Draw Me In (8 page)

***

“
I like those ones.
”
I nodded my head excitedly, and then
tried to slow it down so I didn
’
t
look like a puppy about to go for a walk. If I had a tail, I
’
d certainly be wagging it, too.

“
You said that about the last four.
”

“
Because I liked those.
”
I did. I liked everything Leo had
tried on. And I liked the thought of what he looked like in between trying
those things on even more.

“
You
’
re really not much help, you know
that?
”
He stood facing the mirror with his chin tilted as he examined the jeans slung
low on his hips. They were faded in all the right places and hugged his backside
just enough that they didn
’
t
appear tight, but looked as though they were made specifically for his lean,
muscular body.

“
I warned you I wouldn
’
t be. And to be honest, I don
’
t really think you need my help here.
”

“
Yes,
”
he said, his voice stern, but not at
all rude, just authoritative.
“
I
do. I
’
ve
never bought a pair of jeans before.
”

How
that was possible, I had no idea. Everyone wore jeans. Hell, I even saw a baby
sporting a pair of jeggings last week during my morning walk. Jeans were
standard attire for anyone that lived on the planet. Instead of wrapping you up
in a knit blanket at the hospital when you were born, they should just throw a
pair of jeans on you, because you
’
d
end up spending about 78% of the rest of your life in them. I still hadn
’
t figured out if Leo actually resided
full time in New York or in Italy, but regardless, he was from planet earth,
and therefore, wore jeans. I, on the other hand, felt like I
’
d been floating somewhere out in
space all morning as I watched him slip in and out behind his dressing room
curtain. I could wear whatever I wanted, a spacesuit being the more appropriate
choice.

“
You
’
ve never purchased a pair of jeans?
”

“
No.
”
He shoved his hands in the front
pockets to gain a feel for the stretch and give of them.
“
My mom did all of my shopping growing
up. And I have a personal tailor that comes to the office to fit me for my
suits now. This is all new to me.
”

“
Maybe you should ask your mom
’
s opinion on these then,
”
I teased, waving a dismissive hand
in the air.

“
There are a lot of things I
’
d like to ask my mom, but I don
’
t think her opinion on pants would
make the cut.
”
Leo
’
s
eyes locked with mine as he twisted around to face me. They were softer than
usual, and the dip at the corners made him look like a little boy who
’
d just been told there was no Santa.
“
My mom passed almost ten years ago.
”

My
hand flew to my mouth.
“
Oh
God, Leo. I
’
m
so sorry.
”

He
forced a light laugh with an endearing smile attached to it and said,
“
You say you
’
re sorry like you had something to do
with it, Julie.
”
Stepping toward me, he ran a large hand down his jaw and shook off the bleak
turn in our conversation.
“
You
like these? They don
’
t
make my butt look big?
”

Well
of course by saying that, he pretty much just glued my eyes to his backside,
not that they weren
’
t
there already.
“
No,
it
’
s
perfect.
”

“
You think my ass is perfect?
”

“
Is there any answer I can say now
that won
’
t
make me sound like a complete creep?
‘
Cause
I
’
m feeling a little backed into a
corner here.
”

“
You want me to back you into a
corner? I think it
’
s
a little soon for that, don
’
t
you?
”

I
rolled my eyes playfully, hoping he could pick up on my attempt at flirtation
and didn
’
t
think I was truly annoyed. Because I wasn
’
t.
Confused? Yes. Flustered? No doubt. Turned on? Absolutely. But annoyance didn
’
t fit anywhere into that repertoire
of emotions.

“
Is English your second language?
Because it seems like you
’
re
having a difficult time interpreting what I
’
m saying.
”
I folded the jeans he
’
d tried on earlier into a neat stack
beside my chair, hoping he
’
d
purchase them all because they really did look fantastic on him.

“
Actually, it is.
Italiano
.
”

Well,
if that wasn
’
t
the sexiest thing I
’
d
ever heard, I wasn
’
t
sure what was. He could have said,
‘
My
dog just crapped on your pillow,
’
and I was fairly certain I
’
d
still be drooling. I had to intentionally force the muscles in my jaw to snap
shut. I also wiped my chin, just for good measure.

“
We moved to the states when I was
fourteen for Mom
’
s
treatments. I
’
ve
been here ever since.
”

He
fiddled with a button on his starched shirt, up near the triangle-tipped
collar. I didn
’
t
notice the fiddling turn into actual unbuttoning until the top three suddenly
sprung open and his smooth, taut chest peeked out through the curtain of the
stark-white fabric. He was all solid muscle and curved definition like marble
turned flesh.

I
temporarily forgot how to swallow.

And
breathe.

And
talk.

And
basically be human.

“
Can you hand me that?
”
He was naked now from the waist up,
all the lines on his rippling stomach leading toward the V I
’
d only seen before on statues and in
sketches. Ian had a hint of one, but nothing like this thick cord of muscle
that wound down Leo
’
s
hips, teasing my eyes toward the denim waistband just below. I suddenly had a
new favorite letter of the alphabet.

Today
’
s
shopping trip brought to you by the letter V!

“
Can I what your what?
”
Well that didn
’
t make any sense.

“
Toss me that shirt, Julie.
”

Oh,
a shirt. What was a shirt again?

“
I
’
m a little worried if I stand here
too long you
’
re
going to start drawing on me,
”
Leo smirked, taking three deliberate strides my direction, pants swishing with
each forward movement. He swooped down and lifted a faded red tee off the stool
at my side and slid his head into the opening, ruffling his hair as it caught
on the neckband.
“
Given
your affinity for drawing on naked men and all.
”

Was
I on candid camera? Because it was definitely beginning to feel like the most
mortifying moment in my life, and given my luck, I was certain it was being
recorded for all the world to see. I fluffed up the back of my hair with my
hands, you know, just in case this was actually being documented. If I was
going to be an idiot, I might as well be a presentable one.

“
Oh. Sorry.
”
Those were the only two words I
could remember how to speak, and one of them wasn
’
t even really a word, more of a
guttural sound or a stifled choke.
“
Wow,
”
I breathed as the shirt slid down
his body and into place.
“
You
almost look like a normal guy.
”
From the loose hug of his tee to the easy fit of his worn jeans, down to the
bare feet that pressed against the hardwood flooring below, he actually
resembled a normal twenty-four-year old. Not quite normal, because he was still
unrealistically gorgeous, but he really made the casual look work for him. That
suit and tie intimidation was no longer there.

“
I
am
a normal guy.
”
Leo
’
s
smile flashed and his brows shot up and down in a flirtatious, yet mildly
cartoon-like, manner.

“
Oh yeah,
‘
cause normal guys are heirs to
Italian wine enterprises. Hardly.
”

Again,
that
‘
There
is no Santa Claus
’
gape fell onto his face.

“
It
’
s my normal.
”

For
a moment I thought I might have actually hurt his feelings. So aside from ruining
his clothes, his coffee, and his face, I ruined his mood, too. I really should
’
ve come with some sort of label upon
birth.
WARNING
:
Known to make awkward any situation she may encounter. Proceed with
caution.

“
Normal is measured on a person by
person basis, Julie.
”
Leo sank his hands into his jean pockets again, this time not testing them out,
but more as a way to relax his posture.
“
It
’
s normal for you draw on naked men
and spill coffee on strangers. That
’
s
your normal. Mine is running my father
’
s
business.
”

“
I
’
m not normal
—”

He
lifted his hands up in mock surrender and cut me off mid-word.
“
Hey, you said it, not me.
”

“
I mean, I don
’
t
normally
do those things.
”
His statement didn
’
t
demand a defense, but I just had to push my thoughts out into the space between
us in the form of words. I was more than those things he
’
d mentioned, and I hoped deep within
my gut he wanted to find out what that more was.
“
You caught me on a couple of bad
days.
”

“
Do you normally have bad days?
”

“
No, but lately I
’
ve been having a lot of weird days.
Compliments of you,
”
I laughed.

Leo
drew an invisible line on the floor with his big toe, circling it across the
ground as some sort of nervous fidget, like he was sweeping sand around
underneath his foot. His eyes looped along the same path and didn
’
t meet mine.
“
Right. We
’
ve been over that. I make you do
weird things.
”

“
Kind of.
”

“
Is it weird for me to ask you to
lunch?
”
His foot stopped moving and those ice-blue irises hit mine. How there could be
such physical force in a movement that didn
’
t physically
touch
you was beyond me, but the heated slam of his gaze against
mine caused the most intense, visceral reaction in my core. It carried from my
palpitating heart all the way through the searing blaze in my veins snaking
throughout my body.