Chapter 21

Muted, early morning rays of sunlight filtered in through blinds drawn half shut. Soft, warm, yellowy-orange fingers of light stretched out across the room, caressed the couple lying curled up together amidst a tangle of sheets, limbs intertwined, chests rising and falling in the slow, cadence of sleep.

They came awake by slow degrees as the day dawned warm and bright, both content just to lie there, content in the knowledge that the other was not far off.

They lay dozing, drifting in and out of sleep, eyelids fluttering open and closed, revelling in the other's nearness, the feelings of soft, warm kisses…soft, warm skin…

---

Dominic and Leon were sitting on the couch watching Jesse kick Vince's ass at the latest racing game when the front door swung open and three girls hurried inside the house, playfully pushing each other up the stairs and giggling all the way.

Leon watched them go, curious. He'd already met Dom's sister, Mia, and his girlfriend, Letty, but he'd never seen the girl in the middle before. "Hey dawg, who was that girl with Mia and Letty?"

Not taking his eyes off of the game, Dom jerked his thumb in the direction of the stairs behind them, "Uh...short girl, dark hair, bluish eyes?"

Smirking to himself, Leon nodded, "Think so, yeah."

"That's Lara. My cousin."

"Oh." An awkward silence filled the space between the two men and Leon turned back to the TV, rubbing his suddenly-clammy palms against his jeans nervously.

Dom was a good guy. He'd proved that time and again and Leon had only known him for a couple of weeks. For instance, how many guys would just let you move into their house hardly knowin' you? Exactly. So, Dom was a really cool guy, yeah, but the one thing Leon had learned, if anything, was that Dom was very, very protective of what was his. Hell, he'd share the house, the garage, his time…but his cars, Letty, his sister--he'd made it perfectly clear that they were not to be messed with.

Shit, when they'd all gone to the beach a couple of days ago, Dom had caught Vince ogling Mia when she'd lain down on her towel to sunbathe, clad only in a bikini and a pair of sunglasses. Hell, he'd even offered to rub some lotion on her, the dumb fuck. Hearing this, Dom had promptly smacked him upside the head and dragged him away from her. And Vince was his best friend…since the third grade and everything...shit...

Dom glanced over at Leon, watching the younger man's inner struggle and wondering at the way his expression shifted from pensive to worrisome. He chuckled silently, curious about what was getting him so riled up. "You ok, man?"

Leon blinked, his green eyes widening slightly before focusing on the TV once more. "Huh? Oh, yeah, I'm good."

Deciding to have a little fun with him, Dom furrowed his brows, his dark eyes slanting a suspicious glance in his friend's direction, "Why d'you wanna know who she is? You interested or something?"

That stare made Leon more than a little nervous and he shook his head nonchalantly, "Nah, nah, dawg. Just wonderin' is all. And trynna figure out who everybody is and stuff, ya know?"

Suddenly Dominic burst out into loud laughter, slinging a heavily-muscled arm around Leon's shoulders, and giving him a playful squeeze as mirthful tears leaked from the corners of his dark eyes, "Shit man, lighten up. I'm just playin' wit ya."

Leon paled slightly, before chuckling in spite of himself. Maybe he'd have a chance after all...

---

The soft sound of a door clicking shut startled Leon awake.

Unaware of exactly what had awakened him, he huffed out a sleepy breath and snuggled his face deeper into his pillow, enjoying the warmth of his makeshift cocoon for a moment before cracking an eye open to glance at the clock.

7:32a.m.

Yawning widely as he rubbed the sleep from his eyes, Leon lay quietly dozing as the events of the previous day and night slowly began to resurface in his mind. Bolting upright, gaze darting from corner to corner only to find the room empty, Leon was just about to leap out of bed when he heard the toilet flush.

Breathing a sigh of relief, he lay back against the pillows and smiled. The panic he'd just experienced had nearly consumed him, briskly returning him to that morning so many years ago when he'd awakened to find her gone.

He rolled over sleepily and reached an arm out for Lara. Feeling nothing but smooth, cool cotton against his fingertips, he opened his eyes and glanced around the room, pausing momentarily as an odd crinkling sound filled the room. Yanking a piece of paper out from underneath his shoulder, Leon yawned as he began to read:

-

Leon,

I'm sorry things haven't been so great between us this past week; I wish we could've had more fun and just enjoyed the rest of our time together, but I guess things don't always work out the way you want them to.

I just want to tell you that I'm sorry for doing this this way, but I couldn't sleep. And while I was lying here watching you, with your face mashed into the pillow and your beautiful eyes closed in sleep, I just knew that, if I waited any longer, I'd end up staying, even if you didn't ask me again. Because I love you. And I do. So, so much. I think I probably always will…

But I always intended to go to NY—my mom and my grandma are there…and then there's culinary school, my dream. And while you make it so, so hard for me to leave, it's just something I know I have to stick with.

So, I'll call when I get there and, if you're ever in the area, come and visit me...

Love always,

Lara

-

"I guess I thought I could convince you ta stay..."

The soft slap-slap of bare feet padding across the hardwood floor of the apartment snapped Leon out of his reverie, and he turned to see Lara tiptoe back into the room and quietly shut the door behind her.

"Hey," he murmured into the hushed silence, watching as she turned towards him with a surprised smile, a tender warmth illuminating her gray eyes.

"Hey," she whispered back, fingering the hem of the long, button-down shirt she wore. His shirt.

Lounging back against the pillows, Leon patted the empty spaces on either side of his body and offered Lara a sexy, lop-sided smirk that she felt all the way down in her toes.

"Come on, baby...lie down with me," he growled, his low, raspy voice sending a torrent of heat surging through her, desire pooling low in her belly.

Smiling inwardly at how cute, and at the same time incredibly delicious, he looked just lying there, waiting for her, Lara pulled his shirt over her head and grinned. Swinging it around seductively on her finger before flinging it at him, she giggled softly when it landed squarely on his face, blocking his view of her.

Plucking the shirt away from his face, Leon tossed it aside and sat up, ready to give chase, but he stopped short as Lara lowered herself onto the foot of the bed.

Crawling up the length of his body, her glittering eyes focused on his, he inhaled sharply as she pressed a warm kiss to his lips and pushed him back onto the bed, following him down.

---

Lara sighed happily, basking in the warmth of Leon's embrace as she lay curled up against his warm body, her fingers tracing invisible patterns across his heated flesh.

They'd made love again. And, as she always was each time they did, she was reminded of how utterly perfect this man was. He was always so gentle with her, so loving, and yet so incredibly passionate and just…amazing. Just as he was in all other aspects of his life. She smiled, a pleasurable warmth swelling within her heart, as she realized that they'd been given a chance to make amends once and for all, and by god, she was gonna take it.

Dropping a warm kiss onto the gentle slope of her shoulder, he smiled lazily as he stroked the swell of her bottom with one hand, the other cradling her head against him as he gently combed his fingers through her hair.

"It's so long," he murmured softly, admiring the long, dark waves lying haphazardly against her silken skin, "you always kept it short before… I like it."

Content, Lara raised her head to kiss him soundly before settling herself back against him, luxuriating in the feel of his rough, calloused fingers alternately rubbing soothing circles against her shoulder and moving gently through her hair as she drifted off to sleep.