An Exceptional Twist (58 page)

Leah started to follow until Stefen pulled
her back. “You know I’d love to see you kick that woman’s ass, but
as your lawyer, I have to ask that you don’t. We need to figure out
if she has a case. Don’t add to it, babe.”

She began to pace. “What am I going to do,
Stefen? I can’t afford a lawsuit. What if she destroys everything
I’ve worked for?”

“Come here.” Wrapping his arms around her,
he kissed her forehead. “I won’t let that happen. We’ll figure this
out together. I promise.”

Stefen was still furious. As a lawyer, he’s
seen many cases where innocent people were screwed over because
they trusted someone else.

This was different.

His
Leah was the victim here.

After investigating the mess Melissa left,
Stefen wasn’t confident she didn’t have a case, so he advised Leah
not to press charges. There was no paper trail that proved Melissa
stole anything, but Leah’s accounting records didn’t add up. Tax
season next year was going to be a bitch, but he told her he’d take
care of it.

Because of this, Leah had been working
overtime, leaving little time for him. He missed her and wanted her
next to him, especially in his bed. Stretching his hand across the
sheets, he touched her cold spot while talking to her on the
phone.

“Okay, so I'll see you bright and early for
a run, right?” Stefen was concerned. She’d worked a huge wedding
that Melissa had set up off the books, and hadn't called him all
day.

He could hear in her voice how tired she
was, and now she was insisting on staying at her house for the
night. Thank goodness, her sister had stepped in to help while she
was getting her own at-home practitioner’s business up and
running.

Her voice was somber.
“Yeah. I’m sorry I haven’t been there with you. I’ve got to figure
out what to do with the mess that
ladrón
left for me.”

Stefen smiled. It was so sexy when she mixed
Spanish and English words, but he wasn’t about to say that when she
was talking about someone being a thief.

“Why don’t you just let me
help you,
amor
?
We can hire professionals to take over for a bit. Remember, we’re
in this together. Stop trying to do things on your own.”

She huffed in frustrated.
“Stefen, this is my business. I’ve worked too hard to make a name
for myself. I have to be involved in every aspect of it.”
Lightening up a bit, she added. “Besides, you are helping me by
taking care of that
bruja
. I still can’t believe I fell
for her scam. When will I learn not to trust every Tom, Dick, and
Harry?”

He told her tenderly, “Leah, that’s one of
the qualities I love most about you. Don’t let that bitch change
your compassion for people.”

“I’m trying, but it’s really difficult when
you’ve already been burned.” She sounded so hopeless.

He panicked, “I hope you aren’t including
our past in that statement.”

“No,” she sighed. “You need to get over your
own insecurities about that.”

He did need to get over it. Though he didn’t
like being told what to do, when Leah did it, it was kind of a turn
on.

Bothered, Stefen said, “I wish you weren't
so tired. Just come home. I can always come get you.”

The rustling of her covers
got his attention. “I’m already in bed, and I’m exhausted. I think
I met the original bridezilla today. I would’ve never agreed to
work with her. She was awful and in the end, she
still
wasn't happy. I’m
so over these big weddings. I swear, when I get married, I just
want to elope, or do a quick ceremony at the courthouse like my mom
and Sal are doing next month.”

“You’re in bed?” He just couldn’t pass this
up. “What are you wearing?”

“Is that the only thing you heard?”
Thankfully, her voice was filled with humor.

He chuckled. “No. I was
just curious.”
But wouldn’t mind if you
answered the question.

“Good night,” she laughed sleepily. “I’ll
see you in the morning.” There was a small pause before she added,
“I love you.”

He sighed, feeling his heart swell. “Love
you, too.”

Tossing and turning, it took Leah a while to
find a comfortable spot. She’d already grown accustomed to sleeping
next to Stefen, and missed him tonight. The thought crossed her
mind to just get up and go home. She needed him but was too tired
to drive safely.

Just as she began to doze off, she heard the
front door open. Her heart began to hammer, her body pounding as
she waited for a familiar voice to put her at ease.

Thirty seconds passed. Nothing.

Maybe it was my imagination.

A shape filled the doorway to her
bedroom.

Not my imagination!

Squeezing her comforter to her chest, she
said a silent prayer.

The figure stepped toward
her. She was on the verge of screaming when Stefen whispered, “Are
you asleep,
ma chérie
?”

Leah sprang up, and he jumped back.

His back hit the wall. “Oh shit!”

“You scared me!” she wailed.

After realizing they’d frightened each
other, they both fell into a fit of hysterics.

“I didn’t expect you to bounce up like a
damn jack-in-the-box. Those little bastards scare the shit out of
me.” He walked over to his side of the bed, stripped off his
clothes and shoes, then climbed in beside her. “That’s not how I
thought I’d be greeting you.”

“Well, I didn’t expect you to break into my
apartment.” She cocked her head at him.

“I didn’t break in,” he grumbled. “I have a
key.”

Her face softened. “I’m glad you’re here. I
was contemplating getting in the car and coming home.”

Kissing her shoulder, he wrapped his arms
around her and pulled her back close to his chest. “I can’t sleep
without you anymore.”

“Me neither.” She settled into the warmth of
his body.

“Listen,
amor
, I know you want to
do this all by yourself, but please don’t push me away. We really
are in this together.” He kissed her shoulder again. “Let me
help.”

She had a difficult time
concentrating when his breath hit her neck. “I’m not trying to push
you away.” Hugging his arms tighter around her body, she buried her
head in the crook of his arm.
Damn, I love
this man.
She needed him to understand
where she was coming from. “I’ve always done everything on my own.
I don’t know any different. It took so long for me to give up any
control of my business, and then I got screwed over.”

Bringing his mouth to her
ear, he whispered, “You help everyone and their mother. You need to
learn how to accept help yourself from people you can trust.
You
showed me that. It’s
my turn to show you. Just give me a chance.” He ran his hands up
and down her arm, and she felt that he meant every word.

She looked over her shoulder. “I’ll think
about it. That’s the best I can do for now.”

He sighed. “I’ll accept that. Just know I’ll
show up and crawl into your bed naked anytime you try to sleep
elsewhere.”

She brought his hand up to her mouth and bit
his knuckle. “Are you trying to get me to sleep here every
night?”

Pressing his body into
hers, Stefen growled, “I never said I wouldn’t do the same
in
our
bed
at
our
home.”

Her body began to pound with desire.
Suddenly, she wasn’t very tired anymore.

Leah stood behind the store counter as a
delivery man that she’d only seen a couple of times walked through
the front door. He was carrying a shipment of vases she planned on
using for Abby’s baby shower next weekend.

“Hey.” He nodded. “Whatever happened to the
owner of this shop? I never see her anymore.”

Caught off guard, Leah
huffed, “
I’m
the
owner.” She glared at the innocent guy in brown shorts and button
down shirt.

He took a step back. “Oh, I just assumed,
since I only ever saw her.”

Leah raised her eyebrows.
“Well she’s gone—
permanently
.”

“Can I get you to sign this?” He handed her
the electronic tablet, avoiding eye contact.

“Sure.” She scribbled her signature and
handed it over, turning her back to open her package.

Feeling bad immediately,
she turned to apologized, but he was gone.
Oh well. Unless he asked to change his route, I’ll see him
again.
She could ask for forgiveness
later.

She’d tried to suppress her feelings about
the whole Melissa debacle, but it seemed like she found something
new every day. Even Zachary had been effected. He’d had a new
wedding coordinator who didn’t know any better and booked a bunch
of weddings for Melissa. Now Leah was afraid of hiring anyone else,
but it was wearing on her. She was beginning to consider Stefen’s
offer.

The vases inside the box were even more
beautiful than they were online. As she dug through the box, she
noticed there was some bubble wrap mixed in with the foam popcorn.
Careful not to break anything, she yanked the sheet out of the box
and giggled. She’d always had a thing for bubble wrap. It made her
smile.

Yay! Go me!

Squeezing the large
air-filled bubble, she waited for the pop, but it didn’t
come.
Damn, this one is
hard
. Moving to the next air pocket, she
was unable to break that one, either.
Maybe there’s something wrong with my grip.
Just as she was about to try the third one, her
phone rang.

“Hello.” She held the phone between her
shoulder and ear, trying to bust the indestructible bubbles.

It was Jenna from the dance studio. “Hey,
Leah, the new owner is here moving things around and wondered when
you’re going to come pick up your equipment.”

“What?” She squeezed the bubble wrap and
held the phone tighter.

Jenna hesitated. “Uh, didn’t Stefen tell
you?”

She slammed the sheet of
plastic down onto the counter. “Tell me
what
?”

“Shit, Leah, I thought you knew by now.”
Jenna paused. “Stefen promised he was going to tell you that
Celeste sold the studio. The new owners have other plans and didn’t
leave any room on the schedule for your class.”

Her face turned beet red with anger as she
took a pair of scissors and began to stab the unpoppable bubble
wrap. She grit her teeth. “Are you kidding me?”