Leo's Chance(15)

"Um–"

"See you tonight, Evie," I say, hanging up quickly, not giving her a second to back out. Everyone looks up at me curiously as I walk into the conference room. I realize I have a stupid grin on my face and school my expression. Focus! But, is this real? Did I really just say, "See you tonight, Evie?" It takes effort not to grin through the whole damn meeting.

**********

I leave work at five and head to the gym for a quick workout. I’m showered and dressed by six thirty. I know it’s too early to leave, but despite the vigorous workout, I’m so restless I’m pacing the floor of my condo. Fuck it. I’m going to be early but I don’t care. I’m over eager to see Evie and I realize that, but I don’t plan to hide from her the fact that I want her. At this point, I think I’m probably incapable of playing it too cool. I don’t want to scare her off but I also want her to know that I’m into her. I’m pretty sure she’s at least attracted to me and for now, that’s enough to give me the confidence to move forward. I’m a twenty-three year old man who feels like he’s going on his first date. I have to chuckle at myself. But this is Evie. This thought both comforts and scares the shit out of me.

I tried to date a few women over the years. It never felt right to me to have purely physical relationships. That was nothing that ever brought me satisfaction on any level. But despite the fact that I gave it a shot once or twice, I always ended up feeling even worse about attempting to form an emotional relationship with someone. A physical relationship was one thing, but an emotional attachment always left me feeling the guiltiest of all, as if that was the ultimate betrayal to Evie. Not only was I left with an emptiness after each "date," but I was left disinterested as well, which made me feel shitty as hell on several different levels. No one ever came close to making me feel like Evie did. I was destined to compare every woman I met for the rest of my life to the girl who still owned my heart. It wasn’t fair to anyone. After a couple dating attempts, I threw in the towel and vowed that I’d never be close to anyone again. I had betrayed Evie, and I deserved to live a life of loneliness. I wanted to live a life of loneliness.

I pull up in front of Evie’s apartment building and sit in my car for several minutes. My body is humming with the thought of her being less than a hundred feet away from me, waiting behind her door. Heat builds in my chest and I know I have to kiss her, to taste her, before we get back in my car. I’ve never been much for kissing. Too intimate. But I want to kiss her as if feeling her lips on mine is necessary to life itself. I don’t know how she’ll react, but the deep need that fills me propels me out of my car and with single-minded determination, I pull open her broken front door and stride through. I called her landlord from work yesterday and that shit better be fixed in the next day or I will be on his cheap, lazy ass.

I knock on Evie’s door, and I hear her moving around inside before she pulls it open. And suddenly she’s standing in front of me, her long, dark hair hanging loose around her beautiful face and her eyes zeroed in on me. Then her eyes roam over me, and the appreciation that I see in them seals the deal. I am physically unable to resist touching her. I move forward and cup her jaw, pulling her into my body. I feel a growl moving up my chest like a f*cking caveman. All I am is pure want, a possessiveness I haven’t felt for almost a decade washing through me, sending waves of testosterone surging through my body.

I dip my head and settle my mouth on hers. I sweep my tongue inside and as her tongue meets mine, I almost groan at the taste of her. Heaven. My heaven.

She whimpers and lifts her arms around my neck, pressing her soft body into mine.

I’m like a starving man who is finally sitting before a banquet table of the most delicious food on earth. Ecstasy courses through my body as her tongue meets mine stroke for stroke.

I vaguely note that her hands are running through my hair and when I bring my hands down to cup her ass, she whimpers into my mouth and I can’t help groaning back. This is the second most incredible kiss of my life. The first one was with the same girl.

My erection is straining against my pants and I know I need to cut this off before I come on myself like some over-eager teenager. Or before Maurice gets wind of this and crushes my ass like a bug right here in the hallway.

Reluctantly, I break away, breathing hard and forcing myself to step back. She makes a sweet little whimper in her throat and I can’t help grinning as I say, "Damn, you can kiss." But, I already knew that.

She blinks up at me. She was as caught up in that kiss as I was.

She smiles sweetly. "Wow."

"Yeah," I agree, still grinning. I might never stop grinning again. "Hungry?"

She looks confused for a minute, but then says, "Yeah."

As we’re walking to my car, she asks, "Doesn't the norm dictate that you were supposed to kiss me after our date?" She’s smiling.

"Couldn't wait," I say, smiling back and winking. "It was either kiss you, or go insane." And damn if it isn’t the truth.

Once we’re settled in the car and I’ve pulled out of my parking space, I grab her hand and hold it between us. I’m having a hard time keeping my hands off of her, as if she might disappear into thin air, like a misty dream if I don’t keep her attached to me in some physical way. Plus, the soothing effect of her warm, soft skin on mine is like a drug. I’m hooked. My confidence in who we are together is growing by the minute. Our chemistry is undeniable.