Page 58 of Falling for Them

“Seriously, Leo,” I tried again as we approached a staircase. “This is-”

Leo stopped in front of me and turned around. “If you say ‘too much’ one more time, I’m going to push you into the water.”

I held up my hands in surrender. “Fine, fine. Wouldn’t want to make the rumors about you and Luca turning people into fish food true.”

He rolled his eyes and turned back to the stairs, leading me up to one of the several decks.

The yacht wasn’t as deserted as I’d expected. A few crew members bustled about. “I thought the boat would be empty.”

Leo shrugged, leading me across a deck and toward more stairs. “Someone’s using it for the next week. The staff is getting things ready.”

I nodded, trying to ignore the tiny pang of disappointment. For a moment, I’d imagined it was all for us, which was ridiculous because the last thing I wanted was to be completely alone with him… right?

We made our way up to the top deck, and the view was spectacular. The sun was starting to set, painting the sky in brilliant oranges and pinks. But what caught my eye was the cozy seating area that had been set up, complete with a picnic spread on a coffee table.

I stepped beside him and nudged him with my elbow. “This is proposal level romantic, Leo. At least suck my cock first.”

“Oh, uh…” He rubbed the back of his neck and looked around at what he’d had set up for us. Clearly, he wasn’t ready for joking about that yet, and it gave me a good idea of where he stood with it.

Damn it, why was I now picturing him on his knees for me? I was here for Libby because she wanted to give him a chance. I wasn’t here to be wooed. “I was kidding. It’s perfect.”

“I’m glad you approve. Shall we?” He gestured to the seating area, ever the gentleman.

I settled onto the L-shaped couch, trying not to think about how intimate this all felt. Leo sat across from me, reaching forward and pulling the lid off a tray that had a charcuterie board.

“What would you like to drink?” He stood and went to a bar cart that had been set up with every beverage imaginable, including alcohol. “They’ll be serving us salmon for dinner, so I have a Pinot Noir or Sauvignon Blanc if you want wine.”

“Whatever you’re having.”

Leo poured us each a glass of the Pinot Noir like he was a top sommelier. As he handed me my glass, our fingers brushed, and I desperately tried to ignore how it made me feel.

We clinked glasses and sipped the wine in silence for a few moments, both of us staring out at the horizon. The setting sun cast a warm glow over everything, and it was almost too perfect.

One of us had to break the ice, and it looked like that person was going to have to be me. “Are we going to talk about the elephant on the yacht?”

Leo chuckled, but his shoulders tensed. “I suppose we should, now that I’ve plied you with wine and food.”

I took another sip of wine. “Look, I’m just going to be blunt. What is your end game here? With me, with Libby... with all of this? Because I honestly don’t get it.”

He sighed, running a hand through his hair. “Honestly? I’m not entirely sure.”

“That’s not very reassuring.” I tried to keep the edge out of my voice, but given our heated exchanges up until this point, itwas difficult to do. The last thing I wanted was to waste time and energy on something that was headed nowhere.

“I know, and I’m sorry.” Leo’s eyes met mine and I found that I couldn’t look away. “I’m not used to dealing with... overwhelming feelings like this.”

“Overwhelming feelings?”

Leo nodded, his gaze dropping to his wine glass. “It’s hard to explain. I’ve pushed a lot of my feelings to the side, but what I feel for Libby is so intense and happened so fast, that I can’t ignore it. There’s this sense of comfort around her, and I want to be near her all the time. And as for you… when I let myself go there, I can’t deny I’m attracted to you.”

Holy shit. I wasn’t prepared for that level of honesty. My mind immediately conjured up images of what we could do with that attraction. I shifted in my seat, trying to will away the heat rushing to my dick. “That’s... a lot to process.”

“It’s easy to ignore when I want to, but I’m so tired of ignoring my feelings for the sake of other people.”

“What other people?”

“Family… and then as you know, I’m sometimes subjected to celebrity status when the paparazzi are bored. I also always have to worry about people’s intentions, and if they’re going to screw me over. I don’t quite know how to reconcile everything.”

“But your parents are okay with Luca’s relationship, aren’t they?” I hadn’t heard otherwise, and I heard practically everything being the receptionist at LRG Marketing.

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