CHAPTER FORTY-SIX

CHAPTER FORTY-SIX: ATHENA

With everything that has been going on with Austin's mother, I completely forgot Leo had asked me on a date a few days ago until he called yesterday and said I should get ready because he would be coming to pick me up for our date.

So now I'm trying to get ready before he arrives. After taking a shower, I decided on the black lace skirt that ends just below my knee, a red off shoulder blouse, and a pair of black ballet shoes.

When I finished getting dressed, I checked the time and it was a few minutes to eight, so I decided to watch Netflix until Leo arrived.

Thirty minutes later, I heard a knock on the door, so I stood up and walked towards it, running my nervous hand down my black skirt, hoping he liked how I was dressed; it wasn't what I was used to wearing, but since it was a special day, I decided a little change wouldn't hurt anyone.

I opened the door to find Leo on the other side. He was dressed in a black shirt that hugged his body like a second skin, black trousers, and black dress shoes.

When I finished taking in his appearance, my gaze met his and he had a huge grin on his handsome face, making him look irresistible.

"Hi Princessa, you look stunning," he said as he walked into the house, before pulling me in for a quick kiss. The kiss was sweet and gentle, and it lasted for a few minutes, but it left me wanting more than just a kiss from him.

I noticed he was carrying a bag of Rudy's food, so I assumed we were going on a picnic rather than to a restaurant. When I looked back up at him, he was wearing a sad expression which made me wonder what was going through his head.

"I wanted to take you out, but with everything going on with Austin, I thought it would be best if we stayed close because he might need us", Leo explained as he pulled me in for a hug, "I'm sorry this isn't the ideal first date you wanted,"

"Don't worry, I was worried about him too and kind of felt guilty in a way that we were going out while he was at the hospital looking after his mother," I said, staring up at him with a small smile while he held me in his arms.

The flat felt even smaller after he pulled away and I shut the door. When we were in the kitchen I watched him set everything he bought on the table while I was talking off my shoes.

He brought two portions of hamburgers, two large milkshakes, and two pieces of chocolate cake.

"Hungry?" he asks, his gaze meeting mine with a small smile on his face.

"Very." My stomach grumbled as I spoke, causing him to raise his brow at me, amusement shining in his eyes.

"I can tell," he said, making me blush furiously.

He took out a blanket and placed it on the kitchen floor, saying, "I wanted us to have a picnic in the park, but we can have one right here."

"Anything we do is fine with me, Leo; I just want to spend time with you." I said, giving him a shy smile, as we took our seats on the blanket while he served our meals; he bought a medium-sized burger for me and a large-sized burger for himself.

I bit into the burger and let out an inaudible moan as I savored it. Don't judge me. Rudy's burgers were absolutely delicious.

I heard Leo chuckle and looked up to see him smiling at me. "Cute," he said under his breath as I reached out to help him with his unopened burger.

"Thank you Princessa," he said with a smile, picking up the burger and biting into it; he even makes eating look sexy, I thought to myself as we continued eating in silence.

When I finished the burger, I took a sip of the chocolate milkshakes and had to hold back my moan so I didn't embarrass myself again in front of Leo. It wasn't my fault I was obsessed with chocolate; it was like my personal drug.

"Wouldn't it be great if you could show me the same love that milkshake is getting?" Leo said, making me blush, and I stuck my tongue out at him before returning to my delicious milkshake.

"Princessa, tell me about yourself," Leo asked out of the blue.

"There's not much to say, but if you want, we can play twenty questions," I asked softly. He nodded, and I went first.

"What is your favorite color?" I asked

"Black, you?"

"Blue and gray"

"favorite food?"

"Italian, you?"

"Chocolate"

"You understand that chocolate isn't the type of food I asked about, right?" Leo said as he flashed me his sexy dimples.

"Whatever, next question" I said, sticking out my tongue.

"What happened to your parents?" Leo asked softly, "If you don't want to talk about it, I can ask something else,"

"It's okay, my mother died a few years ago, and even though we weren't close, I miss her, and I never really knew my father, he wasn't around much, and you?" I replied, my mood shifting from happy to sad; I didn't like talking about my parents with anyone, but it felt okay with Leo.

"I'm sorry, Princessa," Leo said softly as he stroked my cheeks.

"Thank you,"

"My parents died in a car accident, my dad thought it was a good idea to drive drunk, and as a result of his stupid decision, Shane lost his ability to speak," he explained, and I could hear the pain in his voice as he spoke about Shane.

"It's in the past, Leo," I said, pulling him in for a hug as he placed his head in the nook of my neck, wrapping his hands around my waist and pulling me closer.

"Yes, Princessa," he said huskily, "you smell like strawberries."

"It's my shampoo," I replied quietly, then realized it was a stupid response.

"I officially love the smell of strawberries," he said, and I felt him smile against my neck. I giggled, and he pulled away to look me in the eyes. I adored his gray eyes; they were so beautiful that I could stare at them forever.

"Athena, can I kiss you?" he asked, and when I nodded, he leaned in, his cool breath fanning my lips, and when I closed my eyes, his lips met mine.

He tasted minty because of his milk shake, his lips were soft against mine and when he bit on my lower lip, I let out a soft moan, allowing his tongue access into my mouth as he deepened the kiss.

We kissed for a few more minutes before he slowly pulled away so we could catch our breath.  I smiled as I noticed him with a smirk on his lips. Because of our position, I blushed and looked down at my laps. I was on top of him, straddling his waist.

His hands came up to my face, tucking a strand of hair that had fallen across my head behind my ear. I felt his hand go to my chin and gently tilted my head up to look into his eyes; he smiled at me with his now slightly red and swollen lips making me feel completely safe in his arms.

He leaned in close to my ear and whispered, "You smell like strawberries but taste like chocolate, two of my favorite things."

His smile widened as I blushed even more in response to his remark. After our heated exchange, we went back to asking each other questions. I learned that he enjoys crime dramas, horror films, anime, cars, basketball, football, and rap and RnB music.

We decided to eat dessert after we were tired of asking each other questions. He unwrapped the chocolate cake and set the other one aside for later.

He cut a piece of cake and fed it to me, and I did the same until it was gone and we were satisfied. While we were cleaning up, I noticed a piece of cake stuck to the side of his mouth.

So, without thinking, I leaned in and licked the cake from his face. When I realized what I had done, I covered my face in shame. How stupid could I possibly get? I thought as I heard him chuckle in the background.

"Forgive me, you had cake on your face and acted without thinking," I apologized as I tried to get up and go hide from embarrassment, but his hands went to my waist pulling me back towards him so I was straddling him again.

I wrapped my hands around his neck to keep myself balanced, and I'm sure he noticed the confusion in my gaze as he stared at me. Then he moved his head to my neck and softly kissed it, biting down on the spot where he had left his mark the previous time, causing me to squirm in his lap.

I was already a mess when he pulled away. His gray eyes glowed in the kitchen light as he stared back at me, saying nothing; his black hair had fallen out of its ponytail and was falling across his face; and his lips were already plump and red, making him look sexy as hell.

He moved his hand to my hair and ran his fingers through it, lightly grazing my cheek.

I bit my bottom lip to keep from jumping on him, he should do something already, his gaze went to my lips, he brought his finger to my lips brushing over it, I licked his finger, and his eyes shot back up to stare into mine. I'm not sure where this newfound confidence came from, but I could tell by his eyes that he liked it.

"Don't push me, Princessa; I'm already unhinged as it is," he said, his voice deep and raspy.

An undeniable heat erupted within me as my gaze met Leo's. The tension between us was palpable in the air, making it difficult for me to keep it together. His desire-filled gaze never left mine, and my heart pounded in my chest.

Leo's fingers brushed against my cheek, sending shivers down my spine. My senses were awakened with each gentle caress, and my body responded with a hunger I couldn't deny. Time seemed to slow as our lips finally met, merging in a searing kiss.

As his lips moved against mine, our passions intertwined in a dance that left me breathless. His touch was tender and demanding, igniting a fire deep within me. I felt the world around us fade away, leaving only the pulsating energy between us.

I clutched his shirt, bringing him closer, craving the sensation of his body pressing against mine. Our mouths moved in perfect unison as our tongues explored each other with zeal. It was a kiss full of raw desire and unspoken promises that made me yearn for him.

I surrendered completely, my inhibitions melting away, lost in the intensity of the moment. I relished the taste of him, the way his hands roamed my body, lighting me up with desire. Nothing else mattered except the enthralling connection we shared at the time.

We reluctantly pulled apart to catch our breath, which mingled with the charged atmosphere. My heart raced, my lips tingling from the ghost of his touch. I met Leo's gaze, and his eyes reflected the unspoken need that bound us together.

Leo whispered, barely audible, "Do you want to go further? Princessa." And with that lingering question hanging in the air, I felt all of my self-control leave my body; I wanted him so badly that it hurt to be away from him and all I want to do is be in his arms.