Burn (Virtues & Lies 1)

Laving over mine, his tongue licks up to the roof of my mouth and as my hands latch onto his hips, he groans gutturally down my throat.

Leo steps closer, heat engulfing me as his erection presses to my stomach so hard that it makes me giddy with need.

“Fuck, Buttercup,” he growls as my hands trail up his solid abs and my nails dig into his flesh.

Dropping one of his hands from my jaw to my arse, he presses me so tight to him that I can feel him pulse and jerk. I squirm on the tips of my toes and his breath catches just like it did yesterday when he made me come. When I made him come.

My hands round to his back and slip down to his arse and I knead it in the same way he did mine when we were dancing. Squeezing, I push, pull and dig my nails in at the same time as I bite down on his lip and suck it into my mouth.

“Stop.” Pulling away, he rubs the tip of his nose with mine and then bites it gently. “Stop, Cass.”

Leo’s looking, but he’s not seeing me. He’s seeing everything that makes me. It’s like those green orbs can see past every physical barrier and bore straight into my heart. My soul. My pain. My fears.

“Little Queen, you have no idea how far we’ll go to keep you safe.” He strokes both of my cheeks with the backs of his fingers with a care that is reserved for precious things. I’m still trying to understand how a man that can be so volatile and rough, can also have so much tenderness inside him. How he can care so much. “Last night was nothing compared to what I’m willing to do to protect you.”

It’s in my nature. I can love you, protect you, and kill for you in one. Single. Breath.

Recalling his words from last night, I don’t doubt him for a second. But he thinks that I’m the only one who needs protecting when, in fact, he’s just as vulnerable as I am. Maybe more because where I am fully aware of my weakness, he seems to think that he’s invincible, but he’s not.

“I’m scared, Leo.” Tightening my arms around him, I tuck my face to his chest breathing in his rich, strong scent. It’s sweet and potent and it makes me feel warm.

“You shouldn’t be, we won’t let anyone touch you again.”

I tip my head back and look up into his eyes. “I’m scared that it’ll be you in that bed and me standing at your feet, lost and alone.”

“Cassie…”

“What?”

Taking a deep breath, he opens his mouth to say something, but then closes it again as he shakes his head slowly. “Nothing.”

I can see there’s something and just as I’m about to press him for it, Arabella comes bounding out of the house yelling for him.

Holding my hand, he pulls me in front of him as we head back to the house.

When we reach her halfway, she’s out of breath and her smile trembles as she pants, “You’ve been summoned!”

“Summoned?”

“Yeah, your dad does that a lot. It’s a wonder this kid is in here,” she points at her belly with both index fingers, “he loves to interrupt at the worst times.”

“TMI, Bella.” Leo starts for the house with his arm wrapped around my shoulder. “I thought something had happened.”

“It probably has.” Sighing, her hand brushes her belly and her ring glitters with the light. “Thanks for the treats, Wayne laid them out for me.”

“Thank you for the clothes.”

When we get in the house Leo drops a kiss to my forehead and heads in the direction of my father’s office and although I’m tempted to follow, I sit with Arabella instead.

Humming at my silence, she takes a hungry bite of one of the croissants, cleaning the edges of her mouth as she sets it back on the plate in front of her.

Once she’s chewed and swallowed down her mouthful she says, “I’ve only ever seen him that scared and angry once.”

I look at her confused because I’m not really all that sure of what conversation she’s starting.

“Leo,” she murmurs with a smile. “I know him; he doesn’t love easily. He doesn’t open himself like other people do. Through no fault of his own, he’s a bit of a loner and he doesn’t trust freely. He’s different with you though. Normal, almost, or as normal as anyone can ever be.”

“With me?”