talked about you.”
“All good stuff, I’m sure.” He let out a huge laugh.
“Not all of it was bad.”
Leo grimaced. “Your father thinks I’m an asshole. He asked questions, and I gave him honest answers.”
“You only talked about me?” Her father had rambled on about a lot of things, but he made a particular point about his belief that Leo was using her to go after the property on Crete.
“No.” Leo gripped the steering wheel a little tighter. “He brought up the Crete property.”
So, her father did confront him on that. “He’s been pushing me to let him develop it, and now he thinks you want it.”
His eyes flashed to hers. “That’s not true. It belongs to you. Don’t feel pressured to do anything if you don’t want to.”
She leaned her head against the headrest with a frustrated thump. “It’s not that simple.”
“It can be. Just hold your ground.”
“Okay.” Leo’s continued support reassured her, even though her father wouldn’t be so easily dissuaded.
“Can I walk you to your door?”
Her pulse picked up with excitement. “I’d like that.”
Leo got out and went to the passenger side, helping her out. “When will you find out about the grant?” she asked.
“Soon, I hope.” Leo led her up to her flat.
