20. Where’s the Gas Pedal?

Chapter 20

Where’s the Gas Pedal?

Ethan

I t had been a long time since I’d been on an actual date, and I hated to admit that I was a little nervous about what Leo had planned. When he’d texted me to wear something casual, I’d been surprised and then spent thirty minutes staring into my closet for something to wear.

Casual could mean such a wide range of things, but I settled on a pair of dark-wash jeans and a plain light-blue T-shirt. It wasn’t like I needed to impress this guy.

Right at six-thirty, Leo knocked on my bedroom door, and I felt ridiculous being picked up by my pseudo-roommate.

I opened the door to find Leo standing there, looking like he’d raided my closet. We were dressed almost the same, except he was wearing a black T-shirt and light jeans.

We stood there for a moment, neither of us quite sure what to do. The air between us crackled with an awkward energy that made me want to crawl back into my room and hide under the covers. Why had I agreed to this?

Leo cleared his throat and offered me his arm like we were about to waltz into some fancy ball. “Shall we?”

I stared at his outstretched arm, fighting the urge to laugh. Or maybe cry. This whole situation was so absurd. “Uh, thanks, but I think I can manage walking on my own.”

Brushing past him, I headed down the hallway, the sound of his footsteps following close behind. The scent of his cologne wafted over me, and damn him for smelling so good.

As we entered the living room, Libby looked up from her spot on the couch, a book open on her lap. Her eyes lit up with amusement as she looked us over.

“Don’t you two look adorable.” A grin spread across her face, and shit, if matching with Leo got this reaction out of her, maybe we’d have to do it more often. “Have fun on your date, boys. And remember to be safe!”

I felt my cheeks heat up at her innuendo. “Lib, please.”

She giggled, clearly enjoying my discomfort. “Don’t worry, I won’t wait up. You crazy kids stay out as late as you want. I have a date with this book and Bob tonight.”

“Bob? Who the hell is Bob?” Leo crossed his arms over his chest.

“Her battery-operated boyfriend.” I patted him on the chest.

I walked over to the couch and leaned down to give Libby a kiss goodbye. “You sure you don’t want to come with us?” I was half-joking and half-serious. Having her there would make this whole thing a lot less awkward.

She shook her head. “Nope, this is your date.”

I straightened up, turning back to face Leo. “Ready to go?”

He nodded, hesitating a moment like he wanted to walk over to the couch to Libby, but instead, he gave her a small wave and then gestured toward the door. “After you.”

As I headed for the door, I couldn’t help but wonder what the hell I’d gotten myself into. I was going on a date with a man who’d been driving me crazy and making my blood boil for weeks. To make it all ten times worse, I couldn’t seem to get him out of my head since the night we’d had with Libby.

God help me, I was in trouble.

We took the elevator down to the parking garage in silence, and I wondered if I was going to have to be the source of all entertainment for the night. He seemed so nervous, which was unnerving when the guy practically oozed confidence in his sleep.

I followed him to his parking bay, my eyes widening as we approached the sleek blue Lamborghini. I’d seen it before, but it never failed to impress.

“Nice ride.” I tried to sound nonchalant, even though I was more than excited to ride in it.

Leo smirked, fishing the keys out of his pocket. “Want to drive?”

I blinked rapidly and looked between him and the car, sure I’d misheard him. “What?”

“Do you want to drive?” He dangled the keys in front of me.

Was he actually serious? When he didn’t move from where he held out his keys, I knew this wasn’t a joke. He was going to let me drive his expensive as fuck car. A mischievous idea popped into my head, and before I could think better of it, I snatched the keys from his hand.

“Sure, why not?” I tried my best to keep a straight face.

As we settled into the car, I couldn’t help but run my hands over the leather steering wheel. It was a gorgeous machine, and part of me felt a little guilty for what I was about to do. But only a little.

I pressed a random button on the steering wheel and then sat there.

Leo looked at me expectantly. “Everything okay?”

I turned to him with wide, innocent eyes. “So, uh, which one’s the gas pedal again?”

The color drained from Leo’s face. “You’re joking, right?”

I furrowed my brow, doing my best to look confused. “No? I mean, I’ve driven before, but it’s been a while. And never anything this fancy.” I reached out and started randomly pressing buttons on the dashboard. “What does this one do?”

“Ethan, stop!” Leo’s hand shot out to grab mine. “Maybe I should drive.”

I bit the inside of my cheek to keep from laughing. “I’ve got this. It’s like riding a bike, right?” I finally pressed the ignition button to turn it on and giggled with deranged glee.

“Um-”

I pressed the gas with it still in park, and the engine revved. “Whoa! It’s so loud! Why isn’t it moving?”

Leo’s knuckles were white as he gripped the handle of the door. “Ethan, I swear to God?—”

I couldn’t hold it in any longer. A snort escaped me, quickly followed by full-blown laughter. Leo’s panicked expression morphed into one of confusion, then realization, and finally, amusement.

“You asshole,” he said, but there was no real heat behind it. “I can’t believe I fell for that.”

I wiped tears from my eyes, still chuckling. “Your face was priceless. I thought you were going to have a heart attack.”

Leo shook his head, his smile making his whole face and demeanor look different. “I’m surprised you didn’t drive us straight into a wall to really sell it.”

“Nah, I wouldn’t do that to this beauty.” I patted the dashboard affectionately.

As our laughter died down, I noticed Leo looking at me with an expression I couldn’t quite read. It made my stomach clench in a way I didn’t want it to, and I quickly turned my attention back to the car.

“So, where to?” I hoped like hell he hadn’t noticed the slight flush creeping up my neck.

Leo pressed a few buttons on the display in the car to pull up the GPS. “It’s a surprise.”

I raised an eyebrow as I saw the marina come up on the screen. “The marina? We’re going on your yacht?”

“I’m not telling.” Leo typed a few things on his phone and one of my favorite singers came on. “Now, drive.”

I pulled up to the valet stand at the marina. “We’re totally going on the yacht.”

While I was impressed, it also seemed a bit much for a first date. It took a lot to take an eight-five-foot yacht out on the water for a casual evening.

Leo looked far too pleased with himself. “Surprise.”

I shook my head, trying to ignore the flutter in my stomach. “This is too much. I thought we were going for casual.”

“This is casual.” He was already getting out of the car, and I followed. “We aren’t taking her out.”

I reluctantly handed the keys to the valet and followed Leo down the dock. The Holy Cannoli loomed before us, all sleek lines and gleaming white paint. I’d been on it before, but never like this.

Never on a date. Alone.

“Welcome aboard, sir.” A man in a suit greeted us at the end of the gangway leading onto the yacht. “Everything is prepared for you on the flybridge, and dinner will be served shortly. Please let me know if you need anything else.”

“Thank you, Tom.” Leo gave him a firm handshake as we passed.

“Seriously, Leo,” I tried again as we approached a staircase. “This is-”

Leo stopped in front of me and turned around. “If you say ‘too much’ one more time, I’m going to push you into the water.”

I held up my hands in surrender. “Fine, fine. Wouldn’t want to make the rumors about you and Luca turning people into fish food true.”

He rolled his eyes and turned back to the stairs, leading me up to one of the several decks.

The yacht wasn’t as deserted as I’d expected. A few crew members bustled about. “I thought the boat would be empty.”

Leo shrugged, leading me across a deck and toward more stairs. “Someone’s using it for the next week. The staff is getting things ready.”

I nodded, trying to ignore the tiny pang of disappointment. For a moment, I’d imagined it was all for us, which was ridiculous because the last thing I wanted was to be completely alone with him… right?

We made our way up to the top deck, and the view was spectacular. The sun was starting to set, painting the sky in brilliant oranges and pinks. But what caught my eye was the cozy seating area that had been set up, complete with a picnic spread on a coffee table.

I stepped beside him and nudged him with my elbow. “This is proposal level romantic, Leo. At least suck my cock first.”

“Oh, uh…” He rubbed the back of his neck and looked around at what he’d had set up for us. Clearly, he wasn’t ready for joking about that yet, and it gave me a good idea of where he stood with it.

Damn it, why was I now picturing him on his knees for me? I was here for Libby because she wanted to give him a chance. I wasn’t here to be wooed. “I was kidding. It’s perfect.”

“I’m glad you approve. Shall we?” He gestured to the seating area, ever the gentleman.

I settled onto the L-shaped couch, trying not to think about how intimate this all felt. Leo sat across from me, reaching forward and pulling the lid off a tray that had a charcuterie board.

“What would you like to drink?” He stood and went to a bar cart that had been set up with every beverage imaginable, including alcohol. “They’ll be serving us salmon for dinner, so I have a Pinot Noir or Sauvignon Blanc if you want wine.”

“Whatever you’re having.”

Leo poured us each a glass of the Pinot Noir like he was a top sommelier. As he handed me my glass, our fingers brushed, and I desperately tried to ignore how it made me feel.

We clinked glasses and sipped the wine in silence for a few moments, both of us staring out at the horizon. The setting sun cast a warm glow over everything, and it was almost too perfect.

One of us had to break the ice, and it looked like that person was going to have to be me. “Are we going to talk about the elephant on the yacht?”

Leo chuckled, but his shoulders tensed. “I suppose we should, now that I’ve plied you with wine and food.”

I took another sip of wine. “Look, I’m just going to be blunt. What is your end game here? With me, with Libby... with all of this? Because I honestly don’t get it.”

He sighed, running a hand through his hair. “Honestly? I’m not entirely sure.”

“That’s not very reassuring.” I tried to keep the edge out of my voice, but given our heated exchanges up until this point, it was difficult to do. The last thing I wanted was to waste time and energy on something that was headed nowhere.

“I know, and I’m sorry.” Leo’s eyes met mine and I found that I couldn’t look away. “I’m not used to dealing with... overwhelming feelings like this.”

“Overwhelming feelings?”

Leo nodded, his gaze dropping to his wine glass. “It’s hard to explain. I’ve pushed a lot of my feelings to the side, but what I feel for Libby is so intense and happened so fast, that I can’t ignore it. There’s this sense of comfort around her, and I want to be near her all the time. And as for you… when I let myself go there, I can’t deny I’m attracted to you.”

Holy shit. I wasn’t prepared for that level of honesty. My mind immediately conjured up images of what we could do with that attraction. I shifted in my seat, trying to will away the heat rushing to my dick. “That’s... a lot to process.”

“It’s easy to ignore when I want to, but I’m so tired of ignoring my feelings for the sake of other people.”

“What other people?”

“Family… and then as you know, I’m sometimes subjected to celebrity status when the paparazzi are bored. I also always have to worry about people’s intentions, and if they’re going to screw me over. I don’t quite know how to reconcile everything.”

“But your parents are okay with Luca’s relationship, aren’t they?” I hadn’t heard otherwise, and I heard practically everything being the receptionist at LRG Marketing.

“Yes and no. They are fairly traditional, so the idea of Luca never marrying and being in an unconventional poly situation doesn’t make them too happy. But he’s also not fucking Ryker and Garrett as far as I know, which is probably why they tolerate it.”

“Ah.” Now I understood. “I’ve been lucky in that regard, but obviously, I’ve had my fair share of people voicing their not-so- nice opinions about who I am. It sucks, but at the end of the day, you have to do what makes you happy because it’s your life, no one else’s. If that means you lose some people from your life, then they are only making your life better in the long run.”

He nodded and swirled the wine in his glass. “I also understand your concerns about my intentions. My reputation isn’t exactly stellar.”

“That’s putting it mildly,” I muttered.

He winced. “Fair enough. But I want you to know that I’m trying to be better and not just chase the next thrill.”

I studied him for a moment, trying to gauge his sincerity. “And what if what you want is just a fling with me and Libby?”

Leo shook his head. “That’s not what this is. It scares the shit out of me, to be honest.”

I could relate to that fear. My own feelings for Libby were a mess that I was still trying to sort out. Before I could respond, though, we were interrupted by the arrival of our dinner.

The server set down two plates of perfectly grilled salmon with roasted vegetables, the aroma making my mouth water. As the server poured more wine, Leo’s eyes never left me.

The intensity of his gaze made my pulse quicken. Maybe it was the romantic setting, or the raw honesty of our conversation, but suddenly, the air between us felt… charged.

Maybe there was more to him than the womanizing playboy persona he often projected.

I settled back against the plush cushions, my mind whirling. The evening had taken an unexpectedly intimate turn, and I couldn’t deny the way Leo’s honesty and vulnerability had started to chip away at my opinion of him.