After dodging Ethan's pointed questions and his knowing smirk back on Neo Novus, I finally make it to Enerion. Just knocking on Leona's hotel room door sends a thrill through me—it's been about a month since I last saw her, every day apart was weighing on me. When the door opens, the first thing I see is Leona wearing one of my shirts. She must have gone through my closet, which only makes my heartbeat pick up even more.
"Hey, Siren," I greet her, my voice softer than I intended. She breaks into a smile that lights up her whole face, and in this moment, I realize how hard it is not to fall in love with her. If every meeting is going to feel like this, I'm not sure how long I can keep my feelings contained.
Without a word, she pulls me inside, shuts the door behind us, and then jumps into my arms. I catch her effortlessly, savoring the way she fits against me. Her scent fills my senses, that intoxicating mix of familiarity and warmth I've missed so much. I bury my face against her neck, taking in everything that's purely her.
"I take it you missed me too?" I murmur, barely hiding the smile in my voice. If Ethan could see me now, he'd never let me live it down. But I don't care. Holding her like this, feeling her heartbeat close to mine—I'd be an idiot not to let myself soak it all in. I tighten my arms around her, not ready to let go just yet.
From my spot, I glance over and spot the bed. With Leona still clinging to me like a spider monkey, I carry her over and sit us both down. She doesn't weigh a thing in my arms, and honestly, I'm more than happy to stay like this. If we were actually together—officially—this would be the part where I'd probably get a very warm welcome, preferably between her long legs. But if this is the closest I get, I'll take it. I'm not complaining one bit.
Too soon, though, she starts to wriggle free, and reluctantly, I let her slip from my hold. I watch her stand in front of me, catching sight of her flushed cheeks and red-tipped ears. Cute doesn't even begin to cover it.
"You acted so nonchalantly," I tease, reaching for her hand and pulling her back toward me by the waist. She resists for a second, but not enough to stop me. She lets herself be drawn back into my arms, and I look up at her.
"I thought maybe you didn't miss me as much as I missed you."
"I didn't miss you," she retorts, her face serious yet playful, which only makes me chuckle.
"Uh-huh," I reply, the grin on my face widening as I press my forehead to her stomach, hiding my smile there.
"I'm serious," she says, clearly trying to hold her ground. "I was just… happy to see you, that's all."
"Oh, definitely. Just happy to see me," I say, drawing out the words and enjoying every second of her obvious fib. Her hands find their way to my hair, fingers gently threading through it, and for a moment, the exhaustion I've been holding at bay starts creeping in. Working overtime to free up time for this trip was worth every late night, but it's catching up to me now.
"My sweet siren," I say with a sigh, letting my head tilt back to look up at her, "I need a shower. I'm exhausted."
"Sure," she murmurs, her gaze softening.
I drag my body to the bathroom, and the cool splash of water finally starts to unwind the knots in my shoulders. But even as I rinse off the fatigue of the past few days, thoughts of Leona stay with me, refusing to fade even for a moment and she's just outside the door.
When I step out, towel wrapped around my waist, she's still in my shirt, curled up on the bed and scrolling on her intercom. She looks up as I enter, and her face brightens in a way that sends a warmth through
me that no shower ever could.