Page 65 of Jonathon, After All

“He’s not?” Leo sounded pleased as he put an arm around Jonathon and led him to the terrace. “The weather is cooperating this morning so I thought we’d dine out here in the sun.”

“Perfect!” Jonathon ran ahead, skipping out through the opened doors and sighing as the warmth touched his face. He went to check out the view of the park and gasped at the gorgeous day. “It’s been raining so much lately. I love it, but it’s so nice to have a break.” he said as he closed his eyes, soaking it in. Leo was staring again when Jonathon opened his eyes. “What?”

“I thought you would enjoy being in the light. You always seek it out,” he said with a soft laugh. He reached for Jonathon’s jaw, cradling it. “I used to think you absorbed the sunshine so you could light up any room you entered and add warmth.”

“That’s silly,” Jonathon said dizzily, not sure if he’d faint or scream if Leo didn’t kiss him soon. “Did you know that I’m a Leo?” he asked him, causing Leo’s brows to pull together as he shook his head.

“You’re a Leonardo or Leopold, like me?”

“No!” Jonathon laughed. “My sun sign! I’m a Leo and I guess we love the sun.”

Leo frowned. “Oh. I believe I’m a Scorpio. Is that good?” he asked and Jonathon hummed as he stretched toward Leo’s lips.

“Yes. We’re both strong personalities, but we can be very passionate together. I think I was born to love a specific Leo, though,” he said, catching Leo’s cheek before he could peck and pull away. “Kiss me. The way you used to,” he whispered.

“I’m afraid that might be dangerous out here,” Leo grumbled, but his head lowered and he was shaking. “I don’t know if I’ll be able to stop.”

The hand behind Leo’s back twisted in his cardigan and Jonathon shook his head defiantly. “I’m not sitting down to eat or talking to Sabine until I know and I won’t know until you kiss me, Leo.”

“Know what?” he asked, his voice uneven but urgent as he searched Jonathon’s eyes. “What do you need to know?”

Jonathon wound the other arm around Leo’s neck, locking them together. “Are we still passionate when we’re…together,” he said and had to lick his lips, they were suddenly dry. “This whole thing could be a big waste of time if we’ve lost our spark.”

“Lost it?” Leo replied, shaking his head. “No. We could not,” he stated as his fingers spread through Jonathon’s hair and he was tilted back.

Leo’s lips covered his, demanding and starved, instead of cautiously pecking. His tongue swirled around Jonathon’s and every nerve in his body flashed and popped as if a lever had been thrown, electricity rushed down his veins and made his toes curl. They fell back against the balustrade and Jonathon’s leg rose and hooked around Leo’s hip.

“Gott!” Leo growled as his hand tightened brutally around Jonathon’s asscheek. He bucked against Jonathon, hard heat grinding against his thigh as Leo lapped and sucked, greedily reclaiming what was obviously his. “Enough!” He set Jonathon away from him and Leo looked like a ruthless prince as his chest heaved and he stared at Jonathon with a hard, hungry look. “We have not lost it.”

“No, we haven’t,” Jonathan agreed with a breathless, shaking laugh. “Thank you for putting that fear to rest,” he added, as the butler arrived with a room service cart bearing covered dishes, a tiered tray with various pastries, an assortment of cheeses and fruit, juice, coffee, and a bucket of chilled champagne.

Leo fixed his shirt and gave his hair a quick pat before he went to pull out a chair for Jonathon. “I hope you don’t mind but I took the liberty of ordering. I’m rather fond of the French toast,” he confided in a deep murmur, making Jonathon gasp as he sat.

“You are?” he asked, looking up at Leo.

He nodded as he sat next to Jonathon. “My mother used to make it for me when I was a child, but we called it pane fritto con lo zucchero—fried bread with sugar.”

“Your mother could cook?” Jonathon asked weakly. He’d forgotten how much sexier Leo was when he spoke Italian. Muriel said that Leo had probably spent years repressing his Italian roots in order to please the Foundation and Jonathon had always thought that was a shame.

“She cooked most of our meals and she taught us to cook. Even Eli can make pane fritto,” he replied and Jonathon’s mind was utterly blown.

“You know how to cook? Riley was the first person I know, other than Tilly, who knows how to cook,” he said loudly, looking at the butler to see if he was just as shocked, but he pretended he hadn’t heard as he poured their juice and coffee.

Leo chuckled softly and nodded when the butler held up the champagne. “My mother’s family were very middle class. My grandfather made shoes and my grandmother ran a bakery, but neither of them owned their own businesses. They were hard-working people and my mother cooked and cleaned and cared for her younger brothers and sisters until she went to university and met my father. And I cooked and cleaned and cared for my brothers after we lost them,” he explained.

“I’m so sorry,” Jonathon said, but Leo shrugged it off.

“I will always miss them. Not having servants was a blessing for us because we were already accustomed to looking after each other and Theo and the other two were used to me bossing them around.”

“Because you loved them,” Jonathon countered and smiled as Leo slid a plate of scrambled eggs and a bowl of cut fruit closer, signaling for him to eat. It was in Leo’s nature to be a caregiver and nurturing, perhaps because of raising his brothers, but Jonathon felt pampered as his glass was filled with champagne.

Leo cut a bite of French toast and held the fork out to Jonathon despite their having identical plates. “Open,” he ordered gently.

“Okay,” Jonathon rasped and his jaw fell obediently, but he grabbed Leo’s wrist, needing a moment to recover.

“What’s wrong?” Leo’s brows pinched in concern.

“Nothing! It’s just that I wished for exactly this the morning after the gala,” he said and looked around to see if they were still on the suite’s terrace or if he was actually dreaming. “Everything’s perfect,” Jonathon said and accepted the bite, moaning and wiping syrup from his lip as he chewed. “That’s perfect,” he said, then nearly choked when Leo took his hand and hummed absently as he sucked Jonathon’s thumb clean.

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