Chapter 10

Last night’s conversation was eye-opening and exhausting. Leigh Anne woke up with the crazy notion that her giant would abandon her after she ripped her heart out and presented it on a golden platter to him. But rather than waking up to a cold, empty bed, she heard rustling and sweet talk to a furry, agitated Gretel. Leigh Anne coyly peered over the platform, mattress, and loft room. Down below, Theo quietly stumbled, giving chase to Gretel while trying to get her inside the cat crate.

As he neared success, Gretel got spooked and ran under the window seat. Leigh Anne couldn’t contain the early morning entertainment this gave her, and she snorted with amusement.

“I suppose you have a better way to wrangle your demon cat from Dante’s Inferno?” Her giant of a man stood in the middle of her tiny house, arms folded over his chest, full of fake animosity.

“Of course I don’t. She hates that thing.” Again, with a chuckle, she descended the steps to the main living area and went to the highest cabinets to retrieve the secret weapon.

“Catnip!” Theo exclaimed as he watched intensely. Leigh Anne coaxed out the large servant of Dante into her carrier. “Well, shit! Would you look at that!” He remarked in amazement as he bent down to investigate her completed mission. Without hesitation, a long furry paw popped out of the bar and took a swipe at his chiseled torso, missing by millimeters.

It was 5:00 a.m., and they needed to be on the road by five-thirty if they wanted to be there by twelve-thirty for the event.

“Where’re all the bags?” Leigh Anne asked as she stretched and rubbed the sleep from her eyes.

“In the SUV. Get dressed and ready to go. I’ll handle loading up the rest of the stuff.” He nodded to the hissing Gretel.

“Okay, thanks! Are you sure you can handle that one?” Leigh Anne chided as Gretel kept trying to claw at his flesh.

“As long as she remains in this cage, we’ll get along just fine. Won’t we, dog food?” That silenced her.

They took his Mercedes SUV since Big Blue wasn’t as dependable as it used to be. Ethan hated that truck, but she couldn’t get rid of it. She’d sooner get rid of Ethan than Big Blue. And see who’s still around? The moment she got into the front passenger seat, she was surprised. He had packed breakfast sandwiches, travel mugs of coffee, and road trip snacks.

“How long have you been up? How—”

“I’m Superman. What can I say?” He smirked as he took a heaping bite of his high-protein muffin, sausage, egg, and cheese sandwich.

“Well, thank you, but I don’t like—”

“Eggs. I know. Yours doesn’t have any on it.”

“How did you know?” Leigh Anne was getting choked up. This was a trait Ethan would have never remembered about her. Leigh Anne didn’t like any egg, and no matter how often she explained that to Ethan, he would still always order her something with egg on it, and she would have to remove it.

“I overheard one night shift where Norm asked you if you wanted anything from the all-night diner near the bar, and you always get the chef salad without egg.”

She leaned over the console, and as he drove down the freeway, she held him in a tight bear hug and peppered his face with kisses. It was right then and there that Leigh Anne knew...it was inevitable; she was falling for Theodore Collins, and it would destroy her when she had to walk away.

Meeting Her Hero

Leigh Anne wasn’t as shocked as Theo may have been. She was used to this luxury but escaped it and lived the rest of her life simply and as off the grid as possible. Theo didn’t come from meager means, but he wasn’t raised with a silver spoon in his mouth, either. His wealth came after he graduated from high school. He didn’t go to college. He went to work for a real estate developer who gave him a chance. He learned the trade of masonry, construction, electrical engineering, and plumbing from his boss and the crew. He bought his first house at nineteen and sold it for a profit. Two years later, he bought another, flipped it, and sold it. He continued that streak until he bought out his boss, and now he had a stable company with laborers, agents, and assistants. Dusty’s was just a place for friends to unwind.

When he saw this property and estate, he saw building potential, structural issues, and the costs to keep it running. Leigh Anne visited the prison associated with the means to live this way. She saw the anxiety it brought by never feeling good enough and not fitting in. She nearly dropped it as she picked up Gretel’s carrier—sweaty palms.

“What are you doing? You’re still healing, you daredevil!” A familiar voice chastised her from behind. Quickly springing into action, he caught her poor cat mid-fall.

“Oh, Corey. Thank goodness you are here. I’m sorry. As you can see, Theo is getting the bags, and I thought I could manage her...”

“I told you to wait, babe.”

Babe, he’d called her babe for the first time, and she loved how it sounded coming from him. When Ethan would call her that, it made her cringe. It always felt forced, like he threw up a little in his mouth before it passed his lips. When Theo called her babe, her heart raced, and her other parts pulsated.

She just stood there, stunned, in the middle of the circular driveway, drool pooling in her mouth and between her legs...

“Earth to the hungry lady holding up traffic,” Corey jolted Leigh Anne back to reality. “Come on, let’s show you two horny toads to your little bungalow.”

“Does your family know we’re your guests?” Theo asked as they hopped into a golf cart. Just beyond the last row of aging grapes sat a sweet stone dwelling with two windows on either side of the building, a stone and brick paved patio with iron railings, and fabric awnings that blew in the Diablo winds.

“Well, they will when they see this sweet bungalow is a-rockin,” Corey playfully chided, elbowing Theo in the ribs. She rolled her eyes and looked pointedly at Theo as he reacted with a chuckle.

Theo quickly cleared his throat and put the luggage inside, along with Gretel. Leigh Anne made sure she was safe, and she had no escape routes. Luckily, she found a cozy cushion on the loveseat in the shaded corner of the house, so there would be no breakout today.

The venue quickly filled up with people, and Corey got them seated in the best seats of the house. She could practically see straight up into her favorite author’s nasal cavity. As Beth spoke, Leigh Anne got emotional. Her current book truly got Leigh Anne through some of the worst experiences of her life. It made her feel better about her past losses, her recent struggles with the alimony payments, and, in general, her divorce. Leigh Anne was glad to have Theo with her.

After the reading, the guests were invited to meet Beth and get a signed copy of her current book, “The Rising.” It was about a young woman battling addiction and sobriety due to loss after loss. And at the end of her life, she realized no one had the power to save her— no one but herself.

Leigh Anne stood in line—waiting her turn to meet and thank Beth Parker for writing books that she could escape into when her reality was so bleak—when she felt strong, slender fingers skim over the curvature of her lower back.

“Are you okay?” He had to bend down slightly to meet her ear. “You were crying before.”

“Yeah, yeah, I’m fine. Better now that you’re here.” She squeezed his hand and tilted her head to his powerful, broad chest.

“Corey said they know we’re here and invited us to their family cookout. Are you okay with that?” Theo laid a chaste kiss on the crown of her head.

With a quick nod and a soft sigh, it was her turn to shake the hand of her favorite author.

New Friends—Old Demons

The crowds departed after a sweet luncheon and tea event. Theo and Leigh Anne went on a private wine-tasting tour, and then they went back to the bungalow to check on Gretel, who was still napping and claimed a spot on the couch. They fed her and took a catnap of their own. Leigh Anne woke up alone, only to hear the shower going.

She quickly changed into beige-lined, wide-legged pants, a powder blue peasant top, and white Keds. She brushed her hair, applied a light shimmery lip gloss, and sprayed on her favorite lavender body spray. It was liberating to her not to pretend to be extravagant or formal again. She felt that if people couldn’t accept her this way, natural and comfortable, they weren’t for her.

The shower shut off, the steam billowed as the door opened, and he walked out.

They set the dinner out family style on a long farmer’s table with bench seating. It was Beth’s family, blood, and chosen. All the children were beautiful, and the adults were charming. Theo fit right in, but Leigh Anne felt like an alien.

It was the time of night when the parents left to put the children to bed, and the older adults retired. Theo was socializing with Corey and his best friend, Jake. Jake’s eldest daughter was hanging out with her Aunt Connie. Her spouses were putting the kids down. She didn’t see Beth around and didn’t want to look creepy by seeking her out. So, Leigh Anne kept to herself, watching from a distance on the patio's edge.

When someone approached her from behind, it startled her. Thinking it was Theo, she spun around, almost greeting him with a tight embrace.

“Oh, Oh! Ms. Parker. I am so sorry. I - I thought you were—”

“Your date? I’m flattered.” She grinned as she offered Leigh Anne a glass of something warm. “Hot apple cider with a cinnamon stick. My mother’s recipe.” There was a distant void when she mentioned her mother. “My real name is Eunice.” She held out her hand, and Leigh Anne gladly accepted the gesture.

“It’s nice to meet you. I didn’t realize you used a pen name.” The cider was just what she needed.

“Yeah, it’s a family name.” Eunice motioned to the group under the fairy-lit patio. Soft music was playing, and they all looked like they were having a good time, but she felt out of place for some reason. “Why don’t you come join us? Be a part of the group...”

“I think I just need alone time. I’m sorry. Meeting you was a bit overwhelming.”

“I know, you were the one crying. I’m sorry if something I said made you react that way.”

“Oh no, I just - I just had a moment, and when you read from that page...”

“It triggered you.” Eunice understood more than Leigh Anne could know.

“Yeah. I’m sorry if I was distracted from the event. Your books have that effect on me.” Leigh Anne turned away from her, sipping her cider again and feeling Eunice move right beside her.

Eunice scoffed in a way that made Leigh Anne feel included and accepted. “I understand, and I’m grateful you came.”

Leigh Anne and Eunice stood silently from the group, drank their cider, and took in the stars. Eventually, they made their way to the group and enjoyed quiet conversations, making new friends, and saying goodbye to old demons.

A First of Many

Leigh Anne suddenly felt the exhaustion take over. So she said her goodbyes, making sure Theo remained behind. She wanted him to have a good time. She reassured him she was okay. She was tired and wanted to check on Gretel, then head to bed. Before returning tomorrow, they would have Sunday brunch with the family. But, right now, she just wanted to slink under the covers and cozy up with Gretel.

It was nearly 2:00 a.m. when she felt the mattress dip, and the feeling of long, muscled arms and broad, thick pecs jolted her awake, making Gretel jump off the bed and right back onto her claimed cushion on the loveseat.

A moan escaped her lips as she melted into his embrace. His long blond curls tickled her earlobe as his mouth latched onto the nape of her neck, sending euphoric chills down her back. His moan and slow, smooth gyrations against her backside melted all her tension away jaw created a puddling sensation at her apex.

Theo maneuvered her until she was flat, looking up into his jade-hued eyes. They didn’t serve as meaningless lustful desires. They meant more than that. He wanted her. He needed her. He was falling for her, broken pieces and all. The only difference was that she was her hero. He didn’t need to save her. But he wanted to catch her if she fell.

“What’s wrong, baby?” As his hardened staff stabbed into her abdomen, he caressed her cheek, watching as a lone tear cascaded down her face.

“- I think...” She wanted to tell him. She did. It was playing on repeat all night. But the lump that had been there all her life blocked the five words from passing her vocal cords and out of her mouth.

“You don’t have to say it if you don’t want to. I already know what you’re going to say. And I feel the same way.” He brushed the tears off her face, lowering his mouth to hers. As he pulled back to look at her freshly kissed lips, he palmed her breasts, watching them perk up at his touch.

“Make love to me, Theo,” she gasped, pulling his head back down to lock their lips again. Her mouth opened to his, feeling his tongue caress hers. Neither mouth sought dominance or vied for control but danced at an equally powerful rhythm.

Those five words—insignificant to some but wholly golden to him.

Arms outstretched to the heavens while his mouth devoured her sensitive pebbles, his fingers prepping her core to fit him. She prayed, calling out his name as she soared above their entwined bodies.

She thanked her creator for putting him in her lap. She silently wept as his saliva mixed with her wet, hot sex. She cried for her blessings, mourned for her scars, and wept for the hope he brought her. Leigh Anne’s head tilted back, her back arched, bringing her closer to—not only—his flicking organ but closer to her surrendering.

Theo watches her as she’s close to falling apart. Waves of euphoria cascade along her shores as his tongue dips deeper into her core. Before she has a chance to crash again, he takes away the one thing she’s been wanting - the pad of his tongue, gifting her with more friction. Leigh Anne pants as Theo increases his flicking speed.

“P-p-please,” Theo…” Leigh Anne is a woman of few words, but her heart rate speaks volumes as he pushes himself up to meet her mouth - kissing her deeply, she can taste herself on his tongue. “What is it you want most at this moment, baby?”

“Y-y-you should know, Theo.”

“I need to hear you ask for it, Leigh Anne,” he said as he lowered his hips, just letting his crown tickle and tease her apex.

“You, Theo. I need you. I want you.” Leigh Anne’s eyes roll to the back of her head.

“Your pleasure is my pleasure…”