“God, Lucky, that’s not what I meant. I have wanted you, wanted this for so long.” Leo chews her lip again as her nose scrunches in thought. “I just don’t want to ruinus. There is still so much we haven’t talked about, so much you need to know, and I’m scared shitless that when you find out, you’ll want nothing to do with me. As a friend or otherwise.”
“Baby cakes, now that I’m back, wild horses couldn’t keep me away.”
“You say that now but that’s just because I’m straddling your hard-on.”
I chuckle and shake my head. She isn’t quite there yet, but this woman is back on track to becoming herself again. The woman we all love so goddamn much.
“We don’t have to do anything you don’t want to do, Leo. We can take it slow; you can set the pace. Just please don’t stop this before we have a chance to start something so fucking phenomenal and see where it goes.” I tip her chin up to look her in the eyes. “And whatever you do, please do not stop kissing me. We can go slow in every other way but for the love of God, donotstop kissing me.”
She sits quietly for a few minutes then smiles and gives me a nod. “I don’t necessarily think we have to go at a snail’s pace, but the last twenty-four hours have been way more than I’ve handled in a very long time. You’re going to have to bear with me on everything, and know I can’t make you any promises, not right now. But I will not shut this down, I will set the pace.” Leo leans forward and kisses me again. “And I will not stop kissing you. I like it way too much.”
“Thank fuck for that.”
With a grin that makes my insides flip—and my cock twitch, let’s be real here—Leo grabs my hands and sets them on my stomach. “I need to shower.”
“Company?” I wag my eyebrows and laugh as she stands, her face and neck turning the darkest shade of red.
Yep, Leo’s thinking about me naked.
And I really fucking like it.
“Not this time, honey. We only have twenty minutes, remember?”
“Can’t blame a guy for trying.” And twenty minutes isn’t nearly enough time to explore the fantasy I’ve jerked off to more times than I’d like to admit over the last thirteen years.
Including a couple days ago.
Leo walks over to the dresser and removes her go-to sleeveless t-shirt and leggings as she rolls her eyes. “At least now I know sitting on you like that is no longer an option.”
“Nope.” I crack up as I get to my feet because fuck, I’m so happy I could pop. “You still have that drawer of my stuff?”
“Bottom left corner.”
Just like always.
I wait for her to shut the door and take off down the stairs in time for the boys to come strolling in.
“Hey,” I say, quickly grabbing a beer from Pete. “I need you guys to do me a favor.”
Mark smirks at me as he sets two cases of spring water down in Leo’s pantry. “Didn’t our girl just do you one?”
Pete arches a brow at me, cocking his head to the side while shooting me a look that says we really need to talk, and Norm just smiles.
God, this is going to be such a pain in the ass.
“No. Not that it’s any of your business right now, but I need you to do something for me.”
“You don’t want us to be weird in front of Leo,” Norm says with a shrug as he grabs a beer from Pete, too.
I just blink. Sometimes I forget we all know how Leo works, and that’s why she belongs to all of us, whether everyone is on board yet or not.
“Yeah. I mean, you guys don’t have to act like we aren’t together or whatever, but don’t bring up what you saw when you walked in or make any stupid comments to her. Her whole hermit lifestyle has been completely flipped upside down the last couple days, and I don’t want to do anything that’s going to makeher shut us out again. This is a huge step for her, us being here, and it changes things. I don’t want to lose her again.”
“Neither do we,” Pete grunts. “We aren’t going to beweirdunless you make it weird.”
I lift my brow in question.
The four of us can get super weird without even trying, so I’m not really sure that makes me feel any better about keeping things normal.
