Page 28 of Saved from Obsession

GEORGIA

I can’t believe how much has changed in just one day.

This time yesterday, I was hiding out in my room, miserable and embarrassed and convinced I had ruined everything with Leo. Now, less than twenty-four hours later, not only are things okay with Leo, but I’m actuallydatinghim.

Or is itseeing each other?In a relationship? I’m not sure what to call it, but whatever it is, I’mdefinitelyon board with it. I can barely believe that Leo—basically the perfect man—feels the same way about me as I do about him.

And he thinks I’m beautiful. He doesn’t show me just with words, but in the way he looks at me, too. His gaze doesn’t skip over my scar like it’s distasteful—he looks over every inch of my face like he can’t believe how lucky he is to be with me. And the way he touches me—so reverently—makes me feel more beautiful than I ever did when I was all decked out in designer clothes and makeup while modeling.

But it’s more than that. I think Leo just likesme. He likes all the things I never showed anyone else, like how I love to play board games and read cheesy romance novels and prefer knitting and crocheting to going out. And when I talk, he listens to me like he cares what I have to say, instead of the patronizing nods andmmhmmsI would get on the rare occasions I’d go on a date.

Leo is more than I ever dreamed of imagining. And now that we’re together, everything seems so much lighter. Happier. Every time I look at him, my heart does a little skip of happiness.

If I didn’t have a stalker, things would be just about perfect. Although, if not for this stalker, I wouldn’t have met Leo, either. So, I guess there’s something to be said for silver linings.

In contrast to yesterday evening’s misery, tonight I’m sitting on the couch with the strict instructions to read my Kindle andnotlook at what’s going on in the kitchen. As it’s an open concept space, it’s a little difficult to do. Especially with all the sounds of activity coming from there—pots clanking, the clink of silverware, paper rustling and crinkling—I’ve re-read the same page of my book at least five times.

Leo woke me up this morning a little before seven—he had to shower and exercise before his shift watching the surveillance cameras started—and said he would have a surprise when he came over later. I asked him to give me a hint and he just kissed me and said, “Then it wouldn’t be a surprise, would it?”

Maybe not, but my curiosity is driving me crazy. Leo showed up at four, like usual, but this time he came with half a dozen shopping bags dangling from his muscular arms and a mischievous gleam in his eye. After dropping them in the kitchen, he had a quick conversation with Rylan, then kissed me and gave me the instructions to stay in here.

It’s been an hour so far and I’ve been trying to guess the surprise for most of the time I’ve been waiting. I’m guessing it’s dinner, but if that were the case, I’m not sure what’s going on with all the secrecy. Maybe it’s some new game that requires a lot of prep to set up? Or some super complicated recipe?

“Are you ready?” Leo’s voice seemingly comes out of nowhere and I let out a little bleat of fright. For such a big guy, he moves like a panther—this isn’t the first time he’s managed to startle me.

“Sorry.” He smooths a hand down my hair, his fingers lightly massaging my scalp. “I didn’t mean to scare you.”

“It’s fine.” I tip my head back to look at him. “But you need to wear a little bell or something.”

Leo reaches down to grab my hand, pulling me up from the couch. He grins at me. “Like a cat?”

“Something like that.” Still smiling, he leans down to brush his mouth across mine, lingering for a moment before pulling away, leaving my lips tingling.

“Wait.” I slip my hand behind his neck and pull his face back down, not ready for the kiss to be over. I’ve been thinking about kissing Leo for weeks; now that I finally can, I’m eager to make up for all the time I’ve missed.

Leo responds eagerly, cupping my head as he controls the angle of the kiss, slanting his mouth over mine. I put a hand on his chest for balance, loving the solid wall of muscle that makes me feel safe and protected. He swells against me, the hard length I’ve thought about, but not yet seen, pressing into my belly.

Feeling him so excited for me sends a rush of heat straight to my core. I know we’ve only been dating for about eighteen hours now, probably too soon to take things to the next level. But I amreallylooking forward to when we do.

I’m not sure how much time goes by, but it doesn’t feel like enough when Leo pulls away. A little sigh of disappointment slips out, and he grins at me, swiping his thumb across the moisture on my lips. “As much as I’m enjoying this,” he says, “if we don’t stop, it will ruin the surprise.”

The surprise.Right. Focusing my lust-addled mind, I smile back at him, the tug of skin across my scar barely detracting from my anticipation. That’s another thing Leo has done for me—changed my perspective on smiling. Before I met Leo, I rarely smiled, and when I did, it was only a sad reminder of what had been done to me.

Now, when I’m with Leo, Iwantto smile. When I’m with him, it’s easier to push my worries and self-consciousness to the back of my mind instead of letting them haunt me constantly like they used to. It’s still a battle—last night for example—but the times when I don’t think about it give me hope for the future. A hope that maybe someday I’ll fully accept how I look and stop seeing myself as irrevocably damaged.

“You okay, Georgia?” Leo’s eyes are narrowed as he gazes down at me. “It looked like you went somewhere else for a second.”

“I’m fine. I was just thinking…” I trail off, wondering if it will sound stupid if I tell him. But it’sLeo, and I trust him, so I continue, “you make me want to smile. And I didn’t for a long time. Not since… it would remind me, the way it felt. But when I’m with you, I don’t worry about it as much.”

He stares at me, eyes a storm of emotions, his jaw clenching several times before he says. “Ah, sweetheart. I can’t tell you how much that means to me. And just so you know—“ His hand caresses my scarred cheek. “When you smile, you arebreathtaking.”

Oh. I only just stop myself from clapping my hand to my chest to make sure my heart hasn’t exploded out of it. The feeling is so intense, I can’t form words for a moment.

Leo gazes at me, a soft smile playing across his lips, and kisses my forehead before saying, “How about that surprise?” Then he slides his arm around my waist and turns to guide me out of the living room. I’m still looking at him, my heart still thumping erratically, barely noticing where we’re going. So when we come to a stop and I actually look around, my mouth drops open in shock.

Whatever I was expecting—dinner, a new game—nothing I considered comes close to the scene in front of me. As I’ve gotten to know Leo, he’s surprised me many times, but nothing could have prepared me for this. But maybe Ishouldn’tbe surprised to learn that he’s a romantic at heart.

After all, this six and a half foot man who could intimidate the most threatening of opponents is nothing but gentle with me. And he’s been endlessly thoughtful, from the games he bought and how he’s always checking on me to make sure I’m feeling okay.

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