I stuck my tongue against my cheek to hide my grin. “So you admit it? Your relationship stance is extreme. And now you’re hiding something about the bathhouse, too,” I teased.
Leo barked another laugh. “Hardly. I just took a steam and left. No random men for me today.”
He kicked off from the wall and started toward his car. “Want a ride back to the condo?”
Leo popped the passenger door open on his way, and I jumped in the seat. It had been a while since I had someone who I could joke around with and banter like I could with him. Stefano had been all about sweet compliments and gentle assurances.
Nice, but not quite as much fun.
Not that there was any reason to compare the two of them. “Sorry the bathhouse was disappointing,” I offered as I buckled the seatbelt.
“Who says it was disappointing?” Leo turned the engine and took off with a jump the second I was buckled. “I had a relaxing steam.” He glanced at me with a grin. “Maybe you should check the place out. Explore the joys of the hookup.”
“Kai would definitely disapprove.”
“Hookups aren’t relationships,” he pointed out.
I thought about it more, picking up the line of thought I’d started in the theater again. Although I wasn’t sure Kai would appreciate the difference, he had technically made me promise no new relationships. He’d probably say I was incapable of having sex without trying to start a relationship, but Leo was right.
A hookup wasn’t a relationship.
“It’s just not my style,” I repeated. “I don’t think I could trust a total stranger enough to enjoy it. Do you even get a sense of someone’s personality that way?”
Leo scoffed. “That’s the point. You need a personality for a boyfriend, not a blowjob.”
“I have about a million objections to that. A good blowjob requires a lot of personality.”
A second passed; then we both burst out laughing as Leo rounded another corner. We were nearing the condo, and I realized I was reluctant for the short ride to end.
“If you change your mind, I’d recommend Club Steam. The best in impersonal sex that Pittsburgh has to offer.”
“I’ll hold out.” I sucked in a breath and tried to stop myself from saying more, but the words tumbled out. “Maybe that rare no-strings-attached hookup with a good personality will come my way and convince me to change my mind.”
“With those eyes? I’m sure it’s only a matter of days.”
A blush warmed my cheeks. Leo was such a charmer. I should have assumed his compliments would land just right, and that one definitely hit the spot.
The sleek car rolled up in front of the condo. “I’m sure you’ll have a good hookup come your way, too,” I said with a smile, entertained by the funny conversation. “Besides,” I teased, “you get to live your life free of Kai’s rules. Enjoy it.”
Leo scoffed. “Not totally free.”
I cocked an eyebrow, my hand on the door.
Leo leaned toward me a little. “He told me I’m not allowed to hook up with you,” he confessed, like it was a dirty secret.
I gasped. “Seriously?” But I already could tell that it was true. It was exactly the kind of thing Kai used to do that would annoy me. He’d see a mistake I was about to make, then calmly and coolly do something to prevent it from happening.
Almost always, he was right and ended up saving me a big headache. But it drove me out of my skull that he pulled the strings and went behind my back instead of just talking to me.
And he didn’t actually know. Some of the things that he saw as mistakes could have been amazing for me.
“Don’t get mad!” Leo said quickly, obviously surprised by how upset I was. “I don’t want to stir up drama between you two.”
I shook my head. “No, I won’t start a fight. I’m just annoyed.”
Leo looked pleased. “Yeah, it’s kind of annoying,” he agreed.
I pursed my lips together. My frustration with Kai bubbled up against the very minor crush I was nurturing on Leo. “Anyway,” I said, “Kai doesn’t know what he’s talking about. If I were going to hook up with someone, you would be perfect.”
