Total pages in book: 56
Estimated words: 54091 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 270(@200wpm)___ 216(@250wpm)___ 180(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 54091 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 270(@200wpm)___ 216(@250wpm)___ 180(@300wpm)
“Understood.”
She rolls onto her side, so I move onto my side, too.
“I don’t want things to be awkward with us,” she says.
“They won’t.”
“I know you have to be up early, so I’ll get dressed. We don’t have to cuddle. Can you still give me a ride home?”
“I’ll take you home, but not yet.”
She yawns. “Why not yet? Do you want an all-night fuckathon? Because I’m not sure I can do it.”
“I don’t want you to go. I’ll make the omelets and we can eat in bed and get some sleep. I’ll take you home on my way to the airport.”
There’s a moment of quiet before she says, “Okay. Make mine extra cheesy.”
I kiss her once, then again. I’ve never felt so content this soon after a panic attack, even with medication. I don’t know if it was the sex or just Mara being here.
It feels damn good, though. I’m not spiraling over my knee anymore. I want to just be here with her tonight—both physically and in my head.
Chapter Sixteen
Mara
* * *
I set down a heavy case of files on my assistant Missy’s desk, every muscle in my legs hurting.
“Do you have any ibuprofen?” I ask her.
“Of course. I’m the office dealer, remember?” She opens her desk drawer and takes out a large pill organizer. “I’ll help you carry those to the courtroom.”
“No, it’s okay.” I take the two pills she offers. “Thanks.”
“Are you sure you’re okay? You look like you’re not feeling well.”
It’s probably the dark circles beneath my eyes making her think that. I got maybe two hours of sleep last night at Leo’s. But other than the exhaustion, I’m amazing.
We tried to get some sleep after eating our omelets in bed, but our hands and lips were roaming, and a second, slower session of sex was inevitable. That’s why everything from my waist down hurts. Leo bent me and moved me into positions that used muscles I’m not sure my body even knew it had.
It’s always been hard for me to come a second time in one night, but he was patient, reading my body like a song he knows by heart. He took his time getting me there, and I saw stars. Sex with any other man is ruined for me.
“Just tired,” I tell Missy.
She arches a brow. “Good tired?”
Missy and I share personal stuff when we’re alone. She’s recently divorced and has also been in a long-term sex drought.
“Amazing tired.” I smile, knowing I have heart eyes.
“Yeah, girl. Good for you.”
I take the pills, swallowing them without water because I need to get to court. Jayden is off today, so I’m flying solo.
It’s been nearly impossible to keep my mind on work today. What happened with me and Leo last night came out of nowhere. I knew we were slowly becoming friends, but I had no idea he’d ever thought about more than that with me.
There’s never been a time, since the first time I saw you, when I didn’t want you.
I keep replaying his words in my head, and I never stop feeling giddy when I do. I thought being a strong, independent woman meant I didn’t care about a man feeling smitten with me. Especially Leo Abbott.
Everything changed when he opened up to me about his anxiety and depression, and his knee injury. He trusted me with his most closely guarded secrets, and I want to show him he was right to trust me.
For more than a year now, I’ve seized every opportunity to make fun of him. I’m not proud of how I’ve acted. I could see all over his face last night that he wasn’t sure if he’d get a sharp comment about his mental health medication.
Even a tall, strong man like him, who seems to have it all, has vulnerabilities. When we tried to sleep, neither of us could. I whispered to him several times, asking if he was awake and he said he was because he couldn’t believe I was really there with him.
It was the same for me. When he was spooned around my back, his arm tucking me close to him, I’d close my eyes to sleep and I couldn’t stop smiling. Because he wanted me to stay. Because we’d just had the most incredible sex ever. Because he was so warm and solid against me.
I did finally drift off around three thirty a.m., but we had to be up at five thirty so he could get me home and make his flight on time. We both stole looks at each other the whole drive, and he walked me to my door and kissed me goodbye.
I’ve felt like I was floating since I walked into my apartment. I’m not a woman who falls head over feet for any man, but I’m feeling like I could right now.
It’s probably good that he just left for a six-day road trip. Maybe the time away from each other will help me return to my usual, more cynical self.