He smiled down at her, and he wanted to kiss her badly. His lips tingled for it, but that wasn’t part of the deal, either. For the time being, she was Hunter’s in all ways. It physically ached that he could not feel her, taste her, run his hands over her curves.
Right now, Skye Cross did not belong to him.
And Leo felt so cold—so desolate without her.
He swallowed hard. “I missed you, too, pup.”
She didn’t leave his arms for several minutes, and they must have looked quite odd, standing there, peering at one another in such a solemn way. Her hand brushed the back of his neck, her thumb skirted along the nape of his hair, her touch relaxing.
“Mr Grumpy,” she mused then, scowling. “Why so serious?”
He shook his head, unable to speak because…he just couldn’t right now. There was a knot in his throat, and he needed to dislodge it first.
He was the first to look away, scanning the restaurant now. Shane was near the front, and close-by was a biker with blond hair. The other biker remained outside, pacing up and down the sidewalk, while Hunter’s truck remained still, the windows too tinted to see through.
He didn’t like them all around. He wondered if this was how Skye felt when she was at his apartment. He also realized this was what Hunter had meant when he expressed he had wanted to be alone with her.
He was starting to understand.
Finally, he detached from her and motioned her to her seat. “Sit down, Skye.”
He sat back down in his chair, watching her every move as she unzipped her jacket and peeled it off her. His smile stretched wide at the basic shirt she wore. Another band one. He was sure she’d stolen it from Hunter’s wardrobe eons ago, and he loved the way it looked on her. He didn’t have to see her soft curves; he knew they were there, hidden beneath the thin fabric. She hung the jacket around her chair and then sat down across from him, looking like a ray of sunshine.
She grinned at him, clasping her hands together. “You smell good.”
He let out a soft laugh. “Do I?”
She wrinkled her nose. “You’re wearing that sexy cologne I love. It’s starting to feel nostalgic.”
Yes, he was wearing the cologne she loved. It was the cologne he had reserved to wear when he fucked her. Did he intentionally apply it this morning hoping it might trigger her?
Yes.
Fuck yes.
“You smell good, too,” he spoke softly. “Like my Skye.”
Her cheeks reddened. “I’m glad I don’t smell like a peasant to you, Leo. Look at this place. You’ve never taken me here before, and I’m ridiculously underdressed.” Just in time, a woman walked past in a designer dress, and Skye glanced at her, looking even more mortified. “Give me a heads-up next time, Leo.” Then she let out a soft laugh. “Well, I still wouldn’t have anything nice enough to wear here, but still…”
“I’ll get you whatever you want,” he promised. “Nicer dresses than that. Anything for you.”
Her smile was filled with affection. “Don’t do that. I don’t care. I’m only kidding.”
He nodded, trying to follow but his mind was in disarray, and he just wanted to please her. “Okay, sure.”
The same waitress reappeared, interrupting them. He bit down on his tongue, feeling frustrated because he just wanted to savour every moment he had with Skye. He’d been so lonely—
“Give us another five,” he sharply told her, his tone a little too gruff than he intended.
The waitress disappeared, and now Skye was studying him like she could see all his cracks. “Are you okay, Leo?”
He tapped a finger on the table. “I’m—Good, Skye. I want to know how you are. How are…things?” He didn’t know any other way to ask this without feeling like he might be prying, and while he desperately wanted to know every detail about her life with Hunter, he wasn’t sure he could stomach it just yet. He still needed time to adjust to this new way of living. He might feel better about it when he finally got to have her again. For now, he was merely surviving one day at a fucking time.
“I’m good,” she assured him.
He searched her eyes. “Are you happy?”
“I am,” she replied softly.