The proposal, p.26
The Proposal, page 26
In the center of a coffee table, there was a piece of paper with a gift card taped in the inside.
“Leo ordered it.”
I jumped, yelping, and spun around.
Stella stood in my doorway behind me. “His name was all over the paperwork.”
“He did this?” The room had been transformed. Earth tones with pops of color. It radiated warmth, comfort, relaxation and an unworried lifestyle I’d yet to taste—but here I felt as though I lived it. Some things I wouldn’t have chosen for myself, but for him to do this for me? It was perfect.
“The delivery guys got here a little bit after lunch. They were rushing, but I told them they had all day with the hours you’ve been working.”
Everything in the room exuded ‘Chill the hell out, Zara. Relax and get comfortable. You’ve had a long day, don’t worry about what’s out there, just hang out in here.’
Inside the cabinets were neatly stacked cups and plates. Everything matched. Simple classic designs I could layer my own style on top of.
Stella wandered around my apartment.
I walked to my bedroom. A queen-sized bed with the softest mattress topper filled more than half the room. I pressed my hands into it, ready to fling off the sheets and jump up and down, pulling a Tyler. My barely-held together dresser had been replaced by gorgeous light wood pieces that didn’t crowd the area and made it feel bright and open even with the limited space.
There was a sleeper sofa, which would be perfect for Tyler. He could stay with me this summer—for a couple weeks, even. I’d never been able to do that before. Leo had given me more time with my brother, and that alone was worth everything.
Stella poked her head into the room. “Wow, can I stay here? Adam can have our place.” She hopped on the bed, bouncing up and down and running her hands over the insanely high-thread-count sheets.
We walked back to the living room. Everywhere I looked there was something new to see. The lamps. Empty picture frames ready for new memories captured and preserved. “I was such an asshole to him today.” Staring at my phone, a lump formed in my throat.
“All the more reason to call him now.” She nudged my phone toward me. “Do it!”
I laughed at her creepy whisper voice.
Trying to come up with what the hell to say, I held my phone in both hands, staring at the screen as if the words to a script on how to thank a guy for refurnishing and redecorating your entire apartment would appear there.
Squeezing the bridge of my nose, I tapped on his name and waited for him to pick up.
“Hey, Zara.”
“Thank you.” Blurting it out like that seemed appropriate, given how I’d left things this afternoon.
“For what?”
“You didn’t have to.”
“Of course I didn’t. But you needed it.” Why was he so sweet? Why was he so sweet to me? Trusting people had never been my strong suit. Someone like him who could pull off something like this in day could have anyone he wanted. I’d been snarky, bossy, pushy, and all around pain in the ass. Why me?
Cue those miserable, guilty feelings. “Not after what I said today.”
“You were upset and I screwed up.”
“Stop being so understanding. You’re not making this any easier.” There were people who deserved something like this and I wasn’t one of them.
He laughed. A deep, rumbling one that made me smile. “Fine, I’ll send you a bill. And I never want to see you again.” A bing sounded on his end of the line.
“Where are you?”
“Outside.”
“My building?”
“Your door.” My head whipped to my front door which seemed to be beating like a telltale heart—but I think that was my own. With the phone up to my ear I opened it.
Leo stood in the hallway looking every bit as good as he had this afternoon, but now he held a single rose. The pink petals looked even more delicate in his giant hands.
“You’re here.” The words came out shaky and breathless. Swallowing past the lump in my throat, I stepped back and let him into the apartment.
He handed me the rose, his fingers brushing against mine.
“I’ll let myself out.” Stella did a giddy high step, sliding past us and winking before closing the door behind her.
“Stella helped you set this all up?” I gestured to the gorgeous furniture behind me, still vaguely afraid it would disappear in a cloud of smoke like a magic trick gone wrong.
“She was excited to help.”
“You didn’t have to.”
“It was my apology for standing you up.”
“What happens if you do it again? Do you buy me a car?” I laughed.
He tilted his head to the side like he was running a mental calculation.
I held up my hand. “Don’t answer that.”
He set the flower down on the table beside the door, which was perfect for my portfolios, keys or anything I needed to drop off when I stepped through the door.
His teasing smile slid off his face, transforming into a different look. One that made my stomach flip and my heart skip a beat.
“Maybe there’s something else I could give you.” His hand looped around the side of my neck and his lips stole away the last of my protests about deserving the apartment makeover.
I met his hungry kisses with a craving of my own for his lips on mine and his arms around me. But Stella’s words from our ice cream extravaganza came back to me. ‘Tell him how you feel. Tell him why you’re upset,’ echoed in my head.
Separating us and taking a step back, I tried to catch my breath. It should be illegal to kiss like he did. “This wasn’t only about standing me up. Or about the interview.” I kept my head down.
“It was about you leaving.” I stared down at my hands, twisting the ring around my finger. Once I’d returned to my apartment, I hadn’t taken it off. Taking it off was getting harder each time, and that scared the shit out of me. Playing the part had been so easy; it had helped me cling to the anger.
Anger was easy, it was safe. A blanket I could pull over me to crowd out those overwhelming emotions I didn’t let in until ignoring them any longer wasn’t an option. But this. Sadness. I wasn’t prepared for this. “It hit me harder than I thought it would. We’re…new.”
He reached for me, running his hand along the side of my face. “We are new, but that doesn’t mean we can’t be old eventually.”
“It does if you’re leaving.” I peered up at him before settling my gaze on the center of his chest.
“My mind isn’t made up. I don’t have an offer, and I’m here now. Worrying about a future that might not come only steals away the happiness we can have today.”
Sadness rippled through my chest. This would leave a mark once he was gone, but did I want to miss out on whatever time we might have together? No tomorrow was ever certain. I lifted my head and stared into his eyes, wanting to dive headlong into whatever this was, but still unable to let go of the fear that had been ingrained in me. “Wise words from a jock.”
“I have my moments.” His smile threatened to melt me with only the curve of his lips. The lips I’d missed, even after they’d been on mine a minute ago. “Plus, I’m sure someone else said it better than me.”
But this wasn’t only about us. There was so much else on the line other than whatever this thing was between us. I had responsibilities to more than myself.
“What about Winthorpe?” I dropped my gaze. Bringing in up felt wrong right now, but I needed to know. Lay all the cards out, pull back the curtain, and reveal every little thing holding me back from being with him.
“We have to win more jobs first. We have three days until the presentation.”
A zip of panic raced through my chest. “I’ll never make it to Tyler’s concert.” Misery rippled through me at the thought of letting him down.
“We can do this presentation.” He dipped his knees to look me in the eyes, capturing my chin and lifting my head. “And once we do, we’ll convince Kathleen that this partnership will be best for Winthorpe, and there’ll be enough business for both companies.” He slid his hand down my arm, lacing his fingers through mine.
That the bonus would keep me treading water for the next year flooded me with hope. The idea of working with Leo for the foreseeable future made my stomach flip. And being here with him now. I pressed my hand against his chest.
His heart thudded against my palm. The soft fabric of his t-shirt was the only barrier between us.
“You make it sound easy.”
“You’re always making things so much harder.”
I laughed, looping my arms around his neck. “Was that a dick joke?”
“No, but it can be, if you want it to.” His hand slipped around my waist, tugging me closer.
“I’d be okay with that change of plans. Take me to my brand new bed, Mr. Wilder.”
He scooped me up in his arms.
I yelped, clinging to him.
“With pleasure.”
36
Leo
I got off the elevator with the box tucked under my arm.
Sticking the key Zara had given me into the lock, I paused and waited for the arrival ritual. After what I’d been through on the football field, you’d think I’d have learned that life can change quickly. In a blink, where you thought you were going was gone, and the tide was surging in a different direction.
We’d worked non-stop on our final showcase. We’d spent every night at my place or hers, never apart for longer than absolutely necessary. A week ago, I’d believed I was in love with her—now I knew.
I smiled as the door across from Zara’s opened. “Hey, Leo.” I hadn’t believed Zara about Stella’s uncanny ability to know the second she was in the hallway, but it seemed her superpower extended to me as well.
“Hey, Stella.”
“Are you coming to see, Zara?”
I turned, resting my hand on the knob. “No, I was in the neighborhood and thought I’d go for a walk.”
“Oh.” She slumped back, her smile falling off her face.
“Yes, I’m here to see her. I have some good news, so I thought I’d do something special for her tonight.”
Her smile was twice as bright now. “That’s so sweet. You two are adorable together. I’ve never seen her like this with anyone else before. Come to think of it, I’ve never seen her with anyone before. Every so often there were a few guys.” Her eyes widened and she waved her arms in front of her face. “Not all at once. I didn’t mean she had a quarterly gang bang or something. I meant a date or two—with one guy. One guy at a time.” She continued sputtering and I kept quiet, letting her flail for a bit before finally putting her out of her misery.
“I get you, Stella. Thanks for looking out for her.”
“She needs it, you know. She’s always so good at pretending she never needs any help, but everyone needs some help sometimes.”
“You’re right. I’m glad she has you as a friend.”
“Once you get past the prickly exterior, biting sarcasm, face melting staredowns, and general grumpiness, she’s so sweet.”
“You can say that again.” Mouthwateringly sweet and I couldn’t wait for my next chance to indulge. “I’ll see you later. Have a great night.” I ducked inside Zara’s apartment and closed the door.
I gathered up the half-filled cups of water, and stuck them in the dishwasher. Some things didn’t change. But everything else had. Lamps were on. Her work was spread out on the table. It felt like a home where someone lived and enjoyed relaxing. Not just anyone. Zara. Giving that to her was something I couldn’t put a price on.
The drumbeat of the shower meant it was the perfect time to enact my plan. I shrugged off my jacket, put the box down on one of the kitchen chairs and laid my jacket on top of it.
Even with the interior designer making most of the decisions, Zara had put her own spin on the apartment, as well as putting the gift card to good use on things Tyler needed for his dorm room until he’d finally told her he literally didn’t have room for anything else.
Sitting, I grabbed the pink cardboard bakery box from the center of the table and slid it closer to me.
The shower shut off and the sounds of Zara moving around in the bathroom sent my pulse pounding. She was in there completely naked. Wet, glistening, gorgeous. I bit back a groan. Patience.
“Leo, are you here?”
“I’m here.” I opened the box in front of me and pulled my find out.
“These are phenomenal.” I peeled the paper off the cupcake. The rich, buttery, vanilla scent made my mouth water, but not as much as Zara stepping out of the bathroom dripping wet.
“Is that the last cupcake?” She came down the hall, drying her hair with a towel while another one wrapped around her body. A gap had formed at the bottom, so her thigh peeked out from behind the green terry cloth that matched her eyes.
I looked between her and the sugary sweet, icing-topped, fluffy cake in my hand and took a bite. “Maybe.”
Her jaw dropped and she threw the towel in her hand on the floor, rushing toward me. “It is! You’re eating my last cupcake?”
Turning my back to her, I lifted the cupcake overhead. “I’ve had a long day. I deserve it.” My long-suffering sigh was cut short by another bite of the cupcake.
“I’ve been saving that since yesterday.” She jumped, grabbing at my arm, trying to snatch away the vanilla-bean goodness.
“Saving it for me? How sweet.” I craned my neck, bringing it closer to my mouth.
“Don’t you dare take another bite.” She held onto my arm like she was trying to do pull-ups.
“I’m sorry, did you want a bite? Why didn’t you say so?”
She fell off my arm the same time I dropped it, accelerating the speed of its descent and sending my cupcake filled hand straight into her face. The cake and icing smeared across—and up—her nose, cheek, and halfway in her mouth.
Her stunned, wide-open mouth was partially filled with cupcake and icing. The rest was plastered all over her face. Pretty sure that didn’t count as me sharing the last cupcake with her.
The towel hit the floor with a small thud, and her shocked gaze shot from my icing-covered hand and back up to my face.
“Oh shit.” I searched the counters for a paper towel, completely aware that Zara was glistening and naked. My dick hadn’t gotten the memo that a naked Zara wasn’t above a knee to the groin now that I’d bathed her in buttercream and sugar. The paper towel holder was empty.
Wiping the cupcake off the side of her face, she stared at it and back at me in disbelief. “Did you just shove a cupcake into my face?” She closed her mouth, swallowing the mush that had made its way inside before sticking her tongue out and licking at the icing from the corner of her mouth.
I cringed. “Not on purpose. Where the hell are the paper towels?” I opened and closed the cabinets and found a new roll. “It’s good though, right?” Ripping a sheet off, I held it out to her as a peace offering to save me from impending doom.
“It really is, maybe you should have some more.” Her cupcake-covered hand shot out at a speed that would have made any wide receiver proud, and she smeared the icing across my face from cheek to cheek.
She smiled and laughed, picking up the half of the cupcake that had fallen to the counter and adding to the face mural she’d started. Her laughs were punctuated with snorts that made it hard to stop my own grin.
I dragged my thumb across my face and into my mouth. “Say what you will, it was worth it.”
“You’re the worst.” Her eyes sparkled with laughter.
“I have my moments.” I stooped down and picked her towel off the floor. Now that there was no longer an imminent threat of death, the picture in front of me was too tempting to turn away from. A naked, sugar-coated Zara.
“You dropped this.” I dangled the cloth from my fingers.
She reached for it, lifting the corner of her mouth still smeared with icing.
I jerked my arm back, keeping it out of her grasp. I raked my gaze across every bare inch of her. My pulse pounded, fueled by a sugar high and headed straight to my cock.
Her lips pursed and she made another play for the towel.
But I was faster.
Her gaze narrowed and she tried to fake me out, but I saw it coming from a mile away—until I didn’t. She planted her lips on mine and the towel was forgotten, falling from my fingers as I wrapped my arm around her waist, and tugged her against me.
The natural sweetness of her lips was multiplied by the B&B treat.
She wrapped her arms around my neck, her fingers threading through my hair.
My back hit the fridge, rattling the contents inside, but I didn’t stop kissing Zara. I palmed her ass, lifting her, until she got my intention and wrapped her legs around my waist—not before unbuckling my pants like a quick-change artist.
But I’d never been happier for her speedy fingers than when the seam of her pussy teased the head of my cock through my boxers. The hot, wet heat of her sent my pulse pounding like an offensive line returning a punt.
Her happy sigh sent shivers down my spine. It was a sound I’d never tire of hearing. Music to my fucking ears. Snagging my wallet from my pants pocket halfway down my thighs, I slipped a condom out.
Zara kissed her way along my jaw, probably getting the rest of the icing from my skin.
I put just enough space between us to shove down the waistband of my boxers and roll the condom on. The driving need to be inside her was only second to staring into her eyes and feeling how much she needed this too.
Shifting our weight, I cradled her ass and ran my other hand along her neck. “You’re beautiful, Gingersnap.”
She lifted her head and stared into my eyes. A fiery desire, her sweet lips, everything about her made me never want to let her go.
“I need you, Leo. Now. Don’t make me wait.” Always so demanding.
