Leo đ„Žđ«đŠ
I never thought much of my life, at least not until it got picked up by the scruff and dragged down to Alebaster, way down South. Whole town barely scraped together 200 people, if that. Funny thing about the South: everythingâs cheaper, even the huge houses. Whole street lined with big white porches, most of them empty or set up for rocking chairs and gossip. I only learned that after I Googled it in a rage, searching for reasons to hate the move even more.
With every tree that whipped past the car window, I rolled my eyes harder. Each minute closer to Alebaster felt like losing another friend, another piece of the life I actually wanted. Daddy landed some job he barely deservedâthe local workforce was apparently a dumpster fire, so they threw money at Pa to lure us down, relocation bonus and all. Like it was supposed to help.
They had the gospel station blaring the whole drive, some choir caterwauling about joy and salvation. All I could do was sink lower in my seat, scowling at anything daring enough to cross my gaze. I didn't want salvation. I wanted my old life, my crew, my boyfriend. Everything I gave up for this sweaty nothing-town.
We pulled up to the house at last. Iâll admit, it looked like something out of a magazineâmassive, white, long sweeping drive curling up through the trees. All the furniture from home was already there, dropped off by strangers. All that was left was to unpack and pretend we belonged.
Daddy barely stopped the car before the porch. Freshly painted steps, pine needles everywhere. I got out and tossed my eyes around like they could erase the whole sceneâone big, lonely, green wet blanket. Moving here wasnât my choice. Soon, though, Iâd be free. A few months til I turned twenty, and you better believe Iâd be long gone then. Freedom from Mother and Fatherâthe king and queen of âold school.â Of running my life. I swore Iâd never let them.
Mom always called me uncontrollable, and maybe she was right. Maybe I was just allergic to being boxed in, to having some voice in pearls and a muumuu tell me when and where and how. Maybe moving here would chill me out, but donât count on it.
The house was chaos insideâboxes, couches facing the wrong way, dust catching in the light. But damn, those ceilings were so high you could lose a scream up there. I was almost impressed.
âThey didnât arrange the furniture?â Momâs lips twisted.
âTheyâre movers, Janine. Not interior designers.â Daddy was already bored of her complaints, tossing keys on the hall table.
I didnât wait. I started up the stairs to pick my room, figure out where they stuck all my boxes. I had things to do, things to unpack, and a hell of a lot of myself to reclaim.
An hour later, my clothes were in lumpy mounds on the floor. The vanity looked respectableâfoundation stacked by my journal, lipstick at the ready. I was sticky with sweat; Daddy hadnât bothered with the window unit AC yet. I yanked up the window, nipples spiking through my tank top, not caring. Thatâs when I saw himâout the back, through a tangle of skinny pines. A house tucked behind ours, looking abandoned, but there in the windowâholy shitâa guy, towel slung dangerously low. Dark hair, pale skin. Muscles slacked like he didnât care who saw. Then he let the towel fall.
My breath clawed right out of my chest. He was fucking magnificentâa slab of abs, cock heavy and hard, swinging as he turned. I was hypnotized, heat pouring low between my legs. He bent to the drawer and, Jesus, everything was on display. Ass, balls, the whole filthy package. Has nobody in this town heard of curtains?
He looked up, eyes catching mine in the mirror. My heart slammed and I ducked, crushed against the wall, panting.
God. Fuck.
A knock at my door. I scrambled, adjusting my tank, praying the red didnât show on my cheeks. Last thing I needed was Mom figuring out the neighbor was a walking sin parade. I wanted that view for myself, unspoiled.
I cracked the door a finger-width. There she was, all proud smiles. âShow me your room.â
âCan you wait?â I snapped. âI'm about to get dressed.â
She sighed. âFine. And put something appropriate on, Destiny. Last thing we need is the wrong kind of attention.â
âMom!â The whine slipped out.
âDonât âMomâ me. I need you to go to the grocery store to grab dinner. Look decent.â
I slammed the door, fuming. She was obsessed with dignity, modesty, whatever-the-hell. I stared down at my reflectionâwas it so wrong to want to be seen? Especially by him?
I yanked on a dress, slinky and butter-soft, short enough my thighs caught the light. No bra; I liked the way my nipples pressed mean against the fabric. To appease the parental overlords, I threw on an old cardigan. A little compromise, a little rebellion.
A new knock. Momâs voice chirped: âThe neighbors are here! Come down.â
âNeighbors?â
She beamed. âPastor and his wife.â
I bit my tongue. Of course it was religious folk. Just my luck.
We filed down. Daddy was already shaking hands, all teeth and fake charm.
âThis is my daughter, Destiny,â he announced like he was auctioning me to the highest bidder.
âGorgeous girl!â The pastorâs wife cooed, grabbing me in a soft, powdery hug. âIâm Sara, this is my husband, Pastor Doug.â
âOur sonâll be along any minute,â Pastor Doug rumbled. âHe just moved back in. Helping with his sick brother. Drags his feet.â
And thenââHey.â That voice, low and electric. I swung around. There he was. Naked-from-the-window, but dressed. Stark white shirt, black slacks, smile like a wolf.
He didnât look away. Neither did I. When he took my hand, his fingers were warm and slow, deliberate.
âIâm Leo.â
I stumbled over my name, cheeks burning. âDeâDestiny.â
Mom leapt on the moment. âWhy donât you all join us for dinner tonight?â
Sara clapped her hands. âIâll bring dessert!â
âDestiny is gonna go grab some things from the store after we figure out where it is. Spaghetti sounds good, right?â Mom was way too eager.
Sara piped up. âLeo can go with her! Walk you through town, show you the sights.â
Leo grinned, eyes on me like he already knew my secret. I shot him a look: donât get ideas.
Mom intervened. âThatâll be good.â
Shortly after, mom wrote a shopping list that I snatched from her and then I swept back outside, passing Leo on the porch. He waited, hands on hips, the ghost of that towel scene dancing in his eyes. I stomped past him on the steps, shoulders squared.
He trailed, laughing low. I felt him watching, and I liked it. Maybe Iâd give him a real show, see what a preacherâs kid could handle.
We hiked to his truckâbig, red, mean as a bull. I slid in, cranking the AC. The second we hit the road, he flicked his gaze over.
âLike what you saw?â Not a question.
Blood rushed to my cheeks. âIâI didnâtââ
He laughed, all teeth and razors. âDidnât what? Gawk at my balls while I bent over? Did you count the hairs on my ass?â
âJesus, Leo!â Gross, but my thighs squeezed together, slick already.
âI donât mind the audience. Just wish Iâd had a show myself. Youâre windowâs across from mineâmaybe I want something in return. Fairâs fair.â
His stare raked my chest and back up. âHow about a little flash now, blondie?â
âWhatâare you crazt?â I hugged that cardigan closer.
He snorted. âDonât get righteous, Destiny. I saw your face. I know what you want.â
I sucked my teeth, looking out the window. âYouâre a creep.â
âThe best kind.â He drove quiet the rest of the way, but I could feel the heat between us thick as sweat.
The grocery store was tiny and smelled like old bananas. I loaded our cart with what Mom wantedâmeats and sauces, drinks, cookies, veggies, breath mints just in case. Leo carried the heavy stuff, veins popping in his forearms, cocky grin never leaving his lips.
Back at the car, he loaded everything up. I kept stealing glances at him. At what Iâd already seenâat what I wanted more of.
We passed our parents loitering under a tree on the sidewalk up the street from our house, Sara showing off the post office. Leo leaned over, voice pitching low.
âThanks, Destiny,â Mom trilled from the cluster. âYou guys drop off the stuff. Iâll be back to start supper!â
âGonna make it creamy?â Leoâs drawl had filth soaked into it, but she missed it.
âIt always is,â Mom said, excited.
Leo licked his lips. âCanât wait to taste.â
Pastor Doug piped up: âSonâs got an appetite, just warning you.â
Dad smacked his back. âWe like boys who eat. Sheâll cook two pots.â
âGo before the food spoilsâ Mom said, waving us home.
Leo cranked the window up and took off. I glared.
âWhat the fuck was that?â
He shrugged, smirking. âJust love my sauce creamy, is all.â
I sucked in a breath. âYouâre not right. Did the pastor forget to bless you or something?â
Leo smirked, eyes hard on the road. âHe thinks Iâm made of gold. College grad, all-star little brother. Trophy son. You?â
I rolled my eyes. âIâm Destiny. I do whatever the hell I want.â
He grinned, slow and devilish. âYou could have chosen to go by yourself if I bother you so much. But you didnât.â
âMaybe I didnât want to hear my motherâs mouth. Maybe I just wanted to grab groceries,â I snapped. But we both knew better.
He parked, and I leapt out, grabbing the bags on my own, slamming the front door shut with my sneaker, and dumped them on the kitchen counter. I didnât want him in my space, didnât want to want him. Then I heard footsteps creeping from behind. I spun; it was just Dad, grabbing a package of cookies and disappearing to the couch. Leo, it turned out, knew his placeâfor now.
Mom bustled in behind me, yanking my dress down. âYouâll scandalize us in that. Leoâthe pastorâs son. Dresses so well. Such an angel.â
I nearly laughed. âYeah right.â
âHeâs in real estate, making money. Stand-up boy. You could learn something.â
âIâm not doing real estate.â
Mom kept at it, trying to help or control meâsometimes it was hard to tell.
That evening, I dreaded dinner. Church folk, double helpings of pity and nosiness. I knew eventually Mom would try to draw us into their congregation, and I'd have to sit smiling through it all.
Upstairs, I flopped on my bed. I kept picturing Leoâs lookâhis mouth, the way he said my name. All that badness behind the church pants and Sunday smile. Made me want to see what else he was hiding.
I prowled through my closet, wicked smile splitting my lips. Time for something bolderâsomething more me. I pulled a cute, orange summer dress, one that would make mom flip. I planned to shower, so I stripped. Naked, I strode to the window. And there he was, folding clothes in his room, back to the glass.
Without a word, I rapped on the pane. He turned. Saw me standing there, skin bare and unapologetic. He grinned, cocked a brow.
I cupped my tits, pinched a nipple, ran my hands down my body and let him watch a second longer.
Now we were even.
Destiny is a wild child. Enjoying the story. Less intense than The Flame, which is good because my nerves need a break
Leo is going to tear her to piece she is going to be hit so hard by his pole. She is out of her league and Leo is going to show her whatâs she really made for under himđłđłđłđłđłđđđđ