The Right One - Felice Stevens Page 0,14

of the towel over his body. He wrinkled his nose at the thought of putting on the sweaty briefs again.

Fuck it. The well-worn, soft jeans slid over his thighs, and Leo tucked himself in carefully and zipped up. He wadded up his briefs and stuck them in his pocket. His T-shirt on, he retraced his steps to the garage area, where Peter was now talking to his wife. Hanging back to observe them together, he wondered how the Peter he once knew, hard drinking, quick to fire up to a fight, a man who never saw the same woman twice, had morphed into someone whose eyes lit up like firecrackers at the sight of this one person. The contented smile never left Peter’s lips as he listened to Marla, and when he reached over to brush the hair from her face…damn. Leo felt that touch to his toes.

What would it be like to give yourself over to someone so completely, so deeply, that they became a part of you and their needs eclipsed your own? His father had loved him like that, but as far as a relationship? Leo couldn’t imagine what Peter and Marla had, and knew he must be missing some intrinsic part of himself that would allow him to love.

Marla glanced up, and her face broke out in a wide smile. “Leo, how are you?” She gave Peter a quick kiss before running over to him. Leo braced himself for the onslaught of affection he knew was coming his way. Only Marla could get away with touching him so casually, and as she threw her arms around him, he suffered through her hugs and kisses.

“Hi. Sorry about the wet hair.” He gently disengaged from her and took a step away.

“It’s okay. I have two children. I’ve had worse dripped on me.”

He couldn’t help a smile. Marla was one of the few people whose mere presence calmed him. Maybe that was why Peter loved her.

“Peter lent me the use of his equipment, and now I’m out.” He raised a hand to his friend, and ignoring Marla’s and Peter’s cries for him to stay, made tracks out of the garage. He hopped on his bike, and when it roared to life, took off down the street. Ominous gray clouds filled the horizon, and he could almost taste the metallic smell of the coming rain. There was little Leo liked less than getting caught in a thunderstorm, and at the first flash of lightning, he increased his speed, cops be damned.

He wove around the mess of double-parked trucks and cars and finally soared along Ocean Parkway toward his building. At the rumble of thunder and another crack of lightning, he winced and prepared for the deluge, which began two blocks from home. By the time he pulled into his spot behind the apartment building, he was soaked, his T-shirt plastered to his chest. Now more than ever, Leo regretted not fixing the rear door to the building, and he vowed to have it done.

Chin tucked to chest, Leo ran around the corner and up the path to the building.

“Oof.” He barreled into someone and reached out to grab their arm so they wouldn’t fall.

“Oh, shit.” The man stumbled forward and fell against him, both of them tumbling to the ground, the man on top of him.

The rain continued around them as Leo found himself caught by a pair of startled green eyes for the second time that day. His dick stirred and thickened, and Leo tightened his grip around Morgan Cantrell.

“Looking for me, 5C?”

* * *

FIVE

* * *

Shit, shit, and double shit.

Morgan blinked and pushed the sopping curls of his hair out of his eyes. He so needed a haircut.

“Don’t flatter yourself,” he snapped at Leo, wondering why this man got under his skin like no one else. “I was coming back from the store and got caught.”

“Yeah. By me.”

Leo’s icy-blue eyes narrowed, and Morgan became aware of the broad, muscled chest he lay on top of and the heavy weight of Leo’s arm holding him tight. Damn, it felt good to be held, and Morgan wished he could sink right into Leo.

Wait, what?

Fearful he might respond and give Leo ideas, Morgan wiggled out from under Leo’s clinging arm and stood. The last thing he wanted was Leo thinking he was coming on to him.

“You weren’t looking where you were going and banged into me.” Morgan searched for his tote bag and picked it up. The lettuce, cheese, and other