Serious Leigh (Literal Leigh Romance Diaries Book 2)

by Melanie James

  After we hung up, I picked up my copy of the very book she referred to. I had read it, well, parts of it. Certain pages were even dog-eared for ready reference. I just didn’t want to have a conversation about kinky fantasies with my sister. Seriously, it is one thing for me to talk about sex with my sister and quite another to reveal to her anything that might be considered a little off the beaten path. She’s my sister and we have a history of ratting out each other’s secrets for optimum embarrassment. In any case, I knew exactly what chapter and page she was talking about.

  I knew just what I wanted to do for my sister. This was going to be one of my screw-the-rules moments and I easily justified what I was about to do. Hell, I’m already breaking the rules by writing about Derek and Luke, I may as well hook up Sarah and Bill. After all, their last romantic debacle was all my fault. I owe them something. I went back to crafting my magic.

  I read over the basic ideas from the particular smutty chapter and announced to Luna, “I’ve got it.”

  “Meow, meow, meow.”

  “No problem. I’ll even be sure to cover any possible problems that could arise. You know, safety issues. I don’t want any complications.”

  Sarah led her blindfolded lover, Bill, to the waiting bed to satisfy her unfulfilled fantasy. Everything she did had the sole purpose of creating an erotic tease. She wanted to play on Bill’s senses until he begged for more, and he wouldn’t get that until he had been properly worked up into a state of complete animal like hunger for her.

  For that night only, Sarah’s fantasy blossomed before her and to her imagination Bill was a hot Navy SEAL. Toned and hardened in all the right places.

  She double checked the handcuffs to make sure the keys worked properly and then she had Bill lie down on his back. Each handcuff carefully secured his arms to the spindles on the headboard. Once she knew he was comfortable and yet imprisoned, she placed the keys on the nightstand in plain sight, just in case there were any problems. Bill was already excited and drooling with anticipation for what he was about to receive at Sarah’s hands.

  She teased his naked body with a feather and then with a small leather whip, using only the lightest touch so as to not leave a single mark on him.

  “Okay, so far, so good. I think, I am keeping this pretty safe. Wouldn’t you say so, Luna?”

  “Meow, meow.” Luna pushed a small scented candle on my desk.

  “Oh, yeah! Thanks for the reminder. Just one more thing and they should be worked up enough to handle it from there without any magic.”

  Bill was now completely aroused, but Sarah demanded that he beg for it, plead for it with more urgency to be set free in order to sate both of their primal needs. She brought a lit candle and dripped a little hot wax on his chest. He begged to have her. She dripped some more of the wax down over his stomach and inside his thighs. He was begging with all of his might for her to be merciful and set him free upon her in an animalistic frenzy.

  “There! They are big kids. They can handle it from that point. Do you think animalistic is a word?”

  “Meow, meow, meow.”

  “You worry too much, Luna. Nothing could go wrong with that.”

  Chapter Nine

  An Unexpected Visitor

  Friday had finally arrived. I was up and bouncing with excitement. I really needed to talk to Hunter. I simply needed to ask him what I should be dressed for. Inside? Outside? I had no idea, even though it had been discussed, in-depth you could say. I just wasn’t paying much attention to the details that night as I was soaking in the bath. I worried that if I called him, he would think I was more of an airhead than I had already portrayed myself to be. I thought about it and remembered a bit of advice that I always tell other people. You may as well let people know exactly who they are dealing with sooner rather than later. If you come off as a scatterbrain or worse, so be it. People will get to know you one way or another.

  “Hunter? Just me, Leigh.”

  “I was just thinking about you!”

  “Yes! That’s the kind of thing I love to hear! I hope it was all good thoughts.”

  “Of course! I was just going to call to see if you still wanted to go out today?”

  No use in playing it coy. “Heck yeah! I’ve been looking forward to it. What would you like to do?”

  “It is the Fourth of July, so how about we hit the Taste of Chicago down at Grant Park and then head over to Navy Pier. If we aren’t too worn out, we can watch the fireworks later on. Have you ever been to the Taste of Chicago?”

  “Wow, you know I had completely overlooked that it was the Fourth! No, I’ve heard of it. I know it has been going on this week, and it would be a lot of fun.”

  “Sounds great. See you at noon.”

  I now had exactly four hours to get ready, which gave me plenty of time to straighten out my apartment a little so I could invite him in for a bit before we go. That only takes fifteen minutes in my place. I had to pick out the perfect outfit, which I figured would kill a good hour at a minimum. Then there was getting the perfect hair, nails, and other tiny details that needed to be accomplished, two hours at most. I skipped the cleaning, he had already seen that I am not too overloaded with clutter. And that comes from being an organized elementary teacher.

  I walked into my bedroom to browse through my closet when I heard what seemed like a small explosion from the coat closet by my front door. What the hell was that? Luna shot out of my bedroom and went towards the front door. I cautiously followed her. It was readily apparent to me what had happened once I noticed the pink and purple smoke seeping out under the closet door.

  “Gertie? Is that you?” There was quite a bit of noise that sounded like the rattling of tangled clothes hangers combined with the thumping sounds of someone trying to fumble the door open.

  “Hi, Leigh!” It was definitely Gertie’s high pitched squeak. I opened the closet door and she stumbled out. She picked up Luna and nuzzled her. “Hi there, Luna.” She set Luna down and immediately hugged me.

  “Gertie! What happened? Are you all right?”

  “I’m sorry, I really haven’t gotten this traveling spell down very well, yet. I missed the front door somehow. Whoever thought to put another door so close to the front door certainly wasn’t a witch. And I’m really sorry to barge in like this unannounced. Remind me that I have to get your phone number! Anyway, I’m here to help you out with your magic, to see if we can fine tune it a bit. Maybe we can help each other with that.” Gertie looked at the closet and laughed. “I also want to tell you everything I know about witches, it may not be a lot, but I am sure I can answer some of your questions.”

  “That would be great! Umm—listen, I’m sorry, but I’m getting ready to head out for the day. I have a date.”

  “Oh! No, I’m sorry! I can come back another time, I suppose. The thing is that I only have this weekend free. I have to get back to my pussy—I mean, my cat plantation by Sunday.”

  “Well, I tell you what. Remember Kelly and Lindsey? I can check to see if they are free today. I know they would love to keep you company, and later on we can get together.” I thought about the slim but very hopeful possibilities with Hunter, and then I added a built-in excuse. “That is if it doesn’t get too late for me getting back from the city. In that case, I’ll catch up with you in the morning.”

  “That would be fabulous! I was hoping to see those gals again.” Gertie pulled out a small, lime-green Samsonite suitcase from the closet. She was dressed in her signature look, the bright floral patterned sleeveless summer dress and bright peach colored sandals. After another surprise hug, I pried Gertie’s small frame off of me and made a call.

  “All set! Kelly and Lindsey are thinking about going to some shindig at the park. It’s out in the West suburbs, near Kelly’s parents. They’ll be by to pick you up, hopefully before I leave with Hunter.”

  “Lindsey had also told me that Derek and Luke had suddenly stopped stalking.” I was pretty confident that my magic had worked.
Still, I didn’t want to jinx myself and say anything more about it. I had learned to wait for the other shoe to drop with this sort of thing.

  “Can I get you some coffee or tea? Are you hungry?”

  “Tea would be perfect! And I brought you a little surprise.” Gertie knelt down and opened her suitcase. Like a surreal matador waving a floral patterned cape, she swung one of her summer dresses in front of her. “What do you think? I know it will be a perfect fit.”

  “For me?” I must have looked puzzled, but the dress was actually very cute. Bright floral patterns were definitely the in thing this summer, and I loved the cut. “Wow! Thank you. It’s awesome!”

  “I’ve been working as a seamstress since I was a little girl. Back then there was no such thing as a childhood. It was more of an apprenticeship. I knew your exact size after the first time I hugged you. I have dresses for Kelly and Lindsey also. They are each a little different, but very much the same.”

  “I’m going to try this on right now.” I quickly stripped and pulled on the dress. Gertie came behind me, zipped up the back, and then adjusted the material a little. “You’re right. A perfect fit. Amazing.” It was perfect for my date with Hunter. “I am wearing this today!”

  “Thanks. I’m so grateful to be in this day and age. Life is so much better, especially for women and children. And convenient! I could just go on and on about it, but I think you can imagine. Anyway, material and patterns like these are just one little example.” Gertie stood back a little and looked me over. “I still have so many questions, so much to learn about things in these modern times. I hope you and the other girls don’t mind me asking a lot of questions.”

  “Of course not, after all, what are friends for?” I stepped into the kitchen and brought a glass of iced tea out for Gertie.

  “Oh, thank you. And please, I hope you don’t mind, but could you do me a favor sometime and show me around? Would you mind? It’s my old hometown, and I don’t even recognize anything. What area is this again?”

  “Technically, it’s Franklin Park, my parents live in Skokie, not that far away, but with traffic on some days it might as well be the dark side of the moon. If you guys are out today, Kelly would be a good guide, she is from this area. Lindsey on the other hand is originally from a little farm area in Wisconsin, she is always getting lost. So never count on her for directions.” I was interrupted by the incessant honking of a car horn. “That would be Kelly and Lindsey.” I said, and ran to the desk, quickly jotting down a note for my friends. “And I’m sure they would love to help you out with anything, also. Please give Kelly this note for me? I’ll see you later. Take care and have fun!” Gertie picked up her little suitcase and skipped out the front door to catch her ride. A thought crossed my mind that perhaps Kelly and Lindsey might not be the best influences for the naïve little witch. That was exactly what my note to my friends had cautioned them about. To take it easy on the poor girl. My guilt for pawning poor Gertie off on them had been absolved, and now I had more important issues on my mind.

  Chapter Ten

  Falling in Love

  I happily prepared for my date. By the time I was finally ready, it was close to noon. Hunter showed up right on time and he looked great. He was wearing khaki shorts and a polo. While I donned Gertie’s gift. It was seriously the perfect outfit for the day. Now there is no better compliment you can get than when it came the way Hunter delivered it. When I opened the door, his eyes widened, and the look on his face told me that he genuinely meant what he said. “Wow! You look great, Leigh!” And that made me blush. “It’s just so great to see you again.” That made me blush a little more.

  I know that I don’t have the cover-girl perfect body, and who really does? I feel comfortable being who I am, and when a guy like Hunter, or should I say especially Hunter compliments me, it only reinforces my self-confidence. It’s the rare moments like those that I know I could care less about trying to meet someone else’s unrealistic expectations. If someone put me on a magazine cover, they would be airbrushing the hell out of me. My legs would be too short for them, or my facial features too round, my tummy not quite flat enough, and so on. In any case, I’m sure you’ll agree with me when I say that a girl never gets tired of flattery from the guy she is interested in. Never.

  “Thank you, Hunter. And I’ll be honest, I’ve been looking forward to this day all week.” We both stood there smiling at each other like two squirrels staring at a mirror. I suppose if anyone saw us they would think we were quite nuts. “Oh, sorry, come on in. I’ll just make sure Luna has fresh water and some food, then we can be on our way.” Luna wasn’t worried about her food, her water, or anything for that matter. Hunter had picked her up, and the little slut purred away while snuggled up against his chest. “Unbelievable, that cat! A month ago she would have been tearing your face off, now look at her.”

  Finally, we were out the door. I looked back and saw Luna staring out of the front window at us. I have to admit that she looked very sad, but also a little scary. It was almost as if she were jealous. Once we were on our way to Grant Park, I shook off the uncomfortable look I had gotten from my cat. It was a beautiful summer day and I felt great to be where I was, right next to Hunter. It was made even better when he asked me if I’d like to sit in the center of his truck’s bench seat, right next to him. It was cozy and I could feel the heat of his body next to mine. I can’t think of anything that turns me on more than the subtle and innocent—yet not so innocent—way that he can get close to me.

  The radio had broken into the holiday traffic report. The continual updates on traffic are an absolute necessity for anyone that attempts to drive the congested toll ways of the Chicago area. Hunter turned up the radio and listened intently. “Did you hear that?”

  “No, sorry, I wasn’t really paying attention. What is it?” Of course I wasn’t paying attention to the radio. I was too busy soaking up Hunter’s sexiness.

  “Something is happening over at the Lincoln Park Zoo. An incident of some kind. Not that it’ll be a problem for us, I was going to get on the Eisenhower Expressway and turn up towards Grant Park. So, I think it’s far enough from where we’ll be. It really sounded bizarre. I wonder if it’s one of those animal rights terrorist groups.”

  “What? What do you mean?”

  “They said that the police had Lincoln Park Zoo and several blocks around it on lockdown. Apparently a couple of guys broke into an enclosure and tried to let out some animals or steal them—something like that. Sounds like it got a little out of hand. The guys are on the run and so are some of the animals. So now there are two crazy men being chased by animals and the police through Lincoln Park. Isn’t that the weirdest thing?”

  “Huh. That is bizarre.” Something made me a little uneasy and at the time I couldn’t put my finger on it, but I did my best to dismiss it. I suppose I wasn’t about to let anything ruin my day. “Probably it’s just some sort of fraternity boy prank gone wrong. Oh well. Hey, Taste of Chicago is happening after all. Maybe the zoo critters just want to sample the humans!” Hunter laughed at my little joke, and I laughed with him, a very uneasy little laugh.

  “Well, I’ll be sure to keep you safe.”

  We made our way down to the crowded area of Grant Park and the number of people packed together for the Taste was mindboggling, even for Chicago. Nearly every restaurant in the city had a tent or food trailer set up to offer samples of their respective culinary specialties. Commonly known to us Chicagoans as The Taste, it really is like a giant summer block party. The atmosphere always seems upbeat and if nothing else, Chicago knows how to put on a party. Hunter and I wandered about and tried a little of everything, always supplied in little paper cups. Hunter’s plan was to see if we could go alphabetically and I agreed. Our appetites came to a halt when we hit the Cajun alligator. I had heard that alligator tasted like chicken, but all we could taste was a five alarm red hot pepper seasoning. All I can say about it is there is no good way to spit out red hot sauce in
front of your date.

  Our stomachs deserved a break and we wandered down to Buckingham fountain, one of Chicago’s most well-known landmarks. We walked hand in hand and I could tell Hunter was really happy. We had been gradually dropping any of those early dating phase awkward feelings, but to be honest, I don’t think there were that many to begin with, because of the way Hunter and I seemed to click. He’s smart and funny as well. He is full of self-confidence without being a pretentious jackass. A very rare thing to find in men, in my opinion.

  I had my purse well stocked with breath mints and I put them to good use for me as well as Hunter. I made sure to drink plenty of water to eliminate any lingering gator flavor, because I definitely was ready to sample another little taste of Chicago. Finally, we stood next to each other. I’m not so sure it was because we were so drawn to each other or more that we were pushed into each other by the teeming crowd. In any case, Hunter stood close to me. We were instantly lost in each other’s eyes. I will never forget how he took one hand and swept my hair from my shoulder and ran it up behind my neck. His other hand reached around to the small of my back and then it happened. The kiss. The absolute kiss that shall forever be the benchmark that any other kiss will be measured by. For me at least.