Page 39 of Raising Love
Because why else would his attention on me have such a powerful effect?
I shut my eyes and cleared my throat, then turned to face forward, pulling my focus away from him as though it might shield me from the fire he’d ignited.
“Whoa,” I whispered to myself, exhaling all the air in my lungs in one shaky breath.
“Fuck,” Leo muttered beside me, his voice thick, before releasing a deep breath of his own. “We definitely drank way too damn much tonight.”
“Yup,” I replied, my eyes fixed on the driver’s headrest, refusing to look at him again.
The rest of the ride home passed in tense silence. The kind of silence that could shatter with a single wrong word or look.
What the hell was happening? My life felt like it was in free fall. My best friend was gone, I was responsible for her baby, and now Leo had me shifting in my seat to calm the thumping ache he’d caused behind the seat of my panties with nothing more than a look.
When our driver pulled up to the curb in front of the house, I let out a sigh of relief, pushed open my back door and got out of the car desperate for the safety of distance.
Once inside, I wasted no time. I bolted for the stairs before Leo could even close the door.
“I’ll see you in the morning,” I called over my shoulder when I was halfway up.
“Aight,” he said, his voice trailing behind me. “Good night.”
The moment my bedroom door clicked shut, I began peeling off my clothes as I moved toward my bathroom. My skin felt too hot, my pulse too erratic, my thoughts racing too fast.
Sex hadn’t crossed my mind in years. My career had been my sole focus. That anchor seat at Free-Throw Nation was all I’d cared about. But now? Now, after that ride home, I was under the cold spray of my shower, gritting my teeth as the frigid water bit into my skin. Anything to cool the fire raging within me.
Unfortunately, the cold did little to help.
Later, lying naked in my bed, my face buried in my pillow, I gave in. My fingers found my pleasure point between lower lips, and I rubbed myself to the memory of Leo’s smoldering gaze, the sound of his moan, and the way his attention set my body aflame.
When the release finally came, it was shattering, leaving me trembling and breathless. But even as I drifted into sleep, his face stayed with me, haunting my dreams.
NINE
leo
“Oh my God,” I heard shouted as I ducked my head into the waiting black car. “It’s Leo Vanguard!”
The screams followed immediately. Through the closed door, the sound was muffled but still distinct—a mix of excitement and adoration from the fans gathered near the Bronx Metro Arena barricade. I raised a hand to wave at the group through the tinted, lowered window, acknowledging their presence before my driver raised the window.
Even though the Bronx Ballers’ player entrance was separate from the main one, die-hard fans always seemed to figure out where to wait for glimpses of their favorite players.
The driver pulled off a moment later, and as we merged onto the street, my phone began to chime. I glanced down at the screen, and a smile tugged at my lips when I saw who was calling.
“Simeon,” I greeted as I answered. “What’s up, man?”
“Everything as always, LV,” he replied, his voice upbeat. “How about you? How are you?”
“As good as I’m gonna be, I guess.”
“Aw, not the response I’d want to hear from a winner.”
I chuckled, the sound easing some of the tension from my shoulders.
Simeon King was my agent and had been since 2023. He was sharp and no-nonsense, with a knack for making even the most daunting situations feel manageable.
“I caught your game against the Pistons,” he continued. “Good game. I see those extra morning hours in the gym have you stalking that court like a beast.”
I chuckled.
