CHAPTER 258: CHAPTER 258 CAUGHT

Her eyes widened, her lips parting nervously. "W-what happens...?"

He lowered his face until his breath tickled her ear, his voice a sinful whisper. "They get eaten by the big bad wolf."

Bella squealed and shoved at his chest with both hands, hiding under the blanket like a child. "Don’t say such scary things!"

Leo laughed, deep and husky, before tugging the comforter back just enough to see her flushed little face. "Scary? No, Bella. That’s a promise."

Her stomach flipped so hard she thought she might die from embarrassment.

Leo climbed into the bed beside her, the mattress dipping under his tall frame. He leaned back casually, pulling out his phone.

A deep smile appeared on his face when he saw Alexa was being trolled all over the internet. Someone had snapped a perfect shot of her stumbling out of the women’s toilet, her hair a mess, her gown dragging, her expression downright miserable. The photo had gone viral, and to make things worse, on her way back home reporters had swarmed her, microphones in her face, shouting questions about why she had tried to frame an innocent woman.

Someone had leaked the incident in detail, and now Alexa’s reputation was in tatters.

Leo’s shoulders shook once, a low sound escaping him. He wasn’t the type to laugh out loud easily, but the sight was too satisfying. His cold lips curved into a rare, amused smile as he scrolled further, reading shipment updates his men were sending him.

He was so focused on the reports, his thumb flicking across the screen, when he suddenly felt a little poke at his hard waist.

His brows lifted, and he glanced down. Bella was curled on her side, her lashes resting against her cheeks as if she were deep in sleep. Her hands, though, were suspiciously still now, resting gently against him.

Leo’s lips twitched. A smile touched his face. This little bunny never failed to amuse him. Even in her so-called sleep, she was trying to get back at him.

He shook his head slightly and turned back to his phone, continuing to read the shipment updates. His expression sobered as he scanned the details.

Poke.

Poke.

There it was again. Her tiny fingers pressed into his side, deliberate and playful.

Leo set his phone down on the nightstand with a soft thud. Slowly, his gray eyes moved back to her. He leaned closer, his lips almost brushing her ear as he whispered, low and dangerous, "You think I don’t know you’re awake, bunny?"

Bella’s shoulders stiffened under the blanket, but she didn’t open her eyes, pretending harder than ever to be asleep.

The corner of Leo’s mouth lifted, his smile dark and amused. He reached out, sliding his hand along her side, warm and steady. "If you keep poking me," he murmured, "I’ll poke you back... but not in the way you’re expecting."

Her heart thudded wildly in her chest, but she kept her breathing even, clinging to her act.

Leo chuckled under his breath, settling beside her again. "Fine. Keep pretending." His arm slipped around her waist, pulling her closer until her head rested on his chest. "But don’t forget, little bunny, I always catch you in the end."

Bella’s eyes flew open for a second before she shut them tight again. She was shocked when he suddenly pulled her closer, tucking her firmly against his chest. His arm was heavy and unyielding around her waist, his warmth completely caging her in. She could barely even wiggle now, let alone poke him again.

Oh no. Bella thought in panic, her lashes trembling. He knows. He’s certain now that I’m awake.

Her heart pounded like a drum, but she stubbornly kept her eyes shut, breathing softly as if she were lost in a dream.

Leo lowered his face near her ear, his breath warm against her skin. "Sleep well, little bunny," he whispered, his voice deep, husky, and amused. "Dream all you want, but when you wake up, I’ll be the first thing you see."

Bella’s whole face burned red under the blanket. She wanted to squeal, but she forced herself to stay still.

Satisfied, Leo smirked. He leaned down further and pressed the lightest kiss against her hair, lingering just long enough to make her shiver. "Goodnight, faker," he murmured softly, so low only she could hear.

Her fingers twitched under the blanket. Caught, completely caught.

Leo chuckled silently, pulling her impossibly closer, as if she belonged in his arms. "Revenge served," he thought smugly, resting his chin on top of her head.

And though Bella had wanted to pretend all night, the steady rhythm of his heartbeat under her cheek made her fall asleep for real, snuggled in the arms of the man who always saw through her.

***

The soft glow of morning slid past the curtains, painting the room in a golden haze. Bella stirred against the pillows, her lashes fluttering as she blinked away sleep. She rubbed her eyes with both fists like a sleepy cat, yawning softly before glancing toward the vanity.

Her breath caught.

Leo stood before the mirror, tall and broad, his back bare and sculpted, muscles shifting with every slight movement. The wide stretch of his shoulders, the narrow taper of his waist, it was like something out of a dream. Only, it wasn’t.

She rubbed her eyes once, twice, then a third time, because surely what she was seeing couldn’t be real. His back looked as though it had been carved by the gods themselves, broad planes of muscle that rippled beneath his skin, marked with faint scars that hinted at fights she could only imagine. Something tightened in her chest, fascination tangled with an ache she didn’t understand.

Her breath snagged when he reached for a white shirt. She nearly sat upright. White? Was she dreaming? She had only ever seen him cloaked in black, olive green, or the dark tones that made him colder than stone. But the clean white slid over his skin, making him look sharper, brighter, and somehow even more dangerous.

"I’m glad you took your time." His voice broke the silence, smooth and teasing. "To look at me."