Page 49 of The Fixer

I feelgreat.“No. You don’t have to worry about me, Leo. I’m not breakable.”

He chuckles. “Grouchy in the mornings.”

I roll my eyes. “Why are guys so preoccupied with the whole virgin thing anyway? Last night, I thought you were going to beat your chest in triumph like a caveman.” I replay yesterday’s events, my cheeks flushing. “Either that or curse a lot.”

“Mmm.”

“You’re not answering my question.”

He grins. “I’m not risking provoking the beast. Not until you’ve had another cup of coffee.” I glare at him, and he laughs out loud and lifts his hands in mock surrender. “I’ll admit, there’s a caveman part of me that did like being your first. I’m not necessarily proud of it.” His expression turns serious. “But mostly, I wish you had more experience.”

My heart sinks. “It wasn’t good for you.”

His head snaps up. “What? No, it wasn’t just good. It was fucking amazing.” He sighs. “Your options have been taken away from you. You were forced into this marriage with a man only a few years younger than your father. I wish things were different.”

“That’s what you’re worrying about? Leo, I was ready to sleep with you the first time we met. At Valentina’s wedding, I invited you to my hotel room. Remember that? Circumstances might have pushed us into this marriage, but I’ve wanted you from the very beginning. Now, what do you want for breakfast? We have eggs, cheese, and bread.”

“I already told you?—”

“Yes, yes, I know. I don’t have to cook for you. I hang on to every word you say with bated breath, orsacchiotto mio. French toast or scrambled eggs?”

He grins at my grouchy tone. “I haven’t had French toast in years.”

“French toast it is.”

I grab the eggs out of the refrigerator while Leo slices the bread. “What are you doing today?” he asks. “Are you going into your boutique?”

“No, Gisele’s there. I’m going to focus on Milan. I have a notebook of sketches, but I need to narrowthem down into an eight-piece collection and then sew up samples.”

“How long do you have?”

“A month.”

It doesn’t seem like nearly enough time. “What can I do to help? Do you want me to find someone who can sew up samples?”

Aww. I put down my whisk and hug Leo. “You’ve already helped,” I tell him. “It’s because of you that I have time to sew at all. You asked Annalisa to work in my store, arranged for movers so I wouldn’t have to spend hours cramming my possessions into boxes, and set up a sewing room so I could start working immediately. Not to mention finding an apartment for my parents, jobs for my family, and everything else.”

Predictably, my gratitude makes him uncomfortable, so I change the topic. “What about you?” I dip a slice of bread into the batter and put it on the skillet. “What are you doing today?”

“I’ve got to get a crew on the roof.” He frowns. “It’ll be noisy. Is that going to be a problem?”

“Not for me,” I assure him, adding another battered slice to the pan. “I put my earbuds in and listen to music while I work.”

The pan is hot, and the toast is ready in no timeat all. I plate them up, slice up strawberries for a topping, then drench everything in syrup. When I’m done, we take our seats at the kitchen table.

“This is delicious,” Leo says, digging in with relish. “Thank you for making it for me.”

I’m not particularly domestic, but I like watching him eat the food I make. It’s a very primal feeling. “You’re welcome.”

He proceeds to demolish his plate. When he’s done, he asks, “Are you going to the gym this evening?”

“No. Why? Do you want to sexy wrestle with me?”

He starts to laugh so hard I think he’s going to choke. “There’s nobody like you, Rosa,” he says fondly when he has himself under control again. “I have to go to work for a bit, but I thought we could grab dinner together.”

“I’d like that.”

His eyes rest on me. “I was going to suggest either shower sex or wrestling for dessert,” he says, his raspy voice sending arousal skittering over my entire body. “But you told me you weren’t sore.” His thumb glides over my lower lip. “So we’re going to do both.”

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