still looking down.
She suddenly understood. “Did your dad do that to your face?” When Leo nodded again, Audrey felt sadness and rage envelop her. She didn’t know what to say or do. Leo wouldn’t look at her, but she sensed he was waiting for her response.
She clenched her teeth. “No wonder you call him Cruel SOB.
I want to kill him.”
Leo looked up, seeming startled. “It’s my fault, Audrey. He wouldn’t have exploded if I didn’t get hooked on pills.”
“Your fault? How is your dad beating the crap out of you your fault? You don’t deserve that!”
The words came pouring out then, spoken through the tears that kept flowing. “CS yanked me out of treatment and said I couldn’t go back,” Leo confessed. “He’s going to drug test me, and if I fail then I’m in huge trouble. Jason — he’s been gone so long because my dad threatened to turn him into the police. I think CS beat up Jason too, and he’s going to make him go away again. But the worst part is he’s forcing me go to the Naval Academy. That’s nine years we’ll be apart! I won’t get to go to FSU with you, I won’t get to see you…” His voice cracked.
Seeing Leo so hurt and vulnerable disintegrated Audrey’s resolve, and she began to cry too. She’d never loved Leo as much as she did in this moment. He’d hidden his emotions for so long, but he couldn’t anymore. Just as he’d first come to know her when she was skinny dipping, she now saw him naked.
Her voice was gentle. “I always knew you’d go to the Academy.”
“You did?” His eyes darted up.
She nodded. “You have this sick love of pain. Even if your dad didn’t make you go, you’d end up there anyway.” He cried harder. “I wish I wasn’t like that. I don’t want to be apart from you.”
“We’ll make it. We’ll survive.” Although she knew how uncomfortable he was, his lowered defenses were the most potent aphrodisiac she’d ever experienced. To have him turn to her for help? Audrey felt intimately connected.
Slowly advancing, careful not to scare him, Audrey placed a soft kiss on the gash above his eyebrow, tasting his metallic blood on her lips. Drifting downward, her lips tenderly brushed a bruise near his cheekbone and tasted the saltiness of his tears. Her eyes met his, and she was overwhelmed by their closeness. “I want to take your pain away.” She kissed the cut on his lower lip.
Leo slowly met her mouth, and he scooted down to lie back on the sofa as their kisses deepened. Their tongues played lightly with each other while Audrey took off her shirt, and tossed it to the floor.
Leo stroked the length of her back, and she felt the arousal building inside her.
Straddling him, she stared down for several long seconds, knowing what might happen if they continued. Then Audrey lifted Leo’s bloodstained T-shirt over his head. She admired his long, fluid swimmer’s muscles. He wasn’t bulky or beefy, simply lean and powerful.
She brushed her fingers over a dark purple bruise below his ribcage and up his abdomen. He shivered.
Smiling as he watched her every move, Audrey reached behind and unclasped her bra, shyly showing Leo her breasts. He sat up to explore and caress her skin. Her heart pounding with excitement, Audrey reached down to unbutton his jeans and sensed they were about to enter uncharted waters.
Leo allowed her to help him out of his jeans, and he tugged off her pants, the removal of clothing adeptly performed between hot kisses. They held each other, skin-on-skin, Leo now wearing only his boxers and Audrey her lacy pink underwear.
“¿Estás lista?” Leo asked, gazing into her eyes.
“I’m ready.”
“¿Estás segura?”
“Sí, I’m sure.” She blinked rapidly, wondering if she should say it out loud for the first time. Boldness won over caution. “Te amo, Leo.” The tension in his face seemed to melt. “I love you too, Audrey.” Soon they lay naked together on the sofa, which didn’t feel as strange
She suddenly understood. “Did your dad do that to your face?” When Leo nodded again, Audrey felt sadness and rage envelop her. She didn’t know what to say or do. Leo wouldn’t look at her, but she sensed he was waiting for her response.
She clenched her teeth. “No wonder you call him Cruel SOB.
I want to kill him.”
Leo looked up, seeming startled. “It’s my fault, Audrey. He wouldn’t have exploded if I didn’t get hooked on pills.”
“Your fault? How is your dad beating the crap out of you your fault? You don’t deserve that!”
The words came pouring out then, spoken through the tears that kept flowing. “CS yanked me out of treatment and said I couldn’t go back,” Leo confessed. “He’s going to drug test me, and if I fail then I’m in huge trouble. Jason — he’s been gone so long because my dad threatened to turn him into the police. I think CS beat up Jason too, and he’s going to make him go away again. But the worst part is he’s forcing me go to the Naval Academy. That’s nine years we’ll be apart! I won’t get to go to FSU with you, I won’t get to see you…” His voice cracked.
Seeing Leo so hurt and vulnerable disintegrated Audrey’s resolve, and she began to cry too. She’d never loved Leo as much as she did in this moment. He’d hidden his emotions for so long, but he couldn’t anymore. Just as he’d first come to know her when she was skinny dipping, she now saw him naked.
Her voice was gentle. “I always knew you’d go to the Academy.”
“You did?” His eyes darted up.
She nodded. “You have this sick love of pain. Even if your dad didn’t make you go, you’d end up there anyway.” He cried harder. “I wish I wasn’t like that. I don’t want to be apart from you.”
“We’ll make it. We’ll survive.” Although she knew how uncomfortable he was, his lowered defenses were the most potent aphrodisiac she’d ever experienced. To have him turn to her for help? Audrey felt intimately connected.
Slowly advancing, careful not to scare him, Audrey placed a soft kiss on the gash above his eyebrow, tasting his metallic blood on her lips. Drifting downward, her lips tenderly brushed a bruise near his cheekbone and tasted the saltiness of his tears. Her eyes met his, and she was overwhelmed by their closeness. “I want to take your pain away.” She kissed the cut on his lower lip.
Leo slowly met her mouth, and he scooted down to lie back on the sofa as their kisses deepened. Their tongues played lightly with each other while Audrey took off her shirt, and tossed it to the floor.
Leo stroked the length of her back, and she felt the arousal building inside her.
Straddling him, she stared down for several long seconds, knowing what might happen if they continued. Then Audrey lifted Leo’s bloodstained T-shirt over his head. She admired his long, fluid swimmer’s muscles. He wasn’t bulky or beefy, simply lean and powerful.
She brushed her fingers over a dark purple bruise below his ribcage and up his abdomen. He shivered.
Smiling as he watched her every move, Audrey reached behind and unclasped her bra, shyly showing Leo her breasts. He sat up to explore and caress her skin. Her heart pounding with excitement, Audrey reached down to unbutton his jeans and sensed they were about to enter uncharted waters.
Leo allowed her to help him out of his jeans, and he tugged off her pants, the removal of clothing adeptly performed between hot kisses. They held each other, skin-on-skin, Leo now wearing only his boxers and Audrey her lacy pink underwear.
“¿Estás lista?” Leo asked, gazing into her eyes.
“I’m ready.”
“¿Estás segura?”
“Sí, I’m sure.” She blinked rapidly, wondering if she should say it out loud for the first time. Boldness won over caution. “Te amo, Leo.” The tension in his face seemed to melt. “I love you too, Audrey.” Soon they lay naked together on the sofa, which didn’t feel as strange
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