There’s was no way Leo wasn’t interested, heck he still is, I can see it in his heated gaze. He’s in what I now know is his standard-issue clothes. On anyone else it would look boring, but the black polo shirt molds to his chest, showing me just what he’s packing beneath it, and his black cargo pants with a black belt have me thinking things I really shouldn’t. My mind plays out what Leo could do with it, how he’d raise my hands above my head, tying them to the headboard while he takes me, or my hands tied behind my back as he fucks me from behind. Those thoughts cause a full-body shiver.
“You cold?” he asks, this time bringing his hand around to my hip, pulling me closer. I breathe in his scent—undercurrents of spices and woodsy tones. It must be the cologne he wears. Either way, I could bask in it.
“Kind of,” I respond, not wanting him to loosen his hold. I know I only have a few more moments in his presence before he leaves for the night and I won’t see him until tomorrow morning.
“We’ll get you warmed up in no time.” He drops his head, the rasp in Leo’s tone only making me want him more.
I nod my head, but all I really want is for him to come in with me. I would never ask him, though, I’m not that brazen. What I’m doing tonight is so out of the box for me, but the past few weeks have been our very own kind of foreplay, the heated glances, the lingering touches. I needed to know it wasn’t just one sided.
We make it to my closed bedroom door. Leo is still with me when my hand goes to the doorknob. His comes on top. His front molds to my back, and I can feel every square inch of his body touching mine, including the bulge that is digging into my lower back. If I were bolder, I’d be on my toes, wanting to feel him where I’m aching the most.
“Tinsley.” His deep timber washes over me, causing me to drop my head back on a sigh.
“Leo,” I reply as his hand wraps around my bare stomach, holding me to him.
“I’m coming inside. I need to check to make sure everything is good. Dumb and Dumber aren’t even around, not sure what the hell is up with that. You’ll stay by the door while I do a sweep.” I don’t respond to him. My sole focus is on how he feels around me.
“Nod your head if you understand, beautiful.” I do as he says, loving that he just called me beautiful. No one has ever given me the time of day quite like Leo has, even if he is hired by my father. It still makes me feel cherished. The two of us walk in together, his body still hugging mine. It only changes when he closes the door behind us. That’s when he lets go and says, “Stay right here.”
“I will,” I respond. My own voice sounds like a stranger’s to my ears. As soon as Leo sees me in place, he turns and makes his way to check out each and every nook and cranny in my room. If I had it my way, I’d be back in my apartment in the lights of the city that overlook the lake. Not in this place where everything has to look a certain way, appear to be in the best form possible. It sucks. Literally, it sucks to be back in my childhood home, where I can’t move about my own business like I once did. I’m not a spoiled princess—I don’t ask for much, and I don’t expect it either. Sure, I go to a good college and have a nice apartment. The college I worked my ass off to get into. The apartment was definitely a hard pill to swallow. After my first year living in a dorm, I knew apartment living was expected of me, not by just the college but by my parents as well. We somehow came to an agreement that I’d live in a one-bedroom apartment by the school, so I could either walk or drive there if the weather was bad. It took us months to find a place my parents could agree on. I didn’t care what it looked like, paint, some décor, and it would come a long way. Especially since that’s what I was going to school for anyway, much to their dismay.
“Is everything okay?” I call out. It’s been several minutes since Leo’s been gone, leaving me unsure if everything is okay.
“Were you worried?” he asks. Leo didn’t come back the way he went, a testament to how big my room is here at home. The sitting area is as big as some homes, not to mention the bedroom and bathroom that are attached to this wing. If only it had a kitchen, I’d never have to be sociable. That would be the life.
“Maybe.” We’re both playing a game of cat and mouse.
“It’s perfectly safe in here. I’ll see you in the morning.” His fingers slide against my midriff before he leaves me in a state of breathlessness and replaying every moment we spent together today.
Three
Leo
“Yo,” Slade answers after the second ring. I’m back in my room that’s next to Tinsley’s wing. Dumb and Dumber, Matt and David, still are sight unseen.
“Hey, might have a situation on our hands. You didn’t mention Sutton was going to have two dingbats attempt to play bodyguard, leaving our client unattended non-fucking-stop.”
“You fucking kidding me? You’re the only one I can leave out there, and we’re already spread thin. What are your thoughts about leaving the property and staying with her elsewhere?” Slade asks. I already knew there were no other viable options. Everyone back home has a family, though from what Drake told me, they’re looking at bringing on a few more people. I pinch the bridge of my nose because there is no other option. Keeping Tinsley safe and secure is my number-one mission, and that shit is not going to happen here in a place this big.
“Yeah, we’ll have to. Not too sure how the father will take the news when you tell him that though. He’s an arrogant prick who thinks he knows everything yet has no common sense when it comes to behind the scenes. He’s a real class act, I’ll give him that,” I respond.
“No kidding. Sorry I sent you out there, but he was a friend of a friend. She has an apartment, right? We can relocate you there or to another place, but it’s off the grid, and I’d like to hold off if we don’t need to use it or have anyone else know about it.” He’s talking about the safe house we have in the middle of no man’s land, North Dakota. Fuck, I thought it got cold here. I’d really freeze my dick off if we went out that way.
“Yeah, you want me to let Sutton know, or will you?” I offer.
“Na, I’ll call him first thing in the morning and go from there. Stay safe, Leo,” he replies.
“You too.” We hang up. Nothing else left to say. My whole family is back in Virginia, a place that’s been home my whole life. It’s a place I thought would be easy to come and go as I pleased. I’m finding out that’s not the case the older I get.
I throw my phone on the bed, strip down to my boxers before getting ready for bed. My body is functioning on about four hours of sleep in the past forty-eight hours, and I’m about killed from it. I slide beneath the sheets. A hot shower will be in my future once I get a few hours of much-needed sleep. When I left Tinsley’s room, I made sure her door was locked. At least no one would be dumb enough to go in there while she’s asleep. Unless they have a death wish, that is. My eyes droop, my mind shutting off from the bullshit that’s been piling up for the past few weeks. I still can’t fucking believe the way Robert and Cynthia Sutton are handling things. In fact, I think if it weren’t for his investment, he probably wouldn’t have called in a favor to his friend. His image seems to be the only thing he cares about, not that his daughter is smart, beautiful, and has a bright future in front of her. My last thoughts before drifting off are of Tinsley, how she felt pressed up against my body, the way she sank into me, and I don’t care that she’s trouble. She’s worth it.