Page 40 of Jump-Start
“Italian and English fluently, French only conversationally,” I reply, noticing the way Leonard’s jaw is hardening like he’s biting down harder than he should. I furrow my brows at him, but he’s glaring at Adrian.
“Wonderful. Second question, am I really too young for you?” There is an easiness to his tone, amusement all over his face, and joy clings to him.
“Yes, sorry. I usually go for guys that are older than me,” I say, noticing the way the corners of Leonard’s mouth curl upward.
“Alright, I think we should just be friends,belle. I hope this doesn’t break your heart,” he teases, and I almost burst into laughter. This guy is impossible. “I could eat everything on the menu, that’s how hungry I am,” Adrian goes on and places his hand on his stomach as he looks at the card. I can’t help but smile at him a little.
“As long as I don’t have to pay for it, you can order however much you want,” Leonard chimes in, scanning his own menu.
“You invited me to dinner, so I didn’t bring my wallet,” Adrian says, and I can’t help but watch their exchange with utter fascination. Leonard and I already don’t make sense to me, and we have a lot more in common compared to sunshine boy and him.
“I wonder if they will let you wash dishes to pay for your meal,” Leonard jokes, and I almost fall out of my seat. I wish such a little thing wouldn’t send warmth through me, but it does. I like seeing him this way.
“Funny,” Adrian replies with a snort. “Did you buy a pack of jokes to make a good impression for our first date?” Leonard raises a surprised eyebrow.
“How did you know?” I grin at Leonard before I’m able to stop myself. He catches me and then returns my smile for a moment before he realizes what he’s doing and the corners of his mouth drop again. My own smile fades as my eyes fall to the table.
“Okay then,” Adrian blurts out to try and break the awkward tension.
He goes on to ask me some questions about what I do for a living and how I know Leonard. After some very short answers he doesn’t know what to do with, Adrian shifts his attention to Leonard to ask a few questions about this race weekend. Since he’s still a rookie, there is a lot he has left to learn, but I can tell he doesn’t want to hear it from anyone other than Leonard. Adrian looks up to him, admires him—for who he is or what he’s achieved, I’m not sure—and everyone in the restaurant can sense it. I like Adrian for how kind he is to my roommate.
Leonard hasn’t had the easiest career. He’s often let it slip how the other drivers keep their distance from him. Hardly anyone in this sport has ever shown him any kindness. He’s an incredible driver, better than the rest of them, and they hate that. So, media outlets attack him with racist comments and say he cheats to win. Anything to take away from how great of a driver he is.
“Did you enjoy yourself?” Leonard asks once we get back to the penthouse we’re sharing. We have separate rooms with doors, but he insisted on us being together so that we can both spend time with Benz.
“I did. I liked Adrian. He’s funny,” I say and place my hand on his shoulder as I get on one foot. My fingers work with the straps of my high heels, but Leonard stops me by stepping in front of me.
“He seemed to enjoy himself too, right?” he asks as he drops onto one knee and takes my hands to place them on both of his shoulders.
“Yeah,” I croak out, an ache settling between my legs when he places my foot on his thigh. He starts undoing the straps that wrap around my ankle, sending goosebumps all over my body. It’s impossible for him not to notice them because they’re originating from wherever he touches me.
“He liked you a lot,” Leonard goes on, slipping the shoe off my foot and then briefly massaging the heel of it. I let my head fall backward as a small hum leaves me because it feels too good not to. “I didn’t enjoy the way he was looking at you one bit,” he says and puts my foot down, bringing the other onto his thigh now. Then, his fingers work on those straps as well, like it is the most normal thing he’s ever done.
“Why not?” I hear myself ask. Leonard starts smirking in response to my question.
“Don’t like people looking at you, never have.” My head is spinning as he removes my shoe and then looks up at me. “At the same time, art is meant to be admired, so how could I blame him?”
His thumb presses down on a sore spot on my foot, and I let out a small, muffled whimper. I’m still trying to process his words when he bends forward to press a kiss to my shin. Everything inside of me explodes into a million pieces. My clit is begging for a release, which is why I don’t think and simply slide my hands up his neck, gripping his nape. A low chuckle escapes him.
“Don’t you agree, little demon? Don’t you think you deserve to be admired?” Leonard presses another kiss to my shin, this time higher. I’m so turned on, if he keeps going, my arousal will start dripping down my legs.
“I do,” I reply when I remember he asked me a question. Pleasure is making my mind fuzzy and clouded.
“Good. I think so too. And I also think the best way to do that is by getting you out of that tight dress,” he says, and my heart skips several beats.Oh God, yes, please.“Would you like that, sweetheart?” he asks, his lips trailing upward as I nod eagerly.
“Leonard?” A woman’s voice fills my ears before a soft knock follows it.
Leonard’s full lips move off my body, leaving me cold as his hands disappear too. He curses under his breath as he walks toward the door to open it for whoever is disturbing our moment. Which is good. This is good.I can’t have sex with Leonard! What the hell am I thinking? He’s my boss!And roommate, nemesis, and my best friend’s brother. Even letting him touch me like this is wrong. It felt incredible, better than most of my sex life has, but it was wrong.
Then why did it feel so fucking right?
“What’s going on, Quinn?” I hear Leonard ask after he opens the door. I don’t linger in the hallway. I move into my room and shut the door, leaning my forehead against it and taking several deep breaths.
So close. We keep getting so close, too fucking close. It can’t happen again, I won’t let it.
Which is exactly what I told myself after the first time I felt his touch.
And I have a feeling I won’t listen to myself this time either.
