“Didn’t kill him, did you?” Dewey asks, “That’s bad PR, Leo.”
“Nah. Pretty sure he was still breathing,” Leo shrugs.
“That’s why it’s a smart move, stayin’ away from mainstream fights,” Buck drawls, “Don’t havta worry about folks gettin’ all antsy if someone happens to go into a coma.”
Leo notices my shocked expression. “That only happened once,” he assures me.
“Oh,” I say softly, “That’s...good.”
“This your new piece?” Bear asks, raking his eyes along my body.
“I’m Kelly,” I offer, “How’s it going?”
“Not as good as it’s going for Leo,” Bear chuckles, “You take good care of him, now. He’s a man with needs.”
“So I gather,” I reply.
“She sounds all smart-like,” Buck observes, “You smart and shit, Kelly?”
“That I am,” I tell him, “That’s not going to be a problem, is it?”
“Not as long as you remember your place,” Buck says.
“And what place might that be?” I ask, getting heated.
“Right now, on the back of my bike,” Leo cuts in, “Let’s go.”
“Nice to meet you,” Tyke says, finally speaking with a clipped formality. There’s still a lot of the military in this one.
“You too,” I say to him alone. Have to reward manners when they crop up, after all.
I hop on the back of Leo’s bike and shove a helmet over my curls. The four brothers stare at me unabashedly, but their faces are unreadable. I have no idea whether I’m any more welcome here than I was at the Forty-Five Club. But at least here, I know there’s one person who wants me around.
I wrap my arms around Leo’s chest as he revs the engine. We jolt off across the lot, his Harley roaring to life beneath me. Leo’s muscles ripple beneath my hands as he guides the bike away from the Wraith’s Nest. We soar away from the chapel, the barracks, the Playpen—just me and him. I’m coming to love these rides more than anything in the world. I know it’s stupid of me—after all, in a few days this crazy adventure will be over. I shouldn’t get used to this sort of thing. I just have to enjoy it while it lasts. And oh, do I intend to.
Chapter Twelve
“This is where you live?” I shout over the engine. My voice is full of amazement and downright disbelief.
“Yep,” Leo says, turning onto a long driveway, “Home sweet home.”
We pull up to a gorgeous, modern house—all glass and angles mixed with classical Southwestern touches. I was expecting some sort of gritty bachelor pad in Reno. This...is very much not what I had in mind.
“Lemme guess,” he says, cutting the engine, “Thought I’d be livin’ in filth, right?”
“Kind of,” I admit.
“Just because I ride dirty, doesn’t mean I want to live somewhere dirty,” he says, helping me off the Harley, “I don’t make money just to live in some shit hole.”
“No, I see that,” I say, looking all around the generous property. Leo’s home stands on a hillside, part of a neighborhood of equally impressive homes scattered across the land. But the closest neighbors are well of out sight and mind. We may as well be alone in the world up here. And that’s just fine with me.
Leo leads me into his home, disarming the security system that beeps like mad as we enter. I gape at the sleek, tasteful interior. Sure, there are edgy touches here and there—framed Harley antiques and the like—but on the whole, Leo’s place is one of the nicer homes I’ve seen. And I spent a good deal of time hanging around monied arts patrons in LA.
“Take a look around if you like,” he says, heading for the stairs, “Kitchen’s right through there, though. Should be able to find everything you need.”
“Where are you going?” I ask, moving to follow him.
“I need a shower,” he tells me, “A little sore, after this afternoon. Make yourself comfortable. I’ll be down in a second.”
I watch him ascend the stairs and disappear from view. I’m alone in Leo’s home, left to my own devices. I know that I should take advantage of this opportunity, do a little searching for clues. By my mind is entirely consumed with the fact that Leo’s about to be stark naked under the same roof as me. I can’t focus on steaks or snooping right now. With my heart in my throat, I pad up the stairs after him.
The shower starts to run, somewhere down the hall. I hear the rushing water as I make my way along the second story corridor. Framed pictures line the walls, showcasing faces both familiar and unknown to me. I’m desperately curious about Leo’s life. Who is this person who’s so ensnared my interest? Who is this man who’s claimed me for his own? Perhaps I’ll never know him, fully. But I know at least one way to get to know him better...
Steam pours out from under the bathroom door, right at the end of the hallway. It’s open just a crack, and I pause before it, working up the nerve to enter. Just do it, I coach myself, What’s the worst that could happen?
Slowly, tentatively, I push open the bathroom door. For a moment, my vision is completely obscured by thick, billowing steam. But as the hot haze clears, I can sense the shape of the room. It’s a palatial, spa-like space, with a huge Jacuzzi bath tub in one corner, and a glass-encased shower in the other. And through those foggy panes of glass, I can make out the staggering, utterly naked form of Leo himself.
His back is turned to me, but even from here I can read the words scrawled across his shoulders: “Devil’s Wraith”. The letters scroll across his tanned skin, inky black against warm sand. I ease toward him across the tile, my body trembling as I take in his broad shoulders, his cut arms, his tapered waist. I nearly moan out loud as I catch a glimpse of his perfectly toned ass, his lean and powerful thighs, his sculpted calves. His body is perfectly balanced, the picture of ideal tone and shape. And all this I gather before he even turns around.
“You lost, little girl?” he growls, spotting me out of the corner of his eye. He turns around to face me, dark hair hanging heavy and wet. I can’t help it. My eagerness is too great. I let my eyes drop to that place between his legs and stop dead in my tracks.
I stare, speechless, at that massive length between his legs. Miraculously, he’s hard even now. My first glimpse of his enormous member leaves me unable to speak. I’ve never thought of a man’s cock as beautiful before, but now? That thick, pulsing rod, poised and ready, is the most gorgeous thing I’ve ever seen.