Page 45 of Sins of Leo

“Most likely, but fear not. Leo is a fierce warrior, and he won’t let you come to harm.”

“You’ve seen it?” Look at Ruth looking for reassurance from a seer.

“No, but I know Leo. He would give his life for those he cares about.”

The comment turned Ruth’s lips down. “He barely knows me.”

“Do you think time is the determining factor? A bond formed between the two of you the moment you met—and not of the doctor-patient variety. I know you’ve felt it. It’s most certainly affected him. I don’t recall the last time he smiled.” Sage gazed off at nothing, her own lips curving.

“It has nothing to do with me. He’s simply coming to grips with what happened.”

“Don’t be so coy. This is your doing. It will be nice to have another woman to chat with.” With that strange pronouncement, Sage drifted off, leaving behind a confused Ruth.

Had she just implied Ruth would be staying?

With Leo?

Before she could fully dissect everything Sage had said, Leo returned, holding up a sheaf of papers. “Here’s to hoping Aquarius’ new program properly calculated our starbeam route. Then again, given my shit math skills, I doubt his computer coding could do any worse.”

“How does math help you starbeam?”

“It’s a weird thing that I really can’t explain because I honestly don’t understand the logic behind it, but it works, so that’s all that really counts. Shall we?” He swept his arm in the direction of the library exit.

“Leave? Now?”

“No time like the present.”

She had no excuse. No reason to disagree. Yet, a part of her hesitated to leave. Fear of what was to come. Anxiety that theymight fail. A hint of shyness, given what happened between her and Leo. Trepidation over starbeaming.

He held out his hand. “Coming, Buttercup?”

He used that ridiculous name, and rather than call him out, she nodded. “Yeah, I guess.”

His fingers wrapped around hers and squeezed. “It will be fine,” he reassured.

A big promise and she could have been a complete jerk and reminded him he’d failed before. Could have given a list of reasons why things wouldn’t be fine. Could have harangued him until he had a psychotic break and blubbered in a corner.

Instead, she chose to trust him. Together they walked out of the tower, with the bulging backpacks that had been waiting by the main door. She eyed the giant sandbox with skepticism as he sat in it and began to draw symbols in the grains.

“This is how you starbeam, by drawing in dirt?”

“Yes. Some symbols are a link to my constellation where I get my power. Others indicate the location.” He kept dragging his fingers in the sand.

“Why use a sandbox and not something a little less likely to get blown away?”

He glanced at her. “Tower wouldn’t let the wind take a single grain. And this isn’t sand. It’s galactic dust. Particles of space gathered in one spot providing a focus we can use.”

“You’re sure I can travel with you?”

“Yes.” Leo leaned slightly back and indicated his lap. “But you’ll have to be close. Watch the drawings as you sit down.”

The spot in front of him remained blank for the moment as Ruth hesitated. “Won’t my pack be in the way?”

“You’ll have to hold it against your chest. Don’t be shy.” He patted his thick thighs.

She hugged her knapsack and took slow steps to reach him, her hiking boots not sinking as much as expected in the fineparticles. It took a deep breath before she could sit on his lap, immediately aware of him as a man. He appeared equally affected, judging by the sudden erection poking her bottom.

“Let me just finish up this last bit,” he murmured against her ear, the warmth of his breath sending shivers.

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