Breathe with Me
Page 68
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“Mine,” he whispers against my lips.
***
“Nice of you to join us,” Luke says dryly as we make our way out onto the patio near the pool. The tables are shaded by wide, colorful umbrellas and brunch is being served.
“They’re in love. Leave them alone,” Brynna says with a grin.
“How is everyone feeling?” I ask as Mark holds my chair out for me and I pick up my menu. Jax leans over and kisses my cheek, then shoves his orange juice in my hand, which I thankfully consume in two gulps.
The whole clan is wearing sunglasses, which makes me laugh. Except for Logan, who has his trademark thick-rimmed glasses perched on his handsome nose. He winks at me.
“You’re not hung over?” Jules asks in surprise.
“I was a little, but I’m fine now. Nothing a shower and brushing my teeth didn’t fix.”
“And maybe a little sex,” Nic says with a wink. Matt kisses her temple and rubs his hand rhythmically up and down her back.
“So what’s happening today?” Dom asks before stuffing a big hunk of waffle dripping with syrup into his mouth.
“Lazy day,” Will says with a half smile. “I think we’re all recovering from last night.”
“I have a meeting,” Leo says quietly.
“What meeting?” Sam asks with a scowl.
“The guys want to go over a few potential songs for the next album.” He shrugs like it’s no big deal, but Sam is clearly not happy.
“No,” she says and shakes her head adamantly.
“No?” he echoes with a raised brow.
“No. We’re here to celebrate with our family, not to work. You work enough when we’re home.”
“It’s just for a few hours, Samantha.”
We all share glances with each other, quiet as Leo and Sam glare at each other. Mark tenses beside me, so I take his hand in mine and squeeze it reassuringly.
“What is your problem?” Sam finally demands.
“What are you talking about?” He pinches the bridge of his nose and sighs in exasperation.
“You’re moody. You work all the time. You think I don’t feel you pulling away from me?” Her voice is edged with panic now, and Luke looks like he’s about to speak up when Leo’s hand drops and his head whips up to stare at her.
“Are you kidding me? I think we need to have this conversation later, when we’re alone.”
“No, we’re going to have it now. Right here.” She pulls her sunglasses off and throws them on the table. “If you’re trying to break it off, just fucking do it, Leo. This distance from you is killing me.”
“I don’t want to fucking break up with you, Goddamn it!”
“Then what’s wrong with you?”
“I want to marry you!”
We all sit in stunned silence, watching as Sam’s mouth gapes open in surprise.
“You don’t want to get married, I get it.” Now he throws his glasses on the table, and the misery in his eyes brings tears to mine. “You’ve been saying for almost two years that you’re happy with the way things are, and we don’t need a piece of paper to let everyone know that we love each other. Fine.”
He throws his hands in the air, then shakes his head. “I’ll take you any way I can get you, Samantha, and that’s the fucking truth. I love you, every damn day, I love you. I’m never going anywhere. You’re it for me. But I do want to get married.”
“I don’t want babies,” she whispers, her lips barely moving. Leo laughs and shakes his head.
“We’re still on the same page there, these baby making machines are filling this family full of kids just fine without us adding to it, and people get married without having kids every day. But I get it, sunshine. It’s not what you want.”
“But it’s what you want.”
He just nods and clenches his eyes shut. I glance up at Mark to see his eyes riveted on his sister and Leo. The girls around us are sniffling, trying to do so quietly, but doing a bad job of it and all of us are quiet as Sam and Leo have their moment.
“Then let’s do it.”
“What?” Leo’s head whips up again.
“Let’s get married. We’re in Vegas for Christ’s sake.”
“This isn’t funny.” His voice is angry again.
“I’m not trying to be funny.” She’s watching his face and a smile slowly spreads across her beautiful face. “Let’s get married, baby.”
“Why? And if you say because I’m moody and you’re trying to placate me, the answer is fuck no. I already told you, this isn’t an ultimatum.”
“Because I love you, every damn day.” She climbs into his lap and buries her face in his neck. “Because I want you to be happy, and because I’m just with you for your money.”
That makes us all smile and Leo lets out a small laugh then holds onto her tightly, almost desperately.
“Really?”
She nods.
“When?”
“Today.”
His jaw drops and he grips her shoulders to hold her away so he can see her face. “Today?”
“Why not? We’re here. The people we love are here. Even the band is in town. We can do it tonight. Is this why you’ve been so moody? So distant?” She nuzzles his nose with hers and cups his face in her hands.
“I always work a lot.”
***
“Nice of you to join us,” Luke says dryly as we make our way out onto the patio near the pool. The tables are shaded by wide, colorful umbrellas and brunch is being served.
“They’re in love. Leave them alone,” Brynna says with a grin.
“How is everyone feeling?” I ask as Mark holds my chair out for me and I pick up my menu. Jax leans over and kisses my cheek, then shoves his orange juice in my hand, which I thankfully consume in two gulps.
The whole clan is wearing sunglasses, which makes me laugh. Except for Logan, who has his trademark thick-rimmed glasses perched on his handsome nose. He winks at me.
“You’re not hung over?” Jules asks in surprise.
“I was a little, but I’m fine now. Nothing a shower and brushing my teeth didn’t fix.”
“And maybe a little sex,” Nic says with a wink. Matt kisses her temple and rubs his hand rhythmically up and down her back.
“So what’s happening today?” Dom asks before stuffing a big hunk of waffle dripping with syrup into his mouth.
“Lazy day,” Will says with a half smile. “I think we’re all recovering from last night.”
“I have a meeting,” Leo says quietly.
“What meeting?” Sam asks with a scowl.
“The guys want to go over a few potential songs for the next album.” He shrugs like it’s no big deal, but Sam is clearly not happy.
“No,” she says and shakes her head adamantly.
“No?” he echoes with a raised brow.
“No. We’re here to celebrate with our family, not to work. You work enough when we’re home.”
“It’s just for a few hours, Samantha.”
We all share glances with each other, quiet as Leo and Sam glare at each other. Mark tenses beside me, so I take his hand in mine and squeeze it reassuringly.
“What is your problem?” Sam finally demands.
“What are you talking about?” He pinches the bridge of his nose and sighs in exasperation.
“You’re moody. You work all the time. You think I don’t feel you pulling away from me?” Her voice is edged with panic now, and Luke looks like he’s about to speak up when Leo’s hand drops and his head whips up to stare at her.
“Are you kidding me? I think we need to have this conversation later, when we’re alone.”
“No, we’re going to have it now. Right here.” She pulls her sunglasses off and throws them on the table. “If you’re trying to break it off, just fucking do it, Leo. This distance from you is killing me.”
“I don’t want to fucking break up with you, Goddamn it!”
“Then what’s wrong with you?”
“I want to marry you!”
We all sit in stunned silence, watching as Sam’s mouth gapes open in surprise.
“You don’t want to get married, I get it.” Now he throws his glasses on the table, and the misery in his eyes brings tears to mine. “You’ve been saying for almost two years that you’re happy with the way things are, and we don’t need a piece of paper to let everyone know that we love each other. Fine.”
He throws his hands in the air, then shakes his head. “I’ll take you any way I can get you, Samantha, and that’s the fucking truth. I love you, every damn day, I love you. I’m never going anywhere. You’re it for me. But I do want to get married.”
“I don’t want babies,” she whispers, her lips barely moving. Leo laughs and shakes his head.
“We’re still on the same page there, these baby making machines are filling this family full of kids just fine without us adding to it, and people get married without having kids every day. But I get it, sunshine. It’s not what you want.”
“But it’s what you want.”
He just nods and clenches his eyes shut. I glance up at Mark to see his eyes riveted on his sister and Leo. The girls around us are sniffling, trying to do so quietly, but doing a bad job of it and all of us are quiet as Sam and Leo have their moment.
“Then let’s do it.”
“What?” Leo’s head whips up again.
“Let’s get married. We’re in Vegas for Christ’s sake.”
“This isn’t funny.” His voice is angry again.
“I’m not trying to be funny.” She’s watching his face and a smile slowly spreads across her beautiful face. “Let’s get married, baby.”
“Why? And if you say because I’m moody and you’re trying to placate me, the answer is fuck no. I already told you, this isn’t an ultimatum.”
“Because I love you, every damn day.” She climbs into his lap and buries her face in his neck. “Because I want you to be happy, and because I’m just with you for your money.”
That makes us all smile and Leo lets out a small laugh then holds onto her tightly, almost desperately.
“Really?”
She nods.
“When?”
“Today.”
His jaw drops and he grips her shoulders to hold her away so he can see her face. “Today?”
“Why not? We’re here. The people we love are here. Even the band is in town. We can do it tonight. Is this why you’ve been so moody? So distant?” She nuzzles his nose with hers and cups his face in her hands.
“I always work a lot.”
