Page 76 of Saved from Obsession

“I think so.” I play with my necklace, rubbing the diamond between my fingers. “We’re going back to the Sagamore next month,” I tell her, a smile playing on my lips. “Leo said it was to enjoy the fall foliage, but—”

“You can see the leaves changing in Sleepy Hollow,” Hayden finishes. “So, maybe he has something else in mind?”

“Well, it’s where we went on our first trip together. And the first time we had a date in public, and the first time we…” I drift off as Leo approaches.

“What’sthatlook about?“ Leo hands me a fresh margarita before sitting down on the loveseat and wrapping an arm around me, tugging me into his side. “Are youblushing?”

Hayden smirks at me, leaning back in her seat. “Just talking about first trips,” she says to Leo, “and first dates. That sort of thing.”

“Ah.” His eyes light up in understanding, turning a burnished gold in the setting sun. “Firsteverythings.”

“Georgia was just telling me about your trip next month,” Hayden says, her green eyes twinkling. “I’m looking forward to hearing about it.”

Leo kisses my cheek, his lips lingering on the fading pink line I’m beginning to forget about. When I look in the mirror, it’s just another part of my face—just like my blue eyes and the brush of freckles across my nose—a sign that I’m still me butstronger. It’s a symbol that I survived.

“I’m looking forward to it, too.” He takes my free hand and covers it with his larger one, his thumb stroking across it gently.

Hayden smiles at us—but then her attention is drawn by Boone as he walks over to us. “Sorry to interrupt,” he says, giving us an apologetic smile, “but I think it’s about time to get the bonfire going. Some of the women have been demanding s’mores. They’re getting quite adamant about it.”

Hayden laughs and grins at him. “Well, we can’t let our guests down. I’ll be right inside to get all the s’mores ingredients together.”

“Okay.” Boone leans down and captures her face in his hands, holding her tenderly as he kisses her. As he pulls away, he murmurs something to her, turning her cheeks a deep pink.

As he walks away, Hayden stares after him for several seconds before her eyes shift back to us. Her half-smile transforms to something more serious. “I just have to say—I’m so glad you found each other.”

“Me too,” I agree, snuggling closer to Leo. “I don’t know how I got this lucky, but I’m not complaining.”

Hayden stands up, her gaze sweeping across the patio, taking in all the guests in small pockets, drinking and eating and chatting. “I have to get inside. But Gigi—you’re not lucky. Youdeserveto be this happy.”

After she walks away, Leo scoops me onto his lap and kisses me, his tongue teasing along the seam of my lips before diving deeper. I can taste a hint of salt and lime as our kiss grows even deeper. If we weren’t in public—on Hayden and Boone’s patio surrounded by all her friends—I’d besoready to take this further.

Pulling away with a small, regretful sigh, Leo presses a kiss to my forehead. “Later,” he says, his voice rough and needy. “When we get back to the hotel.”

“Definitely.”

“And Georgia?” His features go still and serious. “You’re not the lucky one.I am.”

Resting my head on his shoulder, I let my body sink into his, feeling his warmth, his strength, the beat of his incredible heart.

How did I make it here? How didLeo? All the obstacles, the near-losses, the thousands of ways we could have missed each other. But instead, I’m here with the love of my life. The man who fills me, who healed my heart and my soul and made me complete.

“I think wearelucky,“ I whisper, “to have found each other. I’m never,evergoing to take it for granted. And I’m never letting you go.”

“Good.” Leo’s lips press against my head, “Because I won’t let you.”

We sit there, entwined together, even as the other guests start heading out to the field where a bonfire is sending bright flares of red and yellow into the darkening sky. Finally, when we’re the last ones left on the patio, Leo gives me a wink and a small smile. “We should probably join everyone else. Get some s’mores.”

“Probably.” But he’s so comfortable, and there’s nothing I love more than cuddling with Leo, so I don’t move quite yet.

Then Leo’s phone buzzes in Blade and Arrow’s signature rhythm, drawing both our glances over to it. Leo sighs and reaches for it, his brow pulling down a little. “I’m not sure they understand what a vacation means.”

As he quickly scans it, his eyebrows raise and his mouth curves back up. “Cole wants to know if we could meet with a potential client while we’re on our way home. She lives in Virginia, so we could take a quick detour, maybe stay over in DC for a night. It wouldn’t impact our trip at all. What do you think?”

I pick up on one word I wasn’t expecting. “We?”

“Yes,we.“ Leo holds my gaze as he explains. “Cole thought it might be helpful to have another woman there to meet with her. Make her feel more comfortable. But if you don’t want to do it, if you’d feel weird about it, that’s totally fine. We don’t need to stop there, either. Someone else can go.”

Help another woman who’s in trouble? Someone who might be feeling as hopeless and trapped as I was? Let her know that there’s hope, an escape from whatever is tormenting her?

“I’d be happy to help,” I say, a feeling of right-ness sweeping over me. “If I can help her, I wouldloveto.”

*

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