Page 13 of A Treasure To Keep (Leone Legacy #2)

Andrea

“ F ine? What the fuck do you mean ‘fine’? This was your dumbass idea until I mentioned the rules. Now that I’ve agreed, you’re practically shutting down. Are you scared about something?” What is El trying to do? Can she sense the tension between Marco and me?

“No! I agree to your fucking rules.” Marco barges out of the apartment, leaving El and me alone. Even though he was her ride.

El and I stand in silence, neither of us sure what to say or how to start it. “Andrea.”

“No. Don’t speak. I’m willing to do anything necessary to save us. If that means handing you over to the man who could destroy us, I’ll do it.” El turns to me, tears and hurt in her eyes at my statement.

“You wouldn’t be handing me to Marco. I think this is a terrible fucking idea. If it means I’ll get you back, I’ll do it. I love you, Andrea.”

I tuck a strand of hair behind her ear, and she leans into me, embracing my touch. “I love you too, mon trésor. I—” Marco barges back into my apartment, still pissed but not ready for this conversation to completely end.

“When is this happening?” That is a good question.

The three of us stare at each other, waiting for the other to answer. Someone has to talk eventually. Fuck it.

“It should be spontaneous. El and I never invite someone we know into bed. When we invited you to join us, it was brought on by the excitement of New Year’s Eve.

The only way to ensure that we have the same excitement is to be spontaneous.

If we plan this, we could go into it with preconceived expectations.

Until then, we will keep on with our normal lives.

El, we’re going to continue healing our relationship.

Marco, you’ll make an appointment to get that suit fitted.

And we’ll continue to live our lives as normal.

No one else can know this is going to happen.

Oui?” Marco and El nod their head in agreement before we go back to sitting in silence.

Marco rocks back and forth on his heels, waiting like a child who’s getting a gift.

“If no one is fucking today, I need to get El home.” Did he think spontaneity was going to happen now?

Joke's on him. I planned on making love to El once he left. Except she came with him, meaning her parents potentially have no idea she’s here.

“Uhhhhh, excuse me. I’m a grown-ass woman. I’ll go home when I want to. If you need to go, I will find my own way home.”

I grab El’s hand, preventing her from poking the bear more than she already has. Immediately, she stops arguing with Marco, holding tightly onto my hand. “No, he’s right, mon trésor. The last thing we need is to rock the boat with your parents more than it already is.”

“Promise me we’ll see each other at work tomorrow?” I can’t think of anywhere else I’d rather be.

“Of course. We will come here afterward and talk over everything.” We lean into each other for a kiss. My breath is knocked out of me by the intense love she displays in that kiss. Until Marco clears his throat, snapping us out of our blissful moment.

I escort El out of my apartment, holding onto her hands for as long as we can until she gets in the truck with Marco. This could potentially be the dumbest thing I've signed up for. At the end of the day, I’d do anything to save my relationship with El.

The next night, we had dinner, discussing everything that had caused the kiss between her and Marco.

Normally, after working through any tiff, we make love, soft and slow, until we might as well be one person.

Instead, we hold each other, promising to do anything and everything we need to save our relationship.

And in this case, it means bringing the man who threatened our relationship back into bed with us.