“It’s not about any of that,” turning to face me, he brushes my hair from my face before pressing the back of his finger along the burgeoning rim of my eye. Leo doesn’t wipe my tears, he takes them before they fall and damn, if that isn’t a heartbreakingly perfect thing. “Doing this puts me on the frontline, when they come for me, if you’re next to me…”
“But it’s my choice, isn’t it, and if I choose you—”
“Princess…”
“It’s not up for debate. It’s not like I’m safe anyhow, so what difference does it make if we’re together?”
Shaking his head, Leo stands, and refusing to let go of his hand I stand with him. My heart races as he turns to me, the look on his face is more hurt than concern. “If everything falls to shit—”
“It falls to shit around us.” Cutting him off, my words run into one another like my heartbeats.
“You say that now.”
“I’ll say it again and again, every second of everyday if I have to. I’m stuck to you, remember?”
The first glimpse of a smile colours his face and boy, if it isn’t the most beautiful sight I’ve seen in days.
“Your mother isn’t going to be happy about this.” Dad gets up and heads for the door.
“She chose you, didn’t she?” I retort, as he leaves the room and my arms circle Leo’s waist, my fingertips luxuriating on the soft, cool feel of the silk back of his waistcoat.
It’s not until his arms wrap tightly around me that I can take my first real breath since I walked away. The air filling my lungs feels as good as the breeze on a hot summer’s day.
“You left me.” Fisting his hands in my hair, he tugs my face up to his.
“You said you’d always find me.”
“And?” He tugs a little more, until I have no choice but to rise on the tips of my toes and come flush to him.
“You’d make sure I know who I belong to and that I never forget.” My words stick at the back of my throat, garbled and breathy. “How are you going to do that?”
Chapter 32
Leo
I can’t stop looking at her, the last four days have been pure torture. It didn’t matter that I was here, or that I was dealing with the last details of this plan with Christopher. All I could think about was Cassie and what she was doing or not doing. Whether she was thinking of me. Missing me like I was missing her.
Releasing her hair, I light
ly drag my fingertips up the column of her neck. When her lips quiver with her tremulous breath, I can’t help but bite down on her plump flesh. She’s so fucking sweet that water pools in my mouth with every bite and lick of her lips.
Murmuring my name in between kisses, her hands bunch and pull at my waistcoat desperately. I’m so close to fucking her right here, right now that I can barely move with how tight my hard dick is making my trousers.
“I missed you so much…so fucking much.”
Backing her up to the wall, I kiss the tip of her nose, trailing my lips up her cheek until I reach her ear. “You walked away.”
“I know.” She slips a little down the wall. Her hair sticking wildly above her as her hands slap to the wall on either side of her. “I’m sorry.”
I don’t want to hurt her or make her cry, but all I can think is what if she leaves me again?
“Don’t ever leave me again.”
“I won’t.”
“Swear it!” Her thighs clench as I trace one hand up to her arse and squeeze. My fingertips sink into her flesh as they press to her soft skin, and it feels like no matter how deep I get into her it’ll never be enough. Nothing is ever enough with Cassie.
“I’ll never leave you again,” she says, her face leaning down to my chest. “I swear.”