BEAST
Thankfully, all it took was a couple of other girls in tight spandex outfits to walk by for Lenny and Squiggy to start gnawing at their fists. It was a big enough distraction to give Leo enough time to walk Allison away from them without them asking questions.
“Explain what?” Allison asked as soon as they stepped outside the gym.
“Trust me. You do not want that guy to have your number.”
Just like that, the animated little brows and those eyes were at it again. “What do you mean? I just wanted to ask a few more questions for my story.”
“It really is my lunchtime.” He glanced around the parking lot. “I’d offer to drive you somewhere, but I’m on my bike and only have the one helmet. We can walk across the street and get some tacos. I can explain about Rodney while we eat.”
Allison nodded, understandably still looking a little perplexed. Taking a deep breath as they silently walked through the parking lot, Leo decided he’d just have to suck it up and do this. He’d begun to consider doing this the moment he walked into the gym today and overheard Rodney—once again—talking about how much he needed to get laid. For a moment today, despite Leo’s irrational annoyance over reading Allison’s text, he thought maybe this would get rid of her for good. As much as the very thought nearly sickened him, he knew he could pawn her off on Rodney, who’d be more than happy to oblige. But the more the horny bastard went on so obnoxiously about what he’d do to every girl who walked by, the longer Leo put off mentioning Allison’s text to him.
Rodney’s comments about what seeing Allison did to his cock the moment she walked into sight today had sealed it. No fucking way was Leo giving him her number, not without giving her fair warning first. If she still wanted the douche calling after she’d been warned, then that was on her. Though she’d have to give him her number herself because Leo sure as fuck wouldn’t be doing it, regardless.
“Is he dangerous?” Allison asked as they reached the stop light. “Because Gio said they do an extensive background check on all the workers.”
“Not in the sense that I think he’d be out to hurt you.” Leo stepped off the curb when the light turned green. “He’s just a perverted prick with only one thing on his mind at all times. It’s all he thinks and talks about, so I thought I’d warn you first. If you heard half the shit that comes out of that guy’s mouth, I’m pretty sure you’d rethink giving him your number.”
“About me?” she asked wide-eyed as they reached the taco place.
“About every girl he’s ever around.” Leo held the door open for her.
She walked into the small but busy restaurant, and Leo walked in behind her. What I’d give to bend her over in that school-girl outfit and fuck her with it on. Rodney’s exact comment as she’d walked toward them today had Leo grinding his teeth again. As much as Leo hated to admit it, the outfit did have that look exactly. She wasn’t the only girl he’d seen wearing something similar lately, so he knew it was a trend. The thought that there was a miniscule chance that she’d worn the outfit for Rodney, had Leo grinding his teeth even harder.
They ordered their food at the counter. Leo motioned for her to go first. Clearing her throat, she glanced up at the menu then began ordering. “I’ll have one asada taco, one buche taco, and a diet soda.”
“They’re the little ones,” Leo informed her, knowing two of these little tacos would be an appetizer for him.
“I know.” She smiled. “That’s all I want.”
Leo stared at her for a moment until she glanced away. Then he turned to the girl behind the counter. “I’ll take three al Pastor, asada, and carnitas tacos. Three of each.”
Allison tried handing him a ten-dollar bill, to which Leo shook his head, handing the girl his debit card. “You already paid for my energy drink last time.”
Leo squeezed his eyes shut. “Yeah, please don’t remind me about that.”
“It wasn’t your fault,” she said with a chuckle.
“It was.”
It really was. If he hadn’t been so busy trying to listen in on Allison and the trainer’s conversation, he might’ve heard Paulina’s warning.
“No, it wasn’t.” Allison insisted as they took their drinks and walked to a booth together. “It was mine for gulping that drink down the way I did. Something I never do with energy drinks.”
That piqued his curiosity. “So, why’d you do it that day?”
They slid into a booth across from each other, and he took in her sweet timid smile. “I was nervous. It was why I kept clearing my throat so much. Remember you called me on it just before I had to make a mad dash to the trash can?”
Just like all the times it’d happened before, Leo didn’t even realize he was smiling. Before he could hastily wipe it off his face, because he remembered her calling him on that, he toned it down instead.
“What were you nervous about?”
He was a grown-ass man. Despite establishing that she was far more womanly than he’d first pegged her out to be, she was still young. He knew what a young impressionable girl like Allison might still be nervous about. The tinge in her cheeks confirmed what he already knew—he shouldn’t be asking her things of this nature. It shouldn’t matter. But it did, and though he was fairly certain of the answer, and what a risk this was to even go there, he wanted to hear her say it.
She lifted and dropped a delicate shoulder, but as she always had, regardless of how timid she seemed sometimes, she looked him straight in the eyes. “Talking to you makes me nervous.”
Leo gulped as he was easily caught in the beautiful eyes once again. He’d expected her to be vague, maybe blame this interviewing stuff being a bit new to her and that was the reason for her rattled nerves. Not be this honest about it.
He could only hope now she meant he made her nervous for the right reasons. “Because I’m a felon? That’s understandable—”
“No.” She shook her head adamantly. “That’s not it at all. Gio assured me you’re all good guys who can be trusted. He said you guys may’ve made some mistakes in the past but are looking to rectify them, and I believe him.”
There was so much conviction not just in her words but her eyes as well. Any trace of a smile he might’ve still worn really did go flat, and he swallowed hard.
“Why do you do that?”
The question pulled him out of the trance he’d begun to fall into. Trying not to be too obvious about what those eyes had the power to do to him, he glanced away.
“Do what?”
“The first day I saw you,” she said, and the moment he glanced back at her, her eyes seemed to search his. “The day I was eating that jelly donut you seemed utterly disgusted. Can’t say I blame you really. I’m aware I need to lose some weight. Still—”
“What?” Leo asked, feeling almost pissed.
“Yeah, I get it.” She smiled at the guy who dropped off the tray of food at their table. “Fat-shaming people isn’t cool, but I could see how me being in a gym, inhaling a donut, when most there are trying to lose weight or stay in shape, would be a little off putting—”
“I didn’t have a problem with you eating a donut,” he said, floored that she’d even think that.
Of course, he wouldn’t be admitting he’d enjoyed it and that the visual was still clear as day in his head. Even worse, disgust was the furthest emotion he felt whenever he revisited the visual. He couldn’t believe this was what she’d been thinking all this time.
She rolled her eyes, lifting a taco from her plate. “Okay, whatever,” she said, taking a bite.
Leo was momentarily distracted by the orgasmic flutter of her lashes as she chewed then licked her lips and wiped them with a napkin. Like a kitten following a bouncing light against a wall, his eyes followed her every move as she finished chewing, licked her finger clean, then took a swig of her soda. She finished by wiping her mouth before addressing him again.
“I saw how you looked at me that day. Disgust doesn’t even begin to cover it, and like I said, I guess I get it, but today . . .” She wiped her mouth again and Leo refrained from retorting to her unfounded accusation the way he wanted to because he was caught on that last comment. “You did it again today when I walked into the gym. Rodney smiled at me, but you . . . you had that same look of utter disgust—”
“Of course Rodney would smile at you,” Leo said, motioning to her. “Look at you. You’re fucking adorable. And Rodney’s a pig who can’t even appreciate that. All he thinks of is perverted shit. Hearing his comments was what had me looking so disgusted. But that first day had nothing to do with that donut. It was the furthest thing from my mind.”
Allison closed her mouth since it’d fallen slightly open as he’d spoken. Just like the last time he’d been around her, the words had unleashed without permission. He’d admitted he thought her adorable and there was no taking it back, but he was adamant she not think he was disgusted with her in any way—for any reason—especially the one she was so sure of.
After a few silent moments with her taking in what he’d just laid on her and him trying to recover by taking a few bites of his tacos, she finally spoke again. “So why did you look at me that way? Then again that same day when I almost ran into you as I was leaving? You certainly didn’t look like you were appreciating anything.”
Leo took advantage of the moments it took him to finish chewing his food to think his next words through this time. He took a drink of his soda and wiped his mouth slowly.
“I was disgusted with myself,” he admitted, hoping this wouldn’t cost him, but he couldn’t think of a lie fast enough. “You may have a baby face, but the rest of you is . . .” He glanced around nervously. “I shouldn’t have been looking at you at all but didn’t realize it until my eyes made it up to your face and you looked so damn young . . .”
He stopped to shrug as he picked up another taco because he couldn’t tell her the whole truth. His nearly going hard for what he’d been certain the moment he’d met her eyes was a kid, was beyond disgusting.
Her laughing had him glancing up at her again, and he stopped short before taking a bite of the taco. “What?”
“Oh, wow. And here all this time I was thinking you were disgusted with my fat ass.” She laughed again. “That’s not the funny part. I was pissed, you know. It’s just ironic how wrong I was.”
Leo stared at the twinkle in her beautiful eyes for a moment before taking another bite of his food. Again, he took his time, needing to keep his mouth shut for a while. Already, he’d said way more to this girl than he ever intended to.
“So, were you really going to finish that interview or was that just something you said to get us out of there?”
Since he’d already admitted to having been looking at her that first day, and in a way he shouldn’t have, hence his disgust, Leo didn’t bother hiding the smirk this time. He kept chewing slowly without immediately responding as she continued to stare at him, with a raised brow.
“I was gonna get back to you eventually.”
Her mouth fell open, but she closed it quickly, and once again, his eyes followed her every move. “No, you weren’t.” Before he could think of a proper come back to that, she added. “Can I just ask you why? Were my questions really that intrusive? Am I too pushy?”
Leo peered at her as he took a drink of his soda. “I got sick and then just got busy.” He managed to keep a straight face because at least it was half true.
“Look. You don’t have to own up to it, but I think I know when I’m getting blown off.” She cocked a playful brow then shrugged. “I’m a first-year college journalism student. I’m trying to learn from my mistakes, so I was just curious why you blew me off.”
Though Leo caught the effort to keep the playfulness to a minimum in the smile that spread across her face, there was no hiding it. It had his heart speeding up for two reasons.
One: she could say all she wanted that she was only asking for the sake of strengthening her journalism skills, but Leo knew better.
Two: as much as he was trying to fight any conversation with this girl getting too cutesy, it was exactly the direction this seemed to be going. Worse yet, he was enjoying it a little too much.
Despite his misgivings about this, Leo couldn’t help smirking. Never in his life had a smile been so contagious to him, and he felt hopeless to try to fight it anymore. “You really expect me to believe anyone’s ever blown you off?”
She started to smile then stopped to ponder that for a moment. “Hmm, I guess not. But I know when—”
“Nope.” Leo shook his head, feeling too pleased with his make-believe triumph. “I think you owe me an apology.”
“Apology for what?”
“What do you mean for what?” He feigned shock—another first for him.
Since when did he become this cheesy guy? But the insanity went on along with the nonsense he continued to vomit. “First, you accuse me of doing something you obviously know nothing about, and second, you accuse me of not owning up to it.” He brought his hand to his chest, remembering a time when he had been this playful. A time that felt like a lifetime ago. “I’m appalled.”
Seeing her laugh made his whole ridiculous rant worth it. Even as he bit into his taco, he couldn’t take his eyes off that breathtaking smile.
“Okay, I apologize,” she conceded, albeit with a roll of those big beautiful eyes. “So, are you really gonna let me finish interviewing you?”
“You don’t have paper or pen.” He smiled smugly, shoving what was left of one of his tacos into his mouth.
“Don’t need them. I have an excellent memory,” she shot right back, moving her empty plate aside.
“Are you sure you don’t want anything else?” Leo asked, looking down at her plate. “Two tacos ain’t shit.”
“No, I’m good.” The smile waned ever so slightly, but then she seemed to remember something, and her eyes went big again. “Oh, before I forget and this was why I asked you to give Rodney my number, since I figured it was pointless to ask you. This has nothing to do with my story on the work-release program, so it’s off the record. I have another story I’m working on. Well . . .” She frowned, taking a swig of her soda.
It was only then that Leo noticed she wasn’t doing nearly as much throat-clearing as she had in the previous interview. Clearly, his far more lighthearted demeanor today had made her more comfortable. He could only hope his saving her from Rodney’s inevitable advances and admitting more than he’d planned on, along with his teasing, didn’t have her thinking they’d be friendly after today.
“It’s more like research for my investigative journalism you’d be helping me with, not an actual story, since I don’t have enough for a story yet. And it’s not that I think you’d know every criminal in the Los Angeles area or anything. It’s just that . . .”
Now she cleared her throat then paused to take another sip of her soda.
“Easy with that soda,” Leo warned with a smirk. “There’s caffeine in that too.”
As expected, the color in her face deepened a bit. I fucking love it! The words nearly slipped out. He managed to avoid having them spew out as they had so much with her already. But the big smile couldn’t be helped.
“Don’t be nervous, Ali.”
Their eyes met and there it was: another moment like they’d had the last time he’d been around her. It was a simple comment, but Leo knew better. The tone, the playfulness, the irrepressible smile along with the fact that he felt incapable of looking away from those somewhat stunned eyes . . . It was too damn obvious what was happening. He wasn’t just being lighthearted. He was flirting with her, making it clear just how drawn he was beginning to feel to her when it was the last fucking thing he should be admitting even in an unspoken way.
She blinked, mercifully releasing him from what’d begun to feel like a hold she had on him.
“I’m not,” she said softly. “I just don’t want you to think I’m making assumptions about you. You said yourself that you’d been in some trouble in the past, and with you having been in jail, I thought maybe you’d know or had heard something about the key players in the drug-dealing world in this area.”
“I might,” he admitted without a flinch before she could beat herself up too much about asking.
Truth was he did know a lot of the scum of the area. Too many of them. Hell, not too long ago, he’d been a big part of that scum. More than anything, he needed to derail the direction this interview had taken and move this along. They’d been sitting there for over a half hour, and this was the first question that had anything to do with her journalism that she’d asked him.
“So, it’s been rumored that there’s been some drug-trafficking on campus. Even worse, we’ve heard some of the faculty might be involved.” The innocent surprise in her eyes almost had Leo smiling again. As if that would be so unheard of. “Professors even, but we haven’t been able to get any leads.”
Leo peered at her for a second. “How’s that investigative journalism? Sounds like something the cops should be looking into, not a first-year journalism student.”
“Well, I’m pretty sure they are. But I mentioned how hard it’s been to impress my editor, right? So, my friend Jen, who’s also in the class, and I thought maybe if we could break the case and get the exclusive on it, we’d definitely have a chance at the front-page headline.”
Leo listened, ignoring what hearing how anxious she was to impress this editor did to him—again. She told him about Marcelo, her friend’s brother, trying to get them some info.
“What we know so far is that one of the guys dealing goes by the street name Scar, but according to Marcelo, he’s just a small-time pusher, not someone who’d be involved in something this big.”
Leo listened intently because he had heard of a Scar. He wondered if he might know Marcelo too but didn’t ask more about the guy because his thought process was sidetracked when she told him the next part.
“We thought we witnessed an on-campus exchange,” she said this with that same air of innocent excitement. “Even took a picture of it, which mind you, we were caught doing and were even chased.”
“They chased you?”
“Yes! One of the guys, that is, the one doing the exchange—Scar.” Her tone was that of someone completely unaware of the real fire she could be playing with. “It was how Marcelo was able to identify him from the photo we showed him. We managed to lose Scar the first time he chased us on campus but then saw him again a few days later when we were standing at the bus stop. He drove by, made a skidding U-turn when he saw us, and we ran.”
“The fuck? And you’re still investigating him?”
“He didn’t catch us again, and that was weeks ago,” she said this as nonchalantly as she’d told him everything else. “Only other time he scared us again was last week when he very creepily said good morning to us, addressing us by our full names. ‘Morning, Allison Rico and Jennifer Navarro,’” she said in what might’ve been a cute attempt to sound like a dude, only Leo was too caught up in her alarming account. “Other than that, he hasn’t been around a whole lot, so we haven’t had any more incidents. But he’s not even who we’re interested in anymore. We want the big fish behind all this.”
Leo stared at her as the visuals of the dreams he was still having assaulted him.
“I can think of a few possibilities, but I’m not telling you. You have any idea how dangerous this is? This guy went out of his way to point out he knows exactly who you two are.”
The infuriatingly adorable disappointed look on her face should’ve done him in. But he’d be damned if he’d give in. If she thought he’d have any part of her getting herself into further danger, she was dead wrong. And Leo had been an idiot for allowing himself to get so fucking chummy with her today when he knew better—knew from the very start she’d be nothing but poison.
Glancing down at his watch, he wiped his mouth. “Less than half an hour left. You might wanna get started on the questions about the work-release program.”
For an instant, it appeared she might protest; then she did it again. Just like when she’d admitted to noticing a lot about his expressions and calling him out on it before, he’d noticed hers throughout every conversation they’d had since. It was as if, in such a short amount of time, she’d become this intuitive to his ever-changing moods—especially when it came to her—but she didn’t push.
Leo wasn’t sure which was more alarming: the entire conversation today or that she let this go just like that, lifting an understanding brow as she went on with her interview without further argument. Leo could sense things when it came to her now too. Even if they did get through this interview finally, one thing was very clear. Just like he knew it’d be even more impossible to dig her out from under his skin after today, determined little Ali wasn’t done tormenting him.
He’d concentrate on getting through the rest of today for now and worry about that when the time came. But one thing was for sure. After today, there was no way Leo would be able to stomach even one more of Rodney’s perverted comments about Allison. Further proof of how easily Allison would be trouble for him. Unless Leo wanted to risk blowing this and being sent right back to a jail cell to finish out his time, there was no doubt in his mind about this now. He needed to get this perfectly straight with that asshole first thing.