Page 64 of Match Point

Pulse pounding, Leo shot out of the room, Howler’s laughter trailing him. He had nothing to lose but everything to gain.

Belle was sitting at the desk, head down. He tapped her on the shoulder and she glanced up.

“Why don’t you take a break? I’ll man the desk.” He darted a glance at the elevator, watching the numbers climb. Was Sorcha in one of those cars?

“Oh, okay.” Belle stood and grabbed her purse out of the file cabinet drawer. “Is everything all right, Leo?”

“I’ll find out once she gets here,” he said, impatient for Sorcha to arrive.

“She? As in Sorcha?” She asked, brow arched. One of the drawbacks of working with family; they all knew your business.

“Fuck, does everyone know?” he said with a laugh.

“Yes, they do. Good luck!” She squeezed his wrist, brown eyes bright.

“Thanks.” Leo sat in her vacated seat, eye on the elevator door. It dinged, the small sound making him jump. Crazy how nervous he was, but he had to take a shot.

Sorcha walked out of the elevator, head down, typing something into her phone. Her hair fell over her shoulder and she wore a sleeveless blue sundress. The bodice accentuated her high breasts. She stole his breath away, and his stomach tightened in anticipation.

She glanced up and halted in her tracks. Recognition and a stronger emotion that brightened her eyes gave him hope until pain dimmed them. The tension in his gut increased.

He flashed a smile in greeting. Time to heal the wounds between them and pray she felt the same way. “Can I help you?”

“I am here to see Howler.” Sorcha approached the desk, her heels clicking on the tile floor. The air between them was electrified, expectation heavy. Would she play along or tell him to fuck off?

“Do you have an appointment?” he asked, careful to keep his voice low and measured. Inside he wanted to sweep her into his arms forever. But they needed to talk first. Both he and Sorcha would work out their future or he’d move on. It was all up to her. Because as far as he was concerned, he’d follow her to the ends of the earth and never regret it.

Chapter Fifty-One

“Yes, I do.” Sorcha stared at Leo, her legs weak. With her mind a jumble of emotions, she tried to focus on their flirtation, a deja vu from the first time she’d met him at this same desk. Yearning twisted her insides. She gripped the lip of the desk and leaned in. He was close enough that she could see the gold in his irises and the sootiness of his long lashes. Leo cupped the side of her face. He brought his thumb to the underside of her chin and swept his lips across hers. She clasped his wrist, unsure if she was imagining this or if he was real.

Leo lifted his head, his heated stare lingering on her mouth. “I need to tell you something.”

“If it starts with I’m sorry, then I’ll be happy to listen.” Her body ached for him, but her heart screamed to hold off. He’d rejected her once. She couldn’t take it a second time.

“I’m sorry.” He buried his hand in her hair and kissed her again, soft, reverent, and so gentle, that tears threatened to fall.

She had to get some distance or she’d collapse like a blubbering mess. They had to talk, and it wasn’t possible while he was kissing her. She stepped back, her mind screaming no. “Why?”

“Why am I sorry? That’s a loaded question.” He rocked onto his toes. The white dress shirt pulled at his broad shoulders. He dropped his hand, palms coming to rest on his thighs. A flicker of apprehension crossed his face. “Let’s go in my office.”

He rounded the desk and offered his hand. She slipped her palm into his, allowing him to lead her down a short, serviceable hallway. Raw emotion held her enthralled, her throat dry.

His office was large and overlooked the cityscape. It was sterile looking, lacking in any personalization. Utilitarian and cold, the view was the only appealing thing about the space. A box sat on the sleek metal and glass desk, a simple chair on the other side. She skirted the desk and stood by the window. “So, this is your office.”

“Not anymore. I quit.” He joined her, arms crossed, eyes locked on the building on the other side of the street.

“You quit.” Wow, perhaps she could come up with something more original. She turned and leaned her back against the cool glass, her palms on the sill. “Why?”

Tension stretched between them, expectation resting heavily in the air. Flags blew on the rooftop, snapping in the wind. Storm clouds gathered in the distance, reflecting her own emotional state.

Leo lifted his hand and traced her cheek with one knuckle. “I’m sorry that I didn’t tell you that I love you.”

She sucked in a sharp breath, every inch of her skin breaking out in delicious goosebumps. Thrilled didn’t begin to describe how she felt. He loved her. But sometimes, love wasn’t enough. “You love me?”

He tucked her hair behind her ear and fingered a strand, the same way he’d done on that first day. “I do,” he spoke in a broken whisper, the strain around his nose and mouth prominent.

Sorcha nodded, a lump forming in her throat. She planted her heels into the carpet, waiting for him to finish. Given what she knew of his past, pushing him wasn’t wise. He needed to confess his own truth in his own time. But it was hard not to ask a million questions after his unexpected declaration. He loved her. Leo loved her.

---