Chapter 10

May

My nerves danced as I tried to remember that this wasn’t an unusual occurrence for me. I did this often. I had fun with my friends. I went out, I stayed home and watched movies. I worked hard to enrich the lives of the children I worked with. I researched, I read.

And I went on a lot of first dates.

But I didn’t get to go on seconds.

That meant I could not put too much pressure on myself for tonight. If I did, it would ruin everything. This night could ruin everything. And I didn’t want that to happen.

Not with Leo.

Not with the gentle man who was kind and fun and everything that made me smile.

I felt like I already knew him, yet this was still just a first date. One that wouldn’t feel like a first date.

I wiped my sweaty palms on my towel and then went to my closet, trying to figure out what to wear. I had spent the morning with Luke and Brooke, going over the next month’s schedule and activities. And then Luke and I fingerpainted until I ended up with blue in my hair. It had taken three washes, but I was finally mostly clean.

Now, it was styled, my makeup was on, and I had to figure out exactly what to put on.

Clearly, I was not good at this.

But I needed to figure it out.

This was Leo. We were going for a casual dinner so I didn’t need to wear a fancy dress with pearls and do my hair in cascading curls. I only had to look like I was enjoying myself .

I slipped into black leggings with little lace cutouts on them and pulled on a flowy shirt that emphasized my boobs but didn’t show them off. It was comfortable and cute at the same time. I slid my feet into sparkly flats and figured this would have to be it. I hoped it was enough and I didn’t look like I’d tried too hard or not enough.

I truly needed to get out of my head. It was just a date. I could do this. I put on earrings, redid my lipstick, and grabbed my bag.

It wasn’t as if my entire dating life relied on this evening.

No, I wasn’t going to think about that.

But, Leo? He made me smile. And he had been there for me when I needed him.

I wasn’t going to mess this up.

Enough of that. I drove toward the small restaurant we were meeting at, grateful I had time to compose myself, though I wasn’t doing a very good job of it.

I grabbed my bag, got out of the car, and made my way inside.

It was a place I had frequented enough that the waitstaff knew me. Leo had chosen it without knowing that, but it was fine. Maybe he came here with his numerous dates.

I winced. Okay, so he was a player and happened to be very good at first dates, at least according to everyone I talked to, but that didn’t mean that I could judge him. After all, I probably went on more dates than he did. Though he was likely really good at it while I sucked.

The hostess’s eyes widened. “Oh, good. You’re here.”

I cleared my throat. “Party of two.” I looked around but didn’t see Leo, and he hadn’t texted me, so I figured I would get our table.

“I can go put you at the corner table. It’s really romantic.”

“Any table’s fine. I’m just hungry.”

And having an existential crisis.

The hostess winked at me as she sat me at her favorite booth. It also happened to have the same waiter from the night the man had treated me like crap, and I’d wanted to throw my drink at him. I still regretted not having water in that glass.

“We’ll let him know that you’re here.”

“I can text. It’s not a big deal. This isn’t a big deal,” I said again.

I should have tried for a different place for our date. Not one where evidence of every single bad date I’d ever had seemed to be etched into the walls.

“I’m so happy,” the hostess said as she clapped and returned to her station .

Everybody would probably be placing bets soon to see how tonight went.

Would my date show up? Would he treat me like crap?

Would I be so bored that I yawned and fell asleep?

That had only been one time, and I had been up the night before cramming for an exam because I had been working on my master’s.

I quickly texted Leo that I was at the restaurant, but he didn’t answer.

He was probably driving, so I didn’t need to worry about that. It wasn’t like he could pull over and text the letter K or something.

He would show up. Because if he didn’t, all our friends would promptly rip his head off, and then I’d feel terrible.

Not only because I had been stood up again but because my friend was dead.

My friend. Leo was my friend.

And we were going on a date. And he’d kissed me. Oh, how he’d kissed me.

I rubbed my hands on my leggings, grateful that I had worn the soft material so it covered my sweat.

Why was I sweating?

I gulped my water and then used the cloth napkin to wipe my face.

I was stressing out. I hated this.

The hairs on the back of my neck stood on end. I looked up, and there he was.

He prowled toward me, his dark hair falling slightly over his forehead. He wore dark jeans and a button-down shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows.

He looked edible. Sexy. And so damn gorgeous.

He smiled at me, and I almost stood, but then my seat got stuck, and I sort of jerked a little.

Leo’s eyes filled with warmth, and I knew he wasn’t laughing at me, only because I was the one doing the laughing.

“You’re here,” I blurted and wanted to curse myself.

Leo raised a brow. “Of course, I am.” He took the seat in front of me and tilted his head as he studied my face. “And fuck. I just remembered that one jerk didn’t show up. I’m not them. I’m none of those first dates. Like you’re none of mine.”

“You’re not as bad at dating as I am.”

Leo threw his head back and laughed, and I noticed a few women and men look over at him in appreciation. I didn’t blame them. There was a lot to appreciate. But he was mine for the night, and I resisted the urge to narrow my gaze at them.

“You think you’ve got it bad? No, I’ve been on a date where she ordered a single side salad with no toppings or dressing, then proceeded to eat each lettuce leaf one by one. But then had the nerve to reach over and steal my fries.”

The image filled my brain, and I shook my head. “Wait. I can get over the whole lettuce thing because maybe that’s what she wanted to do. But stealing your fries? No. There are rules. Either you go in with the intention of sharing, or you order what you want. You don’t steal food.”

“I believe this is going to be the start of a lovely relationship.” Leo smiled as he said it, and my stomach tightened, even as I blushed.

I hoped that was the case. But I had hoped before, and that hadn’t worked out so well.

“It’s so good to see you again,” my familiar waiter said, and I wanted to hide under the table.

“I’m Leo. It’s nice to meet you. And if May’s been here before, the food must be good.”

“Oh, it is. Now, what can I get you to drink?”

I winced, already feeling awkward. “I’m just fine with water right now. I haven’t even looked at the menu.”

“Same,” Leo put in, his gaze on me.

In fact, he was only looking at me.

That might have felt creepy with one of my other dates, but not with Leo. Because he wanted to see my reactions to gauge what I was thinking. I was trying to figure him out, as well.

“I’ll be back soon, then. Take your time. Seriously.”

The waiter walked away, and I groaned. “I’m sorry.”

“This place is near our neighborhood. Of course, you’ve come here on dates. I have, too.” He pointed to a table by the far window. “I was on a date over there where the woman proceeded to try to crawl under the table, and…well, maybe I shouldn’t tell that story.” Leo winced and gulped his water.

My eyes widened. “Here? It’s a well-lit establishment. I don’t know how you could even get away with that.”

“You can’t. But she was drunk on half a glass of wine and wanted to say hi. Apparently, she heard that I was an exhibitionist and wanted to see if that was true. ”

I froze, images of me on my knees in front of him flooding my brain. They weren’t horrible images, but I wasn’t about to do something like that in public. “ Are you an exhibitionist? Because I’m not getting down on my knees in this restaurant.”

I blushed just thinking about it, but he grinned. “Good to know. And I’m not the kind of guy who’s going to want a blow job in a restaurant. The fact that I’m even talking about it is a little out of my wheelhouse.” He cleared his throat. “May. You know me. You’ve been on dates, and I’ve been on dates, but this is our first date. I already know the way you taste. And now I want to get to know you some more. What do you say?”

The way he said that made me think of the fact that he only knew how my lips tasted and nothing else. And from the hunger in his gaze, he was thinking the same thing.

I looked down at my glass and realized I was out of water, suddenly feeling parched.

“Come on, let’s do this. I’m here to show you that not all men are creeps and jerks.”

I smiled back up at him. “And I’m here to show you that not all women only want you for one thing. Although, well, I’m not going to say no to that,” I said quickly and then put my hands over my face, groaning.

Leo laughed again, shaking his head. “See? We’re both awkward as hell. We’ll figure it out.”

Thankfully, the waiter came back, and we ordered our meals after he refilled our water glasses. I settled in, watching Leo speak.

“Now, are you going to let me have a piece of your kebab, or am I going to have to order a side of that?”

I shook my head. “Of course, I am. And you’re going to let me have a bite of your salmon. We’re sharing here. We even asked for separate little plates.”

“I didn’t order french fries, though. I feel like we should have ordered french fries.”

“Next time,” I teased and then froze.

I didn’t get next times. I shouldn’t have said that.

But then Leo reached forward and gripped my hand, rubbing his thumb across my skin. “Next time. That sounds good to me.”

My heart raced, the feel of his calloused hands on my skin doing something to me that I couldn’t name.

“Leo. Why does this seem like this isn’t a first? Like it’s so much more? Though maybe I shouldn’t have said anything.”

“I’ve been trying to stay away from you for far too long, May. Maybe that’s why. Let’s figure out what we want. Because I want that. I want to be in your life. So, let me.”

I swallowed hard, looked at him, nodded, and knew that maybe,just maybe, we were getting it right.

* * * *

By the time we finished dinner, we were laughing, and I was full and slowly falling in love with the man who was my friend and might be something more.

He tucked me against his side as we walked toward the front door, both of us still laughing. The hostess looked at us with wide eyes before giving me a thumbs-up.

“Finally!” the other waitress said, then winced. “Sorry,” she added, a little cattily, and then stomped off.

I winced, slightly embarrassed, but Leo just cupped my face and pressed his lips to mine.

I could barely breathe, hardly think. I simply fell into him as he kissed me—strong, possessive, and mine.

“I don’t think they will think about first dates and you ever again. We’ll give them something to talk about,” he whispered against my lips, kissed me harder, and then bent me back slightly so I was in his arms. People started cheering. I blushed but gripped him, my fingernails digging into his skin.

When I straightened, I was a little dizzy. I waved at the hostess, who was, in fact, getting money from other people.

I didn’t want to feel bad about that. Maybe I could think that some people had bet that I could actually have a first date that ended in something more than failure and humiliation.

I didn’t know if I would ever be back to this restaurant again, but as I walked next to Leo out to the parking lot, I figured tonight was a success.

“Well, that was an eventful dinner,” I teased, feeling awkward again.

He tucked my hair behind my ear and looked down at me. “It doesn’t have to end now,” he whispered. “Or it can end for the evening, and I can see you again. Because I don’t want this to end, May. Don’t let this end. ”

I pressed my lips together, looked up at him, and swallowed hard. “I don’t want tonight to end, either.”

I knew I had to leap. Because no matter how hard I had tried before, I’d held myself back. Because of fear, because of failure. But I wouldn’t do that now.

“I don’t want tonight to end, either,” I whispered again.

He smiled down at me, and I knew I was making the right choice.

He followed me to my house, and I had second and third thoughts on the way there.

I could be making a terrible mistake, but why couldn’t I make that mistake?

Why couldn’t this just be what I wanted? What I needed? There was no going back to who we were before this. And, honestly, I didn’t want it to be that way. I wanted to see what happened in the future. I had told myself I wouldn’t date again, but here I was. But for the right reasons and not because I’d made a promise I should never have made in the first place.

I pulled into my garage, and he pulled into the driveway behind me. I got out and bit my lip, looking over at him. He strolled toward me, purposeful, but I could still see the hesitancy in his gaze.

“Are you nervous?” I blurted, and he laughed.

He met my gaze, the look in his eyes intent. I wanted to reach out and bite his chin. There was something seriously wrong with me.

“Fuck, yes, I’m nervous. You make me nervous, May.”

That made me laugh. “I don’t make anyone nervous.”

“That’s a damn lie. Of course, you do. You’re gorgeous and brilliant and a wonderful human being. Whenever I’m in your vicinity, I lose my ability to speak. It’s hard to think when you’re around, and now here I am at your house, and all I want to do is kiss you and press you up against the wall to hear you moan.”

I licked my lips. “Oh. It’s a little warm in the garage, so if we’re going to do that, we should probably go inside.” I let out a little meep after saying that, shocked I’d even said that much. He grinned.

“Yes, let’s get you comfortable, and then I’m going to kiss you.”

“Okay. If that’s the plan.”

We laughed, but before I could turn, he lifted me into his arms, and I wrapped my legs around his waist.

“Oh!”

“A good ‘oh?’”

“The best,” I whispered, and then my lips were on his, and I couldn’t think.

Somehow, we got into the house, the garage door closing behind us. He pressed my back to the wall just like he wanted, and I moaned into him as he continued kissing me, slowly running his hands up and down my body. I still had my legs wrapped around his waist, and I arched into him, needing him.

He bit my lip slightly, then licked away the sting.

“Good?”

“The best,” I whispered.

He continued to kiss me, slowly working his way down my neck and over my shoulder. He tugged the top of my shirt slightly so he could touch more skin, and it was hard for me to focus on breathing. I wanted to touch him, but in this position, he had me pinned. So, I squirmed slightly, and he moved back, letting my feet hit the floor.

“Where do you want me?” he asked.

“Everywhere,” I said without thinking.

He grinned, and I led him into the living room.

He sat on the couch, and I bit my lip before he patted his lap.

I was blushing from head to toe, but I moved to straddle him, his thighs thick under me.

“You’re stretching me out a bit this way,” I said and then groaned. “That’s not exactly what I meant.”

“If we keep doing this, I’ll probably stretch you out in more ways,” he said and winced. “Okay, that was supposed to sound sexy but it just sounded weird.”

“Kiss me. We can be weird together.”

“I can do that.” Then his hands were in my hair, tugging my mouth to his. He slid one hand up my blouse, touching my skin. He was so hot against me that I gasped at the sensation, needing more. I pulled at his shirt, needing to touch him, and he grinned and leaned back so I could undo his buttons. My hands were shaking too much to be efficient, and we laughed, so he took over and slowly slipped out of his shirt.

He was covered in tattoos, his skin tanned and muscled, and he was thick—all man and gorgeousness. I practically swallowed my tongue.

He had a fine layer of hair over his chest, and I slid my hands through it. He groaned but didn’t move.

That was when I noticed the two barbells in his nipples and licked my lips .

“Oh. Did I know your nipples were pierced?”

“Maybe. On a cold day, everybody can figure that out.”

I met his gaze and laughed before leaning down and tentatively licking his nipple. The metal was cold against my tongue. I liked the sensation.

“Hell, that feels so fucking good, May.”

“I don’t have any piercings. And now I kind of regret that.”

“We have a piercer. In fact, I’m qualified. Do you want your pretty nipples pierced? Just say the word.”

“You pierce nipples?” I asked, my own tightening.

“I do. I didn’t do mine. I don’t pierce myself and didn’t do most of my tattoos—though some guys do. I have friends I trust to do that. But I can pierce your nose if you want. Or other parts of your ear, your lips, tongue…your clit. Anything you want. Although, technically, I would pierce your clitoral hood.”

I wanted to press my thighs together. The thought of him touching me? The thought of what that would do? I couldn’t handle it. “I’m learning so much information right now. I know one of our mutual friends has her hood pierced. Now, I’m wondering if you did it.”

He laughed. “I don’t know who that is, but it wasn’t me. It was probably done at Montgomery Ink. We have good piercers with us. And I learned from the best.”

I played around with the piercing in his nipple. “I don’t know if I’m ready for that. Does it make you feel good?”

“Like fucking amazing. But it could just be that you’re touching me.”

“Leo,” I whispered.

“Keep kissing me, May. Please?”

And because he’d said please, I couldn’t say no. I kissed him again. Somehow, my shirt was above my head, and he was cupping my breasts. He undid my bra, and it was on the floor, both of us leaning into each other as he cupped me, playing with my nipples.

“See? Your breasts overfill my hand right here. And these nipples? They’d look beautiful with little hoops in them.” He groaned, flicking his thumbs over the peaks of my breasts.

They tightened into little beads, and I sucked in a breath. “Oh.”

“Yes, maybe one day.” He leaned forward, sucked my nipple into his mouth, and I groaned, rocking onto him.

He shuddered beneath me, and that was when I realized I was grinding on his hard cock. Both of us shook, needing each other.

He paid more attention to my breasts, both of us shaking, and then I was tugging on his pants, and he was doing the same to mine.

Before I could blink, he was naked, and I was on my back, my leggings thrown over the back of the couch, my panties with them.

He spread me before him on the cushions, and I moved my hands to my breasts as he looked down at my pussy.

“Beautiful,” he whispered.

I swallowed hard, blushing as I saw the barbell at the tip of his dick. I wondered exactly how that would feel.

He winked as he stroked himself. “You’re going to like this, I promise. The piercing will touch you right in that perfect spot, and you’ll come hard. Just wait.”

“I don’t know how much longer I can wait,” I teased, my hands slowly moving between my legs.

“No, let me do that,” he said and cupped me, sliding his thumb over my clit.

I bucked off the couch, and when he slid two fingers inside me, I came, just like that. A gentle touch, and I was coming.

He groaned, bent down, and licked me.

I couldn’t think after that, couldn’t breathe. Because he was licking and sucking and pressing into me. I rode his face, another orgasm quickly following the first.

All I could do was focus on him. Focus on everything he made me feel.

When I came down from my high, I looked up at him, and he smiled.

“I need to get a condom. Are you ready, May?”

I looked at him, at his cock, and couldn’t think. So, I nodded.

Then said, “Please, Leo. Please.”

He smiled and then leaned down to kiss me.

“I’ll take care of you, May. I promise.”

“I believe you, Leo. I trust you.”

There was a moment of silence as we took each other in, and then he kissed me softly. I closed my eyes as he moved away. There was a rustling, and then he was situated between my legs again.

“Are you ready?”

“I feel like I’ve been waiting forever, Leo.”

We both knew that I meant more than just now, so when he slid deep inside me, I let out a shocked gasp, feeling him stretching me, pressing into me.

He kissed me harder, both of us rocking into each other until he was fully seated inside me.

And after a moment of breathing, only breathing, where we took each other in, I knew there was peace and a future.

In this moment, I knew. I just knew.

When he started to move, I moved with him. Meeting him thrust for thrust as we kissed and sucked and licked.

There were no thoughts. No needs or demands. Everything was merely sensation and desire. Everything was exactly what we needed.

I came again, unable to believe it, and then he followed me, whispering my name against my lips as he filled the condom.

My body shook against his as he cradled me on the couch, his length still hard within me.

“Leo,” I whispered. “Leo.”

“I’m here. I’m here, May.” He kissed me softly as I fully came back to myself and looked at him.

“Wow,” I whispered.

“I like the sound of that.”

“So, May, what do you say about a second date?”

Tears filled my eyes as I smiled up at him.

I didn’t do second dates. But with Leo? I couldn’t wait.

“I thought you’d never ask.”