The Rich and Scandalous

(25)How Scandalous [Part 2]

Grabbing Leigh by her wrists, he brought her to a standing position. With her neck craned upward to peer at him, he could see the full extent of her anxiety. Her cheeks were stained red and moist with tears. Her nose was an irritated hue, with her eyes were swollen like a cotton ball placed in water.

Bringing both hands towards her face, he used his thumb to wipe away the tears from both of her eyes. His fingers—although calloused—brushed across her face lighter than a feather blowing in the breeze. Leigh closed her eyes at his touch, relishing the warmth of his embrace. Somewhere down the line, every fiber in her body started to depend on their proximity. His presence consumed her. His natural musk surrounded her and filled her lungs wholeheartedly. It was suffocating and intoxicating at the same time.

"I'm sorry," his voice was soft as he spoke those words. Leigh's eyes slowly opened, finding his yet again. "I overreacted—"

"No," Leigh interrupted, feeling a need to cut his apology off with an apology of her own. "You had every right to be angry; I should have never blackmailed your mother." He shook his head at her, dropping his hands and backing up from her.

He was dressed in a nice tuxedo the shade of the sky at midnight. His hair was slicked back, the first time Leigh had actually seen his hair anything but rowdy and untidy. He rubbed his chin, turning his back on her as he paced the floor.

"I wasn't mad at you," he began, his voice sounding exhausted. "I was mad at myself." Leigh made a face, indicating how confused she was.

"What do you mean?"

"Before I came into your life," he started, "You were this morally righteous person," he explained. "I can almost guarantee that you would have never even thought of blackmailing someone before you met me."

"It's not your fault that I blackmailed Janice—"

"Yes it is!" he snapped, his voice growing higher. "This is what I do, taint everything that's good in my life. I was so afraid to admit this the other day that I left you alone for two whole days knowing that you're going through a lot."

"Jason," Leigh said, slowly walking to him and grabbing his hands. "I'm not the only one who found out some disturbing news that day. You found out your parents used over half of your inheritance, your father cheated on your mother, and on top of that you and Nora could be sisters." She paused, her bottom lip trembling slightly. "That would make us—"

"Nothing," Jason interrupted. "Just because Nora may be my sister doesn't change anything. You and I aren't blood relatives—"

"But, we share a sister!" Leigh squeaked. "How weird is that?" Jason sighed, pulling Leigh close and closing the distance between them. His lips were on hers, soft and passionate as he slid his tongue into her mouth. His hands dipped low, going to her thighs and trailing upwards sensually before he could grip her hips and lift her up.

Unconsciously, Leigh's legs wrapped around his hips. She felt the urge to deepen the kiss—to remove all boundaries that kept them apart. All too so, Jason broke away.

"Does this," he began, stopping to peck her lips quickly, "feel weird to you?" Leigh blushed, every inch of her body screaming at her to answer honestly.

"No," she said truthfully. She felt out of breath, but then again, that's always how she felt with Jason. It was a thrill to be with and he made her feel as if she was always standing on the edge of a cliff. But, instead of being frightened, she was eager to take that next step. She wasn't too scared to fall because a part of her knew that he would be there to catch her every time, as cliché as it sounded.

"Being with you is the only thing that's ever felt right to me," he stated confidently. "And I don't care what circumstances change, I'm not going to let the fact that you and I share a sister tear us a part." He grabbed her chin gently, forcing her to look him directly in the eyes. "I won't lose you. I love you, so much, and right about now that's the only thing I'm sure about."