Page 53 of Jump-Start
“I don’t want to.” His nose nudges my jaw, causing my knees to go weak.
“I don’t care,” I say and swallow hard. Leonard lets out a groan, inhaling deeply when his nose brushes my neck.
“I don’t want to fight with you right now,” he replies. “Not when we’re supposed to have a nice evening at the event.”
“Then you shouldn’t have gotten involved inmybusiness withmybest friend,” I remind him, hating my body for the way it responds to his proximity. My clit is unbearably swollen, my skin is on fire, and my fingers tingle from the need to touch him.
“He’smybrother, and he’s being selfish. Someone had to tell him, especially because he’s hurting you. No one gets to hurt you, Starling, not under my watch.” He brings his legs and groin against me too, and I melt right into him, arching my back off the wall to have my breasts even more against him. Leonard groans in response.
“You always do this, Leonard. You get close to me, touch me in ways we’re not supposed to but both want you to, and then you leave me worked up with no release. I won’t have it again, so either fuck me against this wall right now, or leave me alone,” I suggest, and he tightens his hold on my hands even further.
It doesn’t hurt, but it turns me on beyond reason. I’m so aroused, I feel it drenching my panties. I like how rough he is with me, that he knows I need a firm grip. I like it so much, it drives me wild he hasn’t ripped off my clothes yet.
“I can’t leave you alone, Chiara. Don’t you see? I try my hardest every time I’m in your presence, but you have a pull on me, little demon. You keep drawing me in, and I can’t stop myself from touching you when I know you want me to,” he says, placing my hands on his neck and lifting his to the sides of my body. “But I can’t bring myself to give us what we both crave because I know I shouldn’t. God, why shouldn’t I?” he asks and leans forward, his mouth connecting with my neck. I moan in response. “Tell me to stop,” he begs, but he pulls on my skin, his teeth grazing it, and more sounds of pleasure leave me.
“I don’t want to, even though I’m mad at you,” I remind both of us when he keeps nibbling on my soft spot.
“When aren’t you mad at me?” he challenges, and I almost laugh.Touché.
“You can’t get involved in my business, Leonard.” As much as I’m enjoying the way he’s touching me, I can’t let him confuse my thoughts.
“You are my business, Chiara. I’m not sorry I will put your happiness before the rest of the world.” Holy fucking shit. “Bloody hell. You taste like—” He cuts off and steps away, his eyes filling with panic. My head goes fuzzy at the loss of contact, my skin freezing at the loss of warmth. “We have to leave soon,” Leonard adds before storming away and leaving me to bend over to catch my breath.
* * *
He’s wearing an all-blacksuit and a blue mask to match my dress. I’m wearing all blue, but the mask he chose for me is black to match his outfit. We look like a couple, especially because he offered me his arm the second I stepped out of the car he booked, and I took it without hesitating. It doesn’t matter how annoyed I am with him for the way he left things earlier. Now is not the time to cause a scene. We have people to woo and get interested in my vision for an immersive art gallery.
We reach the entrance, except there is a blue carpet and backdrop stretched across the side of the building where everyone is lining up. Leonard moves to the back of the line, my hand starting to shake as I scan the row of photographers. Alright. This is fine. No one is going to care that Leonard Tick, Formula One World Champion, is seen with a no-name. Except everyone is. They will call me his girlfriend. They will think we’re dating. They will make up all sorts of stories because that is how imaginative and toxic the media is.
“Why are you nervous?” Leonard asks after we’ve lined up and my hand started shaking on his arm.
“People are going to assume we’re dating if we walk across that carpet,” I remind him, but he gives me an amused smile.
“You don’t want people to assume we’re dating?” I furrow my brows at him, even though it’s significantly harder with the mask covering my face.The masks!
“Never mind. People won’t be able to identify me. You, maybe, but that’s your problem,” I say, and he bites down on his bottom lip in response.
“I know you don’t have social media because your phone is ancient and barely works, but people are already speaking about us. You’ve been photographed with me hundreds of times, little demon. Everyone already thinks we’re dating.” What the fuck?
“And you didn’t think to mention that to me?” I ask in such a loud voice, he cups my cheeks and places his thumb on my bottom lip. I calm in an instant.
“Why does it matter?” he asks, removing his finger after he’s made sure I won’t cause a scene again. I wouldn’t either way. This is an important event, not only for me but for Luna, the woman who is hosting it.
“I don’t want anyone to think we’re dating,” I blurt out, and Leonard’s face hardens into an angry scowl, his hands dropping from my face.
“I’m sorry that’s such a horrible assumption for people to make,” he spits back and shifts his body so he’s next to me.
“Don’t pretend like it doesn’t bother you. You don’t even like me,” I say before I can stop myself. His whole body tenses beside me.
“You’re absolutely right. I don’t like you, I never have,” he replies, sending a stinging pain through me. That hurts more than I would like to admit, than it would have a year ago. “I dislike you so much, I want to spend every single second of the day with you.”Wait, what?
“Leonard, what are you saying?” At this point, I’m more confused than anything else.
“I’m saying you need to start listening when I tell you how I feel so you don’t say dumb shit like that.” God, he’s such a pain in the ass.
“Is it impossible for you to not be a dick for once?” I ask, and he turns his head to me at the same moment I face him.
“Is it impossible for you to not be so irritating all the time?” he rebuttals, and I let my mouth fall open ever so slightly.
