One to Win

by Michelle Monkou

  “Want to go for a walk?” Fiona had quietly approached to stand by his side.

  “In the dark?” Leo waved the surrender flag to his manufactured neutrality. Beyond the immediate perimeter of the house, the property blended into the darkness. Privacy felt more like isolation after sundown.

  Being alone with Fiona...he remembered those times with vivid recollection. His heart pounded a tad harder, a tad faster.

  “There’s a small garden that leads to a glass gazebo. It’s nice to sit in there and watch the fireflies.” She coaxed him with a tender smile. “I used to do that as a kid. Sit in there when I was supposed to be sleeping. I guess that sounds a bit childish.” Her head bowed, the embarrassed smile swaying his decision.

  “No, not childish at all. I’d like that. Great way to wind down after dinner.” The time he’d spent with Fiona today had set them on a good path. And he wanted that to continue after the tension-laden dinner.

  They headed out one of the back doors that led right to the patio. Their feet crunched along the tiny stones that paved the path around the sculpted gardens. Microlights that lit the footpath turned on upon their approach. The suffused lights gave an ethereal glow to the surrounding plants and blossoming flowers.

  “Sorry about Dana. She’s not usually like that and I’m not usually yelling at her. I felt like we were back to being teenagers again. Everyone is acting wonky, if you ask me.”

  He shrugged. “I think we came to an understanding.”

  “I don’t know what you said, but she did seem to correct her attitude.” Fiona playfully jabbed him with her elbow. “Call it a vibe, but we know that whatever it is doesn’t sit well between my grandparents. Feels like a heavy cloud holding steady over our heads ready to burst at any moment. That feeling is rare. And if it’s business-related about Meadows, then Grace is meddling and has shut out Dana. All of this secrecy is not good, because it’s causing friction.”

  Leo listened to her concerns with complete understanding. If she only knew that it wasn’t about the work, except that someone would be added to the will. Despite all the rumors about Grace’s tight hold on the reins of the family, there had never been any talk about financial issues. No bad apples who spent money outrageously or needed to be bailed out for acts of stupidity. However, the big reveal of an additional grandchild was one thing. Sharing the family wealth with this person might be another.

  All the potential drama didn’t matter, because he couldn’t offer any clues. “Have you ever been able to make your grandmother do something that she didn’t want to do?”

  “Are you kidding? No way.”

  “Then maybe everyone needs to relax and give her some space.” Leo wanted to change the subject.

  “Aren’t you the advocate?” she ribbed. “Grace would be proud.”

  “Don’t make me have to say it—can’t we all get along?”

  She lightheartedly bumped his shoulder. “No matter how much we bicker, I do love my family. Every quirky character belongs.”

  Her touch on his skin zapped him like an unexpected buzz of static shock. After going out of his way to avoid teasing his senses with her closeness, his efforts had been for nothing. The playful contact only had him yearning for more.

  “I know you do.” He raised his hand to place it around her shoulders but restrained himself and dropped his hand to his side. “I wished that I’d been able to meet them...back in the day.”

  She looked down and he couldn’t read her. A soft sigh escaped. “I wasn’t ready.”

  The simple confession tapped at the wall he’d put up and tried to defend against her invasion. He didn’t mind easing into a friendship, but he was determined to keep the wall intact. Guarding his heart mattered. Maintaining the emotional distance would help him and her, for when the truth was revealed about his assignment.

  He hoped that she remembered how much she loved her family.

  He hoped that she’d believe in him and trust his judgement.

  * * *

  “We’re here.” Fiona pulled open the door of the gazebo.

  Just like the footpath lights that lit up when motion was detected, the ones in the gazebo turned on. The door closed, shutting out the sounds of nature. Lights in the glass house weren’t bright but instead produced a soft, muted ambiance that lent the notion of a romantic mood. A suite of chairs and a center table furnished the space. The rest of the walls of the gazebo had a bench lining the semicircle shape of the building.

  Fiona walked around the circular structure. “I can see your place from here.”

  He stood next to her. Regardless of whether they were in the bright light of the day, like earlier, or in the subdued light of this building now, his close presence always had her taking deep breaths to regulate the jumpy spikes to her pulse. Hot coals would have to be placed in the inner linings of her clothes to match the intensity of her feelings and sweet craving for him. She wanted to take a small side step and allow her arm to lightly press against his.

  “It’s a really neat and small house for visiting guests.”

  “When I was younger, I thought that I’d live there.”

  “Why would you want to when you’ve got all of this?” He pointed toward the main house.

  “It’s huge. I like my privacy.”

  “It’s beautiful.” His compliment felt personal.

  “It’s big,” she countered.

  “It has class and elegance.”

  “It’s a statement,” Fiona volleyed back.

  “It’s a legacy.”

  Fiona had no comeback. Since her birth, the Meadows name and legacy had been the magical password for her life and privilege. Striking out on her own to be independent wasn’t a total disengagement when she spent vacations in the Hamptons. The two sides to her life battled with her conscience, as if she had something to apologize for while also being thankful for what her grandmother had accomplished.

  When she’d met Leo, she’d done her best to push all the trappings out of the picture. She knew he was a hungry lawyer and she didn’t want her family connections to be the attraction instead of her. But Leo had never been that sort. Now she recognized that. Back then, she hadn’t necessarily given him the benefit of the doubt.

  She turned to study his profile. Bold and contoured, his razor-sharp jawline defined the shape of his face. She remembered those intimate moments, after rousing sex, when she’d trace the lines and angles of his face with her eyes closed. Her fingers moved as if she played a piano at her side. She sucked in her bottom lip.

  Brown skin against winter-white sheets.

  His chest was wide and chiseled. The perfect pillow for her to lay her head on.

  Her nipples tightened. They were usually pressed against his side as she cuddled in bed under his arm draped down her body. Somehow his hand always rested on the curve of her behind. She was his. He was hers.

  “What I prefer is over there.” She gestured toward the guesthouse, when she’d rather have pointed her finger at him.

  “That simple house?” He looked in its direction.

  “Simple is sexy.”

  “That’s the first that I’ve heard a house called sexy.”

  “Maybe I’m not talking about the house.” Fiona inhaled the waft of his cologne. She closed her eyes to intensify the sensation. The way he said sexy—that was sexy.

  “Are you flirting with me?” His eyes were hooded. His voice dropped deep into his chest.

  “See, I’ve always liked that you’re so smart. I find that...refreshing.”

  “Flirting won’t get me to tell you anything.”

  Fiona shook her head. “Two separate issues. One’s business. The other’s pleasure.”

  “Not sure I can keep each one in its own box.” His head turned away, leaving her with only his profile.<
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  “Shouldn’t be difficult. You’re not the enemy for either cause.”

  Leo didn’t answer.

  “Am I stepping into someone else’s territory?”

  He shook his head.

  “Then let’s go with the flow.”

  “That’s how we got started. Going with your flow.” His accusation attached itself squarely on Fiona’s shoulders.

  “Then let’s go with your flow, your pace, your parameters,” she responded with quiet determination.

  That drew his attention, more like a flat stare that almost had her squirmy under his scrutiny.

  He said, “You so easily trust me? What about my revenge? What if I took your heart and shredded it without losing sleep?”

  “That’s not who you are.” Fiona knew she’d hurt him. But she’d convinced herself that he wanted his career more than her. “You didn’t live in the Meadows family unit. So you haven’t witnessed the critical moment when we must decide if it will be Meadows Media or our personal career aspirations. From my cousins’ and my experience, I get how tough it can be to be sidelined from what you want to do. Guilt and a feeling of obligation can wreck the desire to stay the course. Even the idea of being true to your heart and remaining somewhat independent can cause some restless nights. And I didn’t want that for you.”

  “You decided for me,” Leo accused with soft resignation.

  Fiona rushed with her explanation. “I learned early in my career how to spot potential liabilities and make the hard decisions.”

  “When you could have just taken the effort to really get to know me.”

  “Then give me a chance.” She tucked in the ragged edges of her pride and shame. “Please give me a second chance.”

  “One day at a time.”

  “Can’t ask for anything more,” Fiona said, knowing that her heart wanted more.

  He offered his hand. “Friends.”

  “To lovers.” She shook his hand, afraid that he would withdraw and tuck it behind his back.

  “You’re quite persuasive.”

  “We don’t have too many days here. Figured that if you wouldn’t persuade me, then it’s up to me.”

  “Yeah? Go ahead. Persuade.”

  Fiona didn’t waste another second. She slipped her hands around Leo’s neck and stood on tiptoe to reach his mouth.

  One kiss. One mouth pressed against the other. That was all it was.

  Except, when she kissed Leo, she wanted more. She desired him.

  Breathe.

  Once more she reacquainted her lips with his beautiful wide mouth, tracing its bold curves. Celebrating its masculine lines.

  As if touched by magic, time stood still. Meanwhile, every nerve in her body sparked to life, their vibrations humming in tune with his powerful sexual vibes.

  His arms encircled her waist, pulling her against his hardness. She gasped and sucked in air through her clenched teeth. His hands rested on the top of her behind, keeping his hips pressed against hers.

  No doubt he was aroused—thick and rigid.

  No doubt she was wet.

  Their breathing intermingled. Their bodies were clasped in each other’s arms. Fiona went with the urge. “I want you.” She shook her head. “I want you so bad that I can’t think.”

  He closed his eyes. His chest rose and fell as if he’d run up the staircase at full speed. “Now? Or somewhere more private?”

  Fiona didn’t want him to toy with her. “Both.” This wasn’t the time for his neutrality.

  He kissed her hard. Waves of lust slammed her. Her knees trembled with her surrender. Moving her hands from around his body, he pinned them behind her back with one hand. Her breath hitched and grew erratic as his other hand traced the fullness of her breasts. His mouth didn’t let up. After a bruising kiss to her chin, it followed its scorched path down through the valley of her breasts.

  She arched up, moaning her submission. Having his hands all over her body was definitely in the forecast. Her clothes were a hindrance. Under the night sky, she’d gladly rip off everything. Or she’d have him take his time undressing her. Either way was a win.

  An outside light near the door of the house turned on, breaking the moment. They didn’t dare move in case the lights in the gazebo turned back on.

  Instead Fiona gently raised her head, lifting him away from her breasts. “Were we saved by an interrupter?” She laughed, but it came out as a rueful whimper. “You offered friendship and I took it and ran to the finish line. Maybe I should head back inside.” She hated to be reasonable, but couldn’t help the automatic pump on the brakes. A cautious approach was an ingrained habit.

  “You didn’t do anything that I didn’t want to happen.”

  “Still, we should head to our respective corners. Tomorrow is another day.”

  “Sounds like a plan.” He was breathing hard.

  “I don’t want Grace to know what may be going on.” Well, actually, she didn’t want anyone to know. If there would be a second chance, she didn’t want the scrutiny if anything went wrong.

  “She already does.”

  “What?” Fiona groaned at what this would mean for Leo.

  “She put it out there that she suspected we had something going on.”

  Fiona dropped her head in her hands. With the shift away from the dangerously sexy mood, she didn’t mind triggering the automatic lights. “And what did you say?”

  “I didn’t say anything. I was surprised and kind of happy that she didn’t mind.”

  “That was a test.” Fiona sighed.

  “A test?”

  “To see if you would have your head in the game. If you could be relied upon to stay focused. Maybe to see if I would be a distraction. Or if you would hold your tongue.” Fiona could never really know what her grandmother thought about her relationships. But given how closely Leo was working with Grace, Fiona didn’t trust her grandmother’s magnanimous gesture.

  Leo didn’t look happy with the revelation. “I hate games.”

  “Not my thing, either. We can stop this, right now.”

  Leo tilted up her chin. Those soft brown eyes kept direct contact with hers. He didn’t blink. No smirk. No words, either. But he hadn’t answered. Doubt crept in, slithering up her spine to take hold of her courage. If she didn’t fight it off, shoving it back to the black hole, she would lose focus on who was important and what she wanted.

  He kissed her, a tender brush across the lips. His tongue orchestrated her surrender, taking her higher and higher into a conscious plane of erotic yearning. Her moistened sex ached to be satisfied only by him. “That’s my answer.” His thumb pressed gently against her mouth.

  She kissed the pad of his thumb without taking her eyes off him. Their gazes locked, she parted her lips and sucked in the digit. Her tongue stroked him, curling around and cupping his thumb.

  The few inches of space that had drifted between them closed in a snap.

  His thumb slipped out of her mouth and his tongue plunged in to fill the space. She yielded to him. Pleasure flowed through her like the effects of a drug, heightening her senses. Taste. Touch. Her mouth was tuned for his devotion.

  Her eyes were closed; she preferred to let the emotions paint an erotic picture for her imagination. As he ravaged her, kissing her neck, sucking on her lobe, she inhaled his scent like an elixir that kept her floating, spinning, tumbling through every stage of her reawakened sexual hunger. When she greedily clung to him, he eased away until he hovered over her mouth. Their breaths, inhaled and exhaled, between them. She wanted to cry out for him to continue.

  “Is that answer enough for you?”

  She nodded. Every part of her trembled, shaky as she descended from the peak of ecstasy to rejoin the mortals.

  Chapter 5


  As soon as the sun dispatched its first rays above the horizon, Leo stepped outside the house suited up for a jog. After slipping in his earbuds, he selected his mixed-genre playlist. The lyrics and music set the pace for the entire range of his workout. He started off slowly to wake up his muscles. Each footfall energized him, waking up his stamina for the five-mile run.

  The difference between his morning jog at home versus here in Water Mill was he usually had a full night of sleep. Being rested counted when the muscles burned from fatigue. So far this morning, he was operating on four hours of restless sleep. Maybe if he could push himself to the limit, then by the end of the day, he wouldn’t have to second-guess Grace’s intentions. Maybe then he could sprawl out in the king-size canopy bed and sink into dreamless sleep.

  And he also wouldn’t think about Fiona. The mere thought of her had his senses on overdrive. Her invasion past his defenses happened so fast that his emotions hadn’t stopped their spiral spin. Wanting her was never in question. But, after they parted ways, he knew then, and knew now, that he needed her.

  But what he didn’t need was for his mind to meander through the archives of his childhood memories. Talking about his youth with Fiona had been a first. He’d rationalized that he shouldn’t reveal anything of his past because it wasn’t necessary to what he’d become. The boy from the poor village was not the man he’d transformed into, the lawyer he was now. Keeping those lives separate was a survival tactic. Otherwise, the anger and loss, the failure and hopelessness, would be lifelong companions.

  Why should he have survived? He’d searched for the answer, some reason for being ripped away from his mother’s arms and carried along with the mud and debris to be dumped into a shallow cave carved into the mountainside. His brothers, who were stronger than him, were gone. And his little sister...he couldn’t ever forget. Leo turned up his pace, pumping his arms hard.