“It’s boring.Trust me.”
“I can’t imagine that anything about you is boring.”He laced his fingers into mine.“I know you’re a teacher.Your parents must be very proud of you.”
I winced.Even after such a long time, it still stung.
“What did I say?”Leo grabbed my hand and squeezed.“Don’t you have a good relationship with your parents?”
“My parents are dead.”Once the words were out, I felt like I could breathe again.It was always like that when I told someone.The pain didn’t seem to lessen.“They died in a car accident when I was twelve.”
“Lexi, I’m so sorry.”
“It’s okay,” I said and I meant it.“My Uncle Ray, he’s my dad’s younger brother, he raised me and he was great.I couldn’t have asked for better.I guess we have that in common, don’t we?We’re both sort of orphans.”
“Sadly, I guess we are,” he said.He released my hand and his fingers started stroking my arm.The action was so gentle that I had to glance down just to be sure he was touching me and it wasn’t a breeze.“Tell me about your Uncle Ray.Do you have cousins?”
“No.”I shook my head.“It was just the two of us.Uncle Ray’s a bit of a mountain man.Big, burly and, well, he’s definitely more comfortable outdoors than inside.But when my parents died, he dropped everything, left the mountains and moved into the city to raise me.I always wanted him to date, but he said nobody would have him.When I got older, I realized he just wasn’t looking.He took his role as my guardian very seriously.I don’t think he knew how to date and be a dad.”
“Well, he did a great job.”
I smiled, more to myself than to Leo.“He did.He’s great.”
“So, now that you’re all grown up, did Uncle Ray go back to the mountains?”
“Sort of,” I said.“He kept his place, and he spends a lot of time at the lake fishing, but he still likes the city.”
“Because you’re there?”
I laughed.“Actually, her name is Sara Beth.He’s been seeing her for a few years.It turns out someone will have him.”I looked down at Leo’s hand that was still moving, and took it in mine.“And, that’s my story.”
“There’s still so much I want to know.Like what’s your—”
I reached for him, pulled him close and before I could stop to tell myself that I never did things like that, I kissed him.
His lips were firm, yet they yielded to mine.It took him a moment to react, but after a few seconds, his arms wrapped around me and pulled me even closer so I could feel his heart beating in his chest.The kiss deepened, and I couldn’t help but let out a small groan of pleasure as his tongue worked its way inside my mouth.
One of his hands released its grip on my back and moved down to my thigh.I jumped a little at the feel of his hot hand on my bare skin.I forgot I was still wearing such a short dress.As we kissed, the hand on my leg crept higher while the other one worked its way up my back until it was at the base of my neck.Leo's fingers twined through my hair and pulled my head away, breaking our kiss.
“I was wondering,” he said, his voice coming in short bursts, “if we could maybe go somewhere a little less public.”
I looked around, remembering we were still sitting outside Caesars, surrounded by thousands of people.I was no longer surprised by my behavior when I said, “Oh God, yes.”