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The soft candlelight illuminated Leo’s face as he turned to look at me, revealing a reassuring smile that melted away my fleeting doubts.
As we took our seats, our laughter filled the air, intertwining with the soft murmurs of other diners. We glanced at the menu, and as our eyes met, Leo’s mischievous grin appeared. “Remember that time we tried to cook a fancy dinner when your parents came to town and it set off the fire alarm at that apartment you used to have?”
My lips curled into a fond smile, memories flooding my mind. “How could I forget? Never got the smell of smoke out of those curtains.”
Dinner was phenomenal, multiple courses, but not too heavy; each dish was just enough to let us appreciate the craft that went into cooking the meal. But as we ate, a question pricked at the back of my head, something that had been bothering me all day. “Leo, can I ask you something?” I asked, my tone serious as I set down my wine glass.
“Of course, what’s on your mind?” Concern flickered in Leo’s eyes at the sudden shift in mood.
I hadn’t meant to bring down the table, but experience taught me it was better to get these questions out of the way quick—and besides, this was Leo. “Earlier, when we saw Leigh... you told me before that she was the one who ended things. But her reaction made it seem like there’s more to the story. What really happened between you two?”
Leo hesitated for a moment, clearly weighing his words. “I guess I should come clean,” he admitted, taking a deep breath. “I was the one who ended things with Leigh.” Leo shrugged. “It was just easier telling people she dumped me, so no one pried me for details.”
I raised an eyebrow, genuinely surprised. “So, what was the real reason you broke up with her?”
Leo reached across the table and took my hand, running his thumb over my knuckles gently. “It just didn’t feel right with her anymore. She wasn’t what I needed, and I couldn’t see a future with her. We dated on and off for years, you know, but something was always missing. Taking the next step with her—” Leo shook his head. “I didn’t want to marry her, and as we grew older, that felt unfair of me, stringing her along.” Leo frowned. “So, I told her it wasn’t going to happen between us.”
“She was upset?”
“It hurt her, me telling her that she wasn’t what I needed.”
Ouch. I felt a pang of sympathy for Leigh, though I understood exactly what Leo was saying. “What is it that you need, then?”
Leo’s eyes met mine. “What I want is something solid and stable. Someone I can count on for the good times and the bad.”
That wasn’t the romantic answer I expected. “Solid doesn’t sound very sexy.”
Leo smiled, nodding his head slowly. “From where I’m standing, knowing someone will be there through thick and thin is incredibly sexy. I want a partner, Ben. Not just a lover or a playmate. Something real that’ll last.”
Leo’s words left me speechless, but it answered my question—and reminded me of that Mangle question, where Leo admitted he wanted to settle down.
A few weeks ago, knowing that my boyfriend was looking for a long-term commitment would have terrified me. Now? I couldn’t see my life without Leo even before we dated, and adding this romance to the mix hadn’t changed that.
I reached over and lifted my wine glass. “To something real.”
Leo lifted his as well, our eyes meeting in understanding.
After dinner, Leo and I strolled through the resort’s gardens. The scent of night-blooming flowers filled the air, and the soft sound of water trickling from a nearby fountain added to the serene atmosphere. We enjoyed the quiet intimacy of just being near each other in this new environment.
A wooden bridge spanned over a koi pond, and as we crossed, I spotted several colorful fish barely visible beneath the rippling surface. “What are you thinking about right now?” Leo asked, pulling me from my thoughts.
I answered as honestly as I could. “Mostly—I’m thinking how much fun I’m having here, relaxing with you.”
Leo grinned. “I know this isn’t your usual vacation spot. You’d probably rather be rock climbing or hiking up some mountain.”
“Those things are fun,” I said, and it was true. I liked to be outside and sweat and push my body. “But right now, I’m with you, and there’s nowhere I’d rather be.” I glanced at Leo, those big brown eyes reflecting the soft glow of the moonlight. “I’m a different person when I’m with you, Leo. I’m a better person. When I’m with you, work is the furthest thing from my mind. You’re the only person who makes me stop obsessing about projects and deadlines. In fact, when I’m around you, all I can think about is you.”
Leo didn’t speak but leaned in and caught my mouth in the softest kiss, barely a brush of our lips, and without a word, we walked arm in arm back to our suite.
As we undressed, Leo pulled back the thick duvet, and we slid into the crisp sheets. I pressed Leo into the soft mattress and began trailing kisses over his bare skin, pausing with a playful glint in my eyes. “Are you too tired?”
Leo grinned and pulled me in for a proper kiss. “I could never be too tired for this.”
As I continued my sensual exploration, my hands slid over Leo’s chest, scratching at that thick pelt of chest hair and squeezing his pectoral muscles, rubbing my cock against his hip. It had only been a few weeks, but I was utterly possessive of this body. But as I slid down Leo’s body, he stopped me. “Ben.”
My heart froze. “Yeah?” I looked up. What had happened? “What’s wrong?”
Leo shook his head, then took my face in his hands. “Do you ever worry that this isn’t real? That maybe we’re just such good friends that we’re happy being together, and the sex is good, so, I don’t know…”
