Emotion built in the back of my throat, and I opened my mouth, but Ruhua chose that moment to bustle through the door, followed by her husband carrying a bottle.
“Eat,” she exclaimed, placing various dishes before us.
“And drink,” Baoshan finished. “Wuliangye all the way from China.”
God knew how long they’d had that bottle. “You don’t have to do that,” Leda started as he cracked the seal.
“We have reason to celebrate, no?” he answered as Ruhua moved to get some glasses.
“Yes,” I answered for us, reaching over to squeeze Leda’s knee lightly. I wished that things were different, that I wasn’t running for my life and could take her to my penthouse for days on end. I never wanted to let her out of my sight again.
The liquor was poured and the strong smell of baijiu assaulted my senses. Baoshan always said that you get used to the taste, but I’ve never been able to. When Leda was passed her glass, she shook her head.
“I’m sorry. I just got out of the hospital. I’m going to pass.” She said.
The words were like an iron band around my heart, and I wanted to hide her away from everything that could hurt her.
“Eat,” I told her, heaping a pile of fried rice on her plate. “Please.”
So, Leda did. I watched her, unable to pick up my chopsticks without taking my eyes off her. Every little thing she did, I found myself re-memorizing, imprinting it in my mind. My hands itched to touch her and if Leda noticed, she didn’t say anything, allowing me to drift my fingers over the back of her neck, over her hair, down her exposed shoulder.
I couldn’t touch her enough.
“Eat now, Xiao Lu,” Ruhua ordered, pointing to my still-full plate. “Touch her later.”
Leda choked out a laugh and I grinned, digging into my food. Oh, I was going to touch her later. I wanted to hear my name on those lips again, to keep on touching her so that I could believe that this wasn’t some dream. “How did you get away from your brother?” I asked in between bites.
Leda picked up her water. “I ran.”
Fuck. “Why the fuck would you take that chance?” I grilled her, nearly dropping my fork. “Leda, your father is out of prison!”
She glared at me, the first sign of the Leda I loved coming out. “Because, you asshole, I was looking for you. I needed to see you, Lucas. I needed to know that you weren’t gone.”
My anger evaporated instantly. Hell, I felt the same way, nearly going crazy not knowing where she was or what she was going through. The only consolation I had was that Emil had not seen her with either her father or Adrian, meaning that she was somewhere else, perhaps somewhere safe. At least that was what I had told myself. “I’m sorry,” I grumbled, brushing my hand over her cheek. “I’m sorry.”
Her expression softened. “It’s okay,” Leda said softly. “I know. I understand, but I had to be here. You are the only thing that matters to me.”
I pressed my forehead to hers and breathed in her scent. I had plenty of words to say to her, but with the Wongs hovering like overprotective parents, I would have to wait. “You are going to have to reach out to your brother soon. He already fucking hates me.”
Leda chuckled and moved back, a smile playing on her lips, lips I wanted to devour. “It’s fine, Lucas. He understands. At least, he will once he notices that I’m gone.”
Somehow, I didn’t think that Nico was going to be that willing to forgive me. “I imagine his bed was softer,” I said instead, pushing my plate away and drinking both our drinks in rapid succession, the baijiu burning a path directly to my stomach. “All I have here is a couch.”
“It doesn’t matter,” Leda replied, placing her fork on her now-empty plate. “You are here. That’s all that matters.”
I stood and reached for her, helping her up. “Come on, it’s late.”
Ruhua gripped her hands together. “Take our bed tonight.”
“Oh no, we can’t,” Leda said immediately, her eyes wide. “The sofa is fine.”
“No,” Baoshan stepped up, shaking his head. “You take the bed.”
“I can’t do that,” I told the older man. Hell, I wouldn’t be able to sleep knowing that they were on that cramped, lumpy pullout all night. They needed their sleep far more than we did. I had watched them age over the years, and while their minds were still sharp, their bodies were not.
I just—hell, I just wanted to hold Leda, and I didn’t care if I had to do it in a chair in the restaurant right now.
“You will,” Ruhua stated, pressing her finger into my chest. “Or no more meals, Lucas Valentino.”