Page 57 of Fierce Secrets

Leo didn't respond, just indicated with his hand for Roman to continue forward. I watched him in the passenger seat, his eyes focused on the road ahead as Roman gave our order.

Leo's jaw ticked rhythmically, tension evident in every line of his body. Guilt gnawed at me – he was still protecting me despite how I'd pushed him away, still watching over me even when I'd told him to let me go.

This wouldn't be easy for him. Seeing other men come after me. Then again, I'd not asked him to be there tonight. That was his choice.

I turned to stare out the window instead, hating the turmoil within me that wasn't from the alcohol. I had no idea how to feel about him, and it was eating me up.

Thankfully, food came as a welcome distraction, and I focused on eating while Sofia chatted about how we should do this again sometime, it was fun, even with our watchers.

Leo cast her a displeased look, but she either didn't notice or chose to ignore it as she continued rambling about some patient she'd looked after who'd been a mental case after too much drug use. She went into a little too much detail on his spitting and lackof toilet control, and how they'd needed a whole team to secure him to the bed for his own safety.

Just another day in the ward apparently.

And yet, despite the graphic ramblings, I couldn't keep myself from glancing at Leo in my still buzzed state.

All I wanted to know, was what was going on in that head of his.

CHAPTER 21

MEREDITH

By the time we reached Sofia's house, she was passed out against my shoulder. Roman scooped her up effortlessly, carrying her inside while Leo helped steady me as I navigated the steps in my heels.

"We should take her make-up off," I said vacantly as I watched Roman lay Sofia on her bed.

"She'll survive one night," Leo said quietly as I moved forward to help take her heels off. I'd removed mine as soon as I'd come through the front door.

"All good here?" Roman turned to Leo while I carefully removed Sofia's bra without revealing anything. It was much easier to do on myself, but I got there thanks to her rousing just enough to assist me before flopping back onto the bed. She immediately rolled over, snuggling into her pillow.

"Yes."

Roman disappeared with a nod, leaving Leo and me in charged silence.

I pursed my lips before moving past him and out of the room, closing the door once he'd stepped out after me.

With more water and food in my system, my buzz had died down a fair bit, and my emotions were a chaotic mess.

"You’ll be okay," Leo said, already turning to leave.

Why wouldn't he even look at me anymore?

"Leo, wait."

He paused, his broad shoulders tense.

I rubbed my arm, stepping around his sturdy frame in the hall to stand before him. "I understand why you protected me back then, why you all did. I just... I don't know where we go from here."

He finally met my gaze, his eyes dark and unreadable. He was hiding everything from me. The man I'd been intimate with was now hidden behind a carefully constructed mask. He'd slammed his walls back up as soon as I'd sent him away.

"Neither do I."

The words were soft, but his expression remained steeled.

Maybe it was the alcohol still coursing through me or the reeling emotions, but I couldn't stand this, not after what we'd shared, how close we'd been.

I closed the gap between us, standing on my toes and pressing my lips to his. He stiffened for a moment, and for a split second, I thought he wasn't going to respond.

But then his hand moved to fist in my hair almost painfully as he kissed me back with a fierce intensity that made my head spin. I melted against him, balling my hands into his undershirt, relishing the feel of him.

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