Page 90 of Melted by a Man

Silence hung in the air while Leo adjusted over me, shifting to the side so that half of his body weight wouldn’t crush me while snaking his arms underneath so he could snuggle in. His head rested against my breasts, but he didn’t make a move. He just held me, content with the movement his head made as I inhaled and exhaled.

“…Thank you for talking to me, Jacqueline,” Leo’s voice was lower, calmer. A whisper. His voice reminded me of the conversation we were just having before he tickled me.

“…Thank you for listening,” I hummed, as I reached up and ran my fingers through his dark hair. It was so soft. The barest hint of product in it he must have applied in the morning, and yet, I still enjoyed the sensation of feeling his locks brush through my fingers. Against my knuckles.

Leo hummed in contentment as well, and I could feel his big body relax against me even more from my soothing touch, “…Will you go out with me?”

I hesitated for half a second before continuing my grooming, “Like, on a date?”

“Yes.” Leo didn’t look at me, he didn’t move a muscle. Part of me suspected that he was nervous, “Exactly like a date. Something with no sexual expectations. Just you and me spending intentional time together.”

I thought about it for half a second before I whispered my response.

As if this was a pinnacle moment.

Maybe it was. Maybe it wasn’t. It didn’t matter either way, because I knew what my answer was as soon as he asked me.

“I’d love to.”

ChapterNineteen

LEO

Weeks had passed.I didn’t get the job. It was probably for the best, considering I was over-qualified. Also, I had already shagged one of my potential coworkers.

I was sitting at my mums’ kitchen counter, listening to them toss around banter about the new recipe they were testing when I randomly checked my cell to find a new, unopened email.

It was from Brandon Moore.

The CEO of Sun Steer Technologies.

I held my breath as I tapped on the notification.

* * *

I wasn’tconfident about how Jacqueline would react to a kind of surprise like this. I had a feeling she wasn’t a huge fan of surprises in general. She seemed like someone who wanted to be prepared for whatever could happen next.

The Friday after our talk at her flat, she was still quiet and withdrawn at work. I saw her step into the sensory room twice. Talking with me about her stress obviously didn’t make it go away, but I felt comfort in the fact that she did. I had a perspective on how she was feeling.

The fact that I could convince her to go out with me without any pushback made me realize how out of sorts she might have been. I expected the stiffness I felt in her body underneath mine, but I didn’t expect her to almost immediately agree to a date.

The fact that she later requested to ride on my motorcycle to wherever we were going was another red flag. She was usually terrified of the bike.

She needed to let go.

Sometimes, people like Jacqueline needed a push to relax.

I just fucking hoped that Taylor would pull through.

We drove almost forty minutes south on PCH, the humid ocean air felt amazing even through our leather protection. The farther away we got from Orange County, the quieter life became. There wasn’t much on the drive between Orange County and San Diego, besides Oceanside. But we didn’t get quite that far. After finding the turnoff Taylor had instructed, I was second-guessing what they were getting us into. It was completely dark, only the half-moon was able to illuminate some of the surroundings because there were no streetlights on this gravel pathway into the hills. The ocean behind us was the only noise beyond the hum of my bike. When we finally turned onto another unnamed road, an old run-down building came into view.

“Are you about to murder me?” Jacqueline asked underneath her helmet. Her voice in my ear almost made me jump. We hadn’t said a word to teach each other the entire ride out here.

“I wasn’t planning on it, no,” I replied, “How are you doing back there?” I could feel her hands tighten around my waist, her fingers pressing against the skin of my abs just like that first ride we took together.

“Fine,” Jacqueline sighed. I frowned. Where was her bite? Where were her quips? That feisty personality that I was starting to become obsessed with. I squared my shoulders, pulling my bike into an unmarked spot next to a handful of other parked vehicles.

When we dismounted the bike, I relaxed a bit more when I heard Taylor’s voice call out to us, “What’s up, nerds?”

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