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I was no longer feeling tense about what Leo had called me, and to know that he’d called me that as a result of the good deeds I’d attempted to do was nice.
Even still, I wanted to offer a bit of an explanation. So, I shared, “I feel for people in those situations, because I know what it’s like to wonder where your next meal will come from. If there’s something I can do to help someone worry a little less about that, I will. And when it comes to Darryl, I’ve even offered to allow him to stay in one of the homes when I have vacancies.”
“Does he take you up on that?” Leo asked.
I shook my head. “Not usually. He did a handful of times over the winter when we had that polar vortex and when we got really heavy snow, but he didn’t do it without grumbling about it. I’d insisted when it was so cold out. But Darryl didn’t like feeling like he was getting a handout, and since he didn’t have any money, he contributed the only way he could. He would come by and shovel my walkways here or clean off the activity center, even though nobody was using that stuff anyway, and when he did, I was always certain to have a hot meal waiting for him when he finished. I knew he appreciated that.”
“I wonder why he doesn’t just take you up on your offer for a place to stay regularly,” Leo said.
On the one hand, I hated that I knew all too well why Darryl—or people in a similar situation—refused help. On the other hand, I liked that I understood it, because it helped to keep me humble and grateful.
“Most people who are in situations like Darryl don’t want to be there, Leo,” I started. “They want things to change, but in most cases, they don’t want to get something for nothing. When desperation starts to set in, they’ve got to do whatever is necessary for survival, but it doesn’t mean that it doesn’t come at a high price to most of them. They want to be independent and successful, but sometimes, life has other plans.”
More warmth moved through Leo’s expression. “You’re something spectacular, Hanna. Do you know that?”
I pulled my bottom lip in between my teeth and bit down as I shook my head. “I’m just trying to be nice.”
“And that’s only part of the reason why I think you’re sweet,” he informed me.
In that moment, I should have thanked him for saying something nice and gone about starting the movie.
I didn’t do that.
Instead, I asked, “What other reasons are there?”
As soon as those words were out of my mouth, I felt the air in the room change. Leo’s eyes roamed over my face, searching for something. I was suddenly unable to ignore the feel of his rock-solid thigh pressed against mine.
“Where should I start?” he asked, his voice low.
“Are there that many?” I rasped.
He smiled as his hand came up and pushed a lock of my hair back from my face. “There’s the sound of your voice,” he said. If there had been a sound associated with seduction, in that moment, it would have been the sound of Leo’s voice. I had to imagine he knew what he was doing to me, but for some reason, that didn’t make him stop. “Then, there’s the way you get shy sometimes.”
My lips parted as Leo’s hand drifted back through my hair and moved through the strands. He seemed content to wrap his fingers in my hair, letting them get tangled up in it.
As the pace of my breaths quickened, Leo leaned in closer and shared, “Your body is unbelievably sweet, and if I had to guess, I’m imagining you’ll taste even sweeter.”
“Taste?” I squeaked.
A mischievous grin spread across his face, his hand tightening in my hair. “Taste,” he repeated.
“How… how will you find out?” I asked, even though I already knew the answer.
“Like this.”
I barely had a moment to take in those words before Leo’s mouth descended on mine and he kissed me.
ELEVEN
Hanna
I hadn’t always made the best decisions in my life, but there were a few I’d made that had been great ones.
Leaving my mom’s house when I was just fourteen was something I’d done that I knew I’d never regret. Continuing to subject myself to the physical and sexual abuse Jimmy doled out while not even having the support of my mother wasn’t an option, and I was grateful that I’d gotten myself out of that.
Putting my faith and trust in Archie and Garrett to look out for me in those months that followed was another one of my better decisions. There wasn’t a question in my mind that I might not have survived if I hadn’t given them the opportunity to be the big brothers they’d told me they wanted to be for me.
Accepting Saul’s help after he found me with my ankle trapped beneath a tree root when my friends and I had just stolen from him was another situation in which I’d made a smart decision. I followed that up by taking the money Saul had left for me and using it to build Short and Sweet.
