9. Leo

9

LEO

L ast night felt like a fever dream.

After Jacob had fucked me behind the bar, I'd gone back into photoshoot mode. We were probably out on the terrace for another few hours, but I could've sworn it felt like three days. Everything seemed like it was going in slow motion, every minute I was spending away from Jacob.

Every minute I wasn't underneath him.

Fuck.

I was being such a fucking cliché.

I know. I'd heard of this happening before, when a submissive person met a dominant type who knew how to press all the right buttons. Of course, I was forming a bond with Jacob. He'd been learning my body for days; he knew exactly how to touch me. But I also knew that everything between us was more than likely temporary, just something happening because we were in close proximity to each other. Jacob probably thought it was fun to have a needy sub while he was snowed in while on the job. But outside of that?

There was no way Jacob wanted that. Wanted me.

"You awake?" Jacob murmured, from his place next to me in my bed. After the photoshoot, we'd ended up in my bedroom, his cock deep inside of me all over again. I'd practically begged him for it, begged for his hands all over me.

A needy sub, indeed.

"Yeah, but I was just about to get up for the day," I replied, shifting away from him. I could tell it was already daylight outside, with cracks of dawn shining around the curtain in my window. "I could grab you a coffee or something if you want?—"

"What are you doing?" Jacob pulled me back toward him, until his arm was wrapped across my waist.

"What do you mean?"

"You don't want to hang out with me a little more?" Jacob grinned. "It just kind of seemed like you were trying to run off."

"No, that's not—" I shook my head. "I just realized that we spent a lot of time together yesterday, like, pretty much all of it when I wasn't working."

"And?"

"And I don't want it to be too much. I don't want you to think that I'm too much."

"Why would I think that, Leo?"

"Because I don't want to be… a needy sub."

"What?" Jacob quirked an eyebrow in confusion. "Leo, what are you talking about?"

"I've heard of this happening before, you know," I started. "A submissive type meets a dominant type and starts to get all needy and weird around them. And I get how that's probably something you like when we're in bed together, but you don't want me following you around like a puppy dog or being jealous and weird if you're hooking up with someone else?—"

"Hooking up with someone else?"

I shrugged. "I get how this works. I'm not allowed to hook up with anyone else, but that doesn't mean that you can't, right? Which is fine. Like I said, I'm not needy?—"

"I don't want to hook up with anyone else, Leo."

"Oh."

"I thought I made that pretty clear?" Jacob pulled me even closer to him. "You're mine, but I'm yours, too. It goes both ways."

"Sorry. I just thought?—"

"Still apologizing, huh?" Jacob grinned again as he pressed a finger against my mouth. "It looks like I still have a lot to teach you about that."

Before I could say another word, Jacob's hand was sliding down into my boxers, his fingers wrapping around my shaft. I shifted myself up, just enough to press my mouth against his, my tongue sliding against Jacob's. I groaned into his mouth as he played with my cock, my body warming at his every touch.

Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.

That fever dream feeling was taking over again. It felt so good to be in Jacob's arms like this, to feel like I was fully his . I tried to shake myself out of it as I reached a hand down toward Jacob's shaft, my fingers almost reaching his tip…

Right before he brushed them away.

"You don't want me to touch you?" I murmured, my precome leaking all across his fingers as he continued to stroke me.

"I just wanted to watch you come," he murmured back. "I love the way your face looks when you're coming for me, baby."

I nodded against him, as my cock grew harder and harder in his grip. I would've been embarrassed about how easy it was for Jacob to make me come, but he'd never made me feel that way about it. Instead, he seemed to encourage it, like he wanted to see how many times he could make me come whenever we were together.

Like he wanted to see how much of me he really owned.

A few seconds later, and I was giving him exactly what he wanted, my cock shooting come against his palm, my lips trembling against his. When I was finished, he held me next to his chest, as he gently ran one of his hands through my hair.

Mine.

I thought the word without daring to say it, not wanting to ruin the moment between us. Instead, I pressed a soft kiss against his chest.

And then, I rolled out of bed.

"You locked me out of the bathroom." Jacob lightly chuckled as he leaned against the wall.

I'd just stepped out of the shower, still dripping wet, with a towel wrapped around my waist. After I'd rolled out of bed, I'd practically run to the shower and locked the door behind me, moving so fast that I'd barely had time to think.

"Yeah. Sorry. I just wanted to?—"

"To take a shower without me?" Jacob chuckled again. "That's fair. Everyone needs their space."

Jacob playfully kissed me on the cheek before he stepped into the shower, the water soon running inside. I finished getting dressed for the day as he showered, not having the heart to tell him the real reason I didn't want to shower with him moments after coming for him yet again in my bed.

Because I didn't want him to somehow read my mind and figure it out. Because I didn't want him to somehow see it on my face.

Mine.

The word moved through me again, and I tried my best to will it away. The last time I'd felt like anyone had been mine , it was Keith, and he'd proceeded to break my heart in ways I'd never thought imaginable. Being needy was one thing, but genuinely believing that Jacob was anywhere near mine ?

That was so much worse.

"It's sunny out. That means the snow will melt faster," Jacob said, as he suddenly stood in front of me, fully dressed.

"What?" It was all I could think to say as I stared back at him, confused.

Crap.

How long had I been zoning out?

He nodded toward my balcony window, walked over to it, and pulled back the curtain. "See? Sunny day. The snow's still going to be a problem though, but the more sun we get, the faster it melts. Soon enough, we'll all be out of here."

A pang of anxiety moved through my system.

Soon enough, we'll all be out of here.

Jacob wanted something temporary. He wanted us to be temporary.

And I was an idiot for starting to think anything else.

"You see how sunny it is outside?" Tommy whistled as he took a seat across from me at the café. "That snow's about to meet its match."

Everyone had gathered in the café for breakfast, courtesy of Jacob and Bradley. Jacob had been making coffee for everyone, while Bradley was on stove duty, an open carton of eggs beside him. I'd been trying and failing to keep my mind off Jacob, especially since whatever we had going on between us seemed to be dwindling down at the same rate as the snow outside.

"Boss?" Tommy pressed. "You okay? I thought you'd be happier about the snow update."

"Oh, I'm happy, Tommy," I lied. "I'm practically jumping up and down."

"There he is." Tommy laughed before he pulled out his camera. "Still, snow or no snow, we've been getting some really good shots while we've been here. If PR doesn't work out for you, you might want to consider something more editorial. You've got a good eye for it."

"Are you telling me to work in fashion, Tommy?"

"You could, if you wanted to."

"Yeah, no thanks." I scoffed. "I can barely handle athletes and their egos. Supermodels would eat me alive."

"Probably not, since most of them are vegan, nowadays," Tommy joked. "But maybe you're right. Speaking of egos…"

The athletes were coming right around the corner, with Diego leading the pack. Diego was holding a box of what looked like various vegetables and fruits, carrots, corn, tomatoes, watermelon. Andrew and Chris were close behind him, carrying similar boxes of their own.

They didn't stop until they were standing next to Bradley at the stove.

"We have things we would like to add to the breakfast," Diego started. "We raided another one of the fridges?—"

"Yeah. We can tell," Jacob added. "That's like three days' worth of breakfast. You guys know that, right?"

"We need a lot of it. We have to keep up our mass," Andrew added. "We know you two volunteered to make us breakfast, so we didn't want to step on your toes but?—"

"But eggs and bacon can only take us so far," Chris jumped into the conversation. "You want real staying power? You have to commit to the bit."

"I don't think that means what you think it means, Chris." Diego looked over at him as he said it. "Did you need to borrow my book? The one about popular American sayings?"

"Actually, yeah. That'd be great." Chris sighed, seeming relieved. "I swear, mate, you think you have it all right, and then suddenly, it's like they're speaking another language right at you."

"I know!" Diego shook his head. "It's incredible, isn't it?"

"One box," Jacob said, as he took the box out of Diego's hand. "We can make one box of fruits and veggies. The rest, we can put back in the fridge?—"

" Sic semper tyrannis! " Diego called out. "Death to tyrants!"

"Make the veggies! Make the veggies! Make the veggies!" Andrew chanted, as he shuffled the box in his hands back and forth.

Jacob looked over at me, and we quietly exchanged a knowing glance.

This was definitely some of the diva behavior that I'd warned him about.

"I'm sorry," I mouthed back at him. "Just start making the veggies?"

Jacob seemed slightly amused at my response before he nudged Bradley in the shoulder. He then whispered something to his cousin and Bradley nodded, dumping a few of the veggies on the stove, the sizzling sound echoing throughout the café.

Diego, Chris, and Andrew began to celebrate like their respective teams had just scored a winning goal, dancing around the café to music only they could hear.

"Are you good on coffee?" Jacob asked before settling down beside me at one of the bigger café tables. "Because I can always get you another cup if?—"

"I'm good." I offered him a small smile and took a bite of my breakfast, which consisted of eggs, homemade salsa, and bacon. "Fuck. This is so good. My compliments to the chef."

"I'll let Bradley know that you appreciate the meal." Jacob smirked and dug into his own breakfast. We were surrounded by the rest of the athletes at our table, while Tommy and the rest of the crew were sitting at a table behind us.

Keith had, unfortunately, finally joined us for breakfast, too. He hadn't come in with the rest of the athletes, which seemed a little strange, but once I noticed how tired he was at the table, the mystery had immediately been solved.

He'd been up all night partying. Again.

It was one of his worst habits, and it looked like he had no plans on changing it, anytime soon.

"Goddamn, Jacob. What'd you put in this coffee?" Andrew took another huge sip before he went on. "This is perfect."

"Did you used to work at a Starbucks or something?" Chris bit into a chunk of watermelon. "Or one of those independent cafés that have bookshops in the back?"

"I've just always been good with making coffee, that's all." Jacob shrugged. "I have a good sense of when to add a pump of espresso, caramel, you name it."

"Your hands are guided by the gods, then, friend," Diego added. "You and Bradley have superpowers in the kitchen."

"If you think I'm good in the kitchen, you should see Leo behind the bar." Jacob winked in my direction. "He's amazing when it comes to making drinks."

Just then, Diego, Chris, and Andrew, all narrowed their focus on me at the same time.

"You can make drinks?!"

"You've been holding out on us this entire time!"

"That's the kind of thing you should tell people, Leo! We have a right to know!"

"Friends help their friends!"

"If you just give me a chance to defend myself—" I started before the athletes and I playfully bickered back and forth. Jacob watched, out of the corner of his eye, a smile on his face the whole time. By the time the argument died down, I'd agreed to make drinks for everyone at least once, at some point during this trip. The guys seemed pleased with the agreement, and had gone back to talking among themselves, getting into various sports stats and games they'd been keeping up with on their phones.

"I can't believe you got me in trouble like that." I playfully nudged Jacob in the arm. "You could've gotten me killed by telling them I could make drinks!"

"I just thought they had a right to know." He smirked. "Especially since you're so good at it."

He lowered his voice as he said, "Although, I have to admit, if I had my choice between fucking you on the bar or you serving me a drink, I'd take fucking you every time."

"Jacob!" I turned away from him, trying to keep my expression from giving away the dirty thoughts that'd just run through my head. Just then, I felt Jacob gently kiss me on the cheek, before he went back to eating his breakfast. I quickly looked around the table, wondering if anyone had seen that little moment of PDA. Thankfully, the guys still seemed to be distracted by their sports stats conversation…

All of them except for Keith.

Keith was staring right at me, anger flashing behind his gaze. The anger then completely disappeared, dissolving into something else as Keith flashed a wide, eager smile.

"Keith, don't—" I started, trying to prevent something from coming, even though I didn't know exactly what Keith had in mind.

"Hey! Did y'all know that Leo and I used to date?" Keith casually announced to the table.

Everyone's attention turned toward him before he went on. "Yeah, Leo used to be my boyfriend. He really made me work for it, though, which is ironic because once he was mine, he gave me everything I wanted without me even asking for it."

"Keith—"

"What's your favorite place we ever hooked up, Leo? For me, it was the locker room before the playoffs."

"Stop," I pleaded. "Why are you even doing this right now?"

"What's the big deal?" Keith laughed, like anything was funny. "What? You don't want people to know that you're slumming it until we get back together?"

"We're not getting back together, Keith."

"Why? Because of him?" Keith looked over at Jacob. "He's nothing, Leo. He can't give you what you want, what you deserve. You're supposed to be on private jets, letting me fuck you in the bathroom, just like the good old days?—"

"Stop! Just stop!" I got up from my seat at the table. "If you wanted to embarrass me in front of everyone, congratulations! If you wanted to make me feel small?—"

"How do you think I feel, huh?" Keith shot back. "It's embarrassing for me to watch you hook up with a fucking loser right in front of me!"

"You're the fucking loser, Keith!"

"Whatever, tater tot." Keith rolled his eyes. "I'll let you apologize for that when we're back together. You can use your mouth to say sorry."

"I hate you so fucking much—" I didn't have a chance to finish my sentence, as I felt Jacob gently pulling me away from the table.

"Don't," Jacob whispered. "Don't make a scene. Don't give him what he wants."

"But he's being such an asshole?—"

"He just wants to get a reaction out of you, baby," Jacob whispered again. "Or get a reaction out of me. He wants to kill your focus."

"But why?"

"Because he wants to know that he can still be the center of your world," Jacob replied. "That's the whole point of this. If you care enough to get rattled by his bullshit, maybe you still care."

"Fuck. You're right." I took in a deep breath once Jacob and I were standing in the hallway. "I just don't get why he won't leave me alone. He's the one that screwed everything up. Why is he making it my problem?"

"I can't say I blame him."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"He fucked things up with you, Leo." Jacob took a step closer to me. "Imagine how that has to feel, fucking things up with someone like you. Do you really think he's going to meet anyone else who'd put up with his bullshit?"

"Probably not." I let out a light chuckle. "I did put up with a lot of his bullshit."

Jacob took me by the hands, pressing soft kisses into my palms. "That's what I thought. It's hard for assholes like Keith to know when they've crossed the point of no return. He genuinely doesn't realize that you're officially done with him, because people probably give him so many passes despite his behavior."

"Still. I don't like the way he talks to you. Or talks about you."

"I honestly do not give a single shit what Keith thinks or says about me," Jacob replied. "I only care about what you think about me, Leo."

Mine.

Mine. Mine. Mine.

"What? What is it?" Jacob pressed. "You just got quiet all of a sudden."

"Nothing. It's nothing," I lied, before I kissed him, trying my best to drown out those dangerous thoughts.

The ones where I imagined Jacob wanted me for something more than a snowstorm hook up.