to work?” the lead builder suggested awkwardly.
“Very well. You’re dismissed for the day.” I turned around to storm off while they gathered their things to leave, but Leo wasn’t letting up so easy.
He came barreling up behind me, grabbing at my arm. “Not so fast! Where do you think you’re going!? If these men return tomorrow, I’ll come right back and put a stop to it!”
I spun around on my heels and met him face to face. “You have no right to do that. This is my land and I’ll put up fences wherever I see fit to do so!”
“These properties have always aligned and there’s never been any need for a fence! What the hell are you trying to do!?”
“I want it to be clear to everyone on your estate and mine, as well as all the other landowners, that my family and I don’t condone anything about you and your wretched cousins! This fence signifies the divide between our families.”
We were at a stalemate there alone in the fields. The workers had all left, shooting me pitying glances on their way out. Leonardo was tall and built as he towered above me, fuming mad. But I wasn’t about to back down.
His teeth clenched and the muscles in his neck bulged as he pointed his finger in my face with an almost frightening degree of anger. “You will not build any such fence. I forbid it!”
“You may scare all of your employees into doing whatever you want, but I’m not one of them anymore, Senor Valencia. You have no right to order me or anyone that works for me around!”
Our veins were pulsing with anger as we glared into each other’s eyes. I watched Leo’s face darken into something else entirely. I couldn’t put my finger on it. His outrage was still vivid, but there was another surge of emotions building up inside of him. Before I could even begin to figure it out, he lunged forward. I flinched slightly, expecting him to start beating me, but instead, I was caught completely off guard by the feeling of lips crushed against mine.
Without thinking, I cracked my hand across his cheek like a whip. He jerked back and winced, shooting me a daring look. He seemed charged over his stolen kiss and the slap that followed.
“What the hell is wrong with you!?” I cried, my chest heaving.
“If we can’t sort out our problems any other way, we might as well work it out this way,” he said with a devilish grin, moving towards me again.
I was so baffled and confused that I didn’t thwart his second advance as quickly as I should. Sirens were blaring in my brain, telling me to run and get as far away from him as I could. His complete disregard for my space and my body should have made me afraid, but somehow it didn’t. He stepped forward more slowly this time, like he was a tiger closing in on his prey. And instead of being filled with the urge to run or to kick him between his legs, I was suddenly vibrating with curiosity. With him moving in so close, I could smell the expensive cologne on his disheveled shirt - pine and mint. The attractiveness of Leo’s features wasn’t lost on me. It’s just that his despicable personality usually blinded me to them, which should have continued happening at that moment. And yet, something in me wanted to stand my ground...to see what that kiss would feel like if I gave into it, even a little.
He could see that I wasn’t racing to get away from him, and it ignited a spark in both of our eyes. Soon we were only inches apart again and within seconds our lips met with a furious and punishing kiss. All of our hatred for each other seemed to be flowing through our bodies, up to our mouths and thrashing against one another through our lips.
The sirens kept sounding off in my head, telling me to pull back. I needed to slap him again. I needed to go home and prepare to fight this battle all over again tomorrow, minus the kissing. But my feet stayed firmly planted until the only movement I could give into was a subtle way towards him. The slightest sign of me melting against him and he was quick to snake his hands around me, clutching urgently up and down my body.
This was crazy. I couldn’t believe I was giving into him.