Chapter 6

CHAPTER 6

L ater that night, Leo prowled restlessly around the apartment. After Jessica had somewhat reluctantly agreed to investigate the possibility of him crossing over, they had avoided the subject for the rest of the evening. It should have been like any other evening, and yet it wasn’t.

He sat with her as she prepared and ate one of her usual rabbit food meals, and even though he could smell it this time, it didn’t seem any more appetizing. She was obviously preoccupied by his revelation, toying with her fork and abandoning her already minimal dinner halfway through it. He bit back an instinctive protest, trying to remember that she was capable of taking care of herself, then thought of an alternative.

“Would you mind making some popcorn?” he asked casually. “With lots of butter? I’ve missed the smell of it.”

She shook her head but complied, bringing the bowl to the couch as they sat down to watch one of her favorite shows. He watched in satisfaction as she absently ate most of the bowl, then gave him a suspicious look.

“You did that on purpose, didn’t you?”

“Did what?” he asked, doing his best to keep his expression innocent.

“You knew I’d eat the popcorn.”

“Maybe. Did you enjoy it?”

“Obviously,” she laughed, pointing at the empty bowl before she licked the last traces of butter off her fingers. Watching her pretty mouth close around her fingers made him ache and he shifted on the couch, aware of his cock hardening. He’d always been aware of his desire for her, but after that kiss he craved her the way he’d once craved the air he no longer breathed.

As the episode finished, she stood up and stretched. She’d changed into her pajamas before the show and the movement gave him a tantalizing glimpse of her midriff. His gaze lingered on her pale skin, wishing he could press a line of kisses to the soft curve of her stomach. He must have looked a little too long because he heard her breath catch and looked up to find her watching him, her expression a complicated mixture of longing and hope and fear.

“I would never hurt you,” he said quietly, and she gave a shaky nod.

“I know. I just…”

For a moment he thought she might confide in him, but she only nodded again and fled for her bedroom. Normally he would have followed her, but he decided to give her a little space—and ended up pacing instead. He didn’t sleep, exactly, but usually, once he assumed his position in the corner of her bedroom, he drifted into a state somewhere between waking and sleeping. That state was impossible to achieve tonight and he finally decided she must be asleep and went to take up his usual position.

She was asleep, but she wasn’t sleeping peacefully, her head shifting restlessly across the pillow.

“No,” she whispered, her voice oddly childlike, and his heart ached as a tear slipped down her cheek.

He wished he could comfort her, but there was nothing he could do. Or was there? Very cautiously, he lay down on the bed next to her, trying to project the same sense of warmth and comfort as he had earlier. Her body slowly stilled, and then she sighed and rolled towards him. To his shock, her head came to rest on his chest.

He froze, half-afraid he would shatter the fragile illusion, but her breathing remained deep and even. Very carefully, he raised his arm and placed it gently around her shoulders, feeling the warmth of her body beneath his touch. She sighed again and nestled a little closer. His heart ached. If only this was real. If only he could truly have her in his arms, in his bed.

Her breathing changed and he realized she was awake. He started to move away, to lift his arm, but she reached up to put a hand on top of his.

“Don’t leave me,” she whispered, and he gave a silent nod, holding her a little tighter.

“I’ll never leave you.”

She relaxed against him, her body melting into his, and despite the impossibility of the situation, he felt his body respond. Her scent surrounded him, sweet and tempting and he could hear her heart racing. He knew she had to feel his erection, hard and insistent against her, but she didn’t pull away and he didn’t dare to move. He was afraid to break this fragile connection, this moment of closeness that felt so right.

“Leo,” she breathed, the longing in her voice undeniable.

“Sweetheart,” he murmured back.

She turned her head until her lips pressed against his throat and he bit back a groan, his cock throbbing as her mouth opened against his skin, hot and eager. The bed sheets were in the way, but he could feel the small curves of her breasts, her nipples hard and tight, pressing against his chest.

He moved his arm from around her shoulder and slid his hand down her side, caressing the dip of her waist, the gentle flare of her hips. The warmth of her skin radiated through the thin fabric, and his fingers slipped beneath the hem of her top, seeking her flesh.

She arched against him, her breath catching, as he explored her body. Her skin was like silk beneath his fingers, and he could feel that too, so warm and alive. He longed to touch her breasts, to cup the soft flesh and tease the taut peaks, but he settled for sliding his hand beneath her top to caress the curve of her back and the delicate lines of her ribs. He could feel the throb of her pulse, the rapid rise and fall of her chest, her arousal clear, and his own body responded in kind.

He continued to stroke her back, but although he could feel her skin, there was still a faint, frustrating distance between them, an invisible barrier that prevented true intimacy. But the barrier felt as if it were weakening. Her breath was coming in soft, rapid pants, and he could feel the tension building in her body as her heart raced. His own body was throbbing, demanding more.

Her mouth moved against him, hot and desperate, and he turned his head, his lips seeking hers. Their mouths connected in an explosion of sensation. His body felt as if it was on fire, and he clutched her to him, desperate for closer contact. The taste of her filled his mouth as she moaned and her leg slid over his, her body pressing even closer. He felt the wet heat of her arousal against his thigh and groaned, his hand sliding down to squeeze her ass. She moaned again and her hand slid between them, seeking his erection. Her fingers brushed against it and they both shuddered. Instinctively, he started to roll over on top of her. She suddenly froze, and then…

He was back in his usual place in the corner, his body barely visible, and the loss was almost unbearable. She was staring blindly up at the ceiling, her eyes wide and confused… and scared.

“Leo?” she whispered. “Where did you go?”

“I’m still here, sweetheart, back in my usual position. Are you all right?”

“Y-yes.,” she said hesitantly, and then her voice firmed as she sat up and looked at him. “I’m fine. But you felt so real. It was so… intense and then you were just gone.”

He hesitated, then drifted towards her, his body frustratingly immaterial.

“Something happened, didn’t it? Something that scared you?”

She bit her lip and didn’t answer immediately, and he didn’t push. He knew better than anyone how hard it was to revisit the past.

“My last foster home was… not a nice place. Someone I thought I could trust… hurt me.”

He growled, his anger washing through the room. Ice formed on the windows but he managed to keep the air around her warm. She sighed and nodded her head.

“Exactly. I was a little… broken by the experience.”

She gave a shaky laugh.

“I’ve avoided men ever since. Until you,” she added, and he could hear a trace of the old, confident Jessica. “But when you rolled over, it reminded me of him.”

“I would never hurt you,” he said fiercely.

“I know, Leo. But he didn’t start by hurting me.”

The memory was obviously painful and he didn’t ask her for any further details. She sighed again, then gave him a rueful smile.

“I wish I understood why this is happening between us.”

“Because the veil is weakening?”

“I suppose it’s possible, although it’s still a few weeks to Halloween.”

“I can’t think of any other reason—and although I’m sorry I frightened you, I can’t say that I’m sorry that I can touch you.”

She looked at him, her smile still a little shaky, and nodded.

“No, neither am I.”

There was a pause, and then she climbed out of bed and walked to the window, staring out into the night.

“Do you think it’s actually possible?”

He could hear the mixture of both longing and trepidation in her voice and his own heart ached.

“You mean that I can be alive again?”

“Yes.” She hesitated, toying with the edge of the curtain. “Would… would you mind if I consulted a few people?”

“Not at all. Make your calls, sweetheart,” he said gently. “Let’s see if we can find a way.”