Page 21 of Reckless Love

“Dear God what is that heavenly smell?” The front door opened and closed.

I heard the clank of Leo’s keys hitting the bowl and then he was in the doorway, grinning in his grey suit with the white shirt and red tie. His hair was still perfectly styled and there was only the beginning hintsof a five o’clock shadow on his handsome jaw.

In short, he looked every bit as delicious as the food.

“It’s a lemon herb roast chicken.”

“Nope,” he shook his head, his eyes heating. “That’s not it.”

“Then maybe it’s the escargot I made as an appetizer?” The garlic was killing me. My mouth hadn’t stopped watering.

He cocked his head to the side. “Okay, it’s definitelythat too, but not what I meant.” He moved across the kitchen and around the counter to stand beside me, his hands landing on my hips as he nuzzled my neck. “There it is.” He pressed a kiss to my skin. “It’s you.”

I closed my eyes and savored that becausewhoa. On the romance scale of one to ten, that was a thermometer-busting one hundred.

“What’s that?” He nodded toward the breakfasttable covered in folders and notebooks.

“That is a project that arrived today. I’ve been waiting for these files all week. One of my favorite Scottish sites has uncovered human remains and they believe it’s just the first of many.”

Leo moved around me, locating the white wine I was already drinking and pouring himself a glass before refreshing mine. “You sound...delighted.”

I was delighted. Over the moon. Giddy even. Projects like this were the whole reason I started my research. “Did you know I designed my lab solely so I could catch all the best projects?”

“Catch?” He moved back around the counter to the a stool and sat down.

“Normally when an unexpected find comes up during a dig it’s a scramble to figure out what to do. Funding being the majorfactor here. In the case of human remains there’s proper storage, DNA analysis, preservation, things like that. It’s expensive and sometimes delays work for years. I hate delays and I love being involved in all my favorite research—it’s much better than watching from the sidelines, hoping for little nibbles of information to come out over the email loops or at conference presentations. So partof my goal in creating my lab was to make sure it had an entire funding arm for interceding. An archaeology team comes up with something unexpected, they call me. I consult and my lab catches the work, leaving the original team with the ability to keep working and come up with additional funds down the road. It’s a win for everyone but especially me.”

“You’re deviously smart. Will you begoing out there?”

I nodded as I removed the escargot from the oven, setting it aside to cool a bit before we indulged. “Most likely. I’m going over the research now and we’re coming up with a plan. It will probably be a few weeks before they’re able to proceed. The weather is a major factor in their dig seasons up there.”

“And where is this exactly?” He tried to snatch one of theescargot and I batted his hand away.

“Northern Scotland. I might go as a tourist if they don’t need me. This is one of my favorite sites and I’ve been dying to get out there for years.” When I got the email from the site director asking for my help I literally jumped out of my seat and danced.

I removed the chicken and scalloped potatoes from the oven as well, turning everythingoff. We devoured the food right there on the counter instead of at the beautifully set table in the dining room.

And, just as I’d hoped, eating led to dirty talk, and dirty talk led to foreplay. And then it led to something I wasn’t sure how to discuss.

I straddled him on the sofa, still completely clothed but thoroughly enjoying the heavy petting and making out.

“Do you thinkyou’ll ever want to go to ‘parties’ again?” I loved Leo and I knew he loved me. He was the only man I wanted and I would be completely happy never having sex with anyone but him for the rest of my life. But ever since Marie questioned me at the cocktail party, made sure I understood the lifestyle he led, I’d been wondering if this was really and truly it for us. He was it andbamwe were bothmonogamous?

He made a fist in my hair and pulled back. “Honestly? I’m still so overwhelmed by you I can’t think about much else.”

“So maybe?” I didn’t know if I wanted him to say yes or no.

He cocked his head to the side as he examined me closer. It always felt like I was naked when he did that, like he could see every thought in my head. “I love sex. We have fucking amazingsex. I love you. I never thought I’d fall in love. Now that I am? I don’t know what else I could possibly ever want. I went to those parties because it was fun. I went on dates because I wanted to be the good in someone’s life. I’ve always been as fluid as water when it comes to relationships. One night, one party, two nights, two lovers,” he shrugged, “I just went with the flow as long as everyonewas happy. Now my flow is you. I’ll go wherever you want, do whatever it is you need.”

The thing that always astonished me about Leo was how completely confident he was in himself. Everything he just said was the honest truth. He indulged and pleasured and enjoyed until there was a reason to have a reason. “So if I said I wanted to go to a party with you...or a club...you’d go becauseit was what I wanted?”

He flashed me a wolfish grin. “Darling, as long as I’m the one fucking this pussy I don’t care if we do it naked in Yankee Stadium with a full crowd. If you want ten sets of hands on you while I fuck you, that’s fine too.”

“And you’re not...upset by that?” I mostly asked out of curiosity. Would he really be chill about ten sets of hand on me? Would I beokay with hands on him?

I clenched my legs together.

Leo’s eyes narrowed. “You’re turned on, Esme.” He ground up against my sex with his quickly hardening erection. “You should see how you’re blushing. Do you like imagining me fucking you while other people touch you?”

---