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“I—” She begins to protest, exhaling sharply through her nose as she looks down at the jumpsuit. “I have nowhere to even wear this right now.”
I shrug. “That’s fine. I’m sure some event will come up where this will come in handy.” She chews her lower lip, and her hesitance makes my chest squeeze tightly, wondering where it comes from. How deep it is rooted. “Just try it on,” I suggest more gently.
Andrea meets my gaze, eyes so much like her brother’s, before giving a reluctant nod, pink spreading across her cheeks. Satisfied, I grin, and we continue shopping as I push along Lilah’s stroller and Allen follows behind us inconspicuously.
After a while of wandering around the store, we head into the fitting rooms to try our selections on. Allen waits outside, while Andrea takes Lilah into one of the bigger fitting rooms with her so the stroller can fit, and I go into the room across from them. I picked a few shirts, a pair of pants, and a couple of dresses to try on. I’m in the middle of trying on a black bodycon dress with sheer full sleeves when my phone lights up where it sits on the bench, and a smile automatically grows on my face at the sight of Leo’s name.
How’s the shopping going?
He is in the middle of a training session, and I bite my lower lip to stop my silly grin from growing at the fact that he found a second to text me. The feeling in my belly is new and unfamiliar—especially when it comes so powerfully in terms of Leo. Before, I would suppress whatever sensation that would arise where he was concerned, reminding myself he is my boss. Now, though, the feelings come in full force, and even when the small voice in my head still reminds me of our professional relationship, there is a louder voice that teases me with the secrecy of it all, and the kind of heat it brings.
It's going pretty well. We’re having fun :)
I bite my lower lip when I send that text, a thought popping in my head. Lifting my head, I take a look in the full-length mirror in front of me, taking in the sight of me in the dress. It fits perfectly and does wonders for my chest, stopping a little bit above my mid-thigh. It’s shorter than I am used to, but I love the way it looks and how I feel in it, confidence coursing through me heatedly.
With my hair in messy waves falling around my shoulders and legs looking long in the short dress, I lift my phone and snap a mirror picture, partially hiding my face but definitely showing off the dress and what it does for me. Heat infusing in my cheeks, I use the confidence I currently feel and quickly send the picture to Leo. My pulse quickens as if I just sent him a naked picture, feeling a kind of thrill rush through me. Obviously, this thing between us is new, yet I’m not sure if the butterflies that flutter around in my stomach are ever going to cease.
Once the picture is sent, I put my phone down and take the dress off, deciding that I am going to buy it. When I move on to try the other things, my phone lights up, my heart skipping a beat to see that Leo has texted me multiple times.
Fucking hell, Alex.
You can’t just send me that without warning.
You better have gotten that damn dress.
A soft laugh escapes me at his messages. God, you would think I sent him a picture of myself in lingerie, or completely nude with the way he is reacting and the excitement that it shoots through me. The two of us only decided to give things a shot yesterday, and all we have done so far is kiss. We both decided to take our time, go at our own pace, and figure things out along the way.
But I can’t lie—ever since kissing Leo, I have been imagining what it would be like to haveallof him. To feel his skin on mine, feeling him in places where I have been yearning to have him for longer than I care to admit. Just being in the same room as Leo has desire pulsing through me in a way I have never experienced before, not with my ex, not with anyone. It’s sonewand strange, but not in a bad way. Not at all.
* * *
“I have—” Leo’s lips press to mine, cutting off his own words as he kisses me soundly. “—an idea.”
“Mm,” I hum against his mouth, my fingers in his hair as he presses the front of his body to mine, feeling every hard line of his abs. His heat seeps into me, dizzying, as I kiss him. “Not this? Because I likethisidea a lot.”
Leo chuckles before kissing me once more, and heat pulses through me like liquid fire. His hands grip my hips, holding me close as his tongue slides along mine, tasting me and groaning in response. Wetness pools in my underwear just by his kisses alone, my back pressed against the wall and fingers tugging greedily at his hair.
“I think you’ll like this other idea, too,” he says, nipping at my lips.
“What is it?” I gasp as he sucks my bottom lip into his mouth.
His hands slide up my sides under my shirt, and the feel of his skin against mine is electrifying. “You go put on that dress, come back in here, and we’ll have a date night in.”
His words have me pulling back slightly, staring up at him in surprise. Leo is smiling at me, his thumb swiping along my bottom lip, and all I can manage to do is dumbly ask, “What?”
“I’m making dinner,” he states, making my eyebrows shoot up, and he rolls his eyes fondly. “Don’t look so surprised. It’ll be ready soon, and we’re going to have a romantic dinner.” His jaw clenches. “I know we can’t go out for our official first date, and I’m sorry about that.” I part my lips to protest, to tell him he has nothing to apologize for, but he continues on. “But Icanmake sure we do have a first date, so I’m going to make you dinner and we’re going to get dressed up, drink wine, and pretend we’re not in the dining room of my house.”
A breath escapes me through a tightened throat, my heart practically melting inside of my chest at Leo’s words. It’s ridiculously thoughtful and sweet. He doesn’t have to do any of that; I know this isn’t exactly a conventional start to a potential relationship—God, is that what I’m doing? Getting into a relationship with Leo Mackenzie? —so going out for dates is out of the question. But for him to want to put in the effort to have a date night of sorts is all kinds of romantic in my book.
So, I grip the front of his shirt, smiling up at him as I say earnestly, “That sounds perfect.”
His gaze clears, ridding itself of the mild upset that had darkened them over the fact that we couldn’t go out like a normal couple. But the idea of us having a night in, just the two of us, knowing that it won’t end up in the tabloids the next morning was relieving and exactly what I want. Standing on my toes, I give him a kiss, still mildly reeling that I get to do that now, and tell him, “I’ll be right back.”
He grins, the sight devastating, as he gives a squeeze to my hip before letting me go. Upstairs, Lilah is already tucked in bed and the baby monitor is on to let us know in case she wakes up, and so I head out the back and go to the guest house, butterflies fluttering around in my stomach.
My hair is already washed, so I take a quick body shower, and once I’m done with that, I get to doing my makeup. I don’t go overboard, but as I get ready, a part of me wishes I could call up Sara and talk to her about this. No doubt she would be teasing me with I told you so’s and be as freaked out as I am. God, what was I thinking when I told Leo we shouldn’t tell anyone about this? Yes, it’s too early to let anyone know, if we were even going to, but keeping this from Sara feels next to impossible.
I tell my best friend practically everything, which definitely includes things having to do with guys that I am interested in or dating. She had been there for me when my relationship with Oliver was going to shit and I broke things off with him, and she is the only one who would understand why it feels like such a big deal that I’m willing to give things a shot with Leo—and not because of the fact that he's a successful NFL player, but because of who he is as a man.
