Seventeen
One hand traced over my knee and slowly slipped between my thighs. Even through the fabric of my panties, his touch demanded a response. I turned to meet his eyes where he sat beside me in the red leather booth. Leo licked his lips and the darkened stare he wore was enough to trip the switch of my orgasm. He’d trained me to crave his looks alone.
“We’re in public,” I breathed in weak protest as he started to rub me through silk.
He grinned. “I know. Isn’t it fun? Why do you think I told you to wear a dress? Now, be a good girl and keep quiet.”
I let out a pant and my eyes darted around Richie’s Pizza Place. I met one smiling pair near the door and pushed Leo’s hand away. “They’re here,” I said, gulping as I straightened my skirt when I stood. Bryon and Craig made their way over to us and I heard Leo chuckle at my back.
“Hi, sweetie,” Bryon said, hugging me. I stumbled through a greeting and he eyed me. I didn’t pay his look any attention and reached for Craig, pulling him to me.
“Craig, it’s so good to see you!”
He squeezed me then held onto my arms as he looked me over. “Love your hair like that,” he said.
I grinned and tongued the back of my teeth before stepping aside to offer introductions. “Bryon, Craig, this is Leo.”
Leo stepped forward and my face paled as he shook each of their hands firmly with the same hand he’d just used to torment me under the table we were about to share a meal over. The four of us sat down and Leo’s hand returned to my thigh, under my dress, and dangerously close to my panties. When I caught his eyes, he merely winked.
“Thanks for driving all this way, you two.”
Craig smiled. “Thanks for inviting us! We needed an adult night out. I would’ve driven to Ohio.”
Leo chuckled. “You two have a daughter, right? How old?”
Craig whipped out his phone, eyes sparkling, and held out a picture of Elizabeth to Leo across the table. “She’s ten months. Elizabeth Sloane.”
My heart sank and my mouth dropped as I looked at Bryon. “What? You never told me that.”
He smiled and shrugged. Leo’s hand rose from under the table to smooth sweetly over my hair as I melted; the darling child was also my namesake.
“Oh, she’s adorable,” Leo said, staring at the photo on Craig’s screen. “My belated congratulations.”
“Thank you, Leo. She is pretty spectacular,” Craig said, mooning over his own photo for a beat before putting his phone away.
Bryon met my eyes again and a knowing look passed between us. I continued to tread lightly with Leo, but it was easy to see he was the opposite of Warren—a fact only my best friend would be able to validate for me. And he had with a simple smile. The four of us filled the space with small talk before we ordered and the conversation flowed effortlessly as we took our first bites.
“Okay, I owe you five bucks,” Bryon said with a laugh just moments after the food arrived. “That’s the best pizza of my life.”
Leo chuckled and took another slice from the tray in the middle of the table. “I wasn’t kidding.”
“I love that they have a real jukebox here,” Craig commented, nodding toward the machine near our booth. “Not one of those crappy digital ones with the advertisements flashing all over the screen. This place is classic.”
“Right!? Isn’t it cool?” I chimed in, shooting Leo a wink for his perfect choice of date locale.
“Why don’t you go play something?” Bryon said, pulling change from his pocket. Leo did the same and between the two of them, they had five quarters. Craig’s mouth upturned as he looked at me expectantly.
Leo nudged me and his firm stare coupled with his soft mouth held my attention before I moved to stand. “Remember my rule?”
A tempting shiver claimed me. He had so many rules and yet I remembered every single one. Batting my eyelashes, I stood. “Yes,” I said then leaned in close to whisper, “But where’s the fun in rules?”
I followed Craig to the jukebox and he was happy to help me tease Leo. We combined our quarters and played five of the most popular songs from the Footloose soundtrack. When we made our way back to the table, snickering, I felt a wave of contentment consume me. I couldn’t recall a time I’d felt more free and at ease with friends. Cozying into the booth beside Leo again, I tentatively touched his hand where it rested on the red leather seat and held my breath when he locked eyes on me.
“Thanks for doing this,” I said quietly as Craig scooted into the other side with Bryon. Leo’s brows knit together then he tugged my hand into his lap, placing it on his thigh possessively.
“Of course.”
A few minutes later, the first few notes of the title track from the soundtrack blared and Craig burst out laughing the moment Leo’s gentle gaze morphed into a scowl. I plastered a grin on and watched him crack, sliding his tongue over his teeth behind closed lips as a smile threatened his stoned expression. Bryon chuckled and shook his head as Craig explained our mischief.
“Cute,” Leo said, letting the smirk slant his mouth. But the look simmering behind his blue eyes told me I’d pay for my bratty ways and the thought had me on the verge of squirming for the rest of dinner.
***
After dinner, Bryon and Craig had requested to see where Leo and I worked and they followed us to the store. It was after hours but Leo unlocked the front door and flipped on the lights, offering a tour to a very interested Craig. I heard him telling the story of when his grandfather had first bought the store, but my attention flicked to Bryon when he put a soft hand against the small of my back. I turned and smiled at him.
“This was fun,” he said.
“It really was,” I replied. “Why haven’t we ever…” I started to ask the question just as the answer flashed in my mind. Bryon’s tight, solemn smile told me he’d thought the same thing. We’d never had the chance to have a fun double date before because of all my bullshit with Warren.
“I like him,” Bryon said.
My bottom lip tucked into my mouth and my eyes trained on the floor. “Me too.”
He lifted my chin with a gentle hand and narrowed his gaze. “It’s not a bad thing, Sloane. You can like him. You can…more than like him,” he pressed.
I forced a smile and only nodded as Craig and Leo approached, Craig with an arm full of children’s books. Bryon rolled his eyes when he saw the haul his husband had. “She won’t be able to read for a few years.”
Craig made a face. “Not with that attitude. We’re buying them. We should be reading to her more.”
I saw Leo holding in a chuckle then he waived his hand. “Consider them a gift. From me and Sloane for Elizabeth.”
The twinge that struck my heart was half sweetness and half discomfort. It was the kind of clashing sensation Leo was so well versed in giving me. Craig and Bryon protested but Leo insisted. He bagged up the books and as we said our goodbyes, Bryon squeezed me tightly, whispering in my ear, “Don’t hold back, remember?”
“Good night, guys,” Leo said. “Drive safe.”
One last look at my friends as they headed out the door and a deep breath filled my lungs. The evening had been a new experience for Leo and me, and just like everything else, the comprehension of it brought forth conflicting thoughts. As it turned out, we were sort of good at the couple thing. But something was still holding me back. Something unnamable lingered in my heart and I didn’t know how I’d remove it.
A hot kiss planted on the curve of my neck and I shut my eyes, all of my concerns disintegrating when Leo’s tongue dragged a line up to my ear.
His steamy breath tickled my lobe as he spoke. “You whined. Pushed my hand away. And you spent my quarters on Kenny Loggins.”
A sigh rushed out of my lungs. “I’m sorry, Sir,” I said with a grin on my slackened lips.
“You were a bad girl. And I want to do bad things to bad girls.”
I moaned as his leather sheathed hands settled on my bare forearms. “Get your ass upstairs. Now,” he growled before swatting my butt through my dress. I jumped and giggled, hustling up the stairs, knowing he was quick on my heels. I spun around, the fabric of my dress twirling as I locked eyes on him stalking toward me, cornering me in the room that had started it all. His smoldering eyes dragged up and down my body and in a few swift moments, I dropped my dress to the floor. I couldn’t keep the smile off my mouth as Leo lunged for me, grabbing me by the throat and easing me onto the wood floor. Feeling the cool wood against my back, I sighed and waited for his command. I gasped as he unbuckled and whipped his belt from its loops. My body slackened at his rough touch as he caught the belt behind one knee and around my elbow, linking my two right limbs together. He fixed the belt in place and gripped the long end for leverage, pulling my legs apart.
“Hold your panties to the side,” he said. “Show me how wet being bad makes you.”
I did as I was told, breathless and still grinning dreamily. Leo groaned at the sight of my slick, reddened flesh and I wondered if he could see me pulsing with anticipation. He undid his jeans and shoved them down along with his boxer briefs only far enough to free his cock. Holding onto the belt with one hand and finding my hip with the other, he flipped me onto my stomach and returned his strong grip on the belt. With a sturdy tug, he spread me apart and made sure I knew I was half bound and completely under his rule. His body covered mine from behind and his free hand shoved my panties off to one side again as he drove his cock into me. A deep moan fell from my lips and my head dropped to the floor as he thrust powerfully.
“Are you bad, Sloane?” he huffed against my shoulder.
“Yes, Sir.”
“Tell me how bad you are.”
The leather belt cinching my leg to my arm tightened every time he pushed inside me. I sighed and loosened further, relishing the intensification of his thrusts—the force behind his fucking. “I’m a bad girl, Sir. I’ve been thinking about this all day,” I moaned.
“What, you’ve been thinking about being my little fuck doll?”
The vulgar name rippled delicious chills up my spine and I clamped down on my lip. “Mmm hmm.”
“Say it,” he growled.
“I’m your naughty little fuck doll, Sir.”
Leo puffed a faint sigh against my cheek and I could feel him smiling. His thrusts quickened. He never lost grip on the belt that held me as he fucked me harder. A quick, hard slap against my ass brought forth a broken a moan. Deep grunts syncopated with every buck and as I felt myself begin to quiver, Leo’s gloved hand grasped my face sternly, turning my head. Our lustful gazes collided, his forehead wrought with tension and his teeth gritted.
“Say you’re mine,” he breathed. The tone wasn’t that of the lion pounding me into the floor. It was the voice of the man who’d held my hand walking through a darkened parking lot hours before. My heartbeat faltered and my eyelids fluttered; the beginnings of the spinning affliction upon me as he drove deeper inside.
“I’m yours,” I whispered.
Still gripping my face, he claimed my mouth with a rough kiss as he came and sparks crackled in my veins. He slowed, but didn’t stop, letting go of my face to stroke my clit. It only took a moment of his deliberate caresses and I shattered under his hands, shaking and eventually wilting against the floor. As ecstasy and sweat flashed over my skin, I felt his lips at my ear.
“Mine,” he panted. “Thank you.”