I help Chris into our small cottage. It’s only a two-bedroom but it’s perfect. Even though it’s decorated in a beach theme, it’s still pretty manly.
“You got the perfect life, Leo,” Chris says in a loud whisper.
I’ve got one arm under him so he doesn’t fall down. Coach will kill him this close to the season if that happened.
“Oh yeah, why’s that?”
He turns to answer, but before he can, Chris pukes all down the front of himself.
It’s going to be a long fucking night, for sure.
* * *
It’s Saturday morning and I’m stoked to pick Sophia up for our trip south. Since it’s her birthday today, I have a card and flowers to start out the day.
The festival is almost two hours away, so we’ll get there just as it starts. I made early dinner reservations at a nice historic inn on the island. So, if we leave by seven, we’ll get home early.
Arriving at her place, I hop out of my car with her card and flowers. When Sophia opens the door, my mouth starts to water. I can’t help but look her up and down as she stands in front of me with a wicked smile on her face. It’s a smile I’ve never seen before. And her clothes, holy crap! She’s got on denim shorts that barely cover her ass cheeks, with a white t-shirt that hugs her perfect curves.
“Shit, Sophia. You look beautiful.”
Her cheeks turn a perfect shade of pink.
Don’t get me wrong, she looks good enough to eat right her on her porch, but I don’t think she or her neighbors would appreciate it.
“Thank you,” she whispers.
Clearing my throat, I thrust the card and flowers at her as if they’re too hot to handle.
“Happy birthday.” I lean in and give her a light kiss on her lips. It’d be so easy just to stay here like this. Someday.
“Wow, these are beautiful. Let me put them in water and then we can go.”
The first hour of our trip is a little quiet. Sophia seems nervous so I grab her hand in mine and squeeze gently.
I see her turn to look at me out of the corner of my eye. “Everything alright?”
She squeezes my hand a little tighter. “It’s perfect. I enjoy spending time with you like this.”
Chuckling, I quiz her about what she means.
Sophia tilts her head, as if she thinking of how to frame what she wants to say.
“Well, for one, it’s relaxing and we’re alone.”
“Those are good things.”
She laughs at my agreement.
Then she gets a little more serious. “And two, you really make me feel special, Leo. No man has ever made me feel the way you do.”
Jesus. Suddenly, I feel inadequate. I haven’t shown her nearly enough just how great I think she is.
Keeping my eyes on the road, I kiss the back of her hand. “Sophia. I want you to know that I think you’re the most perfect woman I’ve ever met.”
I can tell she isn’t used to the compliments because she smiles, then turns to look out the window.
“Thank you, Leo, but I’m far from perfect.”
Hmm.
“Well, let’s agree that you and I differ on that, OK?”
All she does is nod, but never turns back my way.
What the hell? Thankfully, we are on a slow two-lane road because I feel the need to pull over and set the record straight.
Sophia looks behind us as I move the car to the side of the road, then turns to me. “Leo? What’s the matter?”
Putting my car in park, I unbuckle my seatbelt so I can move closer to her. “Hey, I’m sorry if I said something wrong.”
Sophia shakes her head. “What are you talking about?”
“You got kind of quiet when I told you how perfect I think you are.”
“I just think you’re going to be very disappointed if you think I’m perfect, Leo.”
Grabbing her face in my hands, I lay out how I feel. I don’t know why I do it right here in the car, but Sophia needs to understand what she means to me.
“Fine, I get that no one is perfect, but you are the closest thing. And I swear, if you have faults, Sophia, I won’t be disappointed. I’ll gladly take them as long as I get you.”
Sophia
I don’t know what’s going on right now. I’ve dreamt of Leo saying things like this to me, but now that he is, well, I feel a little apprehensive. Not about Leo, but about where this is going. I was just starting to relax and not think about being a virgin who’s dating a very hot, very experienced, soccer player. Not wanting to make a big deal about it anymore, I do what I always do…I try to use humor to refocus the attention off me.
“But what happens if you disappoint me, Leo? Can I trade you in for a new model?”
It gets the reaction I want when Leo throws his head back and laughs. “If you think you can find someone who’ll care for you the way I do, then I dare you, sweetheart.”
Oh God, the way he says it is so sexy. It’s freaking hot as heck in here. “Um, can you turn the AC up?”
Leo kisses me on the forehead, turns the AC up, and we pull out back onto the main road.
* * *
The festival was fantastic. After the little hiccup in the car, Leo and I had the best time. He held my hand, and I found myself falling a little more.
Leo bought me tons of mango items—mango-scented shampoo, mango cupcakes, and mango kitchen towels, just to name a few. We ate mango ice cream after lunch, then took a walk down to the intercoastal waterway.
We sat on the bench for an hour and just talked. Leo never let go of my hand, so I didn’t either.
I did get to see another side of Leo though. As if I needed another reason to be more attracted to him, he gave a young Clearwater Rebels fan an autograph and took a selfie with the young boy. It warmed my heart to see how gentle and kind Leo was.
I wonder if that is how’d he’d be with me? Gentle and kind in bed? Or is he used to dirty sex? The kind of sex Brenda is used to? Gah! Stop thinking about it, Sophia, and enjoy the moment.
Out of the corner of my eye, I notice Leo glancing at his watch. “It’s almost time for dinner. I made reservations for us at a historic inn not too far from here. I hope you like it.”
“I love everything you’ve done for me today, Leo. It’s more than I could’ve imagined, so thank you.”
The inn is only a short twenty-minute drive. When we pull up, I’m in awe of the building. Never mind that it’s in a quaint old neighborhood that reminds me of what Florida must’ve looked like fifty years ago, but it’s so warm and inviting, I can’t wait to go in.
We pull around back to a small parking lot and exit the car.
“This place looked so cool in the pictures but now seeing it in person… It’s just, wow,” Leo says as he looks around.
“It really is breathtaking.”
“Yes, you are,” Leo says, once again making me blush.
“Thank you.” I lean up and give him a quick kiss on the lips.
We are greeted at the front door by the owners, a husband and wife who look to be in their mid to late fifties.
“Hi, I’m Russell and this is my wife, Cary. You must be Sophia and Leo. Please, come right in. Your table is waiting.”
After Leo exchanges handshakes with Russell, we follow them into the dining area. It’s small but gorgeous. There are five tables, each set up for only two people. It’s cozy and perfect for a date. Leo places his hand on the small of my back and leaning in, he pulls my back close to his chest. The feel of him against me takes my breath away. Closing my eyes, I sink deeper into him.
“Happy birthday, gorgeous,” he whispers in my ear.
His heat and his breath give me instant goose bumps as I try to move to our table.
Leo
The feel of her perfect ass against my dick has me wishing we were back at my place in Clearwater. Of course, I’m not sure what would happen exactly. But fuck, if I don’t fantasize about sinking deep inside her and staying there.
&
nbsp; I need to put a little bit of distance between us, and fast. “Come on, there’s our table by the fireplace. I made sure to request the best one in the place.”
Sophia looks up at me with her blue eyes. It’s a look between longing and apprehension. I grab her hand and lead her toward the table. What I really wanted to do was wipe a table clear and put her on it, but I don’t think the other diners or Sophia would appreciate it.
“Everything OK?” she asks.
“Yeah,” I lie as I pull out her chair.
Once seated, Sophia looks around at the room. It’s decorated in dark wood with a beautiful mantel above the fireplace.
It’s supposed to cool down tonight into the fifties but there’s a nice fire going.
“This is really nice, Leo. No one has ever done anything like this for me before.”
Huh? “You mean, take you out to dinner?” I know I’m trying to hide my shock but it must be apparent on my face because Sophia becomes uneasy. I see her body shift in her chair.
Wanting to reassure her, I reach over and hold her hand in mine. “Sophia, it’s OK that you and I have different experiences. I just want to know you. No pressure.”
Sophia shakes her head. “That’s not it, Leo,” she says as she blows out a sigh. “I just think about everything I missed the last few years. Sometimes it makes me sad.”
I move my chair closer to her, and I don’t even care what anyone else in the room sees or hears because right now, it’s just the two of us.
Taking her face in my hands, her beautiful eyes get bigger. “Tonight is about you, sweetheart, and how thankful I am that I got hurt playing soccer with a bunch of kids. If I hadn’t, I wouldn’t be here with you like this.”
I see Sophia’s throat move up and down. “I never believed in fate before I met you. But now, my world seems a lot brighter with you in it.”
She looks down, embarrassed by what I said but I don’t let her get away with it. I tip her face back up to mine, kissing her gently, and she lets out a soft whimper.
I pull back and see her eyes are still closed. When she slowly opens them, I notice how much of a darker blue they are. I know I’m having a physical effect on her. I don’t hate it.
“Now, sweetheart, I want to continue celebrating you.”
Dinner takes about an hour. Sophia ordered the salmon and I had the sirloin. We talked about our favorite parts of the day, and she seemed to relax as dinner went on.
When it was dessert time, we ordered the bread pudding and shared it, but only after Russell, Cary, and I sang happy birthday to Sophia.
Rubbing her stomach, she leans back in her chair. “Wow that was really good. I’m so stuffed, I’m not sure I’ll be able to stay awake on the car ride home.”
I laugh because she’s so damn cute. “Don’t worry, I’ll wake you when I get you home if you fall asleep.”
The thought of Sophia sleeping leads me down a dangerous path. I want to feel her sleep in my arms. Just sleep. I think I’d be OK with that.
After paying the bill, we thank Russell and Cary and head out to the car, but the damn thing won’t start.
“What’s wrong?” she asks.
“I don’t know. It won’t turn over. Maybe I just need a jump.” I look over at Sophia. “Sorry, I’ll just run in and see if Russell can give us a jump.”
“Sure, I’ll wait here.”
Shit! My Camaro always starts, why is this happening now?
* * *
“I’m sorry, Sophia.”
She lets out a nervous giggle. “It’s fine, Leo. We’re both adults and I’m sure we can handle sharing a room for one night.”
I’m so fucked, I can’t even get the goddamn key in the lock. Thinking about sharing a room with Sophia has me nervous as shit.
I keep apologizing and she’s been so understanding. My damn car needs a new alternator and I can’t get it fixed until tomorrow. Russell called a friend who owns a garage and offered to come in on a Sunday to fix it. Of course, that wouldn’t be such a huge inconvenience, except for the fact that there are only two other places to spend the night on the island and they’re both booked.
Russell and Cary offered us their last room for nothing. I suppose they felt bad about Sophia and I being stuck.
As I fumble with the key, I feel the heat of Sophia behind me. Concentrate, Leo. Unlocking a fucking door shouldn’t be this hard.
Taking a deep breath, I finally get it open. I step aside and let Sophia go in first.
“Wow! This is beautiful.”
As I walk in behind her, the first thing I notice is the four-poster king-size bed. It’s taunting me as if it knows I won’t be having sex tonight. I shouldn’t even be thinking about it but damn it if Sophia isn’t the sexiest woman I’ve ever laid eyes on.
“Look at the fireplace, Leo!” She squeals in delight.
“It’s a great room,” I agree.
She must hear the apprehension in my voice because when she turns to face me, I see her smile falter.
I did that.
Sophia
I don’t know why but Leo is shaken up over the fact we have to spend the night here. If I’m not nervous about it, I don’t know why he is.
Maybe I should be, but I know in my heart Leo will be a perfect gentleman tonight.
He offered me his t-shirt to wear to bed, which I was grateful for. At least it’ll cover me more than what I was wearing. In fact. It’s just the same size as my nightshirts.
When I come out of the bathroom with it on, Leo looks as if he’s seen a ghost or something.
“I, uh, need to use the bathroom. I’ll be right back,” Leo says as he runs by me.
Anyone else would think this is funny, but I’m starting to feel as if he really doesn’t want to be here with me.
Moving closer to the bathroom door, I listen. He’s talking to someone on his phone.
I know what I’m doing is wrong, but he’s acting so weird, I want to know what’s going on, so I listen to the one-sided conversation.
“Jesus Christ, Chris, yeah. I’m here with her now.”
Nothing.
“I know. She’s so goddamn beautiful.”
Even though he takes the Lord’s name in vain, I don’t care. He thinks I’m beautiful!
“There’s one fucking bed.”
Nothing.
“Of course I’m going to sleep on the floor.”
I don’t want him to sleep on the floor. I’m not ready to have sex with him, but I don’t want him to sleep on the floor either.
“I know, man. She’s got me all twisted up. I never get like this. You should see her. I gave her my t-shirt to wear to bed and shit, her legs are driving me crazy.”
I smile to myself because I know the feeling. Leo Cameron has me all twisted up too. But for some reason, I’m not nervous. I feel at peace.
“Yeah, all right. I’ll call you tomorrow.”
I take two giant leaps away from the door before he opens it.
“Everything OK?”
“Yeah, just wanted to let Chris know I wouldn’t be home tonight.”
Leo doesn’t look at me. In fact, he looks all around the room, avoiding my eyes. I like that he’s nervous, but I also want him to know I’m not breakable.
Moving closer to him, I catch his eye.
Placing my hands on his chest, I try to relax this tall, sexy soccer player.
“Hi.”
He looks down at me. I see his shoulders relax and he smiles.
“Hi, beautiful.”
His words make me breathless and suddenly, my heart rate picks up. The reality of being here with Leo like this has me fighting an internal battle.
“I’m sorry this is happening, Sophia. I wanted your birthday to be perfect.”
Moving my hands down his arms, I grab his wrists lightly. His eyes follow the movement.
I pull down on him slightly, to give me some leverage. On my toes, I lean up and kiss him. It’s a gentle kiss; sweet, really. He needs to
know just how perfect today was.
I feel Leo growl against my lips and it makes me smile. I know I’m teasing him somewhat, but I need to taste him.
Leo pulls my arms up around his neck as he deepens the kiss. His tongue sweeps against mine, making my stomach tighten again.
“Leo,” I whisper against his lips.
He pulls away, slightly assessing the situation.
There’s a war going on inside me. My brain is telling me to slow down, but my heart and other parts are telling me to keep going.
Leo makes the choice for both my head and my heart. “We should probably get situated.”
Wiping my lips, I nod. Not that I’m tired, but I can tell Leo is uncomfortable, which makes me uncomfortable.
There’s a small loveseat in our room, much too small for either of us to sleep on, but Leo starts to move the cushions to the floor.
Instantly, regret floods me. I feel guilty he’s going to sleep on the floor, giving me a king-size bed all to myself. I feel guilty because I want him. I want Leo to not see me as a breakable, goody two-shoes. I want him to see me as a woman.
I bite my lip, working up the courage to tell him what I want. “Leo, please don’t sleep on the floor. I’ll feel terrible if I’m comfortable and you aren’t. There’s more than enough room in this bed for the two of us.”
Of course, I don’t tell him I want to feel his arms around me. I want to know what it’s like to be held by him.
He shakes his head. “That’s not a good idea. I’ll be alright down here, Sophia. Don’t worry about me.”
I’m left standing here, shocked as I watch him get down on the floor.
One thing Leo doesn’t know about me is how stubborn I can be. Kicking off my shoes, I grab two pillows from the bed, along with the comforter. I start to drag them around the corner of the bed, over to where Leo is laying.
A Love Like Nun Other: Book One in the Game Winner Duet Page 8
