Chapter Twenty

Leo

“I was hoping to find you in the kitchen.”

I startled at the sound of her voice, but I knew instantly it was Brynn. I’d been lost in my thoughts, staring out the window in my office. It was half-past one, and like usual, sleep seemed out of reach.

The day had been a whirlwind, especially after that call with Candace. Everyone was on high alert, waiting for her next move, bracing for the storm we knew was coming. The pressure of it weighed on me. Brynn had gone to bed earlier, but I wasn’t sure if she expected me to join her once I was done talking with Apollo and Murphy. Maybe she needed some space, maybe she didn’t. But it didn’t stop me from thinking about her. About us.

Brynn wandered into the office, closing the door softly behind her. “Couldn’t sleep?” I asked, turning toward her.

She shook her head, her eyes glinting with warmth despite the late hour. She was wearing pale blue sleep shorts, a white T-shirt that clung to her in all the right places—and no bra. The sight of her always did something to me, but like this? In the quiet of my office, looking so effortlessly beautiful? I was done for.

Brynn shrugged, walking around the office, her fingers trailing over the bookshelves and the desk, touching things lightly as if her fingertips could absorb some of the tension in the room. She stopped directly in front of me, her gaze locking with mine. “I woke up expecting you to be in bed with me, and you weren’t.”

“So you came to find me?” I asked, my voice lower than I intended.

She smirked and trailed her finger down my bare chest. “Yes,” she whispered, her tone a little teasing, a lot inviting.

I reached out and pulled her close to me, and my hands rested firmly on her hips. I turned us and slowly guided her back until her legs hit the edge of my desk. She plopped onto it, laughing softly. “I guess I’ll have a seat here,” she said, a playful glint in her eyes.

I stepped between her legs and moved in close. The heat between us was instant like it always was. I cradled her face in my hands and tipped her head back slightly to look at me. Her breath caught, and I leaned in to press my lips to hers. “I’m glad you found me,” I whispered against her lips and felt her body relax into mine.

She closed her eyes and sighed, but before I could lose myself in her completely, something else slipped out of me. “I’m sorry,” I blurted, my voice heavier than before.

Her eyes snapped open, confused. “What?”

Before she walked in, I had been thinking—thinking about our past, about what we lost, about our baby. I couldn’t let this go any longer. “I’m sorry I ran,” I said, the words painful but necessary.

She tipped her head to the side, frowning. “What do you mean?”

“All those years ago, after the miscarriage... I ran away from you. Everything that happened with the baby—I couldn’t handle it. I didn’t know how to deal with it, and I felt like it was my fault. I thought I was the reason you miscarried, and I couldn’t stand looking at you, knowing that.”

Her brow furrowed, and she cupped my cheek with her hand. “Leo, it wasn’t your fault I miscarried. That would have happened no matter what. Even if you rushed me to the hospital the second I said something was wrong, it wouldn’t have changed anything.” Her eyes softened as she spoke. “Nothing that happened was either of our fault.”

“But I still ran,” I muttered, guilt still pressing down on me. “I left you alone when you needed me.”

She sat up straighter, her hand still on my face. “It was hard, Leo. I won’t lie and say it wasn’t. But I know now that you did what you thought was right at the time. It wasn’t the right move, but I can’t blame you for thinking you were doing what was best for me. You didn’t ship me off to South Carolina either—I chose that. Everything that happened after, those were my choices.”

“I know, but—”

She shook her head, cutting me off. “We both made bad choices back then, but letting that get between us now won’t make anything right.”

“I just want you to know I’m sorry,” I said again, feeling like the apology didn’t hold enough weight for what I’d put her through.

Brynn leaned in and kissed me softly. “Thank you,” she whispered against my lips.

A sense of relief washed over me. We’d cleared the air, and I felt lighter, like maybe we were finally past that dark chapter.

Her lips lingered, her eyes meeting mine again. She bit her bottom lip softly, and I knew exactly what she was thinking. “I think I know what will help me go to sleep,” she whispered, her voice hushed and sultry.

“Oh yeah?” I asked, my pulse already quickening. The way her eyes darkened and her body shifted closer to mine made it impossible to ignore the tension between us.

She nodded, biting her lip again, teasing me.

I couldn’t hold back anymore. I reached for her, kissing her hard. My hands slid under her thighs as I lifted her onto the desk fully. Her legs wrapped around me, and I could feel the heat radiating from her.

With one swift movement, I tugged her T-shirt over her head, revealing her bare chest. God, she was beautiful. I bent down, taking a nipple into my mouth, tasting her, feeling her body respond to every touch. She moaned softly, her hands tugging at my hair, encouraging me.

My hands moved to her hips, yanking her sleep shorts down, and she laid back on the desk as I kissed my way down her stomach. I could feel her breath quickening, her body arching into me, begging for more. I was happy to oblige.

I pushed my pants down, not bothering to be slow or careful. I wanted her too badly. Her hands gripped the edge of the desk, her eyes locked onto mine as I positioned myself between her legs.

With one hard thrust, I was inside her. She gasped; her nails dug into the desk as I began to move. Each thrust harder and deeper, pulling us both into a frenzy.

“Leo,” she breathed, her voice shaking with pleasure as her body trembled against mine. I could feel her getting closer, her body tightening around me.

I gripped her hips harder, pushing us both over the edge, the tension between us snapping in a rush of heat and release. She cried out my name, her body shuddering in my arms as I followed her into bliss.

We stayed like that for a moment, both of us breathing heavily as our bodies were still tangled together.

She smiled up at me, her eyes heavy with satisfaction. “Well, I think that did the trick,” she teased, breathless.

I kissed her again, softer this time. “Glad I could help.”