“Get in the bloody car, little demon, before I throw you over my shoulder and carry you inside. My mum would not forgive me if I let you walk around in the rain any longer,” he says, and I grimace at him.
“I’d like to see you try,” I challenge, somehow closer to his car now than I was when he first pulled up next to where I am on the sidewalk. When he reaches for his door and attempts to get out, more panic floods me. “Okay, for fuck’s sake. I’ll get in,” I say, not willing to have him drag my ass into the car. Plus, I’m cold and miserable in the rain, and the thought of making his seat wet does entertain me.
“Now,” he says, rushing me even though I’m already on my way to him.
“Yeah, okay, asshole. Jesus,” I reply and rip his door open, settling down in the passenger seat.
As soon as I’m sitting, a tongue swipes across my cheek repeatedly.Benz. My heart warms before some of the panic vanishes and gets replaced by pure happiness. I turn to her, the blue eyes of the dog I love so much meeting mine.
“Ciao, bella. Come stai?” I ask, scratching her ears. She lets out an excitedwoof, sending another wave of warmth through me.
“Here,” Leonard says, and I glance down at the jacket he’s holding out for me. I hesitate. “I didn’t rub it in poison if that’s what you’re wondering,” he adds, and I cock a suspicious eyebrow.
“That’s exactly what I was wondering, and just because you say it wasn’t, doesn’t mean I will put it on. If you were trying to kill me, that’s exactly what you’d say,” I reply and watch as he fights back a smile. I can tell by the way the corners of his mouth twitch.
“Put on the damn jacket, Chiara. You’re not getting sick on my watch.” It’s stupid to fight him on this, but if I give in twice in two minutes, he’s going to start believing I will do whatever he tells me to, and that’s not happening.
“I’m fine in my jacket,” I assure him, making him grip his steering wheel harder along with the jacket still in his other hand.
“Demon, put on the jacket or I swear to God I will make your life hell for the next three years.” An empty threat, nothing more.
“And how would you do that?” I challenge while he drives onto the highway, the piece of fabric he’s holding still dangling in front of me. Leonard tilts his head toward me for a moment, his eyes skipping from mine to my lips and then back up.
“I will come to your house every single day and—”
He doesn’t have to finish that sentence when I snap the jacket out of his grasp. It’s heavy and warm, making my body shudder from the need to have it around me. Leonard must have noticed because he reaches for the temperature dial and turns it warmer. I decide to ignore that sweet, simple gesture and peel off my jacket, my black long-sleeve so wet, it clings to my body. I notice his knuckles pushing against the skin on his hand even more. I look down to see my average-sized boobs looking bigger like this and furrow my brows at him. Did my appearance just—
“Stop staring at me,” he says, and I roll my eyes.Never mind.
“No,” I reply, sliding on the jacket while keeping my gaze firmly on him.
“I think you might be the biggest pain in the arse I’ve ever met,” he says, which earns him a satisfied look from me.
“Just drop me at my Mamma’s and then you don’t have to put up with me anymore,” I say because I’m not quite ready to go home yet.
“No.” It’s his turn for a one-word answer, but it pisses me off more than a million words could.
“What the fuck do you mean ‘no’? Bring me to my Mamma’s!” I say, and he shoots me a deathly glare. I snuggle into his jacket, his scent—soapy, fresh, and something that’s only Leonard—filling my nose. It’s a wonderful smell, only irritating me further.
“Do youwantto go to your Mamma's?” he challenges, shutting me up for a moment.
“I don’t want to go home,” I admit, and he gives me another glance.
“So, Graham’s told you about his plans,” he says, but I’m not quite sure why anger slices through me at his words.
“You knew and didn’t tell me?” As soon as I’ve said it, I know it sounds ridiculous. We’re not friends. We don’t even like each other. There is no reason for him to tell me. Instead of pointing that out to me, Leonard gives me a sympathetic look.
“It wasn’t my place.” It really wouldn’t have been, but I’m still annoyed. I shut up and face the street, watching the rain hit the windshield with as much aggression as I can feel in my chest right now. “I’m taking you to my flat where you can dry off and stay the night if you’d like. I don’t know if you’re working tonight,” he says, the last sentence coming out strained.
“I’m not working, it’s my night off, but I’m not staying with you either,” I reply, a frustrated sigh coming from him in response.
“And why not?” he asks, so I face my body toward him completely, earning myself a lick to the cheek from Benz. I scratch her chest while responding.
“Because we can’t stand each other.” That asshole just nods.
“So? What did my flat ever do to you?” he asks, and I close my eyes until they’re merely slits.
“It’s inhabited by you,” I reply, and he shakes his head. His braids are tied into a ponytail, showing off his face. His high cheekbones complement the rest of his sharp facial features, and I have to force my eyes away before they find more beautiful things about him.
