Page 31 of Christmas Crisis
Wait…
My dick twitched?
What the fuck?
Chapter nine
Miranda
NOW
Iwoke up the following morning with Leo’s arm draped over my middle. The harsh late autumn sun sliced through the blinds, shining light on a brand-new morning.
And my new mindset.
I wanted him in my life. Full stop. But I also admitted to myself that things had changed since the summer, and therefore, we needed different boundaries.
Leo’s deep breathing penetrated the still air, and I smiled. Lying next to him had helped me sleep, and thankfully, there was no repeat of the weirdness from the last time we shared a bed. In fact, his soft snores and even softer dick reminded me that I’d likely blown that incident way out of proportion. Just like I’d been confused for a beat when he kissed me at the arcade. I’d always been attracted to him. Not in a debilitating way, just in the sense that I would have been open to something if the possibility had been on the table. Even though I fully understood that it wasn’t. I’d never lied to myself—or him—about that.
But I’d been lying to myself about what it had cost me.
My draw to Leo had kept me from sharing that closeness with another man. I’d never seen it as settling but rathermaximizingwhat Leo was capable of. I wasn’t secretly pining for my best friend, but now I saw that allowing him to have so much of me had prevented me from having it with someone else.
It was partly the reason I hadn’t fallen harder for Stone. And why that hardly bothered me.
Yep, Leo and I needed new boundaries.
But not yet.
After the holidays.
Because I wasn’t a masochist. I could not establish those lines with Leo in the middle of dealing with Stone’s PR debacle. Last night, I’d slept better than I had in months.And I'd needed that, dammit. I wanted to sleep, to feel safe and cared for. No one did that better than Leo.
Leo nosed into the crown of my skull, tightening his hold from behind me. “Hello, girlfriend.”
“Morning, Bear.”
“Charlie texted that the sub is good for today. So I’m all yours.” His gruff voice still sounded half asleep. “What should we do? More photo ops?”
I rolled over to share his pillow, tapping his nose with a finger. “I’m not sure we can top a day that ends with a giant sombrero ritual.”
“We’ll think of something. I believe in us.” Smiling, he stretched his arms above his head. His shoulders cracked noisily.
“Oh no. Did I make you uncomfortable last night? Hog the mattress or something?”
His features softened. “Not at all, Panda. My shoulders pop because I work in construction. Plus, I’m old. You’ll understand soon enough since you’re starting your late twenties on Monday.”
“Is twenty-sevenlatetwenties? I figured it was still mid.”
“Well, whatever. But don’t worry about my decrepit bones. I slept more soundly than I have in months.” Rising from the bed, he padded his way into the bathroom. A moment later, the shower flipped on.
After a beat of indecision, I grabbed my phone off its charger. I’d given myself yesterday as a reprieve, but I needed to know what was going on.
The answer came as soon as my texts popped up.
SHOSHANNA (STONE’S PA):The statement is getting traction. Comments look promising so far. Nice call on the photos. Probably good you left town too.
That text had come in around eight o’clock. Two hours later, she’d sent another.
