Serving Leo [Book 4 of the Stavros Series] ✔️

10

I hauled Caesar out of the cab since I'm not allowed to leave him in the robotic car. The Stavros's house, Leo's house, loomed in front of me as the cab whipped back down the driveway.

It's bigger than I remembered but maybe that's because this is the first time I'm seeing it in daylight and not at night for a dinner party. The other thing that has changed about it is that it doesn't look as welcoming as it used to. All the drapes are drawn closed, the flowers in front are wilting away, and there's an all-around bad aurora surrounding it.

I think it has everything thing to do with the fact that Leo is the only one living here now.

Caesar stayed by my side as I approached the front door which is set at the top of a low staircase. He's wary of his surroundings as well, always keeping his nose in the air for any odd smells.

After gulping back any fears I have I ring the doorbell. As soon as I do it I regret it. When or if Leo sees me on his front steps he's going to freak out on me, probably fire me just because he can.

Eventually the door opens after a couple minutes. I expect a butler to open the door or Leo in a suit or at least ratty old clothes on. Instead I'm met with the sight of Leo's bare chest staring right at me, glistening with either sweat or water.

I realize it's sweat when my eyes involuntarily trail down his sculpted and perfected body to his sweat pants that hang low on his hips, showing off his carved V line and the bottle of water in his hand by his side.

I squeeze my eyes shut and will myself not to drool.

"What the hell are you doing here," he asks, sounding bored as always.

He probably noticed my staring, he had to notice it. It was so damn obvious.

I open my eyes slowly, trying my best to focus on his face but it's so hard. "Your parents wanted me to check up on you."

He rolls his eyes like an irritable teenager. "I'll call them."

I let out a breath. "Good."

He shook his head, closing his hand around the edge of the door to close it before I reach out and stop him. We shared the same look of shock at my action, because my hand sprawled across his left bicep.

I pulled back as quickly as I can, holding it to my own chest as if I've been burned. "I um..."

"I think it's time you leave," he says, his eyes narrowing into slits.

"I can't."

"Call a cab."

I shook my head, grumbling under my breath. "When your father called me and told me that you hadn't been answering your phone calls my first thought was that you were dead."

He raised an eye brow. "Listen Ivory," he sighed, "if you have any sort of feelings for me you need to either quit or go to-"

"That's not what I'm trying to say," I argued. "I thought that because it was a high possibility!"

"This again," he said, rolling his eyes. "How many times do I have to tell you that I can protect myself?"

"How many times do I have to you that you're going to get yourself killed!"

"Everybody dies Ivory," he told me, ready to close the door again. "It's the way life works." He closed the door in my face.

"I bet you won't be saying that when your body is limp on a basement floor," I grumbled.

...

Since Leo's house was far away from the city the taxi company had me wait for thirty minutes. I sat on the steps of his house, Caesar sitting beside me and the cold October air nipping at my skin.