Read Online Leo Maddox by Sarah Darlington - Free Book Online Page A

enough, she drew her hand back and slapped me across the face. Shit, it stung. She was much stronger than her small size suggested. I could have caught her hand and stopped her. But frankly, what was the fucking point anymore? “That's for being a jerk to me since we were kids,” she muttered. Surprisingly, her voice wasn’t as harsh as her hand had felt across my face. “And this...” She stood taller, grabbed hold of my face, and planted one firm kiss on my wet lips. “That's so you know I'm not fucking around.” She continued to hold me tight, pressing a little closer into me. I was so damn confused, I couldn’t move a muscle. “Prove it to me,” she whispered, her voice shaky and raw and vulnerable as hell. “Prove to me you aren't an ass and I'm all yours.”
    Then she pulled away, rushing off—leaving the bar and me.
    What the hell just happened?

CHAPTER 7:
     
     
     
    “ W ow,” I said aloud, debating. Should I chase after Clara right now? I knew how she was. I knew how she often needed space to breathe and think. This was one of those moments, but every bone in my body wanted to chase her. It was getting late. Where the hell was she going? Back to the hotel?
    “Don’t chase her,” Stephany said. I’d forgotten her existence, but she’d been right there this whole time. “Trust me and don’t chase her.”
    “I know,” I answered, tugging my hands through my wet hair, shaking off some of the liquid. “I know how she is. I know how she needs her space.”
    “Oh.” Stephany stared big brown eyes at me. She was tall and almost my height. “You really like her, don’t you?”
    I simply nodded. No point in denying it now.
    “Then you should know, she took the key to my apartment. That’s where she went.”
    My jaw dropped. “It’s ten fucking thirty! Is she going to walk?”
    So much for not chasing after the girl. I hurried through the bar, racing outside. No chance in hell was I about to let her walk home alone. I had to catch up to her. I had to make sure she made it back to Stephany’s place in one piece.
    Stephany chased me outside, into the street. “No, Leo,” she urged, tugging on my arm. “My apartment is two blocks over. I walk it every night. It’s safe. She’s fine.”
    Dammit, this girl was strong. She had such a firm grip, but I was stronger. We played a ridiculous game of tug-of-war as I started off in one direction. “Stop being an ass,” she moaned. “That’s not even the right direction. Let me text her. She’s probably already home.”
    I felt like a fool. But my heart and head were both spinning. I’d just kissed Clara. It hadn’t been a fantasy this time, it had been a reality. I’d kissed her then she’d dumped beer on my head and told me to prove it to her . To prove my feelings. To prove I wasn’t the asshole she thought I was.
    “There,” Stephany said, her fingers moving fast over her phone. “I texted her. She texted back. She says she’s home. You happy now?”
    “Yes,” I muttered. “Thank you.” Why is she staying there and not at my hotel?
    “I need to get back inside before I lose my job.”
    I nodded, unsure of what the hell to do with myself now.
    Stephany disappeared inside.
    I walked. I walked until my feet hurt and I had to call my driver to come pick me up.
     
    ***
    T he next morning was the reopening. It went off without a hitch. A few of my father’s celebrity friends even showed up, checking into the hotel, showing their support. I never understood how my old man had so many friends. They say money can’t buy everything, but it damn sure nearly could. It couldn’t be his winning personality that brought people in, could it?
    Either way, my thoughts weren’t on work today. They were on the girl with purple hair in Brooklyn. I wondered if she thought of me when she woke up. If she thought of our kiss. If she regretted the moment we’d shared. I needed to see her today. I needed to know if she hated me or if I had a genuine