A little electric jolt travels through my body at the thought of what happened when we got back to the hotel room. He threw me on the bed while I laughed at the top of my lungs before he spread my legs and buried himself inside of me until we both fell apart. And while sex with him is incredible, it doesn’t compare to the way it feels when he holds me after and whispers sweet things into my ear.
God, I love him so much, it hurts.
My phone rings on the floor next to me, and I smile when I read Rena and Andrew’s names on my screen. Out of the two of them, she is more likely to talk to me than he is, but sometimes Mr. Tick will be on the phone too, simply listening while Rena and I chat. I hit the answer button with a slight smile on my face. It’s strange. I’m smiling a lot these days, but I guess joy will do that to someone.
“Hello, how are you? How’s your leg?” I ask as I press the speaker button on my phone.
“Hi, darling, I’m fine. My leg is doing a lot better, which is why I’m calling. When you get back to England, I’d love for you to give me a tour of your art gallery,” she says, and my heart flutters from excitement.Your art gallery. That’ll never get boring.
“Yes, of course! Will Andrew come as well?” I ask because Leonard’s parents are the only ones who haven’t been to the gallery yet. Rena’s leg was still bothering her a few weeks ago, so she’s been staying at home. That’s why I’m so excited to hear she wants me to give her a tour. I make a plan on how I will describe everything to her.
“No, he’s already seen it. Leonard took him along when he was trying to find a place,” she explains, and my heart flutters at the visual of my boyfriend and his father moving around the city of London to find the perfect art gallery.
“Okay, no problem. We will have a nice girls’ day,” I reply, and we agree on a day and time before we talk about the shows I’ve already created.
“I’m so proud of you, Chiara. You’re doing a great job and all that while still working for Leonard,” she says, causing a wave of guilt to twist my stomach. I’ve never lied to this woman about anything.Am I able to do so now?There is a big difference between keeping something from her by avoiding the subject all together and straight-up lying. At least for me.
“Actually, I’m not working for him anymore. I’m watching Benz as—” I cut off because saying it out loud to anyone but Leonard isn’t something I’ve done yet. Lulu kind of just figured it out by herself.
“I know, darling. My son is capable of many things, but he’s not able to hide something that makes him as happy as being with you. Well, he tried, but then he blurted it out and let out a nervous laugh. It was a whole thing,” she explains, and my cheeks start burning from the huge smile spreading across my face.
“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you,” I say, but a little chuckle escapes her.
“Don’t worry, darling, I’m not mad. I always knew you two would end up together.” I scratch Benz’s head, trying to fight off my grin. It’s impossible.
“So did I.” His voice is low and husky, dragging my attention from the conversation with his mum to his warm brown eyes. My favorite pair in the whole world. “Hi, Mum,” he says and kneels beside me to pat Benz’s head and kiss me.
“Hello, troublemaker,” she says, and Leonard gives me a small smirk. “Chiara and I have made plans to have a girls’ day on Wednesday. Can you manage to peel yourself off her long enough for us to spend it together?” she asks with a teasing tone, making my boyfriend smile.
“If I must,” he replies, giving me another kiss. “Mum, Starling and I have to be somewhere soon. We’ll call you tomorrow,” he says, grabbing my phone and waiting for all of us to say our goodbyes before hanging up. Leonard’s eyes drift to Benz as he scratches her belly once more. “Okay, baby, Mamma and I will be back in a few hours to take you for a nice, long walk,” he says and stands up, leaving my head to spin by itself.Mamma. He thinks of me as Benz’s Mamma. Fuck. I love it…
“Where are we going?” I croak out because my emotions are all over the place.
“I want to show you something I’ve also invested in,” he replies and holds out his hands to help me up. I slide mine into his, and he pulls me up with ease, wrapping his arms around my back and bringing our chests flush together.
“Then maybe don’t get me all worked up, otherwise we won’t make it out of the hotel room.” His teeth graze my bottom lip, sending a wave of electricity through me until it settles between my legs.
“Later, sweetheart. I promise. This is important to me, so I’d like to show you,” he tells me, and I step out of his embrace to get my horny side under control.
“Say no more. Let’s go,” I say and grab my purse off the chair next to the bed.
“I tell you it’s important and you don’t argue with me? Good to know,” he replies with a teasing tone and smile, and I playfully smack his arm. “Do that again,” he challenges with a smirk, and I know if I do, he’s going to bend me over on the bed and fuck me hard, which is the only reason why I hesitate. “You want to do it again, don’t you?” he says with a laugh and a shake of his head.
“You know I do. You shouldn’t dangle the possibility of sex in front of me when we have important places to go to,” I tell him, and he grabs my face. Desire plays in his eyes, surprising me.
“Spread your legs,” he instructs, and I furrow my brows at him. “We have two minutes. Spread your legs, sweetheart, and I’ll give you what you want.” I don’t hesitate. “Good girl.” One of his hands gently wraps around my neck as his other disappears into my panties.
Two minutes later, we’re walking out of the door with his hand in mine, a post-orgasm smile on my lips, and a cocky grin on his. If I wasn’t already in love with him, I would be now. Leonard gives me everything I want without hesitation, which is something I’ve never felt before. To be put first, always. To be everything he wants in the world. And fuck, if I wouldn’t die for this man.
* * *
Leonard broughtme to an animal sanctuary. A sanctuary that’s huge and filled with animals rescued from circuses, people who thought it would be okay to raise a tiger as a pet, and hunters who injured the animals in their attempt to kill them. The woman in charge of the sanctuary is kind and, simply put, a ray of sunshine. She tells me she does her best to get the animals back into the wild as soon as they are healed, but most of them have sustained injuries so bad, they wouldn’t be able to survive anymore. My heart shatters into a million pieces at the thought of innocent creatures having to go through so much pain and suffering, but the feeling is eased a little by the sight of them happily playing in the water in their large areas of the sanctuary.
“How can they afford all of this? It must cost a fortune,” I whisper to Leonard as I smile at the lions lying together, sleeping.
“I invest, sometimes throw charity parties to raise more money too. Anything that helps,” he replies, his hand on the small of my back to make me follow Pepa, the woman who owns the sanctuary.
“You do?”
