As we pass the top of the staircase on our way to what I assume is the master suite, we hear Melody’s voice downstairs.
“You will not believe who I’m showing a house to right now! Leo freaking Nash! I’m not lying. No, he’s wearing a shirt.”
I bust out laughing some more as Leo growls and pulls me into the master bedroom. “Told you.”
“I just wanted to look at some houses,” he mutters and wanders around the large, empty space.
“I think you should have your assistant call the agencies from now on.”
“Probably. Do you like this room?” He asks me.
“It’s big.” I wander to the window and look out at the Sound, the water reflecting the mid-afternoon sunshine. “The view is great.”
“Yeah, I like the view too.”
“The floors aren’t giving my feet frostbite, and the walls are a light mocha color, which is warm and nice.”
“You’re wearing shoes,” he reminds me with a grin.
“Your floors in Malibu would still give me frostbite through my shoes.”
“Smart ass.” He grins and opens a door to an enormous walk-in closet with built-ins for shoes and bags, and even a center island for other accessories.
“I might have just died and gone to heaven,” I breathe, feeling my eyes widen and my heartbeat increase. “This is just… Oh my God.”
“Closet is a yes.” Leo laughs.
“This is your house,” I remind him and consciously make my face go blank. “Not mine.”
“Yet.”
“Not mine,” I repeat and shake my head.
“Okay, let’s just say there’s space in here for you to have a drawer of your very own for when you stay over.”
“Are you mocking me?”
“Yes. Let’s look at the bathroom.”
The bathroom is even better. “I could swim in that tub,” I mutter and wander through the space. The shower is the size of Manhattan. We could host parties in there. Full concerts.
Oh my God, the sex we could have in that shower.
“Are you okay?” Leo asks, his voice light and full of laughter.
“Yep,” I respond and trail my hand over the light granite countertop. There are two sinks, roughly four feet apart, with a plethora of counter space and drawers beneath. I turn around and lean against the granite, watching Leo across the room. “I think I want to lick your stars too,” I murmur and look him up and down.
His eyes narrow on me and he slowly moves to the door, latches it shut and locks it, then walks to me, leans on his hands on either side of my hips and stops, his face just inches from my own.
“You don’t get to lick anything right now.”
“Really?” I raise an eyebrow and watch his eyes as they roam down my body.
“No. But I do.” He grips my sides and boosts me up onto the countertop so my feet are dangling and my pussy is close to the edge.
“Leo, that girl is right downstairs.” He moves between my knees and leans in close, his lips against my temple and hands unfastening my jeans.
“I don’t give a shit. It wouldn’t matter to me if Jesus and JFK were right downstairs. Even they couldn’t stop me from tasting you right now. Lift your ass.”
I comply and he peels my jeans and panties over my butt and down my legs and discards them on the floor. He cups my hips in his firm hands and kisses my cheek, down to the soft spot below my ear and along my jawline to my lips.
“I can smell how turned on your are,” he whispers against my lips and one of his hands roams between my legs and cup my center. “God, you’re warm and already wet, baby.”
“It was the closet that turned me on,” I whisper and then moan when he pushes a finger inside me.
“Then I’d better buy the house,” he murmurs with a smile.
“Just kidding,” I breathe.
“What made you this wet?” He asks and bites my lower lip, then soothes it with is tongue.
“You.”
“What about me?”
“Thinking about the fun we could have in that shower.” My breath catches as he gently brushes my clit with his thumb.
“Mmm, yeah, that could be fun,” he agrees and kisses me softly. “Samantha?”
“Yes.” Oh, God, just push a little harder. Just a little harder. I move my hips, trying to increase the pressure against my sensitive nub, knowing I’m so damn close.
“I’m going to eat you out here on this counter.”
I didn’t think I could get more turned on, but that did it.
“And then I’m going to take you home and lose myself in you.”
“We have to go to dinner with the family,” I remind him and gasp when he pushes another finger in with the first.
“We have time.” He sinks to a squat, spreads my legs wide, pulls his fingers out of me and licks between my folds and up to my clit twice, making me gasp, and then settles on my folds, pulling them into his mouth, hollowing his cheeks and sucking them firmly. He rubs his nose against my clit and my hips push up off the counter top.
“Easy,” he whispers and pulls back, his eyes glued to my pussy. “God, you’re so beautiful, my love.”
My muscles contract at his words and he grins up at me as he pushes those talented fingers back inside me, finds my sweet spot and latches onto my clit with his lips, pulling and sucking, pushing and biting, rubbing that fucking awesome metal against me, until I come apart against his mouth, my heels digging into his back, shuddering and bucking and biting my lip until it bleeds so I don’t cry out.
He kisses and soothes, caresses my thighs and stands to kiss my lips. “Love the way I taste on you,” I murmur.
“Me too.” He smiles and kisses me deeply, and then pulls back, his hands on my shoulders to keep me steady.
“Well, that was fun.” I hop off the sink and pull my jeans on.
“Leave the panties off. You won’t need them.”
“Pretty sure of yourself, aren’t you?”
He just raises an eyebrow and a wide smile spreads slowly across his lips. “I think I just proved that I’ll take you anytime, anywhere, sunshine.”
“Point taken.”
Chapter Twenty
“How often do you all get together for these family dinners?” Leo asks me as we drive to Will and Meg’s house.
“About once a month,” I shrug.
“That’s a lot of people in one house.” He chuckles and shakes his head.
“Yeah, but otherwise we don’t see each other much. Everyone is busy.” He pulls into the driveway behind Luke’s Mercedes SUV and takes a deep breath. “Ready?” I ask.
“As I’ll ever be,” he mutters as he helps me out of the car. He takes my hand in his and leads me to the door.
“We don’t knock on family dinner days. No one would hear us.” I smirk and open the door to chaos. Babies are running, or toddling, around, adults laughing and arguing and bustling around in the kitchen.
“Hey!” Jules exclaims when she sees us and pulls me into a big hug. “Will’s a douche bag and ordered pizza.”
“Everyone likes pizza.” He scowls at her from his couch and then smiles over at us. “There are thirty pizzas in the kitchen along with beer, soda and I think Matt is mixing drinks too.”
“Are my parents here?” I ask Jules.
“Yep, all the parents, and I do mean all the parents, including Brynna’s, are upstairs in the loft enjoying some quiet away from the chaos. Although, they took Olivia with them, so they’re living in their own special chaos.”
“Yes, we’re aware.” Leo nods and opens pizza boxes on the kitchen counter. “She’s adorable, but a handful.” He takes a big bite of pepperoni as he snags a beer in the bottle and walks into the living room to sit by Meg and chat.
“That’s my offspring you’re talking about.” Luke informs us and gives me a big hug. “How are you?” He whispers in my ear.
I nod happily up at him and his deep blue eyes soften. “Good.” He grabs his own
beer and follows Leo into the living room, scoops Natalie up into his lap and kisses her hair.
“What would you like to drink?” Matt asks me from across the kitchen island.
“What do you have, handsome bartender?” I ask and climb up onto a barstool.
“Pretty much anything you want. I raided Will’s liquor cabinet.”
“I heard that!” Will calls from the living room.
“I don’t care!” Matt yells back. “So, what’ll it be?”
“Do you have olives?” I ask with a grin.
“Uh, no.” He shakes his head and laughs.
“Damn. Okay, I’ll have a fuzzy navel.” Matt sets to work. “Where are Brynna and the girls?”
“I’m not sure. Caleb called earlier and said he was taking them somewhere this weekend and they wouldn’t be here.”
“Mysterious.” I wiggle my eyebrows. “How did you get the bartending job?”
“Might as well, I don’t drink.” He shrugs and pours orange juice over my peach schnapps and ice and passes me the glass. “Pizza?”
“I’ll get some in a few.” I take a sip of the drink and smile in surprise. “This is really good.”
“Don’t be so surprised. I tended bar in college.”
“A jack of all trades.” I tease him with a grin.
“Hey, friend! When did you get here?” Stacey appears at my side and stares longingly at my drink and then up at Matt, who laughs.
“You want one of those?”
“Yes, please.” She grins and winks.
“Leo and I got here a few minutes ago. Where’s Isaac?”
“He’s playing xBox with Nate and Mark. Nate’s kicking ass.” She smirks and finds a box of pizza mostly full, tucks a couple beers under her arm, lifts the box and takes her drink from Matt to wander back into the game room.
“Do you need help?” I ask.
“No, I’m a mom. This is nothing.” She winks.
I lean back against the island and observe the family around me. Matt is wiping down the counter, deep in thought. I can hear Nate and Isaac yelling at each other in the other room, and Jules and Stacey laughing. Leo and Meg have their heads together, plotting something. Will and Luke and Nat are in deep conversation.
“We need to find you a girlfriend.” I mention to Matt who stops and frowns at me.
“Why?”
“You’re not getting any younger.” I laugh when he scowls. “You’re not gay.”
He throws his head back and laughs, shoves his hands through his dark blonde hair and smiles at me. “No, I’m not.”
“Well, then.”
“I have particular tastes,” he murmurs.
“I know.”
His eyes shoot up to mine. “You do?”
I raise an eyebrow at him, a half-smile on my lips and he sighs and nods.
“You’re damn observant.”
I smile sweetly and sip my drink, waiting for him to talk.
“It’ll happen eventually.” He finally concedes. “But I have a feeling she won’t be easy to find.”
“She’ll be worth it.” I assure him and pat his broad shoulder.
“What’s up with you and Leo?” He asks quietly.
My eyes turn to the man in the living room, still in deep conversation with Meg. I’m always aware of him, what he’s doing and where he is. I can’t help it.
“I went and fell in love with him.” I smirk and glance back at Matt who has taken a seat next to me. “What do you think of him?”
“I like him.” He nods. “Looks to me like he fell in love with you, too.” He gestures over and I turn my head to find Leo watching us. I wink at him and he smiles softly before returning to his conversation.
“It’s kind of disgusting.” I choose a piece of pizza and take a bite. “But it’s fun. We’ll see how it goes.”
“You’re so not into the mushy stuff, are you?” Matt asks with a chuckle.
“Not really.” I shrug, and then realize that’s a lie. I love the mushy stuff with Leo.
“I get it.” He nods.
“You’re not either,” I remind him.
“There’s a time and a place for romance.” He disagrees. “But I decide when and where that is.”
“God, you’re bossy.”
He just laughs at me and clinks his glass with mine in cheers.
“Uh, Sam?” Stacey is moving through the room, her phone in her hands and she’s frowning down at it.
“Yeah?”
“Have you seen this?”
“What?” I ask as she pushes her phone in my hands. Matt leans close to look over my shoulder and swears under his breath as my world stops moving.
It’s a photo on an on-line gossip page of Leo and me from the photo shoot last week in L.A. Lori has been cropped out of the photo.
Of course.
The caption below is, Leo Nash with his new girlfriend, actor/producer Luke Williams’ sister.
No name.
“What is it?” I hear Leo ask, his voice closer than before and I feel my cheeks heat in anger and embarrassment and pure betrayal.
“Fuck.”
***
~Leo~
Sam’s face has turned bright red as she stares blankly down at Stacy’s phone, her hands are shaking and Matt is glaring at the phone as if it’s going to bite.
“What the fuck is wrong?” I ask as I approach her. She wakes the screen back up and shoves it at me.
“That’s what the fuck is wrong.”
The photo is from last week in L.A., the exact photo Sam said she didn’t want leaked.
Melissa just lost her motherfucking job.
“What the hell, Leo?”
“What’s going on?” Luke asks as he joins us.
“A photo got leaked,” I murmur and pass it to him. He scowls down at the phone and back to Sam.
“Sam, this isn’t new. You were in L.A. with Leo. What did you expect to happen?”
“I specifically told that bitch of a publicist that she didn’t have my permission to use my photo.”
Luke turns his accusing eyes to me, his face hard and eyes narrowed.
“Hey, man, I backed her up. I’ll fire the bitch who leaked it.”
“Are you going to fire everyone who leaks this shit?” Luke demands and shoves Stacy’s phone back to her. “Sam’s worked hard to stay out of the tabloids.”
“I’m aware.” I stand strong and cross my arms over my chest.
“I told you.” Luke points his finger in my face. “I told you this would happen. This,” he points a the phone, “is why I warned you to stay the fuck away!”
“Don’t talk to him like that!” Meg steps between Luke and me, her hazel eyes glaring at Luke. “He already said he backed Sam.”
“Stay out of this,” Luke mutters to her but she stands her ground.
“I will not. This shit happens. You should know that. Hell, she knows that. She works for a magazine.” Meg plants her fists on her hips, and I want to tell her to back off, but I know it’ll be futile.
She’s in protective sister mode.
“Meg.” I begin but she holds her hand up to me to stop talking and my eyebrows rise in surprise. Matt grins at her. Isaac, Nate and the others have come out of the game room to see what all the commotion is about.
“He’s put my sister in a position he doesn’t even understand.” He points his finger at me again, his voice rising as Mark moves up beside him.
“How in the bloody hell can you say he doesn’t understand it?” Meg roars. “He lives in that world every goddamned day! You’re no more of a celebrity than he is, you know. If anything, he’s even more submerged in it.”
“This is not about who is more famous,” Luke interrupts.
“Leo would never hurt Sam.”
“He’s not good enough for my sister!” Luke exclaims and a cold sweat breaks out on my face.
He’s right. I’m not.
But I’ll be goddamned if I’ll let her go.
“Luke,” Sam softly interjects but he shakes his head.
“No, you told him you didn’t want this kind of publicity, and what happens? That bullshit,” he points to Stacy’s phone. “This is bullshit.” He turns to me. “You’re supposed to fucking protect her, not feed her to the fucking wolves! You promised!”
“Are you kidding me?” I grip Meg by the shoulders and move her to the side toward Will, knowing he’ll keep her out of the way. “You think I don’t know what fame, your fame has done to your sister?”
“Leo.” Sam’s voice is full of warning, but I ignore her. I’ve had enough of this bullshit.
“Your fame, all of your fame,” I point to Will and then turn back to Luke, my heart hammering in my chest, “lost Sam her motherfucking job. She’s been unemployed for over a month because she wouldn’t sell her family out.”
Luke’s jaw drops and his eyes fly to Sam’s, who now has tears in her eyes. “Is this true?”
“Fuck this,” she whispers and shakes her head. “I’m out of here.” She pushes through the bodies that have gathered around us and slams through the front door, Natalie close behind.
“What the fuck are you talking about?” Mark asks, his hands on his hips.
“Her boss wanted her to do a story on Luke and Nat last year after they got married. She refused.”
“But you just said she’s only been unemployed for a month. We’ve been married for over a year.”
“I wasn’t finished.” I push my hand through my hair. “About a month ago, the bastard bitched her out for not telling him sooner that she was connected to the Montgomerys. More specifically, Will Montgomery.”
“Sonofabitch,” Will whispers. “I would have done an interview for her.”
“She wouldn’t have asked you to, man. She loves you. All of you.” I look around the room, at Sam’s family. Jules has tears in her eyes, the men’s mouths are clenched, fists balled. “She would never put her family in any magazine, especially knowing how fiercely private you all are.”
If she had just confided in them sooner, they would have fought for her.
“So, they fired her because they said she wasn’t a team player for not being willing to sell out her family. She went to L.A. for a job interview.”