11. One Time Only

Chapter 11

One Time Only

Libby

I stepped into the condo, my arms filled with grocery bags cutting off my circulation. Next time I needed groceries, I was having them delivered or sucking up my pride and taking my rolling teacher cart.

“Libby, is that you?” Ethan came into view as he stood from where he had been lying on the couch.

I hadn’t expected him home for another hour and had wanted to surprise him with dinner. It had been a few days since we’d moved in, and we’d been only eating takeout.

“No, it’s a burglar with a key who likes to bring groceries.” I kicked the door shut behind me.

“You look like you’re about to topple over.” Ethan took some of the bags from me, our fingers tangling in the process. “Sorry.”

He’d been apologizing a lot the past few days any time he touched me. We still hadn’t talked about what had happened when he’d fallen on top of me, but I didn’t know if that was why he was acting weird, or if it was from the stress of moving so suddenly.

“You’re home early today. I was going to surprise you by making dinner.” I was a damn good recipe follower and was planning on trying a new chicken recipe that was pretty much fool-proof.

“I had to go by my old place and sign some paperwork with management. Luckily, I didn’t have to see Eugene.” He shuddered as he put the bags on the island and started taking things out, avoiding looking at me.

“Is everything okay?” I put my hand over his and he paused, looking up. “With us?”

His brows furrowed the smallest amount. “Why wouldn’t they be?”

“You’ve been… distant.” Why did this feel like a conversation between two lovers instead of two best friends?

He sighed and took a stray tendril of my hair between his fingers, twirling it. “I have a lot on my mind.”

My heart raced at his touch and the intensity in his eyes. “We never talked about what happened.”

His eyes fell to my lips, but he looked away so fast that I couldn’t be sure what that meant. The question was, did we want it to mean something?

“I don’t want to talk about it. Not yet.” He pushed the piece of hair he was playing with behind my ear. “We should get the groceries put away.”

Before he retreated, I grabbed his hand, holding it to my cheek. “I’ll be here when you’re ready.”

The sound of the front door shutting had us jumping apart like two teenagers caught doing something they weren’t supposed to.

Leo strode in, his presence immediately filling the room. He took in the scene before him, his eyes narrowing. “Am I interrupting something?”

“Just putting away groceries.” I quickly grabbed a bottle of wine from one of the bags. I was going to need it sooner rather than later.

The tension in the room thickened as Leo’s gaze darted between Ethan and me.

“You usually aren’t home so early.” I’d only seen Leo once since Sunday when we’d moved Ethan in. Now it was Thursday, and I hadn’t expected to see him until the next day for my first day in the office.

Starting a job on a Friday was a brilliant plan. It would be overwhelming, but then I’d have the whole weekend to recuperate. It had also been nice to get settled into my new home as much as possible.

Leo’s jaw clenched as he held up a folder. “I remembered I had some paperwork for you to sign. Figured I’d drop it off and see if you’d like to join me for dinner at one of my restaurants.”

Ethan practically threw the package of chicken and carton of cream into the refrigerator. “Well, isn’t that thoughtful of you. Always going above and beyond for your employees.”

Leo gave him a bored look, and I felt like I was caught in the crossfires of their ongoing war. The question was, why? Ethan was more bothered by Leo than the other way around.

“I like to make sure everything runs smoothly.”

Ethan snorted. “Yeah, I bet you do.”

Leo’s face darkened. “Is there a problem, Roberts?”

“Why would there be a problem, Caponetti?”

I felt like I was missing a crucial piece of information. I had no idea how to navigate the hostility. I’d never seen Ethan act this way before, and Leo seemed to enjoy getting a rise out of him.

“I was going to cook dinner for me and Ethan if you’d like to join us. I’m no Michelin-star chef or anything, but it will be edible… I hope.” I laughed but quickly stopped when both men continued to glare daggers at each other. “How about some wine?”

“I was about to head to the gym. I’ll be back later.” Ethan stormed out of the kitchen, grabbing his gym bag from the floor next to the couch.

It was best to leave Ethan alone when he was in a bad mood—on the rare occasion he was in one—so I didn’t say a word as he walked out of the door.

I turned to Leo, completely bewildered. “What the hell was that about?”

Leo ran a hand through his hair, looking suddenly exhausted. “I’ve literally done nothing to warrant his ire. Well, except kiss you.” He lifted the flap of his bag and pulled out a manila folder, thick with papers. “I didn’t think you’d want to spend your whole morning tomorrow going over these.”

My annoyance with him came back full force. “I’m not at work right now.”

I didn’t know if it was the kiss he’d brought up so nonchalantly or the suggestion that I do work when it wasn’t working hours. I’d spent the last few years working well past working hours and I wasn’t about to start down that path with this job, no matter how invested I was in it.

I yanked open a cupboard and grabbed one of my sparkly wine cups. Might as well try to salvage what was supposed to be a relaxing evening by drinking an entire bottle of wine.

“It can wait until tomorrow.” Leaving the folder where he’d set it on the counter, he came around the island and grabbed the opener from the drawer. He uncorked the bottle of wine and examined the label. “I’ll have to bring home some bottles of wine for you.”

I snatched it away from him. “This wine is perfectly fine.” I poured myself a full glass.

He went to the cupboard and helped himself to one of my tumblers. “Mind if I have a glass with you?”

I shrugged. “Seems I don’t have much of a choice.”

“You’re mad.”

I took a sip of wine and sighed. “I’m not mad, just frustrated.” He raised his eyebrows in question. “You haven’t been around all week and then come home and make things even more strained.”

“Things are strained?” He took a drink of wine and grimaced. “Jesus, this is horrible.”

“Keep drinking it, it will grow on you.” I knew it wasn’t the best wine in the world, but spending over ten bucks on a bottle was insane. “Ethan has been… different.”

He swirled his wine and sniffed it. “Well, princess, it appears he is threatened by me and doesn’t want me anywhere near you. If I hadn’t come home, what would you two be doing right now?”

I leaned against the counter as I drank more of my wine. At the rate I was drinking it, I would be floating on a tipsy cloud very shortly. “Cooking dinner.”

He laughed and moved in front of me, taking my hand and bringing it to his cheek just like I’d been standing with Ethan. “Keep telling yourself that.”

My breath caught in my throat as he trailed his fingertips up my arm until he rested his hand on the side of my neck. There was something possessive about it, and my traitorous pussy clenched.

“What are you doing?” I whispered, unable to step away from him.

“Not entirely sure.” His thumb stroked the pulse point in my neck and his eyes fell to my lips.

The way my body was reacting to him was annoying, but I couldn’t stop it. I wanted him to kiss me again. When he looked at me like he was right then, I felt like the only woman in his world.

With all the willpower I had left, I stepped out from between him and the counter and went to the refrigerator. I’d already gotten carried away with him once, and I wasn’t about to let that happen again.

“Elizabeth.”

God, the way he said my name was like he was stroking me with his damn tongue.

“I’m going to make dinner, so you can either help or go do whatever it is you do.” I took out the groceries that Ethan had put away.

I turned back to Leo, my heart racing as I clutched the ingredients to my chest like a shield. His intense gaze hadn’t wavered, and I felt a flush creeping up my neck.

“Well?” I asked, trying to keep my voice steady. “Are you going to help or not?”

A slow smile spread across his face. “I suppose I could lend a hand. What’s on the menu?”

I explained the recipe as I set out the ingredients, grateful for something to focus on besides the way Leo’s presence seemed to fill the entire kitchen. He rolled up his sleeves, revealing tanned forearms that I definitely didn’t stare at.

As we worked side by side, chopping vegetables and preparing the chicken, the tension gradually eased. Leo kept refilling our wine glasses, and I found myself relaxing.

“You know…” I reached around him to grab the salt. “For someone who deals with restaurants, you’re surprisingly bad at mincing garlic.”

He caught my wrist gently, his thumb brushing over the sensitive skin. “I have other talents, I assure you.”

I swallowed hard, suddenly very aware of how close we were standing. “I’m sure you do,” I murmured, pulling away reluctantly.

The wine was going to my head now, making everything feel warm and slightly fuzzy around the edges. I found myself stealing glances at Leo, admiring the way his forearms flexed and his brows furrowed in concentration.

Once the chicken dish was in the oven, I started cleaning up the mess so there would be less after we ate.

“Here, let me.” Leo stepped behind me, taking the cleaning cloth from me. His arms bracketed me on either side as he squirted dish soap on the rag.

“What are you doing?” I knew exactly what he was doing after all his stolen touches, but all I could think about was the heat of his body and the intoxicating scent of his cologne.

“Helping.” His breath was hot against my ear as he put the rag in my hand and guided it to the cutting board I’d been preparing to clean.

My hands trembled slightly as I let him control my movements, hyperaware of every point of contact between us. I should have stepped away, but I leaned back into him instead, relishing the feeling of being enveloped by his strong frame.

We washed the few dishes quietly, although there was nothing quiet about my heartbeat pounding in my ears. Resisting him was futile; the combination of wine and proximity had weakened my resolve.

With the last of the dishes in the drying rack, we dried our hands, but instead of stepping away, Leo’s hands fell to my hips, turning me to face him.

Pushing him away would have been the wise choice, but my body was too amped up and my inhibitions lowered from the wine.

Leo’s grip tightened on my hips, pulling me flush against him. “Tell me to stop,” he said, his lips barely brushing mine.

All I could manage was a breathy, “Don’t stop.”

His mouth claimed mine, and I melted against him, all thoughts of resistance forgotten. With the taste of wine on our lips and the heat building between us, I couldn’t bring myself to care about consequences.

How long had it been since I’d let myself do something so selfish and self-destructive?

My fingers fumbled with his belt, and he took over as I pulled his shirt from his pants. He leaned back against the counter as I pushed his pants and boxers down. I didn’t really enjoy giving blow jobs, but that didn’t stop me from dropping to my knees in front of him.

I wrapped my hand around his shaft and looked up at him. “Just this once, Leo. To get it out of our systems.”

His jaw clenched, and he nodded. “One time.”

Channeling all the power of the blow job gods, I licked the tip of his cock as I slid my fist up and down his length.

He groaned and fisted my ponytail. “Fuck, you look so perfect on your knees.”

The praise made my stomach erupt in flutters. My tongue ran over his shaft, from head to base and back up again. He held my head, firmly but gently.

He moaned as I took him fully in my mouth. “You’re so good with your mouth, princess. Yes, just like that.”

The slight pull of my ponytail spurred me on as I sucked. I felt the tension in his body as his hips began moving, seeking more from me. I took him as far as I could handle, my cheeks hollowing as I worked to push him to the edge.

“Fuck, Elizabeth. I want to come down that pretty throat so bad.” He pulled out of my mouth, his hand moving to my cheek. “But I want to come inside you even more. Do you want that?”

“Yes.” My voice was raspy with need but also with nerves.

He held out his hand, helping me to my feet. “Are you sure you want to do this?”

I nodded.

He kissed me as he lifted me, my legs wrapping around him. I kissed down his jaw to his neck as he carried me out of the kitchen and down the hall to his bedroom.

Even if this was a horrible idea, it was too late to stop now.

His eyes were dark with need as he laid me down and kicked off his pants that were somehow not around his ankles. “You have way too many clothes on.”

He knelt in front of me as he tugged off my pants and panties. His hands slid up my legs before lifting one onto his shoulder. “Beautiful, and so wet.”

I gasped as he pushed a finger inside me. “Leo... I’ve... I don’t- oh God!”

I was going to tell him that I didn’t expect him to go down on me, but his mouth was already on me, flicking my clit with his tongue. I gasped, my hips arching into the sensation. Having a man who knew what he was doing between my legs was better than I expected.

I closed my eyes, giving myself over to the pleasure as he pushed in a second finger and hit the spot inside me that made flecks of light flicker in the corners of my vision.

He kept up the steady rhythm until I was panting and squirming against him. “Come for me, Elizabeth.”

His fingers moved faster, and I felt the orgasm build inside me like a pressure cooker. He sucked my clit hard, and I detonated, my entire body trembling and clenching as the pleasure rushed through me.

“Leo!” I gasped, my hands grabbing at his hair to pull him closer to me. I didn’t want it to end.

His fingers slowed and he pulled away, his grin cocky as he looked up at me and sucked his fingers clean.

I stood on wobbly legs while I pulled my shirt and bra off. Leo dug in the nightstand and pulled out a condom. There was something so sexy about watching him tear it open and roll it on his hard cock.

He stood in front of me, bringing his hand to cup my cheek. “You’re sure?”

Right now? Yes. Tomorrow? Probably not.

“Yes.”

He kissed me, silencing any doubts. The taste of myself on his lips made heat pool between my legs, ready for more of him.

He spun me around suddenly and pushed me, so I was bent over the bed. “We’ll have to pretend this is my desk.”

His desk? Jesus help me. Had he imagined fucking me on his desk? How was I going to look this man in the eye when we started working together every day?

“Yes, sir.” It fell from my lips before I could stop it, and I cringed.

“Fuck, that sounds good coming from you.” He smoothed his hands over my ass cheeks. “You’ve been a bit sassy, don’t you think?”

His hand came down against me and I yelped, my hands digging into the comforter. The sting was instantly smoothed by the tender touch of his hand rubbing it.

“I asked you a question, Elizabeth.” His voice held barely contained desire, and I couldn’t help but play into the roles we’d fallen into.

“Yes, sir,” I whispered.

“Good girl.” His voice was low and gruff, sending a shiver up my spine.

He grabbed my hips and filled me with one smooth thrust. I cried out, my arms threatening to buckle as I braced myself on the bed.

“Are you okay?” He stayed where he was, buried inside me, his hips moving in small circles as I adjusted to him.

“Yes, sir,” I gasped out, my body trembling. “Fuck me, please.”

Leo pulled out slowly and then drove back in, over and over, each thrust harder than the last. I gave up trying to hold myself up and lowered to my forearms, the slight change in angle making him hit the spot that sent me spiraling toward the edge again.

“You feel so good. Your pussy is so tight wrapped around me.” He was breathing hard, his words a struggle. “Fucking perfect.”

I lowered my forehead to my arms, my hands clenching around the blanket. Words failed me as he reached around and rubbed my clit with the same intensity as his thrusts.

“Come for me. Scream my name, Elizabeth.” He took my clit between his fingers and squeezed.

My orgasm crashed into me, leaving no nerve ending untouched. I screamed his name, my voice hoarse and desperate as I rode out the waves of pleasure.

“Fuck!” Leo thrust in one last time before shuddering against me as he came.

We stayed there, connected and panting, until our breathing somewhat returned to normal. As he pulled out, I whimpered at the loss of him and crawled a little further onto the bed to collapse into a puddle.

“I’ll be right back.” He walked into the bathroom, the sink turning on as the reality of what we’d done wiggled its way back into my brain.

When he returned, he had a warm cloth, and he gently wiped between my legs. He did it so tenderly that I wanted to cry.

“Thank you,” I whispered, my face heating with embarrassment.

He sat on the edge of the bed, his hand trailing up and down my calf. “That was amazing...”

I felt like he wanted to say more, but he didn’t as he continued to rub my legs. It was way too intimate for a one-time encounter, but that was all it could be—all I would let it be.