by Brux, Boone
My ears perked up. “Does she need you to keep an eye on her? Gianna seems pretty capable of caring for herself.”
“I’ve spent a long time living apart from my family. Gianna was out here in Coeur d’Alene alone. It was time for me to be closer to her.” He looked up from the metal bowls he was stacking, and winked. “Even if it meant plopping myself into the middle of an Idaho forest.”
I helped him by picking up all of the spoons, pastry bags, and spatulas. “You’re here to look out for Gianna.” I licked at a drop of batter that had fallen onto my finger from the spoon, and noticed Leo watching me. “So…you went into business with your sister, right?”
When he stopped moving, his eyes darkened. A few beats passed before Leo took a breath and spoke in a tight voice. “How did you know about that?”
I swallowed thickly. “Gianna told me. Bowen had therapy yesterday.”
Leo’s mouth turned downward. “Anna, has anybody ever told you that you are extremely nosy?”
Heat grew on my cheeks, spreading its way down my neck. “No. Well, yes. But I…” I trailed off, and immediately felt stupid.
Leo took a step closer to me, and the cold rim of the mixing bowl he was holding touched my arm. “But nothing. You’re snooping into my personal business, when you should be minding your own business.” He turned and stomped to the oversize sink, letting the bowls fall with a loud clatter.
My stomach clenched and my knees wobbled. It was such a strange conundrum to be attracted to someone who could tick me off and curl my toes in one sentence. I should have walked out of the kitchen and let him cool off in time for Bowen’s next lesson. I knew that. But…there was an inexplicable magnetic pull, which caused my feet stalk toward Leo at the sink, despite my brain’s warning of, Danger! Danger!
“Listen, you don’t have to be so defensive,” I said, placing the spoons in the sink, where he stood with his hands on the edge of the basin, looking down into the soapy water in silence. “Leo, your sister explained everything. What happened to you…” I hesitated before reaching out and touching his arm, just below the rolled-up cuff that exposed the bottom of what looked like blue and orange flames. “It wasn’t your fault.”
He turned and looked at me, his eyes earnest. I was surprised when he didn’t shake my hand off his arm. “I should have been smarter. When my pop told me that it was suspect that my business partner was keeping our funds in his personal account, I blew him off. I told him that Kevin would never screw me over. I promised my parents that everyone’s money was safe.”
He turned so that our bodies were facing each other. The electricity between the two of us rattled my insides, making it almost impossible to hold still. It was clear how much Leo’s guilt weighed on him. Instead of jutting his chin out and widening his stance like he usually did when his indignation kicked in, his broad shoulders hung low, and his wet, soapy hands hung limply at his sides. “My folks won’t let me pay them back—they refuse. But I’ll pay Gianna back. Every cent.”
My voice was shaky, but I pressed on. This was a family drama I had an undeniable need to get to the bottom of. “But you insist on paying her back. Why is that?”
Leo’s eyes liquefied, and my heart squeezed as we stared at each other. Never in my life had I felt such an urge to wrap my arms around and comfort someone other than Bowen as I did right then. As much as I wanted to, I didn’t pull him to my chest and cradle him.
“Gianna didn’t tell you about when we were kids, did she?” His voice was much softer than it had been just a moment before.
I shook my head. “No.”
“When we were kids, I got sick. Started getting fevers, and was sick for an entire summer break. That was when we found out it was leukemia.”
My eyes widened. “Oh my gosh.”
Leo nodded somberly. “She was seven, and I was ten. After testing all of my older siblings, they found out that Gianna’s bone marrow was a perfect match to mine. We both had to miss the whole first month of school that year, because of the transplant. Gianna was so sick it took her forever to recover, and for years afterward, her immune system was crap. All of a sudden, our roles were reversed. She was the sick one, and I was the healthy one.”
He brought his hand up to mine, enclosing it, and making my heart skitter.
“So you feel guilty.” My voice was hoarse, and my mouth was dry with Leo this close.
“My kid sister has done so much for me. I owe her my life.” He pressed his lips together tensely. “I wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for Gianna. When Kevin took all of the money she’d saved up to buy herself a house, I knew that I’d spend the rest of my life trying to make it up to her. And I’ll do it, too. I’ll stay here in the middle of Idaho as long as it takes to earn every cent back. It’s the least I can do.”
My eyes welled up unexpectedly. “That’s the sweetest thing I’ve ever heard.”
Leo shook his head, and a lock of his nearly black hair fell across his forehead. “You’d do the same thing for one of your siblings.”
It was my turn to shake my head. “I’m an only child.” When Leo looked up at me with his glossy brown eyes, my stomach whirled, and I continued. “I always wanted a brother or a sister so badly, I would ask for a baby for Christmas. When I had Bowen, I never expected that he would wind up being an only child. I always planned on having more kids. I wanted Bowen to have the connection that you have with Gianna.”
“He will.” His eyes wrinkled in the corners when he smiled mildly. “He will someday, Anna.”
Something between us shifted, and suddenly the air in the room was thick. The sounds coming from the dining room where Gretchen the restaurant manager was calling orders to her wait staff as they set up the tables for dinner service faded away, and all I could hear was my own lungs expanding and contracting.
His hand moved down my arm so slowly, I almost didn’t realize it was happening until our fingers were laced together. Leo’s other hand came up to my hair and tucked it behind my ear. Then he placed it on the side of my face. His palm on my skin felt incredible, and every nerve ending in my entire body started to hum. It’d been so long since I’d been touched by a man, let alone a man was so indescribably connected to, and my body came alive in a way I’d never experienced before. I buzzed like a live wire strewn across the tile floor.
When he moved closer to me, the front of his starched white chef’s coat brushed against the waist of my jeans, creating a fire deep in my belly. Was Leo going to kiss me? Time slowed down and it felt like I was standing across the room, observing as our faces glided closer and closer together. When he gently tugged my face forward, and his head tilted to the side a fraction, fireworks went off in my mind, creating a deafening buzz in my ears, and causing my eyelids to close.
Leo stroked his thumb methodically across my bottom lip before he pressed his mouth to mine, and my knees melted into buttercream. The moment my body leaned into his with a soft thud, he moved his hand to cup the small of my back, scalding my skin through the cotton of my shirt. His lips parted mine, warmth spreading from him to me when he deepened the kiss, and I gripped the sides of his chef coat to keep him close. This moment was so amazing, I didn’t want it to end. Leo’s mouth felt like the warmest, softest silk against mine, and when his tongue tickled the inside of my upper lip, a contented sigh escaped my lungs.
The sound of a hand banging against the stainless steel door as it swung open jolted us apart. I opened my eyes carefully, blinking once or twice to clear the fog that clouded them. Leo’s hand dropped from my face and back, but his lips remained parted, a look of bewilderment plastered all over his chiseled face. It looked like he wanted to say something, and I was waiting on his words like a junkie waiting for a fix. Did he approve? Disapprove? Had he wanted to kiss me, or was he on some sort of sugar high that caused him to act irrationally? Did he feel as turned on as was, or was I the only one who was on the verge of burning their clothing right off of their body?
The silence
was deafening, and driving me crazy. Suddenly I had a deep need to fill the space with words…any words. “Leo, I…”
“M-mom?” Bowen’s little voice croaked as he stepped into the kitchen. “My stomach hurts.”
I stepped away from Leo. “Bo? Honey? What’s wrong?” The lingering sexual tension made my legs wobble as I crossed around the metal table between us, and pressed my hand to his forehead.
The desire in the air rushed from the room and out the window the moment Bowen bent over and vomited down the leg of my jeans.
Chapter Eight
I examined the thermometer and smiled to myself, relieved. Bowen’s fever broke, and he was finally resting comfortably after three hours of flu-induced vomiting. I’d spent the afternoon and evening washing my soiled clothes, disinfecting every surface in my house that Bowen had either touched or puked on, and…reliving the kiss. Again and again and again.
There was something about the way Leo’s mouth felt on mine. Like slipping your hand into a custom-sewn glove. A perfect fit. Every wrinkle, every curve. It felt like we’d been carved from the wood of the same tree, and only just now clicked back together like puzzle pieces.
After pressing my lips to his sweaty forehead, I picked up Bowen’s shoes and moved them to the bench that rested next to the front door. My stomach grumbled, and I rubbed it absently. I hadn’t eaten since my lunch break, and it was pushing eight o’clock now. My focus had been on confining Bowen’s puke to the bowl I’d placed next to him on the bed, and keeping his fever down. Now I was ravenous.
Opening the cupboards in my meager kitchen, I groaned. I’d been planning on doing the grocery shopping with Bowen after his cooking lesson. Now I was left with a can of apricot halves, three packets of Top Ramen, and an oversize container of horseradish sauce. Not exactly appealing.
There was a soft rap on my front door, just as I opened the can of apricot halves, and I walked to the door as I stuffed one into my mouth. “Whoever it is better be bearing a cheeseburger,” I muttered.
As soon as I opened the door, I clamped my mouth shut, and wiped at the juice dripping off my chin. There stood Leo, in all of his leather jacket and worn jeans glory, the wind whipping orange and gold leaves around his feet as he stood on my doorstep with an armload of takeout cartons.
“Hey.” That was all he said in his deep, chocolate syrupy voice, his eyes rolling from my battered thermal shirt down to my old yoga pants that hadn’t been used for yoga since…well, ever.
My stomach turned itself into a knot that would leave a Boy Scout baffled. “Hi…I…uh…you came to my house?” The second the words came out of my mouth, I felt stupid.
His lips pursed as he looked at me. “I can leave, if you’d like.”
“Of course not.” Stepping aside, I gestured for Leo to enter. “I just, I’m…let me go change.”
“No, don’t.” He smiled down at my polka-dot socks. “You look cute.”
I crossed my arms self-consciously. “How did you know where I live?”
His grin was every bit as tasty as the treats he baked with Bowen. “I Googled you. Did you know that your home address and number are published?”
“Yikes. No.” I followed Leo as he crossed through my living room, and entered my tiny kitchen. My cheeks warmed as he looked around, appraising the chipped white cupboard doors and blue snow goose wallpaper. “The previous owner was an old widow. I think she was about a hundred and two.”
Leo looked over his shoulder at me and I almost tipped over. He was practically sweating sexuality. “That so? You hungry?”
I covered my gurgling stomach. “Yes. Very. I was focused on Bo all evening.”
“Well, good thing I ducked out of work early. Because I brought you…” He started opening cartons. “Rainbow trout with fresh corn salsa. Tomato, basil, and fresh mozzarella salad. Green beans almandine. And fresh baked bread with elephant garlic and olive oil for dipping.”
I headed for the countertop. “Holy cow. Leo, you didn’t have to do this. This is amazing. How did you manage to get off work so early?”
He didn’t look up from the plate he was arranging the food on. “I thought you’d probably need dinner, so I ducked out early.”
“You know,” I told him, snitching a butter-slicked green bean off the plate. “When I first met you, I misjudged you. I had you all wrong.”
“What do you mean?” Leo glanced at me, making the side of my face heat up.
I lifted myself up onto the countertop next to where he was working, my stocking feet dangling. “I thought you were a womanizer.” When he frowned down at the plate, I added, “You know…a playa.”
Leo snorted. “Did you just say, a playa?”
Laughing, I reached to sneak another bean. “Yes. Yes, I did. But like I said, I was totally wrong about you. You’re not half-bad.”
He grasped my hand when it hovered above the food, then turned it so that it was palm up, before bending down to press a kiss to it. I froze in place, dazzled by the way his lips on my hand could cause every nerve ending in my entire body to sing.
“Stop sneaking bites. Patience is a virtue,” he told me with a smirk, placing my hand in my lap carefully.
So is chastity, I thought, as my insides vibrated. Though it’s completely overrated.
“Leo?” My voice was hoarse, and I cleared my throat. “Why did you come here tonight?”
He took the plate, which looked like a page out of Bon Appetite magazine, and placed it in the microwave. Once the archaic appliance groaned to life, Leo approached me, nestling himself between my knees, and brushing his nose against mine tenderly. “I couldn’t stop thinking about you and Bowen,” he whispered, his breath dancing across my face.
My heart tugged. I knew it shouldn’t have, and I knew it was premature, but it did. He’d not only been thinking about me all evening…but he’d been thinking about my son, too. Was this really happening? I brought my mouth to his. When our lips brushed together, it felt ethereal. “I’m glad you came.”
I watched Leo’s dark eyes close slowly, relishing in the fact that he, too, was savoring the moment. My body ached to have him so close, and I tried to keep myself from linking my feet behind his back and asking him to take me to the floor. When I raised my hand to run it through his slicked-back hair, I realized that it was shaking, and smiled. It’d been so long since I’d felt anxious in the presence of a man.
My fingers brushed along his skin from his forehead to the back of his neck, causing Leo released a sigh that morphed into a growl that made every hair on my neck stand up. Before I could process what was happening, he’d leaned me against the upper cupboards, and pressed his lips to mine. His tongue was warm when it teased my mouth open, and my pulse began to thud so violently in my chest that my ribcage was jolting.
I wanted him. Oh dear Lord, I wanted him with everything inside of me. It’d been entirely too long…
Ding.
Leo stepped away to retrieve the plate, and I slipped out of the kitchen to check on Bowen. As soon as I was around the corner, my back hit the hallway wall, and I stopped to catch my breath. Why did it feel like I was going to shoot into space whenever he kissed me? It felt like I was chock full of rocket fuel and ready to orbit the moon. Pressing my hand to my heart, I realized that it was positively leaping out of my chest. Could Leo hear it beating in the kitchen?
The sound of shifting covers, and the creak of my old headboard brought me back to reality. I pushed myself off of the wall and walked unsteadily to my bedroom, where Bowen was rolling over in bed, mumbling in his sleep. Touching his head, I breathed a sigh of relief. He was back to a normal temperature, and sleeping soundly. I adjusted the quilt around his small body, and left the room to find Leo setting up our plates on the coffee table with a lit candle in the shape of a cocker spaniel between them.
When I smiled, he shrugged and said, “It was all I could find.”
“Bowen gave it to me for Christmas last year.” I sat down on the couch, and t
ucked my feet underneath me. “He picked it out himself at the dollar store.”
Leo nodded knowingly. “I thought so. Here, try this. I asked the savory chef to make the corn salsa especially for you. You mentioned once that you liked basil.”
I bit down on my lip. Holy hell, he’d been listening to me. I took the bite he was holding out, and chewed it slowly. The flavors were exquisite. “That’s wonderful, thank you.”
When he grinned, I caught a glimpse of the smile he’d shared with Gianna. “I thought you’d enjoy it. It’s locally caught trout.”
“I’ve never eaten at the Resort before.” I took another bite, and closed my eyes with bliss.
Leo speared a green bean. “Why not?”
I wiped my mouth on a napkin. “I’m on a single mom salary. Bo and I eat at home most every night.”
Leo watched me thoughtfully. “Food can be such an amazing hobby. I’ve found some really cool restaurants here in town. Wanna try out some places I’ve discovered?”
I nodded, covering my mouth.
Leo touched my knee, sending a shiver up my leg. “I mean, would you and Bowen like to try some of these restaurants?”
“We’d love to.” I reached out and brushed a crumb off his cheek. “I mean, Bo typically only eats a handful of foods, but you have gotten him to try new things. It might take some time…”
He held out a bite of bread soaked in olive oil, and winked at me when I bit into it. “Anna, I’ve got all the time in the world.”
We ate the meal slowly while the cocker spaniel candle flickered, talking about everything from our grade-point average in high school, to the woes of failed relationships. Leo confessed that he hadn’t dated since his business partner took off with his girlfriend, and that he’d been devastated by the betrayal on both parts. By the time two hours had passed, our empty plates were still resting on the coffee table. Leo and I were cuddled up on the couch with our legs twisted together, and his fingers tracing circles on my side.
As we lay there, I wondered where this was heading. Was Leo interested in dating me? Would we become an item after tonight? I looked at the bluebird tattoo on his neck and laughed softly. I was getting ahead of myself. Way ahead. After all these years of working and caring for Bowen, maybe it wasn’t so bad for me to focus on having a little bit of fun for once. After all, a romp in the hay, or on the couch, was an appetizing thought…