AllFreeNovel
Share Us
The words wiped the amusement from Leandro’s face completely. Helios was unfortunately not exaggerating. The way she looked now – ‘hot nerdy biker chick on the hunt’ was apt indeed – with almost half of her glorious breasts on display by that ridiculously tight silk top, Leandro was sure Sports Illustrated would be knocking on her door the moment he introduced her as his girlfriend.
“She won’t pose for any magazine,” he said curtly.
“Even if she wants to?”
“She won’t pose.” He was going to buy the fucking magazine before he’d let Bobby pose.
Helios said quietly, “She truly means something to you then? I admit to being skeptical when I heard that you were dating a girl in your school and she wasn’t...your usual type.”
Everyone, Leandro thought grimly,seemed to have a fucking easy time correctly guessing how he and Bobby came to be. How long before it was Bobby figuring out the truth as well?
When Leandro didn’t answer, Helios knew that it was an answer in itself, and one that he didn’t welcome. He could see that Bobby Granger was a nice girl, someone who did not deserve to be a political pawn.
“The polls back home show that your father’s slowly gaining public favor again. The local media has also been faithfully following your “courtship” of Bobby. They love how she was voted Philanthropist of the Year, and though she is as rich as anyone here, she doesn’t act like it. They think of her as a possible princess championing the poor. Does she know that?”
“No.”
“And you have no desire to tell her?”
“I will tell her...when she needs to know.” In the back of his mind, he knew that he was making the same mistake again, protecting himself at the cost of Bobby. But he just could not help doing it. The same unspoken fear was inside Leandro, protecting a small part of him to make sure it survived if the people he loved did not end up loving him back.
****
THE RIDE BACK HOMEwas spent in tense silence even though Leandro kept her close, their fingers entwined on his lap, her head against his chest and his arm around hers. All the while, she wondered why he wasn’t trying to kiss her.
When Leandro’s chauffeur-driven car parked in front of her dorm, she blurted out, “Leandro, about what you said—-”
His lips covered hers.
There was the kiss she was waiting for, but before she could think about what it meant, the kiss was already over, Leandro lifting his head to tell her quietly, “I don’t want you to feel pressured about returning the words. I just want you to know that I find you beautiful in every way.”
Chapter Twelve
The crowd waswildand uncontrollable, a monster consisting of hundreds of heartbeats that craved the excitement of a forbidden race.
Leandro had invited her yesterday to accompany him as his date to tonight’s event but Bobby refused, knowing there was something else she had to do. She felt so guilty and unfair about Leandro having said the words and her not saying it back. She wanted to. How she wanted to, but Bobby had to be sure it was the real thing this time.
