“Probably didn’t guess it’d be the next day at my mum’s snobby charity event, huh?”

“No,” I chuckled. “When I saw you in that white lace dress with Richard, I was dumbfounded. I had an overwhelming desire to protect you from whatever was happening in your life that made you appear so downtrodden.”

“Oh,” she mouthed.

“Then you appeared in my old bedroom.” I pointed towards the house. “The sassy smartarse ready for a fight.”

“I was trespassing and I accused you of stalking me.” She covered her face with her hands.

“You asked me why you? And I’m telling you, I’ve never been more intrigued, more confused, more frustrated or more turned on by any girl in my life. It certainly hasn’t been a classic boy-meets-girl love story, but here we are.”

“Here we are.” She hugged me tightly and I kissed her head.

“I’ll throw the question back at you. Why me?”

“You’re really hot and I wanted to get in your pants.” Her deadpan expression was ruined by the light dancing in her eyes that turned into a laugh.

She had such an incredible way of laughing with her whole body and it was infectious. I lunged for her and tickled her sides, eliciting pained laughter.

“I’m kidding,” she huffed out between laughs. When she’d composed herself she continued. “The moment we locked eyes across the cage changed my life.” She took a few deep breaths. “I felt something fundamental shift inside me, and from that moment on, my worlds began to collide.” She kissed me gently and spoke against my lips. “You and I were meant to meet when we did. You saved me from myself. I feel that in my bones.”

“I love you, Juliette.” The words fell out and I realised quickly that I didn’t care. I loved her and I wanted her to know.

A gasp escaped her lips before I crushed them with mine so she didn’t feel pressured to say the words back. It was a kiss unlike any before. She pushed me back before we got too carried away. “Are you going to let me respond or are you just going to kiss me to death?”

“That’s how I’d like to go.” I tried to hide my inner turmoil with a cocky grin.

“If you’re going to be a smartarse, I’ll keep it to myself.” She tried to escape, but I tightened my arms around her.

“You don’t have to respond.”

“I love that you love me,” she started.

“Seriously, Jules. You don’t need to say anything.” I wished at that moment I hadn’t told her how I felt. I didn’t want to scare her off.

“I’m not finished.”

“I love how you make me feel important and special.”

“There’s no one more important to me than you.”

“Can you please stop interrupting?” She smacked me lightly on the chest. “It’s getting annoying.”

She was so fucking beautiful. “Sorry.”

“I love that, despite the demons that so obviously haunt you, you were willing to show me the beauty you know shines brighter here.”

She really loved the farm and that made my heart ache.

“I love your body.” She ogled me shamelessly and I chuckled, thankful for her ability to bring her light to my dark. She was flush against me.

“I love your heart.” Her face turned serious as she touched my chest in the middle and could no doubt feel my heart rate quicken under her touch.

She placed her other hand on the side of my face. “I love your mind and how you make me smile every time I think of you, which is pretty much all the time, by the way.”

She took her hand from my chest so both were cupping my face, and then she reached up to kiss me. She pulled back, and the look in her eyes gave away what she was about to say before she said it.

“I love you, Leo. All of you. You’re my number one.”

My lips crashed down on hers in a kiss to end all kisses. Our tongues entwined in a frenzied collision of lust and love. I couldn’t wait to get her home and naked. When we came up for air, I held her for a long time, enjoying the serenity I felt with her safe in my arms.

“Come on, gorgeous,” I whispered. “We can’t stand around all day. We have jobs to do.” I smacked her lightly on her butt. “I noticed a tree fallen down around the other side of the house. I’ll need the chainsaw from the shed to cut it up. I might even let you have a turn.”

“Wait! I have another question.”

“Oh right. You do. Hit me with it.”

She appeared suddenly unsure, shifting from one foot to the other before looking me in the eye. “What happened in this house?”

My blood ran cold. It was the question I dreaded the most. I felt the blood drain from my face. I flinched when I felt her hand on my arm.

“You don’t have to tell me. I’m sorry for asking.” Her voice was soothing and calm.

I squeezed my eyes shut and tried to calm my mind. When I opened my eyes, I told her my truth. “I lost both my parents in that house five years ago.”

“God, Leo. I’m so sorry.” Her voice was full of sincerity and warmth. “Thank you for telling me. I can’t imagine how hard that must have been for you.”

She had no real idea just how hard. “I’m sorry, Jules. It’s in the past and I don’t see the point in dredging it up.”

She nodded and I was grateful she didn’t push for details.

***

It was after five by the time we’d finished chopping and stacking the wood. For a city girl, Juliette had no fear of getting her hands dirty. She was so fucking perfect.

“Come on,” I said, grabbing her hand. “I’ll put the chainsaw back in the shed and grab some torches. It’ll be pitch black here in under half an hour.”

The moon would rise around nine, so we’d have a fantastic view of the night sky until then. Everything was going to plan.

Chapter Thirty-Seven

Juliette

“Umm… Leo. Mother Nature is calling. Is there an outside toilet?”

Leo looked around the shed, cursing to himself. “There isn’t.” He glanced at the house. “You can use the downstairs bathroom, but I don’t know what state it’s in. Sorry. I didn’t think.” He appeared completely mortified, and I’d never wished to be a boy more than I did at that moment. “Do you want me to come with you?”

His reluctance came through loud and clear. “It’s fine, babe. Thanks,” I said, hopping from one foot to the other. I’d left it to the absolute last moment to ask. “I’ll just take one of those torches.”

I could see the indecision on his face. He was clearly tortured letting me go in there alone, but he’d probably have been more tortured to go in with me given what happened the last time we were in there together.

Shaking his head as if he were disgusted with himself somehow, he spoke so quietly I could hardly hear him. “There’s a key in the pot next to the back door. Go through the kitchen, and the bathroom is the second door on the left down the hallway.”

“Thanks. Back in a sec.” I scooted quickly towards the house, glancing back at Leo just before I went through the shed door. His usually powerful demeanour appeared crippled by fear. He stared at his feet with his hands in his pockets and rocked nervously from heel to toe. I hated to see him hurting, but my bladder was pulling rank.

The last time I was in the house played in my mind. Leo telling me that both his parents had died in the house shed a lot of light on why he was so edgy. I didn’t know the circumstances, but he was obviously still grieving and the house was a tangible reference point for his grief. He still loved it; otherwise surely he would’ve sold it.

When I let myself in, the scent of freshly cut lavender invaded my senses. I really didn’t enjoy the smell, but that was beside the point. Why would there be fresh lavender in the house at all? Shining the torch around the country-style kitchen, I found the offending arrangement. A large vase filled with flowers in exclusively purple tones sat proudly on the bench. Lavender was the overwhelming scent, but I also recognised hyacinths, morning glory and some beautiful irises.