Page 33 of Off-Limits Bad Boy Protector

Chapter 22

The morning light peeked through the curtains, rousing Leo from his sleep. He groaned and turned, shielding his eyes from the brightness. His back ached strangely. He considered calling for the maids to close the windows more tightly.

However, as he blinked, the curtains seemed unfamiliar. He blinked a few more times, struggling to recall his thoughts. Suddenly, it all came rushing back. It was the time at the Iron Fist and Nehemy's encouragement to pursue the woman he had longed for all these years.

He sat up, two things hitting aggressively at once. — A headache and the aroma of bacon. Both pulled him aggressively from his sleep and he pressed his eyes to his wrists, twisting.His head was pounding. He blinked a few times, then got up and followed the delicious smell of bacon to the kitchen. A small smile crept onto his face when he spotted mine.

I was fully dressed in a short jean skirt and a white top that was probably five times my size. My dark hair cascaded down my back, and he struggled to resist the urge to run his fingers through it. I stood by the stove, humming to myself, clearly unaware of his presence. My back was turned to him as I flipped the sizzling bacon.

His eyes darted around the kitchen. It was small. He felt an urge to take me away from this place. It had a tiny refrigerator and a small stove wedged against the window. However, wouldn’t that be the most entitled thing to do?

So instead of trying to solve my problems, he chose to be friendly with me instead. He was pretty sure that's what Nehemy would suggest. Weren’t those his words last night? — to be more genuine and less like the tough person who thought his father committed a crime?

I turned backwards to grab something from the counter and our eyes met. “Good morning, Chef,” he greeted, his voice a low and deepened growl. My cheeks turned a faint shade of pink and he desperately hated how it warmed his heart.

“Good morning, Leo,” I muttered, turning my eyes back to the pan on the stove. Leo stepped forward and rested against the kitchen counter, his gaze fixed on mine. "It's nice to wake up to bacon even when I'm not at home," he teased, wiggling his eyebrows.

I shrugged, avoiding his gaze. "It's the least I could do, Leo. After all, you had to sleep on that hard couch." I chuckled as I cracked eggs into a bowl, and he grinned back at me. A strange warmth flooded his veins. He loved that it was there for the first time in a long while. He almost craved it.

"Well, I can’t recall the last time I crashed somewhere other than my house, so the couch was perfect. Thank you," Leo said. Leo saw me quickly look at him, and my eyes widened a bit before I went back to cooking. Leo swallowed nervously. He did not want me to think he had forgotten about last night.

He hadn't forgotten. If anything, he desired me even more now. He observed as I kept frying the eggs, deliberately avoiding looking at him. I shrugged casually, trying to appear nonchalant. “It's fine, Leo," I waved dismissively. "It happens. It's once in a lifetime."

He bit his lip and reached out to place his palm on my shoulder. I froze, and for a moment, he was worried I would burn the eggs. However, I turned to look at him. My brown eyes were filled with emotions he couldn’t quite place. Then, I returned to frying the eggs.

He gently called my name as he stepped closer, pressing my back against his chest. I froze, and he swallowed hard. "I remember everything, every word I said to you. It's all true." I turned off the stove and turned to stare at him. He swallowed nervously. My eyes flickered with surprise.

My voice was barely a whisper, and his heart clenched in his chest. He had hurt me so badly, and he didn’t deserve to breathe the same air as I did. He reached out and gently took my hand in his, giving it a gentle squeeze. He wanted to go back and fix everything for us. To never have run away back then. To have broken down in my arms as he had done last night. But he still had the chance to do so now. He still could.

"Yes, I do," he whispered back. "I remember everything, and yes, I love you. I don't regret saying anything because it was nothing but the truth." My features relaxed, relief washing over my face. A small smile tugged at the corners of my lips. "I just wasn't sure how this morning would be. I wasn't sure how?—"

He leaned in closer, his voice soft, stopping my rambling. “I do not regret being honest with you . In Fact, I regret not doing it much earlier. You've always been the one I desire. I should have leaned and trusted you to stay while we figured it out together than run-away.”

My eyes held his gaze, searching. They flickered in wariness and if he were being honest with himself, he couldn’t blame me. Even he himself didn’t think he was worthy of trust. "I'm scared, Leo," I whispered, my brown eyes teary. "You've hurt me often. Lisa might consider me insane. I don't want more pain."He swallowed and cupped my cheek, his thumb wiping away the tear that slid down. His heart thudded loudly against his ribcage.

You have every right to doubt, but this time, I promise to stay. I've learned the truth. My past actions were wrong, including avoiding you. I will work hard to earn your trust. I love you and want to be with you forever.

I froze, staring at him, my brown eyes widening in shock. He could see my pulse quickening at the base of my neck, and he leaned in to kiss me. However, he froze when he felt my palm pressing against his chest. His heart raced but I pushed him back gently. He stepped back, his heart breaking. He deserved that much. He knew he did.

“I... I can't do this, Leo," I sputtered, shaking my head slightly and breaking our gaze. "I need time to think about all of this."

A lump formed in his throat, and he swallowed. His chest tightened and it felt almost difficult to breathe. What was he expecting though? That he would just waltz into my life after all the hurt?

He swallowed again, stepping back and nodded. He would respect my boundaries even though his heart ached for mine. He had stayed three years running away from me. He could spend another three waiting.

“Of course, Take all the time you need. I’ll be here.”

I stared at him wordlessly before turning to grab plates on the counter. Awkwardness rent the air and they stayed in silence. He wanted to speak and bring something up but his voice failed him.

I served our plates, filling both with pancakes, bacon, and eggs. He helped me make the coffee. Then, we sat down to eat in my small dining room, which was just an extension of my living room. The atmosphere remained tense, with silence pressing down against them.

He stared at me but I had my eyes glued to my plate. He chewed his bacon, his thoughts circling around the fear that he could lose me. That I would be gone for good. But hadn’t I kissed him last night? I didn’t kiss a declaration that I still felt something for him?

He had to be patient. There was no other way around it. He broke a small smile, hoping to break the silence. “It’s delicious . Perhaps you’re not second best in this game.” My head jerked upwards, my eyes flashing. He smirked at me and I shook my head, a small smile tugging at my lips.

You gave me a couch last night. Is this how you reward me? “What? I agreed that you might not be the second best in the hospitality game. Isn’t that enough?”

I pursed my lips, cocking my head. “Might!”

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