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Still lazy withthe last embers of sleep, Leo lay on the bed and listened to Amelia move around the bathroom, humming to herself as she got ready for the day. He let a smile play on his lips as he closed his eyes, enjoying the quiet moment after the chaos of the last few days. His face was still sore from its introduction to Ari’s fists, but enduring the pain was worth it. They’d found the ring. Cora had been taken away by the cops. He’d spent the night with the woman he loved, he’d opened up to her, and he’d made her cry out his name over and over again. All was well that ended well.
Today, Leo would drive Amelia back to her apartment and tell her he wanted more. He’d tell her what existed between them was real. He wanted every night to be spent beside Amelia, holding her in his arms. He’d work up the courage to tell her how he felt. He’d tell her that he knew he didn’t deserve someone as intelligent and driven and beautiful as she was, but he was willing to become a better man for her. He’d move to Stirling to be nearer to her, and they’d make it work.
A ding drew him from his musings. He glanced at the bedside table and saw Amelia’s phone screen light up with a new notification.
He wasn’t snooping. Truly. He wasn’t the type of person to go looking through someone’s private things…but it was right there on the screen.
Ben’s name.
Been meaning to ask, the barista wrote.Would you like to grab dinner with me next weekend? There’s a good tapas place…
The rest of the message cut off. Leaning on his side, staring at the phone on the nightstand, Leo’s heart thundered. Reality crashed into him like he’d lost a high-speed game of chicken with a concrete wall. He stared at the message until the phone went dark, then kept staring at the black screen.
He thought he would tell Amelia how he felt? Was he delusional? How could he ask her out when their relationship was built on this stupid exchange of favors? Could he even call it a relationship?
She had other prospects. Better prospects. She had a whole world of men who would soon discover how incredible she was, and Leo wouldn’t come up to scratch. Sourness coated the back of his throat as the realization sank down, down, down to the pit of his stomach.
Whatever happened last night, the night before, or during any of the past seven days, the truth remained unchanged: Leo wasn’t good enough for Amelia. Never would be.
The bathroom door opened and Leo straightened, his mouth dry, his heart pounding. Panic and pain warred within him, closing his throat so tight he couldn’t utter a word.
“Hey,” Amelia said as she came closer. “Are you okay?”
She stood in front of him wearing nothing but a towel, her hair damp and hanging around her face. Leo straightened and she approached, putting her hands on his shoulders. The weight of them was slight, but they felt more solid than anything Leo had experienced before.
But he had no right to that touch. No right to ask Amelia to put the rest of her life on hold while he figured his shit out. She deserved a guy who could keep up with her. Whether or not that was Ben the Barista, Leo didn’t know. But it sure as hell wasn’t him.
“Leo,” Amelia said, concerned. “Talk to me.”
It was their last morning. These were the last few hours he had with her, the last time he could claim her full attention. Despicable man that he was, he let his hands curl around the backs of her thighs. “I’m fine,” he grated, and he slid his palms up to the sweet little crease where her legs met her bottom. His thumbs rubbed her hips, and he relished the fluttering of her lashes. His touch did that to her. For today, at least, his touch brought her pleasure.
“We have an hour before we need to be downstairs,” Amelia whispered, climbing onto the bed to straddle him. “Why don’t we make the most of it?”
He shouldn’t. He couldn’t.
But he would.
A gasp was wrenchedfrom Amelia’s lips when Leo ripped the towel off. He tossed it aside like it had personally offended him and let his hands coast up her sides, moving up to palm her breasts with a rough, possessive touch.
“You want me?” he asked, voice dark.
A thrill shot through her as her lids fluttered closed. He was so sexy when he used that tone. She’d never tire of it. Her fingers dug into his shoulders, her core already growing wet for him. “Yes, I want you. So bad, Leo.”
Who was this woman that was using Amelia’s mouth to speak? Surely it wasn’t Amelia demanding pleasure, confident enough in herself to straddle a man and grind herself against him? The thought made her lips curl. Leo hadn’t followed her spreadsheet cell by cell, but he’d certainly shown her what was inside her all along.
“You like slumming it with me?” Before Amelia could answer, Leo flipped her onto her back, pinning her arms to the side. “You like getting dirty with a guy like me?”
Amelia’s brows shot together. That didn’t sound right. “W-what?”
Leo’s expression was stark. She only saw it for a moment before he dropped his head to her neck and began to kiss her. His hand slid between her legs.
“Wait, Leo. What did you mean, slumming—”
Her words died when he slid a finger inside her, his thumb teasing her clit. She moaned.
“Love hearing those noises from you,” he said, lips brushing her ear. “Love knowing I’m doing it to you.”
“It feels so good.” She spread her legs wider as he teased her clit before sliding his finger back inside.
