by Addison Jane
I poked my head out the end to find Leo standing just outside smirking. At first, I thought he must have been standing on something because his face was almost level with mine and we were in a tunnel well above the ground. But he wasn’t. He was really just that tall.
I grinned, my face only inches from his. “No boys allowed. Sorry.” Then I dived back in the tunnel, the sound of his deep laughter coming from behind me. It was low, like a rumble. Maybe like the sound you heard as an avalanche came hurtling down the hill toward you, and you only had seconds to react before it encompassed you.
That was what it reminded me of.
It was smooth, but deadly, and sent tingles through my body.
Macy giggled, the sound resounding off the plastic wall around us. “That’s not a boy. That my daddy!”
I gasped like this news shocked me. “It is? Are daddy’s allowed in?”
She seemed to consider that for a second. “I don’t fink he fit.”
“You’re right, he’s quite tall, isn’t he.”
Both she and Jayla’s little heads bobbed in agreement.
I poked my head back out the tunnel. “Apparently daddies are allowed, but we’ve come to the conclusion that you’re too big,” I told him with a cheeky smile.
His smirk only grew. “True in more ways than one.” My body flushed, feeling the insinuation in his comment. “Guess I’ll need to change tactics.”
I frowned as he disappeared underneath the wooden playground. I looked around for him, not sure where he’d gone. When I heard Macy’s delighted squeal, I ducked back inside to see her laughing as two strong hands pulled her from the other side of the tunnel.
Her laughter was loud and high pitched. “Hadwee! Save me!”
Jayla stared at me in shock. I wasn’t sure if she thought something was actually wrong or if she just didn’t know what was going on.
“Come on Jayla! Operation… rescue Macy!” I pumped my fist in the air, and she grinned. We both scurried out of the tunnel. I jumped off the wooden platform onto the soft bark below, turning around then lifting Jayla down too. “Over there!” I hollered, pointing to where Leo was standing behind the slide with a squirming Macy over his shoulder.
Leo grinned and ducked under the playground, backing away from our advances.
“Blizzard, bro, I’m under attack!” he yelled as he maneuvered strategically through the wooden poles.
“Hadwee!” Macy called again through a fit of laughter.
I pulled Jayla with me as we ducked and dived, trying to cut off his escape. But suddenly her hand slipped from mine. I turned just in time to see Blizzard carrying her in his arms, running back toward the clubhouse, laughing maniacally. Jayla giggled as she wrestled against his hold and soon he was gone.
“Dang it! I’m a man down,” I huffed.
“I’d give up now if I were you,” Camo called from the decked area just off the patio as he watched us in amusement. “Leo is military trained. You won’t get near him.”
I frowned. I needed a new strategy.
“Release the prisoner!” I yelled, pointing at him.
“Not a fucking chance.” He laughed.
I needed to bring him to me, so I began to climb back up the wooden playground. Leo smiled as he watched me, but I could tell he was curious about what I was up to.
Instead of sliding inside the tunnel, I climbed over the wooden rails and stood on top of it. His smile began to shrink. The tunnel itself was six feet or so off the ground. So standing on it made me almost feel a little sick.
“You’re gonna hurt yourself if you fall off there,” he warned.
“I’m not gonna fall.” I grinned down at him. “I’m gonna jump.”
“Hadley…”
“Three seconds macho man. Release her or I jump.” I knew how to take a fall—bend your knees and roll with the momentum. If Simon had done anything right, it was to teach me how to fight, shoot and get myself out of any kind of situation I might find myself in.
“One…”
“Hadley…” he warned again, this time a little sterner. I could see he was concerned about how this would play out.
“Two…”
He brought Macy around to the front of his body as he came closer. He wasn’t sure if I was bluffing.
I wasn’t.
“Three.”
It all happened in less than a few seconds. He dropped Macy to her feet just as I pushed off the surface and launched myself into the air. I was prepared for the impact of the ground, but what I wasn’t prepared for was him to step in and catch my body mid-flight.
His arms went around me, and I let out an ‘oomph’ as I connected with him. He stumbled back a few feet but managed to stay standing. Leo was as solid as they come. His body was hard like stone.
My arms went around his neck and I pulled my legs up, wrapping them around his waist. The mini skirt I was wearing, riding right up to my hips.
“Fucking Christ, woman.”
“Macy… run!” I yelled. The girl stared at me for a second in awe of what had just happened before a huge smile grew and she turned and pumped her little legs, carrying her toward the clubhouse.
When I saw her finally slip inside, I pulled my head back and smirked. My face was only inches from Leo’s. His features formed a soft scowl as our eyes connected. “We won,” I whispered.
One of his hands moved from around my waist and ran down my back. It ran over the curve of my ass until he had his hand firmly gripping one cheek. He squeezed and my hips unconsciously pressed forward, I could feel his belt buckle rub against my panties causing a strange but erotic sensation.
“Self-sacrifice is not always the best strategy,” he murmured.
Suddenly, I wasn’t so cocky. He walked forward, pressing my spine against one of the wooden poles that held the playground up. His torso pressed against my body, holding me in place. I ground my hips against him again, part of me aching to get more comfortable, the other part dying to feel that sensation of his buckle against my clit again. He growled, low and deep in his throat. The sound only adding to the pleasure.
“Would have done it a lot sooner if I’d known this would be the result,” I whispered breathlessly.
His mouth closed in on mine, his warm breath fanning against my lips. With one hand firmly under my ass holding me up, and my back pressed hard against the wood, his free hand moved up my side, his fingers slipping under my shirt and brushing against my bare skin. My mouth dropped open as he made his way up, leaving a trail of goosebumps in his wake.
When he reached my bra, his large hand wiggled underneath the wire cup and covered my breast in its entirety. I gasped, and my head dropped back as my nipple slid between the length of his fingers before he closed them tightly around it, tweaking the hardened bud.
“Leo,” I whispered, my mouth suddenly running dry. But I knew where all the moisture had gone, it was soaking my panties.
The bristles of his short beard tickled against my neck as he dipped his head and began a trail of kisses across the sensitive skin. “You won, huh?”
“Mmm…” was the only answer I could come up with.
“Guess you want a prize now, huh?” I don’t know if it was the sound of his voice or the promise of something more, but he had me practically begging for it.
“Yes. Please.”
I was panting in need by this stage.
I wanted him so badly.
I needed him.
Everything about this man screamed sex and dominance, but over the top of that he had a huge fucking heart. You could see it in the way he treated his daughter and the way he spoke to his brothers, his family. Some small part of me wanted him to feel that way for me too.
It was strange, a feeling I hadn’t gotten from his brothers despite our sexual escapades. It stirred inside me. Waking a set of feelings, I thought I’d crushed a long time ago.
“You want me to fuck you, Hadley?”
I wanted more than that.
“Yes.”
“Hmm. Unfortunately, a children’s playground isn’t exactly where I want that to happen,” he answered, his lips still pressed to my neck.
“Stop fucking, you two, dinner’s ready!” My body sagged in disappointment as Optimus’ voice boomed from the doorway.
Leo lowered me to my feet slowly, not letting up on the pressure of his body against mine. I finally took a deep breath and looked up at him, my hands still resting against his chest.
His soft hazel eyes stared at me intensely. “Soon.”
I pulled my bottom lip between my teeth as I nodded. There were a few moments of silence before he stepped back, allowing me to adjust my clothing, pulling and tucking things back into place. He ducked under the tunnel and started walking back toward the compound.
“You coming?” he called.
“Yeah,” I answered, but my legs were shaky and refused to cooperate.
He chuckled, continuing on his way.
That sound—the sound of an avalanche coming down the hill.
I could have jumped out of the way the first time. I could have avoided it and survived. But instead, I’d thrown myself unknowingly into its path and it had hit me full force.
I was done for.
“You’re good with the kids,” Blizzard noted as I took a seat next to Rose at one of the many dinner tables.
Rose sat with Jayla on her knee, the child munching away happily on a piece of broccoli.
“My mom remarried when I was sixteen. Her and my step dad, Keith had a little boy together. I looked after him a lot even after I left school,” I explained.
Leo took the empty seat beside me, perching Macy in a little booster seat next to him and placing a plate of food in front of her. “Where’s your dad?” he asked as he attempted to get her to eat something.
I swallowed the food I was chewing before I answered, “He uh… died a couple years before that.”
He pulled his attention away from his daughter and turned his eyes to me. “I’m sorry.”
I shrugged. It was always a common response when I told people I’d lost my dad. I’d become numb to it.
“My step dad did his best, but I was a daddy’s girl.”
“Rebelled, huh?” Blizzard commented.
I nodded. “Yup. The harder I pushed, the harder he pushed back. It upset my mom a lot, so then we used to fight too.” I didn’t see my parents a lot. I went home for holidays, but they were always tense. I felt like I was always just waiting for Keith to make a comment or say something I didn’t like so I could jump all over it and cause drama. I knew it was wrong.
“Why did you fight with your step dad?” Rose asked softly.
I sighed. “I felt like by not liking him, I was protecting my dad’s memory. I thought if I let him in that I’d forget about my dad.” Even I knew that explanation sounded stupid. But after years and years of arguments, when I finally realized it was getting me nowhere, I think it was too late. Things were the way they were. There was so much tension between the two of us now, I didn’t know if it would ever go away.
“You’ll never forget him,” Leo murmured, his eyes meeting mine with an intensity that made me believe he knew exactly how I was feeling.
Suddenly, a piece of carrot went flying across the table and we all looked up in surprise. Macy sat in her booster seat scowling at the offending vegetable. “Yuck!”
“Macy,” Leo admonished.
She didn’t look at her father. Instead her eyes stayed forward, her frown growing heavier.
“Here, I’m finished. Swap with me.” I pushed my empty plate to the center of the table and stood up. Leo looked at me confused. I rolled my eyes. “Just move.”
Blizzard and Rose both chuckled.
Leo finally gave in with a huff. “You wanna try to feed the demon child, go right ahead.” He moved over to my vacant seat, pushing his plate with him.
I dropped in next to Macy. She watched me out the corner of her eye like she wasn’t about to be fooled by any trick I had up my sleeve. But she was wrong. She was smart. But I was smarter.
I pointed to another piece of carrot on her plate. “That looks good,” I commented casually.
“Yuck,” she replied.
I shuffled in closer to her, trying to ignore the three people to my side who were pretending to eat their dinner but actually watching intently. I leaned in close so I could whisper to Macy without them hearing. “Do you like to play hide and seek?”
She finally gave me her full attention. Her mouth was pursed tightly but she bobbed her head.
I cupped my hand over my mouth and whispered to her, “Did you know carrots help you see through things?”
Her eyes brightened.
“So if you eat lots of carrots, next time you play hide and seek, you’ll be able to see where everyone is hiding.” The small fib rolled off my lips like it had when my brother Sammy was little.
“And you see that broccoli?” She nodded with even more enthusiasm this time. “You eat enough broccoli and it will make you really, really, fast.” I made a zooming motion with my hand.
“Weally?” she whispered back as if we were conspiring together.
I nodded. “But the trick is… you have to eat it every night it’s on your plate for it to work. Otherwise, you lose your powers.”
She looked down at the plate as if considering whether these secret powers were really worth the trouble. I sat back in my chair, giving her mind time to contemplate her options.
Leo scooted closer to me, his arm brushing up against mine. “So we’ve resorted to lying, have we?” he asked quietly so Macy couldn’t hear.
I grinned, turning my face toward him, not realizing he was so close. My lips almost brushed against his cheek as he bent his head to talk to me. “It’s not about lying. It’s about giving them an enticement to eat the damn vegetables. By the time they figure out that it’s not true, they’re so used to the taste of them that eating them isn’t a big deal anymore.”
His eyes moved past me, and I followed his gaze to see Macy popping a piece of carrot into her mouth. She chewed it silently before going back for another.
“Fuck me,” Leo muttered.
My smile grew as I watch the beautiful little girl pick at her dinner, no fuss, no complaints.
“I might just take you up on that later if the offer still stands.” I laughed.
He didn’t comment, but when I turned to look back at him the fire in his eyes told me that he had no objections to the idea.
I hadn’t known Leo for long, but sometimes connections are just instant. It starts with chemistry. If you’re attracted to one another, there’s a certain pull to that person. It makes you want to know them, to find out who they are and what they’re like.
Sexual energy was one thing, I had it with most of the men here—at least the ones that utilized the services a club girl was there to offer. But the emotional connection was another level. It was more than sex, it was looking forward to seeing them every day. It was wondering whether they felt the same. It was wanting to make them happy and going out of your way to care for them, and the people that were important to them.
Macy with her beautiful brown eyes and ringlet hair had stolen my heart even before I knew she belonged to Leo. But now, I’d seen them together and observed the relationship he had with her, just made me want to see more and know more. He lit my body on fire, but that same burn also warmed my heart.
“Hadley.” I looked up to see Slider standing across the table from me. He was smiling, but it was so obviously forced. I hadn’t spoken to him since yesterday when he’d left my room in a flurry. “I’ll meet you in your room in five minutes?” he asked.
I nodded. “Yeah, sure.”
He was gone as quickly as he’d appeared.
Rose laughed softly. “Slider is so taken by you.”
I looked at her around Leo, trying not to pay any attention to the way his body seemed to tense at her comment. “You think?”
&
nbsp; “Yeah, the kid is usually fucking the club girls on a rotation every damn night.” This coming from Blizzard. “Ain’t seen him with many since you showed up, though.”
Bet I could guess why.
Slider and I had spent a bit of time together over the last couple weeks. But usually, it was harmless. I wasn’t sure if the attraction was there or not. When he’d kiss me it had felt different. Forced. Not the kind of kiss you feel in the heat of the moment.
I shrugged off their comments. “I suppose. He’s cool. He makes me laugh.”
Both Blizzard and Rose chuckled. “He likes to joke, but he’s been a lot more serious recently. Maybe he’s ready to settle down?” Rose hinted, wiggling her eyebrows.
I laughed. “Girl, you’ve got romance on the mind. You know that’s not what I’m here for.”
My stomach twisted at the words. No, it wasn’t what I was here for, but shit like that tends to hit you when you least expect it.
I looked up at Leo, who was staring at the table. He was trying to make like he wasn’t listening.
Yeah, it hits you when you least expect it.
Like a fucking avalanche.
Slider was already waiting for me when I finally dragged myself to my bedroom.
He sat on the bed, staring at the floor. He didn’t even look up when I came in, jumping slightly when he heard the door shut behind me. I broke whatever trance he was in and he rushed to stand.
“I wanted to say, sorry,” he hurried out. He wiped his hands on his jeans and adjusted his cut like he was ridiculously nervous. “Sometimes I drink too much… that must have been why… you know?”
I stood quietly by the door. Letting him say what he needed to say to feel better about the situation.
“It wasn’t you. You’re great.” He droned on looking everywhere around the room but at me. “Like sexy as fuck, and no doubt amazing in bed. I was just having a bad day and—”
“Slider?” he stopped. Finally meeting my eyes. “How long have you been on the hormone therapy?”
I could tell my question took him by surprise. His eyes widened, and he stammered out an awkward laugh. “The what?”
I sighed, moving closer to him and holding out my finger, pointing to where the mark was on his stomach. “How long have you been getting hormone therapy injections?”