“Now you listen to me and you listen good, Lucius Louis De la Grange.” Leo cups my cheeks and looks me dead in the eye. “I bolted because I didn’t want them to seeme,and I don’t mean see me kissing you. I didn’t want them to see these.”
She glances down at her scars and validates what I did earlier while confirming what I thought.
Leo also managed to lift my deflating ego with that too because it helps knowing she doesn’t see me as some sideshow attraction.
“I don’t think you understand how incredible you are.” Her fingers grip my cheeks a little tighter before her thumbs smooth under my eyes. “The qualities that made me fall in love with you, things like your passion and loyalty, your sense of humor and intelligence, even your most boring interests like golf and spoken word vinyl.” I roll my eyes at that because Leo hasalwaysgiven me shit for those but she stops until I look at her. “The list of things I love about you is endless. It’s just an added bonus that everything about this”—Leo motions to all of me— “just oozes sex appeal. And this scar, this beautiful, fantastic scar is a constant reminder of how fiercely you protect those you love. There isn’t one thing about you, Lucky, that would make me feel like I had to hide my feelings for you from anyone. Especially thosebaboons.”
Then Leo leans forward, bites my lip with a grin, and kisses the ever-loving shit out of me.
“Wait, what did you just say?” I blink as I jerk my head back, my face breaking out into a strange smile. I probably look nuts but I have a fantastic reason for that.
Leo holds back a laugh as she tilts her head. “Which part? I was monologue-ing.”
“The part where you said you were in love with me.”
My heart is pounding. The hope and confusion I’m feeling is threatening to have the damn thing flying right out of my chest.
Even as I watch her turn a deep shade of red and gnaw on her lip before she leans forward to kiss me again, nice and fucking slow this time.
“Goddamnit, why did it take so long for this to happen?” I ask as I wrap my arms around her and press my forehead to hers. “Say it again.”
“Say what? I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
I open my mouth to tell her to quit being a smart ass when the front door opens again.
“We are in the apartment! We are setting things down and then we are going to get the last of the food from the beast.” Mark sounds like a goddamn robot, yelling his stupid warning through the loft. “Please do not stop what you are doing on account of us! Just know we will be back to make dinner in fifteen minutes. Ok, maybe more like twenty because I am too fat to go up and down the stairs this many times. All inappropriate activities must cease upon our return so we can commence forth with nourishment. Thank you!”
I look at Leo for a beat then we both bust up laughing.
“He’s an idiot.”
“I’m in love with you.”
I smile bigger than I have in three years. “Can I hear it just one more time, please?”
“Je t’aime avec tout ce que je suis,”she whispers against my lips.
I love you with everything that I am.
And she said it in fucking French.
Leo’s hands slide down my neck and move over my chest, across my stomach to finally rest on my sides. And despite the worry etched on her pretty face, or the fact that we now have a lot more to talk about, my dick springs to life at a most inopportune time.
Her eyes snap to mine, and all I can do is laugh. “Sorry, cakes, can’t help it. You just said words I’ve waited years to hear while putting your hands on me, and my dick has always been one of your biggest fans. Not trying to scare you, just can’t help my reaction.”
Leo gives me a quick peck on the lips and goes to stand, but I grab her hips and hold her in place.
God, I need to get some food in her.
“What’s going on in that head of yours, Leo? I can see it written all over your face. Something is bugging you.”
“It’s nothing.”
“Leonor...”
“I don’t want to ruin this,” she groans. “I just got you back, Lucky, and I’m terrified I’m going to fuck this up. It’s one thing to lose you as a friend, but it’s something else entirely to lose you as more. I don’t want either of those things.”
I push her hair out of her eyes and give her a soft smile. “You don’t want this?”Or she doesn’t want me?
