Innocent (Inequitable Trilogy Book 2)

by Lesli Richardson

  At least about the three of us. Still need to work on him about being out publicly.

  “I haven’t been with anyone but the two of you, either,” he volunteers, relieving me.

  Honestly? I’d been afraid to ask. I didn’t know if maybe there was someone Elliot didn’t know about.

  That’s when something hits me. “What do you mean, ‘again’?”

  “Hmm?”

  “You said ‘fly down there again.’ What did you mean by that?”

  I find it amusing that Leo almost looks…abashed? That’s not a look I’m used to seeing on his face.

  He lets out a sigh that sounds like it’s made out of lead and ten times as heavy. “I’ve flown down to Florida five times since you left.”

  I blink. “Five times?” Elliot didn’t tell me that.

  “The last time was a couple of days before Shae’s trip. I’d go down, follow you around, try to make myself approach you. I was afraid you’d tell me to go fuck myself. That last time, I was there a little before five in the afternoon. I actually stood outside your office building and tried to talk myself into going in. Then you left work. I followed you and wanted to kick your ass for not paying attention to your surroundings. You had your earbuds in and your head down over your phone. I walked behind you all the way to your apartment building, watched you go inside, then I stood there and finally had to admit I was nutless.”

  Stunned, I stare at him as I try to process that admission. “You followed me more than once?”

  I don’t think I’ve ever seen Leo look sheepish before now. “Yeah. Technically, I think the correct term is ‘stalking,’ because I was in your apartment, too.”

  Even his playful smirk can’t distract me. “You were in my apartment?” I’m simultaneously horrified and turned on.

  Is “hornified” a word? It should be.

  Then again, I think about him showing up at the residence, so this shouldn’t be a shocker. He is determined, I’ll give him all due credit for that.

  “Yeah. Just once. Your super was stupid-easy to play, by the way. I didn’t like him. No telling what kind of fuckery can happen with security that lax.”

  “Good thing I don’t live there anymore, huh?”

  He looks entirely too satisfied. “Exactly. Your security’s far better now.”

  “Except for some rando stalky dude who keeps showing up, watches us have sex, and brings us danishes.”

  There’s that smugly satisfied smirk again. Fuck, he’s handsome.

  Except I’m not done. “And you knew how to find me in Tallahassee to follow me around—”

  “Because of the phone app, yeah. I sort of…kept tabs on you. I could pull it up on a map and see your normal routes. That’s why I was so shocked and, okay, yeah, a little angry when I saw you in the SitRoom.”

  “Why?”

  He snorts. “Because you turned your fucking phone off. I was going to make flight reservations later that day and take personal leave to go find you, and there you were.”

  I think about it for a minute. “So, you were mad at me the day you came back…because I didn’t return texts or phone calls?”

  “No! I was worried because…” He sighs. “The last place the tracker registered was the airport, and then nothing. For weeks. I was terrified you went on a trip and died or something.”

  “Or flew somewhere with someone?”

  His face turns an adorable shade of pink. “Yeah. That thought did cross my mind. But you were off the grid for so long, and your phone didn’t come back on. I thought, okay, maybe you got a new phone. Except you wouldn’t return my texts or voice mails or e-mails. I thought for sure you’d do that. Then your voice mail filled up, and the last place you showed up on the tracking app was at the airport. I couldn’t find any info about you getting on a commercial flight.”

  He snorts. “I never thought to check the flight manifest for Angel. That was stupid, in retrospect, because the flight times were right. Elliot really surprised me, I’ll give him credit for that.”

  “Tracker app?” Even though I knew it, I’m still stunned to hear him admit it so cavalierly.

  “Yeah. It’s how I knew where to find you when I—”

  “Stalked me in person?”

  “Yeah.”

  It’s so adorably…

  Creepy.

  It’s creepy, all right? Yeah, I get it.

  It’s even more than what I thought he was doing.

  It also fills me with quiet satisfaction, because someone in my life is tracking me, worried about me.

  Loving me from afar, even when I’d walked away from them.

  Still looking out for me.

  I think Mimi would have loved Leo.

  The fact that I never saw Leo also bothers me, because if I had no clue he was there, and he’d be the one person I should be clued in to above all others…maybe he’s been dead-right to worry about me.

  “Why didn’t you tell me you were there?” I ask. “Why didn’t you talk to me? You didn’t talk to me for months.” I sniffle. “I thought you didn’t care about me anymore.”

  Another sigh. “You uncollared yourself and left me, baby boy. You told me to take care of Elliot. If you love something set it free, and all that crap. I love you more than life. You and Elliot, both.”

  He cups my face in his hands. “But this time?” His expression hardens as his fingers clamp around my jaw. “You won’t fucking get away from me again, you hear? This time, I’m not letting you go, and I’m not fucking stopping. Because you belong to me. You came back, so you’re mine. If you ever leave me again, I will track you down and drag you back. Every time. I won’t make the same mistake twice.”

  The feel of his fingers digging into my flesh chases away all indignation and forces my entire focus onto him, here and now. I shiver and it brings to mind that first night on Air Force Two between me and Elliot.

  The way he shivered under my hands.

  “You understand me?” His tone bears dark promises and brooks no resistance.

  “Yes, Daddy.”

  I’m sure this is an interesting sight—me wrapped around him like a clingy toddler, both of us in our suits, and me having snot-cried all over him.

  Except a beaming smile fills Leo’s handsome face, making him look years younger as he slants his lips over mine for another kiss, this time sweet and tender and loving.

  Longing.

  Like he’s missed me as much—or more—as I missed him. “You’re mine, baby boy,” he whispers against my lips. “Always and forever. Never forget that again, because I sure as hell won’t.”

  Chapter Forty-One

  I draw in a long, deep breath that feels sweet and easy, the first such breath I’ve taken since I turned my back on Leo and DC, and broke his heart and mine.

  He starts undressing me. When I try to help get him naked, he bats my hands away and pins them over my head against the back of the couch with one hand, so he can continue baring my flesh with the other.

  I have zero will to fight him.

  Absolutely none.

  I know we shouldn’t be fucking up in the residence, but at this point, I honestly don’t care.

  Once I’m naked on the sofa, Leo starts kissing me, nipping and biting, sucking trails all over my body and ignoring my cock, which is hard and aching to feel his touch again. I’m helpless to resist him, even if I wanted to. In some ways, this man knows me better than I know myself.

  He always has. It feels like Fate between us. I’m not one for believing in woo-woo, but the soul-deep connection I’ve always shared with Leo makes me want to.

  He finally sits up and shrugs his blazer off, then pulls something from his right pants pocket and drops it on the coffee table.

  Lube and condoms.

  That pulls me up short. I actually cock my head as I look at him. “You walk around the White House carrying lube and condoms?”

  He snorts. “I lifted them from Shae’s bedroom when we came up. That’s what I wa
s doing in there. I’ll buy them some to make up for it. They have plenty, trust me.” He pulls a small packet of wipes from his other pocket and drops it next to them. “And those.”

  Smiling, he gives me the little two-fingered come here gesture that I’d also forgotten how much I missed. I launch myself at him and help him shed the rest of his clothes. He can’t get naked fast enough now.

  Five minutes later…

  If you have Jordan pretzeled on the Music Room couch with his ankles by his ears and Leo’s cock up his ass on your reunion-sex bingo card, congrats! Check it off.

  “I was hoping that morning you’d ask me to join the two of you in the shower,” he growls against my throat. “I wanted to bend you over and fuck your brains out while I watched the pet suck your cock again.”

  I’m trying not to come yet, because the man always could throw an excellent fuck. Even at his gentlest, there’s always something raw and primal around the edges with him that I didn’t realize exactly how much I’ve missed.

  “How about tomorrow morning we do that, Daddy?”

  He slows his strokes, staring down at me. “Who says we won’t still be locked in here and fucking each other’s brains out, baby boy?” A playful smile lights his features and it’s like the last seven months were nothing but a bad dream I’ve finally clawed my way free from. He takes a particularly hard thrust, and it feels soooo fucking perfect.

  I sort of laugh, but it’s kind of a moan, too, because damn, he knows my body. “We get done here, Daddy, you need to run home and grab stuff so you can stay over tonight.”

  He bites and sucks a spot on my left pec. “I still have a packed go-bag in my office.” He takes another hard thrust and it nearly shoves me over the edge.

  I whimper and arch my back, trying to rock against him. “Fuck, yeah!”

  “Don’t you fucking come without me, baby boy.” He bites my right pec, and I’m going to be the one covered in marks this time instead of him.

  I wonder how many my boy will add to the collection? It won’t be Leo who’s bearing the messages now, I’m sure.

  It’ll be me.

  Yay!

  “Has the pet been sucking your cock like a good boy?” Leo growls against my throat. “Has he been behaving himself?”

  His larger weight has me pinned and unable to squirm against him as much as I’d like. “Yes, Daddy. Except there’s some rando, stalky dude who keeps texting him all the time and distracting him. That’s been kind of annoying.”

  Leo laughs and thrusts again. “Some rando, stalky dude, huh? Sounds like an asshole. I hate him already.”

  “Yeah, well I was starting to hate him pretty hard myself, until a little while ago.”

  Our gazes lock once more and he freezes, his cock buried deep inside me. “I mean it.” His hoarse voice brims with emotions. “Just the three of us, forever. We get him through this, and once he’s out of office and retired, that’s it. I get my boys back, and then we hole up in a home that’s ours, and we never fucking leave it. Not until I’ve shown you two how much I love you both.”

  I lift my head and kiss him. “Sounds good to me, Daddy. Please let me come!”

  When he slants his lips over mine, he starts thrusting again at a fast, steady pace he knows will get me over. The angle’s perfect, his cock’s perfect, and my cock is perfectly wedged between us and getting just enough friction. I can’t tell you how many times he’s fucked one out of me just like this over the years.

  Kind of his superpower.

  Along with being stalky.

  Le sigh!

  “Give it to me, baby boy,” he mumbles against my lips. “Give it to me now.”

  I do. I’ll give him anything and everything he asks of me. That’s the way it’s always been between us.

  I can’t say no to this man, and I don’t want to.

  My body responds and clamps down on him and he groans in response. “That’s what I wanted.”

  And then he’s there, spilling and filling the condom as he falls still inside me.

  His kisses grow gentle and sated. Sitting up a little, he pulls my legs around his waist and frees my hands so I can touch him all over.

  I want to breathe him in, feel him.

  I want to wrap myself around him and let him wear me all day long.

  God, I’ve fucking missed him.

  He stares down into my eyes, smirking. “You should’ve seen your face when I surprised you on your ‘date.’”

  “The cock-blocking comment was a little over the top. So was the hand kissing bullshit.”

  “You were sooo fucking jealous when I did that.” He grins.

  “Damn right, I was.” I twine my fingers through his hair. I’ve missed this, too. Lying in bed after making love and just…playing with him. Touching him. We were both kind of starved for physical contact when we first got together, and cuddling like this became one of our things.

  His smile fades and he cups my face, his gaze locked on mine. “That morning,” he quietly says. “In the SitRoom.”

  I know what he means. “Yeah?”

  “I need you to come to me, to talk to me, baby boy. I’ve seen some horrible shit. The evil things people can do to each other. I need you to talk to me. I can honestly say I am a trained professional. When you see shit you can’t handle, please, bring it to me. Even if you think you can handle it. Sometimes, it comes back later in other ways.”

  I nod.

  “Are you okay, baby boy?” he whispers.

  I start to nod but then I shake my head, because, no, I am not okay. Sometimes, I can go several hours at a time without hearing the man’s shrieks, or remembering the blood.

  Or the collective gasp in the room as the sword descended.

  I’m crying again.

  He rolls to his side and holds me. I really should get back to work…

  But, yeah.

  I can’t. Not right now.

  I need to pull myself together, and that’s not happening.

  Because Sir’s going to do it for me this time. I’m too fractured, too thin around the middle emotionally, ready to shatter into pieces along my fault lines. I feel drained and defeated.

  Except He’s here, and I can finally turn it all over to him.

  I don’t know how he did it for all those years, how he worked and helped Elliot and had me.

  I’m not ashamed to admit Leo’s a better man than I am. A stronger man. A stronger Sir.

  My Sir.

  * * * *

  Finally, I pull myself together with his gentle help. “What happens now?” I ask, almost afraid to hear his answer. My fingers play with his hair again.

  He tightens his grip around me and nuzzles the top of my head. “Does Elliot need you anytime soon?”

  I mentally run through today’s schedule. “No. He’s supposed to be working in his office until four.”

  “Okay.” Leo presses his lips to my forehead and I both feel and hear him draw in a long, deep breath. “Love you, baby boy.”

  “I love you, too, Sir.” I nuzzle my nose against his. “Elliot and I love each other, Daddy.”

  His smile elevates my soul to heavenly heights. “I know, baby boy. He told me.” He kisses me. “I love both of you, so much.”

  “But you didn’t answer my question.”

  “What do you want to happen now?”

  That’s a loaded question. “I want both of you,” I quietly admit, and I tell him of Elliot’s conditions, and mine.

  When I finish, Leo starts chuckling.

  I tip my head back a little so I can look into his eyes. “What’s so funny?”

  He’s smirking. “Nothing, baby. Just that this is exactly what I wanted from the start, and we sort of took the long and painful path to get here for all three of us. Couldn’t have been easy, I suppose.”

  I snuggle closer. “Sorry.”

  “No, maybe this was the way it was meant to work out.” He nuzzles his face in my hair again and it totally melts me. “This way
, Elliot’s accepted you. You were right that he wasn’t going to accept you before. I couldn’t make him do that, even though I stupidly thought I could.”

  I reach over and poke him in the ribs. “I promise I won’t make you turn in your Master card for admitting you were wrong about something.”

  He snorts, and it’s a sound I didn’t realize how badly I’d missed.

  We lie there for a few minutes in silence while I soak up the warmth of his body pressed against mine. Don’t get me wrong, I’m in love with Elliot.

  But Leo’s my Sir. My Master.

  My Daddy.

  I’m His.

  There’s a quiet comfort in that fact, and having the natural order once again restored.

  Knowing He’s in His rightful place above me.

  Looking out for me.

  For both of us.

  “There’s another benefit to this,” he adds.

  “And that is?”

  “If you’re the pet’s body man, I know you’re going to be protected by Secret Service when you’re with him.” He nuzzles, then nips the shell of my ear, making me shiver. “Remind me to get you fitted for body armor. Means I’ll need to take you suit shopping again.”

  I honestly think he’s joking, but he pinches me on the hip when I don’t respond immediately.

  “Ow! Yes, Sir.”

  “Exactly,” he notes, but I can’t stay mad at him.

  “Sorry. I thought you were joking.”

  “I don’t joke about your safety, or his. That’s why I was so pissed off when I followed you to the restaurant. Then you actually sat with your back to the fricking door. That will be a spanking, by the way.” He sounds satisfied in a way that soothes my soul. “You’re going to have to get used to living a split kind of life,” he adds.

  “I thought I already was?”

  “Not like this.” Leo works his way down my ear to my neck and rakes his teeth along the tendons there. “If I’ve just lost pet to you for the duration, baby boy, then I guess I’ll have to take out alll my frustrations on your ass.”

  Oh, shit.

  I giggle. “Yes, Sir. Guess you will.”

  He pauses at the junction of my shoulder and neck, with his lips pressed there as he deeply inhales again. “I think alone like this I prefer Daddy,” he softly says. “If you want to call me that.”