Only You (A Sweet Torment Novel) (13 page)

The action made me shudder. Like he was reaching out for any contact. Like he couldn’t stand not having his mouth on me. Or maybe he just wanted me. Truly wanted me.

I bent and kissed his chest, running my lips from his sternum to his nipple and sucked. He hissed and those impressive abs flexed further, so hard they looked welded out of steel. I couldn’t help but go lower. Biting those steely ridges and licking them. His skin was so soft and hot.

“You drive me insane, angel,” he muttered, and I wasn’t sure he realized he’d said it out loud.

I traveled lower, and he looked down at me just as my mouth hovered over his hard cock.

“You go down this path, you better be ready for retaliation,” Leo said with a husky voice.

I had no idea what he meant, but it didn’t matter. I wanted him. Loved the power I felt hovering over him like this. I could handle whatever retaliation he was thinking. I just didn’t want to stop. Didn’t want to leave this moment. Because right then, I was happy, on fire, and ready to split apart from drowning in want for the one man who seemed to understand me.

“Threatening me, are you?” I said with a grin.

Keeping my eyes on his, I licked the entire length of his erection slowly. He gritted his teeth. So I did it again. He sat up, reached down to grab my thigh, and before I could move, he tugged me around. In one fluid motion, he pulled my hips toward his head and positioned me so that I was now straddling his face, looking down at his body.

“I warned you,” he said, his breath hitting the sweet spot between my legs. He delved his tongue into my core and I cried out his name.

He thrust in and out, causing my hips to rock slightly to meet his mouth. I leaned forward, took him between my lips, and sucked him deeply.

He groaned against my heated flesh, so I worked faster. Lapping at him. He flicked his tongue over my clit so fast, I didn’t feel my release until it hit me in a strong, sudden bolt of pleasure rushing through my veins. With him buried deep in my mouth, I screamed as my body shuddered over and over again.

He coaxed me up and spun me back around. I was so off-kilter that it took me a moment to realize he had sheathed himself in a condom and I was now straddling his hips once more.

“Why—” I took a moment to catch my breath because little tremors were still sparking under my skin. “Why did you make me stop?”

He flexed his hips and I felt his erection prodding my opening. “Because I want to come when I’m buried deep inside of you.”

The words sent another dose of pleasure through me. I couldn’t hold back anymore. I sank down on him, my sensitive flesh aching in the most delicious way around him.

“Still your show, angel,” he said. “Whatever you want, take it.”

My eyes fastened on his. He gently cupped my hips, but didn’t move me. Just let me have, take, whatever I wanted. Again the realization that he somehow tapped into a hidden part of me was incredible. And scary. Because if he could read me this well, he could tell that I was—

Oh God . . .

The words stuck in my brain and the silent sound of them made my skin heat further, both in pleasure and terror.

I was
falling for him
.

I rocked forward just a little and his blue eyes stayed on my face but his brows sliced down in pleasure. The way he felt around me, inside of me, was too much to bear. He looked at me like he really saw me. Wanted me.

No. Slow was bad. Connection was bad. A sting formed behind my eyes, so I lifted up until he almost slid from my body, then slammed back down. He growled and his grip tightened, but still he let me move how I wanted.

And I did.

I ground against him, hard and deep so that he hit that spot inside. I couldn’t help it. My eyes fluttered shut and my thoughts betrayed me and came out as words.

“I feel you everywhere,” I said. With my hands on his chest, I bore down and swirled my hips, then bobbed up and down.

And Leo just held on to me. With one large hand gripping my side, the other cupped my breast, and his thumb brushed over my nipple. It was enough to send me over the edge.

“Leo!” I moaned as another hot flash of pleasure raced through me.

He said something that sounded like “perfect angel” and I felt him follow me over the edge. His body pulsed and all those muscles flexed and released.

He sat up once more, only this time, he tugged the backs of my knees so that my legs wrapped around him, my heels locking together. I gasped because he was still hard, still inside me, now even deeper.

Even closer.

He wrapped his big arms around me and hugged me close. Tightly. His face buried in my neck, he gently kissed my throat.

I felt so safe.

Like nothing in the world could touch me. Not the past. Not the pain. Not even the truth . . . the truth that no one believed me. Believed in me.

The sting behind my eyes made tears rise and I batted them back with my lashes. Leo wasn’t letting go. He just sat there and held me.

I did the only thing I could. The only thing that felt right.

I wrapped my arms around his neck and hugged him back.

Chapter Twelve

W
hen I woke up to a warm, strong pillow that smelled like yummy spice and masculinity, I creaked my eyes open to find my “pillow” was Leo’s stomach.

He was propped up slightly against the headboard.

I must have fallen asleep hard, something I’d never done with anyone. I always slept alone. I sat up, hoping he didn’t notice. But when I looked at his face, he was wide awake, though it was still dark outside.

“What time is it?” I asked, sleep still in my voice.

“About four in the morning.”

I rubbed my eyes. “You’re still here.”

“Ouch,” he said with a grin. “I think we need to work on your bedside manner, Red. Tip number one, don’t insult the man who gave you two orgasms, then was used as your own personal body pillow, first thing when you wake up.”

“I didn’t mean to fall asleep on you,” I said, realizing we were both still naked.

“I’m glad you did.”

I looked at him for a long moment. He seemed so comfortable. I, however, never spent the night with a man. Sure, I had sex, but never overnighters, slumber parties, or any length of time under the same roof after that. They were uncomfortable for me. Partly because I didn’t trust being near a man when I slept.

Which was odd that I’d fallen asleep with Leo. It had never happened before.

“You didn’t sleep?” I asked.

He sat up a little. While I kept the sheet at my breasts, it pooled on his side of the bed at his waist, all his muscles and ink visible and lickable and—

“You keep looking at me like that and we’re going to have another round in retaliation,” he said and tucked a lock of hair behind my ear. The gesture was so tender. So couple-ish. At least that’s what I assumed couples did.

I got up from the bed, grabbed my T-shirt and yanked it on. “So?” I pressed. “You didn’t sleep?”

“Kind of hard to when you snore,” he said.

My cheeks rushed with heat.

“I’m just kidding,” he laughed. I frowned. Not a cool joke. “But no, I didn’t. Every time I tried, I looked down and saw all these red curls splayed over my lap. Made it hard, and difficult to sleep.” He winked.

I smiled a little that time. He was so damn charming. And when he bent his knees and rested his elbows on them to clasp his hands in front, he looked so casual. So comfortable in my bed.

His bed.

Everything around here was his.

“Well, it was nice spending time together,” I said. “You must be anxious to get back to your place and get some rest.”

He frowned. “You kicking me out, Red?”

“No, I just figured you’d like to leave now.”

His eyes got serious. “Would you like me to leave?”

“It’s technically your place. You can do what you’d like.”

He reached out his hand and I looked at it, confused. But then took it. He sat me back on the bed. “This is your place. Understand?”

He was so stern. Serious. I nodded once. He got up and tugged his pants on.

“Do you want to maybe . . .” I swallowed hard. “Stay for a little bit?”

He smiled and put his shirt on. “I’ll let you rest,” he said. “But thank you for the offer.”

Something in my chest felt lighter. He sat on the bed to put his shoes on.

“Leo?”

He looked over his shoulder at me.

I adjusted my posture, feeling instantly silly for what I was about to say, but for some reason, I had to know.

“You had a condom in your pocket.”

“Yeah.”

“For your date with Bepa?” I meant for it to be a statement, but it came out a question.

He turned to face me. “No. I’ve never slept with Bepa. And I wasn’t planning on it last night either.”

“Then why did you have one?”

A small grin split his face. “Ever since I met you, I never leave home without one. Because I’m not sure what to expect with you.”

I frowned at the same time my heart jumped with joy. “Was this all a game? To get to me?”

“You have me on the hook, Red,” he said and stood. “Does that bother you?”

I shrugged. “I just don’t know what to do exactly.”

He nodded. “Well, I guess I’ll see you on Monday then.”

I smiled. “Okay.”

My job was intact, but more importantly, Leo was the only person who seemed to want to be around me. Who didn’t know about the scandal or my past. His calm attitude was somehow seeping over me and made me want to relax.

He smiled and walked out. I stared for a moment. I could still feel him. The place on the bed where he’d just been was warm. I grabbed the pillow he’d lain on and hugged it. I could smell him. Smell us. Something in my heart ached as much as it stung.

Why did he have to be so warm?

Pumping my arms, I sprinted faster. Harder. Weaving in and out of the small tree line and staying on the path that ran along the back end of Leo’s property. After last night, then waking up to a Greek god in my bed early this morning, I needed to get some perspective. Or run from my thoughts. It was still early. I could smell the spring grass wet with morning dew and hear the trees bristle with the low breeze.

I thought about Leo. How I tried to keep it physical last night. How I ended up falling asleep with him there. Something I still couldn’t figure out. I just remember him surrounding me, from the inside out, and hugging me close.

I ran faster. My lungs hurt but I liked it. Maybe I could purge this feeling.

Because whatever was going through my system, it terrified me. I didn’t know how to handle it. All I knew was, I was in deep with Leo.

“Holy shit!” I screamed. I came through a cropping of trees and my heart nearly exploded from my chest.

I stumbled to a stop inches before plowing into another runner who was pushing as hard as I was.

I gasped for air and so did Kyros. “Sorry about that,” he said, breathing heavily.

I clutched my knees for a minute, taking deep breaths.

“I didn’t know you ran out here,” he said.

“Just clearing my head.”

“It’s a good place to do that.” He stretched his arms for a moment. “Did you have a nice women’s evening last night?”

I smiled. Yesterday in passing, Kyros and I had made small talk and I had mentioned girls’ night out. The way he said it, laced with his accent, was kind of adorable. And he was sweet to ask.

“It was okay,” I said semihonestly.

It was nice to see Hazel, but it was also tough to hear about Jane and realize what was going on with Roman and Amy, aka, not wanting to be around me. Then there was Leo’s visit, which had many adjectives to describe it and
okay
wasn’t amongst them.

“How was your evening?” I said.

“Okay as well. It is nice getting to see several of my cousins while I’m here. I was at Regan’s last night for a while. I was expecting to hear from Leandro about his first date. We were supposed to meet up at the Main House and discuss.”

I frowned. “Discuss?”

The distaste in my voice was obvious, because was this what Leo did? Was this what men did? Go out with a woman then
discuss
her like a conquest. Something sick rose in my throat. Would he discuss me?

Kyros didn’t seem to understand the disdain in my voice. “Well, yes, we must discuss if she is a woman he wishes to pursue, or whether he should continue down the list.”

Here I thought Kyros was a pretty decent guy, but he was talking about women the way you’d order something on a menu. And he looked truly innocent about it. Like it was normal.

“When Leo gave me that list, I thought it was a joke at first, but this?” I waved my hand in Kyros’s direction. “This little boys’ club you have where you discuss women and plow through them like a grocery list is disgusting.”

Kyros’s eyes shot wide. “Oh, no, Paige you misunderstand. Leo is okay with this. So are the women. This was all prearranged by our families.”

“What?”

Kyros nodded. “These women want to marry Leandro and our families are setting this up. It’s common in Greece.”

“Family? Like you and Regan?” Leo had once told me his family liked to involve themselves in his personal affairs. I hadn’t realized exactly what
involved
meant.

“Regan is the lead, if you will, on this endeavor of finding Leandro someone. She is the oldest and cares about him, we all do, and we just want to help him move on from the past and focus on the future.”

I took a breath to say something, then all my thoughts left. Information overload. I had a lot to sift through quickly. Like families having a say and setting up arranged marriages so to speak. I knew it still happened but I wasn’t expecting this. One little tidbit stuck out, though.

“So, Leo is looking for a wife?”

Kyros nodded, but his brow furrowed. “Yes and no. He wants to settle down and have a family. He almost did a few years ago but it didn’t work out.” Kyros glanced away and moved quickly past that admission before I could ask more. “So our family has stepped in and Leandro is onboard.”

And by family, he meant mostly Regan. I thought of her nice smile and mama-bear demeanor. The Savas family, from what I had been able to tell, was close. I knew having a family was important to Leo. I didn’t realize just how important, and apparently time sensitive it was.

Suddenly the cool breeze pricked my skin more painfully than it had a moment ago. Mostly because it was the same skin Leo had kissed and touched, only now it was chillier than before.

“I apologize,” I said around a dry throat. “I wasn’t aware of this process or goals for the list.”

Jesus. Just saying it made my stomach hurt. There was literally a list of women who wanted to marry Leo. A list that started with supermodels and ended with God knew what. A list of women Regan approved of. A list I had no shot in hell of ever being on, even if that was a personal goal of mine.

The same feeling I got when I thought about impressing Leo’s family and coming up short gathered in the base of my neck and pricked hard. Once again, I was blindsided with how out of my league he was.

“Forgive me, too, Paige. No explanation was given. I can see how this process would sound off-putting.”

Now that it had sunk in, I felt even worse about my behavior last night. I had pulled a stunt that cost Leo a possible wife? Not just a date? Yes, I felt horrible about that. But for some reason, a sudden ease raced through me. As if Leo not pursing Bepa made me happy. Because there was something about Leo I craved. Wanted for my own. But after this conversation with Kyros, it was clear that our lives were going in very different directions. He wanted a family. I didn’t.

“This marriage is important to Leo?” I asked.

For some reason I needed to hear Kyros admit the truth, because this was the thing I needed to cling to. To get over Leo. I wasn’t on that list and it was just another black-and-white reminder of what different worlds we came from. But if this arrangement was important to him, something he wanted, then I wouldn’t stand in the way. Actually, based on my job description, I was technically obliged to assist in this endeavor.

“His union is very important to him and to our entire family.”

“Of course,” I whispered. Savas Shipping was a global empire. An empire that the Savas family wanted to continue. Leo had mentioned this a few times. I just didn’t know specific measures had been taken to make it a reality. Either way, continuing such a lucrative dynasty made sense. “You said he almost married before?”

Kyros’s face went blank, like it had when I pressed the topic at the gala. “Yes, but that was a long time ago and not my place to share. We all just want to see him happy.”

“I understand.”

And I did. Kyros was obviously loyal, and he loved his cousin. I didn’t want to push, but the lack of details was simmering to a point of obsession. What happened with Leo?

“Well, it was a pleasure running into you, Paige.” Kyros smiled.

“You too.”

We took off in different directions. He ran toward Leo’s house, and I ran away.