ONE MONTH AGO

The basement club was a seething cauldron of bodies and sound. Sweat-slicked skin gleamed under pulsing lights as the crowd writhed to the thunderous bassline. I pushed through the press of people, drinks held high, searching for our usual spot near the back corner.

On stage, Leon commanded attention like a force of nature. His lean body moved with feline grace, hips swiveling as he prowled from one end of the platform to the other. Glistening strands of chestnut hair whipped around his face as he leaned into the mic, raw vocals tearing through the air. His fingers flew over the guitar strings, coaxing out riffs that sent the audience into a frenzy.

Our eyes met through the chaos. Leon's lips curled into that trademark rakish grin, one dark brow hitching up in silent challenge. My breath caught, a warm flush creeping up my neck that had nothing to do with the stuffy heat of the club. Unbidden, images of the heroes from my novels flashed through my mind - all bearing a striking resemblance to the man on stage.

I shook my head, trying to dispel the thoughts. Leon was my friend, my muse - nothing more. No matter how my traitorous body reacted to his presence.

The final chords of their biggest hit faded into a cacophony of cheers and whistles. Leon slung his guitar over his shoulder, all sinuous grace shattering into swagger as he strode off stage. He made a beeline for me, parting the crowd with his mere presence.

"Enjoy the show, Honeybee?" The low growl of his voice sent a shiver down my spine as he pulled me into a crushing side-hug.

The scent of sweat, leather, and that heady musk that was purely Leon enveloped me. My skin tingled where his bare torso pressed against me, even through the damp cotton of my tank top.

I laughed, giving him a playful shove as we disentangled. "You were on fire up there."

Leon's eyes gleamed with mischief. "Damn right I was. But enough about my talents on display - though you're welcome to explore that topic in greater depth later." He waggled his eyebrows suggestively. "You've got news to spill, don't you?"

"You're so incorrigible, Leon. Have I mentioned that recently?" I groaned, rolling my eyes even as a smile tugged at my lips.

"Only about once an hour, but who's counting?" Leon grinned, slinging an arm over my shoulders as we started moving through the crowd.

I opened my mouth to retort, but a burst of high-pitched giggles cut me off. A cluster of young women had materialized beside us, eyes fixed on Leon with undisguised hunger.

"Oh my god, you guys were amazing out there!" A particularly bold blonde cooed, her gaze raking over Leon's sweat-sheened torso.

"Thanks, darlin'," Leon replied smoothly, that rough charm oozing from every pore. "Glad you ladies enjoyed yourselves."

He squeezed my shoulder, shooting me a sidelong glance full of impish delight. I felt a strange flicker of... something. Not quite jealousy, but a spark of possessiveness I had no right to feel. I smothered it with a silent shake of my head.

Leon's grin widened, apparently sensing my discomfort. "Actually, ladies, you're in luck," he drawled, angling himself half in front of me. "Meet my gorgeous friend Lady Wordsmith here. She writes those hot forbidden love scenes for the New York Times bestseller list, if you catch my drift."

"Leon, what are you-" I started to protest, but it was too late.

The blonde's eyes widened comically. "No way! You're Lady Wordsmith? THE Lady Wordsmith?"

I felt heat creeping into my cheeks as the other girls squealed in delight, phones already raised for selfies. Leon chuckled, clearly enjoying my predicament.

"That's right, you luscious vixens," he crooned. "Bet she'll sign some books if you ask nicely..."

"Oh my god, I'm, like, such a huge fan!" Another girl gushed, latching onto my arm with a vice-like grip. "The way you write is divine! I get so deliciously worked up, the romance, the dashing heroes - I could just dream about them all day!"

"You'll have to excuse my friend's shyness," Leon interjected, his amusement palpable. "The Lady's creative passion is capable of scorching the loins of any woman within reading radius. Though if you're feeling particularly lucky, maybe she'll even dictate a few sizzling lines for you."

"Ignore him, please!" I managed through mortified laughter, gently extricating myself from the overeager fan's grasp. "Leon's just trying to get an obnoxious rise out of me, as usual."

"Always happy to provoke your... passion, Honeybee," Leon murmured in a low aside only I could hear, his voice simmering with wholly unsubtle innuendo.

Heat licked through me entirely against my will, that damnable electric frisson dancing between us with far too much intensity. I swallowed hard, forcing myself to focus on the eager faces of the fans rather than the knowing smirk playing on Leon's lips.

After what felt like an eternity of posing for selfies and scribbling autographs on whatever scraps of paper the fans could produce, we finally managed to extricate ourselves from the adoring crowd. Leon's arm remained draped casually over my shoulders as we made our way to a quieter corner of the club.

"You're terrible, you know that?" I grumbled, though there was no real heat behind my words.

Leon's chest rumbled with laughter against my side. "Come on, Honeybee. You know you love it when I show off your talents."

I shot him a sidelong glance, torn between exasperation and amusement. "My talents? Or my ability to draw attention away from you when you're tired of being mobbed by groupies?"

"Can't it be both?" He flashed that roguish grin that never failed to make my heart skip a beat.

Later, after the concert high and persistent adrenaline faded, I would marvel at how effortlessly Leon could dismantle every rational defense and render me breathless with nothing more than that wicked grin and intoxicating rumble.

Even after the raucous crowd had dispersed and roadies were breaking down the stage, the adrenaline buzz refused to fade. I nursed the last of my beer, unable to tear my gaze away from where Leon stood in the empty space—head bowed, eyes closed as he absentmindedly plucked out a meandering melody on his guitar.

There was something utterly transfixing about witnessing that mercurial transition from frenetic showman to pensive artist. I could practically see the raw embers of inspiration smoldering behind Leon's furrowed brow as his fingers danced effortlessly across the strings.

"You're doing it again," he murmured without opening his eyes, rich voice seeming to reverberate straight through me.

I blinked, startled out of my trance-like reverie. "Doing what?"

One azure eye cracked open to pin me with an inscrutable look. "Studying me like I'm some fascinating specimen under a microscope."

My cheeks flushed hot, though I couldn't resist holding his stare in challenge. "Well, maybe if you didn't embrace every exhausting cliché of the brooding, talented loner, I wouldn't find you so compelling to observe."

The faintest ghost of a smirk carved itself across Leon's lips as his fingers stilled. "Is that so? Then I'll endeavor to be less...stimulating in the future. Wouldn't want to overtax that brilliant mind of yours."

"Please," I scoffed, draining the last of my beer for fortification. "My brilliant mind craves constant creative sustenance. You're just the most convenient subject to critique at the moment."

Leon affected an exaggerated intake of breath, free hand flying to his chest in melodramatic insult. "The lady doth counter with dagger-like forthrightness! Tell me, o rapturous wordsmith, how fares this tragic percussive heart undermined at every turn by thine unrepentant esteem?"

I couldn't withhold the laughter bubbling up at his theatrics, tension seeping from my shoulders. "Oh, shut up and come have a drink with me, you big shakespearan gremlin."

Flashing me a roguish grin, Leon carefully set his guitar aside and sauntered over to my ratty sofa with easy grace. He sank down beside me with a contented sigh, draping one arm casually along the back and angling that smoldering gaze in my direction.

"As the lady demands," he practically purred, snagging the last remaining beer bottle from my grasp and taking an indolent pull. I didn't miss the way his stare drifted boldly over me as he swallowed—a heated sweep that sparked haywire tendrils of awareness dancing across my nerves despite myself.

"So..." Leon drawled at last, low and rumbly in a way that automatically commanded attention. "Are you finally going to divulge this news you've been holding out on?"

I drew in a steadying breath, fidgeting slightly under the searing weight of his stare. "You haven't forgotten already, have you?"

"Forgotten?" One dark brow arched in a silent challenge as the corner of Leon's lips curled into a devastating half-grin. "Oh Honeybee, you wound me! Spill it out and put me out of my misery, would ya?

I took a deep breath, suddenly feeling inexplicably nervous. "Well, I received a letter from the RITA Awards committee. They're... they're considering me as a nominee for Best Romance Novelist Throughout the Years."

For a moment, Leon just stared at me, his usual mask of cool confidence slipping to reveal pure, unguarded pride. "Holy shit, Honeybee! That's incredible!"

Before I could react, he swept me up into a bear hug, lifting me clear off my feet. I let out a surprised laugh, clinging to his shoulders as he spun us around.

"Leon! Put me down, you oaf!" I protested through my giggles.

He set me back on my feet but kept his arms loosely wrapped around my waist. "I knew those steamy tales of yours were bound to get the recognition they deserve eventually."

The sincerity in his voice left me momentarily speechless. I searched his face, finding nothing but genuine happiness for my success. "Thanks, Leon. It... it means a lot coming from you."

Something shifted in his expression then, a flicker of intensity that made my breath catch. "Of course it does," he murmured, his voice dropping to that low, rumbling tone that never failed to send shivers down my spine. "You're a literary force to be reckoned with, and don't you forget it."

The genuine compliment from Leon, usually the king of irreverent banter, left me momentarily speechless. We stood there for a long moment, neither of us moving away. I was acutely aware of the heat of his body, the strength of the arms still encircling me. My heart pounded in my chest, and I found myself wondering, not for the first time, what it would be like to close that last bit of distance between us.

Leon seemed to shake himself out of whatever trance had fallen over us. His signature smirk slid back into place, though his eyes still held that dangerous glimmer. "You know what this calls for, don't you?"

"What?" I asked, curiosity piqued by the sudden mischievous glint in his eye.

Leon's arm casually slung around my shoulders and that heated look flickering in his eyes whenever our gazes met, I sensed another world of possibilities sliding into focus. As he absently traced circles against my bare skin, his throaty chuckle sent shivers ricocheting through me. Where would this intoxicating whirlwind lead, I wondered?

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