by Nadirah Foxx
“Lucky guess.” He shrugged and then greeted me with a kiss on my cheek. He pushed a mug into my hand. “It’s just tea. I figured wine would put you to sleep.”
I reached for the cup, letting the heat warm my hand. Notes of chamomile and jasmine hit my nose. “Oh, thank you, Leo. You’re such a good man.”
“Glad you noticed,” he said joyfully. “The pizza is in the oven. It’ll be hot in a few minutes.”
I paused as I was about to sip the tea and did a double-take. “Seriously?”
Leo chuckled. “Rachel, if I didn’t know better, I’d think no one has ever taken care of you. Outside of your parents, that is.”
Walking around the sofa, I took a seat at the table. “It’s just been a long time.”
“Well, it’s overdue.” He leaned down and kissed the top of my head. “I’ll get the food.”
∞∞∞
Leo and I devoured the thirteen-inch pie. The man also scarfed down some leftover tossed salad from my fridge. He made me a second cup of tea and even plated the chocolate cake I’d bought for the previous night’s dinner. I was still tired but didn’t feel as worn out as I did earlier. Leo was right. I just needed someone to pamper me for a while. A nice change.
We sat side by side on the sofa, sipping from our respective mugs—Leo made himself a cup of hot chocolate when he found whipped cream and mini marshmallows.
“Leo, thank—”
He held up his hand. “If you thank me again, I’m going to leave. Seriously, Rachel, picking up a meal and helping out a friend are small things. It’s what any decent guy would do.”
I nodded and finished drinking my tea. He was right. Again. Despite Crystal’s and Matt’s warnings, along with the crap I read at the library, Leo really was a great guy. He went out of his way to show me a little kindness. Granted, I wasn’t one-hundred-percent sure after we first met. Those encounters could only be classified as a little creepy. And I seriously had my doubts about the man after the pharmacist said someone might have drugged me. In all honesty, it was probably the combination of beer, wine, and whiskey that did me in. I wasn’t a lightweight drinker, but mixing the different alcohols was just wrong.
Leo drained his cup and placed it on the coffee table. “Are you feeling any better?”
“I am.” Setting my mug down, I touched Leo’s forearm. “Hey, I owe you an apology.”
His brow furrowed. “What for?”
My face heated. “I kind of blamed you for my illness.”
His eyes widened, but he remained silent.
“Please, don’t be mad.” I felt like a big idiot that should have kept her mouth shut. “I realize you weren’t responsible. It was undoubtedly from all the alcohol I had. It was a big mistake to drink beer, wine, and then whiskey.”
His shoulders drooped as he hung his head. Time ebbed and flowed, twisting my stomach into one huge knot. I’d accused him of wrongdoing just like Matt had. Not the best way to start a friendship—or even a relationship.
Finally, Leo muttered, “I’ll admit that hurts.”
My breath hitched in my chest. I wanted to curl up and just die. “I am sincerely sorry.”
Leo leaned forward, propped his elbows on his ripped jean-clad thighs, and glanced over at me. “Rachel, I’d never hurt you. I couldn’t hurt you.”
“Understood,” I mumbled. My eyes watered as I reached for his hand, but then I drew back. I didn’t feel worthy of the gesture. Instead, I sniffed back the pending tears and waited for him to make the first move.
“Do you?” Leo pressed his lips together and glanced around uneasily. He started to say something, cleared his voice, and tried again. “What am I to think? Don’t you trust me?”
Nothing I would say would fix the damage. I hurt him deeply. Hell, my confession didn’t make me feel so good either. What was that saying about keeping your mouth shut if you couldn’t say something nice? Yeah, a little late for that advice.
Suddenly, I needed to put some distance between me and this handsome, caring man. But when I stood to leave the room, Leo grabbed my wrist.
“Don’t leave, Rachel.” He tugged on my arm. “You don’t know me, so it’s only natural that you’d jump to a conclusion.”
I sat down, misjudged the distance, and practically landed in Leo’s lap.
“Please, get to know me better before you rush to judge me,” he pleaded.
“Okay.” I tried to slide over, but he snaked an arm around my waist and pulled me closer.
“Don’t go,” he said, facing me.
His direct gaze, full of desire, was unsettling. It had been at least a year since my last relationship. The longer Leo looked at me, the more I was drawn to him. There was an odd familiarity about the man, but I couldn’t figure out what it was. Staring into his eyes reminded me of someone. I just couldn’t remember who.
“Rachel, may I kiss you?”
I swallowed hard. “Yes.”
Leo reached out and traced my lower lip with his finger instead. “You are so beautiful.”
“I’m a mess.”
Moving closer, he cupped my head and leaned in. “You’re my mess.”
Leo’s lips brushed mine. His mouth was surprisingly tender, but his embrace was confident and strong. There was an easiness with Leo. A sense that we’d known each other before. But I’d had that feeling with Matt too. It obviously meant nothing.
I was panting heavily by the time he broke off the kiss. I thought he was done, but then his mouth was on my neck.
I moaned.
He gently pushed me back on the sofa, but he stopped and hovered over me. “Rachel, I want you. I think you want me too.”
Afraid to voice my desire, I simply nodded.
“Then let me love you. Properly. Not here in the living room.”
He didn’t have to say it twice. “Let me up.”
Leo stood. I pushed myself to my feet and reached for his hand. I glanced over my shoulder. “Do you have protection?”
Words escaped him, and his head bobbed.
“Good.”
∞∞∞
In the bedroom, Leo sat on the edge of the mattress and stared up at me. “Just let me look at you. You’re so stunning.”
“Nice to know that yoga pants are appealing.”
His lips curled up. “You could wear a sack and still be gorgeous.”
“You’re getting laid.” I reached for my waistband and started to push it over my hips. “You don’t have to—”
Leo grasped my hand. “No. Let me.”
He eased my pants down, rubbing my skin as they fell to the floor. He leaned in and placed a kiss on my naked thighs. Leo fingered my pink lace panties before tugging them off. Eager to get the rest of my clothes off, he jumped up and lifted the edge of my T-shirt. Before raising it higher, he placed kisses on my stomach and worked his way up, taking the garment with it. I stood nude before him—I’d already removed my bra when I changed clothes.
Leo growled his appreciation and then quickly unbuttoned his jeans, letting them pool at his feet.
Holy fuck! The man didn’t wear underwear. My eyes widened when I saw his lengthy erection. His dick was perfectly shaped as if someone had sculpted it. A memory flashed through my mind, but I pushed it aside. That guy walked away years ago never to be heard from again.
“You like?” he asked as he yanked off his own T-shirt.
“Mm-hmm,” I replied.
Leo stepped forward and cupped my face. “I should take my time. Appreciate you, but I don’t think I’ll be able to.”
I placed my hands over his. “We have all the time we need.”
He nodded and claimed my lips again.
10
Aftermath
Rachel
We barely knew each other, but there we were—me in Leo’s T-shirt and him in my bed. Still strangers in every way but one. And even after knowing each other in the biblical sense, I didn’t know who Leo was.
Sure, I knew some things—unimportan
t facts—and sensed he had a good heart. He looked out for me when I neglected to take care of myself. All good traits of course. It didn’t hurt that Leo was good in bed. Then again, I hadn’t had sex in so long, maybe I couldn’t judge good from bad. Still… I enjoyed it.
Was that moment what people meant by friends with benefits? It was an ubiquitous status I’d never enjoyed and wasn’t sure I wanted. Sex with Leo seemed natural—too natural for a couple of strangers. It was like we’d done that dance before in another lifetime. Surely, if Leo was someone from my past, I would know it. Wouldn’t I? Frankly, all this thinking on an empty stomach made me queasy. I tossed back the cover and swung my legs out of bed.
“Going somewhere?”
I jumped. Placing a hand over my heart, I said, “I thought you were asleep.”
He put his arms around my waist and tugged me back into bed. “Stay a bit longer.”
“I can’t. Remember that little thing I do called work?” I pushed his hands away and slid from up under the comforter.
Leo rolled to his side and propped his chin on his hand. “You realize it’s overrated?”
“What is?”
“Work.”
“But it pays the bills,” I pointed out. Pulling open the louvered closet doors, I perused my wardrobe. I wore the same basic attire daily—dark pants, a button-down blouse, and a pair of simple pumps. I saved the more stylish outfits for dates and girls’ nights out with Crystal. Over my shoulder, I said, “I need to get something to eat before leaving.”
The mattress creaked. Within seconds, Leo was behind me. “I could cook for you while you’re in the shower.”
His offer had me smiling. I grabbed an outfit and whirled around. “Sounds perfect. I won’t be long.”
∞∞∞
Leo wasn’t a bad cook. Okay, it was just bacon, eggs, and toast—but I’d known plenty of people who struggled with that simple fare. Once or twice, while we ate, I caught Leo staring intently into space. Each time I asked if something was wrong, he gave the same reply—contemplating life.
Honestly, who had that much contemplating to do?
It wasn’t the first time I’d noticed the peculiar behavior from Leo. On our date, he constantly seemed to be lost in thought. He did the same thing when I cooked for him and while we ate last night. Maybe he was just a deep thinker. Leo said he was a musician. Weren’t creative types a little quirky?
I was running late for work and didn’t have time to figure him out. I’d looked everywhere and couldn’t find my keys.
Stopping in the middle of the floor—my messenger bag slung over my shoulder—I asked, “Any chance you’ve seen my keys?”
Leo’s lips curled, and he went into the kitchen. A second later he returned with the key ring. “You must have dropped them last night. I found them on the floor.”
“Thanks.” Odd. I remembered leaving my keys on the coffee table in a wooden box—where I normally kept them.
When I walked to the door, Leo wrapped his arms around my waist, turned me around, and backed me into the wall. He lowered his head, brushing his lips over mine. Without hesitation, I opened my mouth to him, and his eager tongue slipped in. If I hadn’t missed two days of work that week, I would have given in to the man. But I had to pay the bills, and there was a project due that day. Reluctantly, I broke off the kiss.
Patting his chest, I said hopefully, “Later? Maybe we could go out tonight?”
Leo leaned his forehead on mine. “Maybe. I’m pretty much a homebody, though.”
Needless to say, that statement was a bummer. In high school, I frequented social gatherings nearly every weekend. And in college, I’d always been the life of the party. Staying home had never been my style.
“Rachel?”
“Yes, Leo.”
He stroked my cheek with the back of his finger before leaning away. “Do you believe in fate?”
An unusual question. Personally, I didn’t believe in kismet or karma. Such notions were the nonsense of fanciful romance novels—stories about couples who fell hopelessly in love and pledged themselves to one another throughout eternity.
“Not really. Everything always happens for a reason.” I shifted nervously in his arms. Honestly, I didn’t have time for twenty questions. Like I said, I was late for work.
“Well, I have enough faith for the both of us.” Leo kissed my temple. “We belong together.”
“Really?” I slipped underneath his arm and opened the door. “We barely know each other.”
“I know what I know,” he said in the most curious tone of voice. “Can’t you see us together? I could move in—”
Wrongs words. I slammed the door and faced him. “It’s a little soon for that. One night of sex—great sex—doesn’t make us a couple.”
Leo gave me a blank, non-blinking stare. A hint of temper—or maybe it was aggravation—flashed in his dark eyes. He scrubbed a hand over his beard, looked away, and said, “There was a time when women and men married having never known each other.”
Marriage? What the fuck?
I pushed my blonde hair off my forehead. “Have you checked the calendar? This isn’t the eighteen hundreds, Leo.”
The voice of reason spoke up. Told me not to anger this man. I should have listened. Instead, I continued, “Look, we had fun last night together. Why can’t you keep like that? Just two friends—”
“We’re beyond friends.” He gritted his teeth and bit out, “I’ve been inside you. Do all your friends fuck you?”
“That was uncalled for.” My voice wavered while my blood pressure spiked. I needed to end whatever this was. Opening the door wide, I stepped to one side. “You should leave.”
“But sweetheart—”
“Don’t!” I pointed to the door, not believing his audacity. “You don’t get to insult me and then try to sweet-talk me. I’m not that easy.”
Lie.
My easiness got me into this mess. I should have left Leo alone—declined his date and seemingly honest intentions. Stupid, stupid, stupid.
Leo bobbed his head. He eyed me for a long moment before blowing air through his cheeks. “Why?”
That was a dumb question. Did he want me to explain why I wasn’t that big of a slut?
Before I could question him, Leo said, “You know, this is why my last relationship ended. Suzanne didn’t appreciate me. I was kind, honest, caring… It wasn’t enough for her. She couldn’t see that we should be together.”
Part of me felt bad, but that voice of reason… She kept screaming, Let him go. I compromised instead. “Please leave, Leo. I’m late for work. We’ll talk later.”
He nodded again. “You just need some time. Tonight we can discuss it. Our living together will be—”
“Get out!” I yelled. The last thing I needed was a man who didn’t listen. Kindness didn’t excuse idiocy.
“I’ll be back later.”
“No. I think we need some time apart.” And then I said the words no man liked to hear. “I’ll call you.”
A strange expression crossed Leo’s handsome face. “Fine. I’ll go.” He walked out, but before I could close the door, he grasped the edge of it and forced it open. “You should reconsider your decision. I’d hate for you to regret it.”
My inner bitch had had enough. Leo just didn’t get it—probably couldn’t get it. I snapped. “The only thing I’m regretting is spending time with you.”
His jaw clenched briefly, and then he frowned. “I’ll see you around.”
∞∞∞
As soon as I kicked Leo out, I called my boss and explained that I’d work from home. My muscles quivered while my pulse raced. Driving in my condition could easily devolve into a road-rage incident. Nobody else deserved my anger.
Needless to say, my boss didn’t like me taking another day off. I promised to finish my contribution to the project and have it in her email by quitting time. She accepted my offer.
Instead of knuckling down to work, I called Crystal.
>
“Morning, girl.” Her cheerful voice was comforting. “What’s up?”
“Any chance we could meet up this morning?”
“What happened?”
“Just come over, please?”
∞∞∞
An hour later, I opened the door to my best friend. Crystal had a box from Donut Bar and a carrier with coffee in her hands. My savior!
She plunked the goodies on my dinette table. I wasted no time pulling out a raspberry-cream-cheese donut.
Crystal took her usual vanilla-bean-glazed treat and plopped down on a chair. “Before you slip into a sugar coma, tell me what happened.”
Sitting across from her, I took a bite and considered my words. No matter what I said, my friend would criticize me. It was her nature.
“I should have listened to you.”
“I would love to claim a victory, but something tells me this isn’t good.”
“It’s not.” I dropped the treat onto my napkin. “I sort of got involved with Leo.”
“Leo?” Crystal’s eyebrows knitted together. She pursed her lips and tilted her head to the side before her eyes widened. “That creep from the bar?”
“Yeah,” I muttered.
Crystal hit me with a stony expression. She pressed her lips together for a long moment. “And you’ve slept with him.”
It wasn’t a question.
“How did you know?”
She sighed and pushed her donut away. “Because you do this over and over again. You meet a man, jump into bed with him, and then regret your decision. No matter how many times I try to introduce you to great guys, you gravitate toward the stray dogs.” Crystal sipped her coffee and wrinkled her nose. “This needs more cream.”
“There’s half and half in the fridge.”
“I’ll fix it in a minute.” She paused and looked over at me. “Was the sex even good?”
Memories of screaming out Leo’s name at two in the morning hit me. A thin smile crept onto my face.
“Well, at least you had fun,” she said. “So, what did he do or say this morning?”
I took a sip of my black coffee. “Leo thinks we’re a couple.”