Nerds Are Freaks Too (10 page)

Leo shook his head. “Not when you live across town, and not
in those boots.” Roxanne bit the inside of her right cheek. “What brings you to
my ’hood?”

“I wanted to—”

“Hold that thought, I need to pay the driver.” Leo fished in
his pocket and pulled out a ten dollar bill, handing it to the driver. “Keep
the change.”

That was a good sign, wasn’t it? He could’ve sent her
packing in the cab.

Once they were alone, Leo turned back around. He gazed down
at her for what seemed like an eternity and then quirked his head toward the
house. In silence, Roxanne followed him up the stairs and inside. She didn’t
utter a word as he greeted Spiro. She didn’t make a sound while he picked up
his mail from the foyer floor. And she stood quietly beside him when he flipped
through it slowly before tossing it and his house keys into a Greek Sarpedon
bowl atop the hall table.

After a short walk past the front office and spiral
staircase leading to the three top floors, they ended up in his favorite
room—the kitchen. Upon entering, he walked over to the room’s centerpiece, a
tall butcher-block table, and set the bakery box down.

Roxanne had witnessed this routine a thousand times. Tonight
she watched him with new eyes. His movements were graceful and exuded an air of
confidence that so many men lacked, making him even sexier. Her body, so
underutilized over the past year, responded.

Leo toed the door of the side-by-side refrigerator; the
hairs on the back of her neck tingled. He twisted the tops off two glass milk
bottles; her nipples hardened into twin peaks. He kicked a stool out from under
the table; her thighs quivered.

Stifling a moan, Roxanne accepted one of the milk bottles
with a strained “thank you”. She immediately placed the ice-cold glass against
the side of her neck, hoping the chill would be a shock to her hay-wired
libido.

“What did you want to talk about?” he asked, taking the seat
next to her. With what looked like a forced smile, he opened the bakery box,
revealing a pie with a golden homemade crust. A tiny flag labeled CHERRY
pierced its sugar-sprinkled top. Leo plucked the flag, stuck the stem in his
mouth and sucked on it. Images of him doing the same thing to her body made
Roxanne cross her legs with a shudder.

“I need to tell you something.”

“I’m all ears,” he said, mumbling around the flag and
keeping her gaze firmly on his lips. Roxanne started to fidget as her
temperature suddenly catapulted skyward.

“I-I really appreciated you signing me up on that online
dating website.”

Leo set the cake flag down slowly and crossed his arms over
his chest. For several moments, he stared at the pie while a muscle ticked in
his jaw. “I was a fool for doing that,” he said, finally glancing up. “You met
someone, didn’t you?”

“I did, and I’ve come to—”

“I’m happy for you, but I don’t feel like hearing this,” Leo
interjected, not allowing her to finish. He snatched up the complementary
plastic cake knife that always came with Let Them Eat Cake goodies and cut a
double serving.

“You might want to hear what I have to say, Leo.”

“Doubt it,” he retorted, plopping the slice of pie in the
center of his plate.

“Yes, you do. I’m in love with—”

Leo smacked his hand down on the tabletop. Startled, Roxanne
jumped. She was even more surprised by his volcanic expression, darkened gaze
and the quiet anger shaking his shoulders. “I told you, I don’t—”

Fed up with his rudeness, Roxanne stood. She stepped forward
and balled her fist in the collar of his sweater. Up close, his scent—a mix of
mandarin, patchouli and cold Chicago night—tickled her senses and scratched at
an inch that had lain dormant for far too long.

“I’m in love with
you
,” she whispered, overwhelmed
with both emotion and desire.

Having never made the first declaration of love in a
relationship, all of her exes usually beating her to it after the third date or
so, Roxanne wasn’t sure what reaction to expect.

Utter silence wasn’t one of them.

“Did you hear me?” She tugged on his collar with one hand
and snapped the fingers of the other. “I’m in love with you.”

Leo placed his hands over hers, completely covering them.
Roxanne shivered. His touch stirred up a pot of jumping beans in the pit of her
stomach. What would it feel like, having his hands all over her body? Probably
like a jumping-bean explosion.

“Say it again,” he demanded.

Roxanne’s heart pounded against her breastbone, threatening
to shatter it. “I’m in love with you,” she repeated, stepping closer to settle
her hips between his open thighs.

With trembling fingers, Roxanne traced the line of his broad
shoulders as Leo wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her closer still,
fitting their bodies together like two lost puzzle pieces.

He leaned into her and ran his mouth along the side of her
throat.

Roxanne squeezed her eyes shut. “Don’t you have something to
say?” she groaned. One touch of his lips and her body exploded with heat.

Leo tipped her chin so their gazes met. “Come on, Roxie. You
know I’ve adored you since the moment I laid eyes on you.”

Incredulous, Roxanne pulled back. “That was over ten years
ago.”

Nodding, Leo leaned in again and licked her bottom lip.
Roxanne’s knees buckled. “Ten
long
years,” he rasped against her mouth,
tickling the itch between her legs.

“Why didn’t you say something sooner?”

Leo shrugged. “I guess I was hoping for any indication that
you might love me too,” he said, his voice barely above a whisper. “Now shut up
and kiss me.”

Leo didn’t have to ask twice. Roxanne angled her lips toward
his, meeting him halfway. At the moment of contact, both of them moaned.

He kissed her with a mixture of aggression and gentleness.
He’d waited for this moment so long, the animal inside him screamed to be
released so he could throw her atop the table and fuck her until she couldn’t
walk for a week. The other, saner side of him didn’t want to hurt her; he cared
about her too much. Leo settled comfortably in the middle. His tongue marched
past her lips to capture hers. He almost lost it when she clutched him and
moaned into his mouth. Her response jolted him from the top of his head to the
head of his cock. All he had to do was pull down her panties and lift her up…

Get a grip, man. Get a grip.
“Roxanne you can’t
imagine how much I’ve wanted to hold you like this,” he growled against her
lips. “Kiss your lips…call you mine.”

“Then let’s make up for lost time,” she panted, running her
hands down his chest to cup his crotch. Blood rushed to the area, almost
frightening Leo in its ferocity. “I want to take you upstairs, get you out of
these clothes and spread you across the bed.”

Leo’s cock jumped. His little Roxie was the aggressor. Not a
surprise. She had a dominating personality, so why wouldn’t she be dominant in
the bedroom? Leo’s ardor quickened. He couldn’t wait to see who broke who
first.

“Do you want to have your way with me?”

“Yes,” she purred. “I love being in control.”

God!
Over the course of their friendship, they’d both
developed the ability to read each other like a book. Right now, Leo didn’t
need years of perception to know Roxanne was on fire for him. But they couldn’t
move forward. Not yet…

When he suddenly released her, he felt sorry as she stumbled
slightly—but he needed to set the record straight before they could proceed.

She deserved to know he’d been at the Dorset Hotel tonight.

For safety’s sake, Leo stood up and put the stool between
them. Roxanne had a killer right hook. He ought to know, he’d trained her
himself.

“Roxanne, we need to talk.”

Roxanne didn’t understand Leo’s abrupt turnaround. He might
have separated himself, but his body still wanted her…badly. His nostrils
flared and his eyes, now a deep shade of sapphire blue, twinkled brightly. She
could see his cock straining at the front of his pants.

Testing the waters, she stepped closer, her thighs brushing
against the stool. She reached out and traced a finger across the top, smiling
to herself when his eyes tracked her movements.

“We’ve done enough talking for the past ten years,” she
said, twisting the stool around and shoving it under the table. She stepped
forward and placed her hands on his chest.

Leo’s hands slid up her arms to capture her wrists.
“Roxanne, I need to—”

Roxanne placed her finger against his lips. “If you keep
stalling, I’m going to start thinking you can’t handle me.”

His eyes narrowed. He never could resist a dare. Just like
Roxanne. “I can handle anything you give me and more.” He laced his fingers
with hers, causing them to tingle. “The question is, can you handle
me
?”

She kissed his fingers one by one. “I guess we’re a match
made in heaven.”

A smile played around the corners of Leo’s mouth as he shook
his head. “You don’t understand. There’s something we have to talk about. Not
the least of which, there can only be one dominant in my bedroom. And that’s
me.”

Roxanne’s mouth dropped open. “You like to have
total
control?”

“Yes. Just like you. And if you want me, then you’ll have to
accept the fact that I’m not going to just lie down like all those clowns from
your past.”

She hesitated. She’d never seen this side of him. The idea
turned her on—really,
really
turned her on. Leo backed her against the
table and reached around to plant his hands, blocking her in. She gazed up at
him and the determined light in his eyes made her pause.
Am I really ready
for this?

She’d better be—because there would be no turning back.

“You really want to pursue this?” he asked, his lips
deliciously close to her ear.

Roxanne nodded. “I want to be pushed to the edge.”

“Well, get ready, Roxanne Simmons. I’m going to press every
single button you have. I’m going to push you
over
the edge. So far
you’ll be begging me to never let go.”

I’m already begging.
“Give it your best shot.”

Chapter Seven

“Put your hands on the table behind you.”

Roxanne complied without thinking twice, so ready for him
she could scream.

With excruciating slowness, Leo leaned down. He bunched the
hem of her dress and lifted it. The soft glide of his hands was featherlike,
barely noticeable, a stark contrast to the texture of her dress. His touch was
a shock to her system and each stoke built upon the last until her body was on
fire.

Drawing in a ragged breath, Roxanne lifted her hand to wipe
at the beads of sweat dotting her upper lip.

“Did I give you permission to move?”

Roxanne paused mid-swipe. She glanced down and was greeted
with a steely expression. Leo’s hands had stilled as well.

Not used to someone telling her what to do, she almost
balked. But she didn’t, because somehow she knew her actions were tied to his
inaction
.
“Sorry,” she mumbled, placing her hand back on the table.

Doing so earned her a reward and Leo loosened her belt,
parted her wrap dress. Cool air stole between her breasts, over her rounded
belly and legs, tickling her pussy and nipples. Roxanne groaned. In her haste
to leave the hotel room earlier, she hadn’t bothered with putting her bra and
panties back on.

Great way to start a relationship!
He’s going to
think you’re a certifiable slut for riding across town with no undergarments
on.
Roxanne braced herself for his reaction by splicing together a
legitimate excuse for the
faux pas
.

Standing, Leo whistled long and loud. “I was half expecting
a thong. Or even those sexy boy-cut briefs. Not
this
.” He bumped the
ridge of his cock between her legs and Roxanne’s breath caught in the back of
her throat. “This just blows my mind,” he rasped, rocking his hips against her.

In short order, he tugged the dress from her body and threw
the garment on the table, leaving her in nothing but her thigh-high boots. As
if she weighed nothing, he grabbed her waist and set her down on the table.

Roxanne jerked as something sticky and warm gushed between
her thighs and the crack of her ass. She looked down and her mouth fell open.

He’d set her down in the middle of his cherry pie.

His gaze, now filled with a primal gleam, raked her from
head to toe as if she were a Sunday ham. “You’re more beautiful than I
imagined. I’m going to take my time and do all the things I’ve dreamed about doing
to you for ten years.”

“I’m sitting in the middle of a cherry pie. Are you out of
your mind?”

“Nope.” Chuckling, Leo swiped his finger through the filling
coating the insides of her thighs. “Just want to have my cherry pie and eat it
too.”

Not liking his humor, or the cherry working its way to her
clit, Roxanne began to slide off the table but Leo grabbed her hips, holding
her still.

“Let me up,” she demanded.

He looked down at her through a fringe of impossibly thick
lashes and for the briefest moment, Roxanne’s resistance slipped. He possessed
the prettiest bedroom eyes. “It’s always your way or the highway isn’t it? No
wonder you’ve never had a mind-blowing orgasm. You always need to be in
control.”

Roxanne opened her mouth to dispel his assumption—but she
couldn’t argue with someone when they were right. She had a controlling nature
and it served her well in the business world. Unfortunately, she’d been unable
to let that go in the bedroom, and she was suffering for it.

“Can I take off my boots at least? They’re vintage, 1972 to
be exact, and they set me back about five hundred.”

Born with a touch of ADD, she’d never been able to sit still
for long. Leo knew this. And he used it against her as his hands started a
slow, haphazard journey down her legs. The burgundy leather rasped under his
touch, punctuating the silence. The randomness of his caresses, from
featherlight to slight pressure, set her on edge. And even through the layer of
aged leather molded to her legs, she could feel his body heat.