Page 99 of Sass

“Jesus Christ, get me out of here.” Chris flung himself into the Mini’s passenger seat with an exhausted sigh.

I headed to the driver’s side to do precisely as he asked, but less than a kilometre down the country road, Chris instructed me to pull over and get out. I wasn’t about to argue, thinking maybe the day had finally got to him and he was going to be sick, but the minute we were both out, Chris rounded the Mini and launched himself into my arms.

“Holy fucking shit,” he gasped against my chest, like the significance of the last hour was finally sinking in. “Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.”

I crushed him against me and kissed his head, my heart catching in my throat. “Don’t thank me, baby. That was all you in there. Every glorious fucking second of it. You were brilliant.”

He sucked in a shaky breath and pulled back to look at me, his eyes brimming. “I love you, Leon.”

I swear my heart stopped in my chest as his words sank in.

“I love you so damn much.” Tears rolled down his face. “And I’m so fucking sorry it’s taken me this long to get my head out of my arse. But what you did in there...” He shook his head. “I can’t even tell you. Just, thank you. And I’m not saying this just because you swooped in on your white horse to plough the road for me—and now I’m mixing my fucking metaphors—I’m saying it because I mean it.”

I couldn’t speak. I couldn’t move. I just stood there gaping like an idiot, my heart exploding in my chest as Chris explained why he loved me. Explained it, for fuck’s sake.

“When I was standing in that room, with you like a fucking rock by my side, and I looked around at my so-called family, it hit me like a freight train. I didn’t need them. I didn’t need their approval. I didn’t even need them to believe me. The only person whose opinion actually mattered was yours, because I loveyou. As crazy as that is after just a month—”

“And two years,” I reminded him.

“And two years.” He slid his arms around my neck and sighed happily. “I’ve been such an idiot and I’m so, so sor—”

“Will you please just shut up.” I pulled him to me, stopping his apology with a single hard kiss. “I don’t need an inventory of reasons. And you’ve got nothing to be sorry about. I’m just so damn happy that you love me. Although maybe you could just say it one more time, because I’m kind of terrified I’m dreaming.”

He snorted and cradled my face, his gaze intent on mine. “I love you, Leon. Ilove you. Good enough?”

I brushed his nose with mine. “For now. But I’m pretty sure I’m gonna need to hear it again, later.”

He grinned. “As many times as you need. But please, can we go home now?”

Home.The word seemed to carry a lot more weight than it had that morning. I slipped my finger under that sexy collar he wore and tugged him back around the Mini.

“Mmm.” He chuckled. “Now don’t you be getting any ideas about attaching a leash to this thing.” He slid into the passenger seat and shot me a saucy wink. “No one tells me what to do.”

I leaned in and planted a kiss on his lips, my hand palming his dick. “Oh, I think you will.” I squeezed. “In fact, I think you’ll be begging for it.”

He sucked in a breath. “How fast can you drive?”

* * *

Kip

While Leon pulled into the car park, I studied the art deco lines of my apartment building like I was seeing it for the first time. And maybe I was, because something had changed since I’d left it that morning.Ihad changed. It had been my first real home, a sanctuary, a reminder that I’d survived and was doing okay. And it was still all those things. A month ago, you couldn’t have shoe-horned me out of it. But as I kept staring, the scene changed and I saw a tiny villa with a shady veranda and a man playing a guitar.

I’d been quiet the entire drive home and I knew Leon was worried. He’d constantly glanced my way and asked if I was okay, driving me nuts until in the end I pulled his hand into my lap and stroked the back of it to soothe him. His grip remained tight, not releasing even to change gear, and the whole mamma-bear protective thing put a smile on my face. If I hadn’t known I was safe with Leon before, that he’d have my back in a tight spot, I sure as shit did after the fiasco of that afternoon.

He switched off the engine and turned in his seat to face me. “You okay, babe?” he asked for the millionth time.

I nodded. “It’s crazy how so much can change in a day and yet the world goes on regardless, like your personal dramas haven’t just transformed your whole life.”

He brought my hand to his lips and pressed a gentle kiss to the palm. “My life as well.”

His words drew my gaze to meet his. I freed my hand and threaded my fingers through those strawberry-blond locks, then gently tugged on his beard. “It’s like I’ve pushed a reset button in my brain and I’m not sure what the new configuration is going to look like. It’s kind of fucking scary.”

He held my palm against his cheek. “You can make it whatever you need to. It’s yours to decide. And if you want, I can be there to help. But it’s your life, baby.”

God,thisman. “Oh, I want,” I assured him. “It’s about the only thing Iamsure of. You. And Flare and my friends.” He sighed. “If you’d asked me, I would’ve denied it till my last breath, but I think I always held out hope that one day my family would come around. That I’d get a call saying, ‘We believe you. We love you. Come home.’” My throat thickened and Leon kissed the tears from my cheeks.

“And now?” He watched me carefully.

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