by Laura Morgan
She’d brought Siobhan and Roger along for the night as well, and watched from afar as he whooped her assistant’s ass game after game. When Leo was finally more relaxed and she felt they’d worked the crowd long enough, she headed over to their table with a smile.
“Okay, okay. Best of nine!” Siobhan was begging, giggling across at Roger when he rolled his eyes.
“Shiv, let me handle this,” Cassie interjected, snatching the cue. Her opponent grinned, clearly guessing she would be just as easy to beat as her assistant, but Cassie smiled sweetly and bounced around the table to break the triangle of pool balls at the other end. With her first shot, she potted four balls, and laughed at Roger’s reaction to her prowess with the pool cue.
“We got a hustler on our hands or what?” he said, eventually taking his shot too. Cassie had to admit, he was a good player, but she still beat him and took an overdramatic bow when she potted the black.
“Can I play the winner?” a sultry, heavily accented voice asked from behind her. Cassie turned to find a dark-skinned man watching them from the nearby bar. She went to say no, but stopped herself when Siobhan gave a squeal of delight from beside her and ran to the man.
“José, you came!” she exclaimed, and threw her arms around him. He smiled and kissed Siobhan’s cheek.
“Sí, baby. Of course,” he replied, stepping forward to greet Cassie and Roger. Siobhan made the introductions, explaining that José was an old flame that she’d recently rekindled. She told them how he worked as an accountant in the city center, and they’d happened upon one another when Siobhan had been out buying groceries one night after work. “I moved back to Spain for a while, so lost touch with this Inglés aumentó, but then we found each other again, as if by fate,” he added, grinning down at her with a smile.
“English Rose,” Cassie automatically translated the language she’d hoped to have forgotten by now, but knew was probably engrained in her mind forever.
“Sí, you speak Spanish?” he asked, seemingly impressed. Cassie shook her head, not wanting to get into the details with this stranger.
“Just a little,” she replied with a shrug, and Roger immediately took notice. He stepped closer to his boss-lady, and Cassie was glad he’d picked up on her unease
“So, José. You playing then or what?” he asked, handing him the cue. José took it and set up the balls, while Cassie leaned in close to Siobhan.
“Can I trust him?” she whispered. Siobhan nodded profusely.
“I promise, Cass. I’ve known him since we were kids, you can trust him.”
“Good to hear it,” Leo’s voice chimed in from behind them, and both girls jumped. He grinned down at them, but Cassie watched him take in José with a dark expression. He too seemed uneasy about their new arrival, but not overly concerned. Cassie took a deep breath and reminded herself that she couldn’t be scared of all Latinos she came across. She thought back to the personal vow she’d made that there would be no more running from her past, just the chance to show strength and independence in the face of whatever life threw at her next.
Cassie shook off her unease, stepped closer, and took her shot with a kind smile at José. Her unease slowly dissipated, and she was glad when their fun and carefree moods returned. He won the game, but only marginally, and was gentleman enough not to gloat. They were about to call it quits when Leo took the cue from her and indicated for José to set the balls up again.
“Loser buys the next round,” he said with a wink at the girls. Cassie knew their new friend was being hustled. She watched Leo stalk and prowl around the table, stopping only to give her the odd kiss before taking his shot. With that kiss, he was staking his claim on not only his woman, but on the entire place, and it was good to watch his confident prowess come out again.
José was quickly relieved of his title of reigning champion, and his drinking money, when Leo beat him effortlessly. He wasn’t a sore loser, though, and came back to their table with a bottle of posh champagne for the girls to share.
“Cerveza?” he asked, handing Leo and Roger two bottles of beer, and they each took them with a smile. Something struck her as strange. None of the others seemed to notice the change in his accent, but Cassie picked it out straight away. He’d pronounced the word slightly differently to any other Spaniard she’d met.
She hoped she was just being paranoid, but couldn’t stop watching him carefully, listening to every inflection in his accent, and wondering if he might not quite be who he said he was.
***
Leo cleared the place out around midnight. He’d had enough playing nice Mr. Host, and was ready to play a game in private with his girl. He locked up and walked back into the hall, finding Cassie stood leaning against the only table still lit. When he reached her, she immediately turned and bent down to take the first shot on their new game. The move was perfectly timed, and Leo couldn’t stop the deep growl that emanated from his chest as she pressed her ass back into his groin.
He loved watching Cassie play. It reminded him of the night they’d first met at his New York mansion—the night their game of cat and mouse had begun. She’d been bent over at the pool table before him that night too. He had to admit, the view had only gotten better over the years. Leo pressed himself into her, delighting in her soft cry as she gasped and splayed her hands on the green felt beneath her.
“Good girl. Now, you keep those hands exactly where they are,” he told her through gritted teeth. Cassie nodded and he could hear her soft, shallow breaths as he kneeled behind her and slid down her panties. He devoured her. Every inch of her gushing core was right before his eyes, and Leo took no time at all in delivering his lover a scream-inducing orgasm using only his mouth. When he was finished, Leo stood and unbuttoned his pants. He took a moment to enjoy the sight of Cassie still clinging to the table in front of her, doing just as she’d been told.
Sliding inside her wet opening was effortless, and as soon as she clenched around him, all of Leo’s worries and fears simply melted away. No matter what’d happened in the past, they were together now, and he would die a happy man if things could stay the way they were. Leo gripped her hips, pulling Cassie back to meet his thrusts, and when she came again he was right there with her.
***
Pain. Gut-wrenching, agonizing pain shot through Leo’s body as though he was on fire. He tried to move, but stopped when the agony in his thighs rendered him useless. Leo opened only his right eye, namely because the other one was swollen shut, and took in the horrendous scene before him. His assistant, Tina, was whimpering on the floor, and her body was covered by a scrawny man who was grunting and thrusting on top of her. Leo didn’t need to ask what he was doing.
“Oh good, you’re awake,” Victor Sanchez’s disturbingly upbeat voice chimed from beside him, and Leo groaned in disgust.
“Leave her alone,” he said, knowing that his attempt at chivalry toward his oldest friend was fruitless, but he had to try.
“Oh, her? She already told me everything I wanted to know. This is just for fun,” Victor teased. “She spilled her guts about your precious Cassandra as soon as I put a bullet in her leg. After all, I wanted the two of you to have matching scars,” he added, pressing down on one of Leo’s bloody thighs until he cried out in pain.
“Fuck you!” he hissed, spouting as much venom as he could, but Victor simply continued to grin down at him.
“Oh no, I’m saving myself for that sweet piece of British pie you’ve been hiding from me.” Regardless of the pain, Leo saw red at Victor’s words. Closing his eyes, he sent a demand to his bone and muscle to move and release him from the restraints. He wanted to wrap his hands around Victor’s throat and keep hold of it until the last beat of his heart. He wanted to crush him, beat him, and kill him. Every animal instinct inside of Leo screamed for bloody vengeance, but his broken body refused him.
“Where is she?” he finally mumbled through gritted teeth. “If you hurt her, so help me God.”
“Now, now
. There’s no need for that.” Victor paced slowly up and down in front of the chair Leo was tied to, and checked his watch. “I guess you’ve not realized it’s nearly dawn? You’ve been out cold for half a day, my friend. A whole evening in which I not only tracked down your darling Cassie, but also delivered her with an offer I know she won’t refuse.”
“You leave her alone, Victor. Please,” Leo begged, feeling desperate and so incredibly foolish for having let her down so profoundly. Victor didn’t answer. Instead, he nodded to someone behind Leo, and walked away while his men beat their prisoner some more and then gagged him.
“Leo!” Cassie’s voice woke him from his black stupor, and his body sang as he drank in the sight of her and the sound of that wonderful voice. Then, reality kicked back in. He begged her to leave, not to choose his life over hers, but he was powerless. She’d already decided.
He could do nothing but watch as Victor put his hands all over her with a disgusting grin on his arrogant face. When she uttered the devastating words that she was leaving with him, Leo fell to pieces. He could only blame himself for all of this. He, who thought he was untouchable, was dying from the inside out thanks to the decision she’d made to save him. When Victor’s gun slammed into his temple, Leo welcomed the sweet release from reality. He wouldn’t have to deal with the fact that Cassie was gone if he was out cold, and as the blackness enveloped him, he knew it was selfish, but he even prayed for death.
Leo jumped awake and clutched at his aching chest. The dreams were coming more and more frequently. They were reminders of a past he’d refused to deal with and knew wouldn’t release him until he did. But he simply couldn’t get past his male bravado and reveal how broken he truly felt inside. Leo peered down at the scars on his thighs. They were his everyday reminders of that terrible time in his mansion, and of that morning he’d let Cassie slip into the clutches of a dangerous predator. They marked not only the loss he felt that day, but also the failure he’d become after losing her. Leo pinched the scar tissue with his fingertips. The sensitive welts offered him a sharp shot of pain, but it wasn’t near what he knew he deserved.
After shaking off his sleepy haze, Leo realized Cassie wasn’t lying beside him, but he heard her voice from elsewhere in the apartment, so instantly calmed down. He was glad she hadn’t been there to see him wake, and hoped she’d never have to witness him in the throes of one of his nightmares ever again.
He pulled on his sweats and padded down the hall toward the kitchen, where it sounded as though Cassie was on the phone. He stopped before going inside, a lump rising in his throat as he overheard her conversation.
“He’s messed up, Rog. More than me, and that’s saying something.” Her voice sounded pained and fretful. “He has terrible nightmares, but he won’t talk to me. There are scars all over his body, and not just the old ones from Victor. Some are relatively fresh, but he won’t tell me how he got them. What can I do?” There was a short pause, and Cassie sighed. “Time, patience, and trust—I know all about the need for that.”
Chapter Five
Cassie set down her cell and peered out the window at the bustling city street below. She’d turned to Roger for advice on what she might possibly do to help Leo overcome his demons, and was grateful, as always, for his guidance. Cassie hated how Leo was internalizing everything. She wanted nothing more than to ease his pain, but he wouldn’t let her in, and it was driving her insane. Cassie guessed she had to remember that she’d had almost two years of time and therapy to help her move on from the ordeal with Victor, while Leo had only just left prison before returning to England a few weeks before. He had to be exactly where she’d been when she landed back on home soil, and only her patience might help him recover fully.
After a deep breath, Cassie decided to follow Roger’s advice and offer Leo more space. She’d asked the same of him once upon a time ago, and he’d given her exactly that. It was the least she could do after everything he’d sacrificed to free her.
“Morning, love. Did I hear you talking on the phone just now?” Leo asked as he walked into the kitchen, rubbing his bleary eyes. Cassie’s heart lurched, and she hoped to God that he hadn’t overheard her conversation, but her lover was giving nothing away.
“Yeah, just checking in with Roger. Are we still heading out tonight?” she replied with a smile, and Leo nodded. He stepped closer and gathered her up in his huge arms, kissing her lips gently at first, then deeper and more passionately.
“I can’t wait to show you what’s gonna be my new nightclub,” he told her, his eyes ablaze with what seemed like excitement, and Cassie loved how enthused he was about his next venture. “I’m gonna rename it as well,” he added with a sheepish grin.
“Oh really, what to?” she asked, tracing the lines of his collarbones with her fingertips before travelling down the contours of his pecs and abs. She loved him, there was absolutely no doubt about it, and every inch of her body screamed for him to take her back to bed and have what was his.
“Casanova,” Leo answered, peering down at her. Cassie’s smile dominated her face within seconds, and she could tell he was pleased by her response.
“You’re really gonna do that?”
“Of course, love. It’s perfect, just like you,” he replied, and sealed his mouth over hers before she could respond to his compliment. He then picked Cassie up and carried her back to the bedroom, where he undressed her slowly. Leo kissed and nibbled at her curves, stroked and caressed her skin with gentle touches. He was languid and sensuous, taking his time to show her how much he cared.
When she was finally naked, Leo pressed Cassie’s thighs apart and smiled down at the sight of her.
“What?” she asked, her hands going down to instinctively cover her exposed core. With one shake of his head, Leo stopped their progression.
“Look at you,” he whispered. “There was a time when me touching you would make you tremble and cry. Now?” His fingers caressed her swollen nub and then delicately traced the tiny scars she’d once hidden away from him in fear. “Now, you own these. They’re your flawless imperfections, Cassie. I love that you’ve stopped letting your past rule you.” After a soft kiss to her nether lips, Leo kissed his way up toward her mouth.
It was all a little too much for Cassie. Despite what he thought, she felt like a fraud. There were so many times it was as if she was barely holding it together. Cassie wanted to be strong and independent. She wanted to be free and happy, but wasn’t sure if it was actually possible with all the baggage she had dragging behind her.
Jonah had given her those scars—and he’d died because of her foolish attempt at retaliation for them. Victor had taught her not to fear the scars—and he’d died proving just how much he thought he owned the rest of her. Leo wanted her to own them, and yet Cassie wasn’t sure she could.
If anyone had conquered her trauma that’d once been so debilitating, it certainly didn’t feel like her. Cassie had asked Leo to own her, and he’d accepted. Perhaps he’d taken ownership of her flaws too? She felt like hers was acceptance out of necessity more than progression. So many worse things had happened since Jonah had gone crazy and hurt her, and sometimes staying numb to all of it was the only option she had left.
“I don’t own them, they’re simply no longer the worst of my scars. The ugliest ones are on the inside. I don’t want them to hurt, but they do. I want to be over it, and I want to be beautiful and strong for you. But sometimes I can’t do it.” Cassie took a deep, faltering breath. “Hold me, Leo. Please,” she begged, and knew she’d caught him off guard by the look in his eyes.
He immediately pulled her to him and fused their bodies together. Leo nestled himself between her thighs and she hooked her feet around his ankles so that they were truly intertwined.
“I’m sorry. I’m so sorry,” he whispered, over and over again. “I love you. You’re more than beautiful to me. You’re perfect.”
***
Later that night, Cassie took Leo’s arm and le
t him lead her into the heaving nightclub. They bypassed the queue and were immediately taken to the VIP area, where champagne awaited them. Roger watched from a few feet away, as did Leo’s hired help, and Cassie did her best to ignore their goon squad and enjoy herself.
“I like the music,” she told Leo with a seductive smile, finding the beat inviting. “Would you care to dance, Mr. Solomon?”
“I would, but you’re terrible at it,” he replied with a wink, and then seemed to change his mind when she pouted playfully. “It’s a good thing I’m just as bad, if not worse.” He grabbed her hand and led the way, but not before stopping to speak with the DJ first.
Cassie raised an eyebrow inquisitively, but her man was giving nothing away. Leo just pulled her close and took charge of her willing body. With his hands on her hips, he guided her to the rhythm and the beat, while his kind smile and heated gaze told her she was doing well. Cassie swung her hips, and knew she’d surprised Leo with her new prowess on the dance floor, but couldn’t bring herself to tell him it was thanks to Victor’s cousin who’d taught her how to salsa back in Mexico.
She sighed. Not all the memories were awful, and she genuinely hoped Gabriela and the rest of the Sanchez family were doing okay. It couldn’t have been easy on them losing another member of the family the way they had, and while she’d never once felt the need to mourn Victor herself, she hated having brought them such loss.
A kiss to her temple brought her back to the present, and as the track started to change, being mixed expertly by the DJ, the lights dimmed. Darkness soon enveloped the crowd, and Cassie gasped when Leo grabbed her and pinned her to him. She was blind, but felt safe in his embrace, and almost squealed when his mouth found the sensitive spot just beneath her ear. Leo’s tongue slid the length of her jaw and over her mouth. He then delved inside and claimed her. Cassie melted in his arms and felt her body turn to liquid. She was molten lava ready to be caressed and molded in whatever way he commanded. All thoughts or reminders of anything else left her, and the blissful peace of his hold made her smile.