you love about me?” Morgan winked. “If I remember correctly, this morning you were telling me a whole bunch of other things, only we were interrupted.”
Grinning, Leo swung his leg over the bike and started the motor, gunning it. “Hop on, and let’s get going. I’m sure I can find the exact spot I left off.”
With Morgan’s arms around his waist, they traveled through the side streets to avoid the bulk of rush-hour traffic on the main artery. At a red light, a black BMW coupe zoomed up behind them and hung on their tail, coming way too close. The light turned green, and Leo took off, the car still right behind him.
“What the fuck is wrong with this asshole?” He switched lanes, only to have the car glide behind him again. And again. “This is pissing me off.”
“Are they following us?” Morgan yelled out.
“Looks like it. Hold on. I’m gonna try and lose him.”
Morgan gripped him tighter, and though Leo didn’t like doing it, he zoomed between cars and turned corners at a higher speed than he was comfortable with, but the Ducati took it like the pro she was, and soon they were only a block away from home with no black car in sight.
“Ha. Take that, motherfucker.” Leo slid into the parking area behind the building and shut off the motor. They dismounted the bike, and just as Leo pulled out his house keys, the BMW screeched to a halt, blocking the driveway. A car door slammed, and a tall man in a suit whipped around the front and strode toward them.
Leo balled his hands into fists and called out to him, “What the fuck are you doing coming after us? I’m gonna call the cops.” He glanced at Morgan, whose gaze remained riveted on the stranger. “Can you believe this bastard? Who the fuck does he think he is?”
Morgan hadn’t said a word until then.
“That’s Jeffrey. My ex-husband.”
* * *
TWENTY-THREE
* * *
“The fuck you say,” Leo growled, but Morgan didn’t pay attention. This was his first face-to-face with Jeffrey since the night he’d run out on him, over a year earlier. Jeffrey hadn’t changed at all—his blond hair gleamed, and his jaw, even at this time of day, was smooth and clean as if he’d taken a razor to it moments before. Lean and dressed in one of his Italian suits, pristine white shirt underneath, Jeffrey reminded him of a going-out-of-business sale. All flash on the surface with nothing left inside—something he’d learned too late, the hard way.
Morgan left Leo’s side to meet Jeffrey halfway up the cement drive.
“What are you doing here?”
“This?” Jeffrey jerked his head toward Leo, who’d matched him step for step. “This is what you left me for? Slumming, aren’t you?”
“Get out of here.” Leo moved forward, but Morgan put a hand to his chest.
“I can deal with him. It’s okay.”
Jeffrey’s upper lip curled in disdain. “Yes, Morgan. Call off your guard dog. I knew you always wanted a pet, but I didn’t think you’d take it this far.”
Not taking the bait, Morgan asked again, “Jeffrey, why are you here? You’re violating the order of protection. I could have you arrested.”
Those pale eyes narrowed. “Don’t you speak to me like that. You and I need to talk.” He smiled. “You know you’d never do that. You love me.”
Morgan leaned against the fence railing and crossed his arms, trying to project an aura of calm when inside his heart pumped at an alarming speed. “The hell I won’t. I’ll speak to you any damn way I please. You don’t get to tell me how to think or act anymore. And I have nothing to say to you. Go away. Now.” He touched Leo’s shoulder. “Let’s go inside. I don’t want to be out here anymore.”
“Are you sure you’re okay?” Leo’s dark gaze met his. “I wouldn’t mind practicing my uppercut on his jaw.” He flexed his hands, and Morgan frowned.
“And I don’t believe in hitting people. You know that.” The harsh lines in Leo’s granite-hard jaw softened under his fingers. “That would make you no better than him when there’s no comparison at all.”
“Fine but let’s go in through the service entrance. Leave him standing here.”
Maybe it was foolish pride on his part, but Morgan didn’t want to be seen as hiding or running away. “No. I want to go in through the front, like everyone else. I don’t need to run away or hide. We’re going to walk right by and ignore