Page 107 of Games We Play
Tears. Cries. Sobs of great displeasure.
The torrent of mortal emotions washing over her was enough to traumatize her. How horrific! Couldn’t she catch a fucking break? How freeing had it been to fly above the room and never look fear in the eye again?Fuck, fuck, fuck!Fear had found her. It grounded her, stomped on her corpse, and opened its mouth to spit in her face.
Like she had jumped in front of Leah that morning, protecting her from the violent hand of a man who had long lost control of his impulses, Sloan now shoved fear out of the way and wrapped her body protectively around Leah’s.
“It’s all right,” she cooed, her soft hands stroking every patch of Leah’s skin they could find. “I’m here, precious. You’re not alone. I love you.”
It took a few minutes for Leah to calm down, but when she did, she was no longer afraid – even with her fears at eye level.
After all, she wasn’t alone, and she was loved.
***
Sloan dragged herself out of bed late the next morning. Somehow, she had missed the fact that Leah was already up and about.When the hell did she get up?Sloan had slept so soundly that an earthquake couldn’t have roused her before her body was ready.
She followed the scent of breakfast to the kitchen on the other side of the suite. She was used to staying in full-suites that offered kitchens, but she never used them. Why would she, when it was easier and more convenient to order takeout?
But someone was cooking, and since there was only one other person sharing the suite with her, it must have been the resident baker.
Leah wasn’t baking, however. She was cooking pancakes, a neat stack of them already on a plain white plate. A brand-new bottle of maple syrup accompanied a small basket of fresh strawberries and a small canister of whipped cream. Sloan hadn’t realized how hungry she was until that moment.
“Morning,” Leah said, chipper enough to give Sloan a headache.How could she give me a headache, though?Especially when she was dressed in that baggy T-shirt that had her curly hair up in a messy bun that must have weighed a ton on top of her scalp? “Did you sleep well?”
Sloan hopped up on a stool at the island counter and rubbed the back of her cramped neck. “I should be asking you that. You’re the one who collapsed in exhaustion before I had the chance to suggest we take a shower.”
Leah was still all sunny day smiles as she slid the last of the pancakes onto the plate. She turned on the sink and rinsed out the frying pan before turning to her girlfriend. “I feel great. Last night was…” She blushed, grabbing the plate of pancakes and placing them in front of Sloan. Only then did Sloan realize that there were two more plates stacked beneath that one. She helped Leah separate them so they could eat breakfast. “Last night was intense, but refreshing, you know?”
“Why did you go through all this trouble?” Sloan salivated at the sight of fresh strawberries on a small stack of pancakes.Oh my God, it’s been so long since I indulged in a carb fest like this.“I would’ve taken us out to brunch.”
“Because I woke up two hours ago with a great need to be productive. What can I say? I wanted to cook for you.”
“Again?”
Leah poured maple syrup on Sloan’s pancakes. “I don’t get tired of cooking. I’m a much better baker than chef, but there are merits to cooking a nice meal, too. I prefer baking.”
“Because baking cheers people up.” Sloan grinned. “You’re such a people pleaser.”
“As long as you’re the one pleased right now…” Leah shook the canister of whipped cream and drew a heart on top of Sloan’s breakfast. “Ma’am.”
“Oh my God, you can’t go calling me ma’am and think I’m not gonna smack your butt.”Especially when it’s hanging out of your shirt. Nice.
“So why aren’t you?”
“Because I’m still waking up.” Sloan stabbed her pancakes with a fork. “I need energy.”
“Lots of energy in pancakes.” Leah put together her own plate before joining her girlfriend. “I should make them more often, but I eat so much regular cake every day that… well, gets a bit old.”
“Yet you somehow knew I love pancakes.” And waffles. Sloan loved every kind of terrible American breakfast that threatened to make her fat.
“Lucky guess. Most people love pancakes.” Leah swallowed. “I seriously worry about the ones who don’t.”
Sloan took her time eating while Leah wolfed down her breakfast. “You sure you’re doing okay? You dropped pretty hard last night.”
Leah continued to chew as if she hadn’t heard anything. Finally, she said, “Still a little shaky, I guess, but I’ll be fine. Because I’ve got you.” She flashed a bashful smile at her girlfriend. “You told me three times last night that you love me. So, unless you were lying…”
“Three times? I only remember two.”
“Maybe I made up that third time, but it was more than enough to make me rest easy.”
