THE DARE | BWWM 18+ (editing)

xxxii - home*

I R I S

__________________

"I love you," I whisper when I blink awake in Leo's arms.

"Say it again."

"I." Kiss.

"Love." Kiss.

"You." Kiss.

"And I love you, princess," he replies and kisses my forehead.

I snuggle up against him and bring my left hand up to my forehead. But a cool feeling against my skin scares me and I glance at my hand.

"Leo, what is this?" I question him and sit up.

"What does it look like amore?"

"Why is there a ring on my finger?"

"Because I put it there," he replies nonchalantly. What the fuck?

"Wha- um elaborate please."

"It's my promise to you, Iris," his voice softens as he cups my face.  Bye, I'm gonna cry.

"You came into my life at a time when I was low, and I was broken. Dealing with my dad, and dealing with the business, I thought I was destined to be alone, but you came into my life and everything changed," he starts, and tears start to well in my eyes.

"You saved me amore. I thought the universe was mad at me and that I needed to be punished for all the bad things I've done, but you proved me wrong. The way you care about me and the way you're such a pure soul, even though the world hasn't been too kind to you, reminds me of my mother." I wipe the tears off my face.

"I'm not calling you my mother," he stutters and nervously laughs. "But I am saying that since she died, you're the first and only person that's loved me the way she did. I feel like a child when I'm with you because I'm not worried about anything, and I can be myself because you accept me. All my baggage, and all my murderous tendencies," he jokes, and we both chuckle.

"I am head over heels in love and obsessed with you princess. Like butterflies, can't get you off my mind, daydreaming about you in love with you. Making my heart skip a beat and shit in love with you," he laughs and I giggle through my sniffles.

"I promise you that I will always protect you. I will always care for you, and I will always love you. Always baby. I swear," he scrunches his eyebrows and I'm crying. Ugh. I hate feelings.

"That is the sweetest thing that anyone has ever said to me," I start. "I love you too Leo. So much. And I can't imagine my life without you in it anymore. I love every moment that we spend together, and you make me happy. You show me what real love is, and my heart belongs to you. I belong to you, in every way imaginable."

"You're moving in with me," he blurts out and I gulp. What?

"You're joking right?" I laugh. "What?"

"Come live with me," he restates. This man.

"You don't think it's too soon? I've never lived with a man before so I don't know how I feel about this."

"It's not too soon baby. You already spend most of your time with me and Bella when you're not working. You sleep here most nights and I want to wake up with you in my arms every morning bambina. I love you and you love me. So it's perfect."

He makes good points.

"What if things don't go right? I love having my space, and I don't want to feel like I'm all up in your space or like I'm bothering you."