Offlimits, Professor! - Chapter 29

LEO'S POV I held Zoe's hand as I led her up the stairs to my apartment, my heart pounding with every step. After everything we'd been through, after all the secrets and complications, she was finally here with me. "This is it," I said, unlocking the door. "It's not much, but-" "Oh my God, Leo," she breathed, stepping inside. "This is incredible." I looked around my apartment, trying to see it through her eyes. The exposed brick walls, the high ceilings, the large windows that overlooked the city. I'd lived here for five years, but I'd never really thought of it as impressive.

"You really like it?" "Are you kidding? This is like something out of a movie. How do you afford a place like this on a professor's salary?" "I got it cheap when the neighborhood was still rough. Before it became trendy." She walked around the living room, running her fingers along the furniture, stopping to look at the framed photos on my bookshelf. "Is this Elena?" she asked, picking up a picture of me and my late fiancée at a concert. "Yeah." "She was beautiful." "She was." Zoe set the photo down gently and turned to look at me. "Thank you for bringing me here.

For letting me into your space." "Thank you for wanting to be here." The weight that had been pressing down on my chest for months-hell, for years-was finally gone. Ever since I'd told her I liked her at the restaurant, it felt like I could breathe again. The darkness that had been following me around since Elena's death, the sadness that had become my constant companion, had suddenly disappeared. Zoe was my light. My hope. My reason to believe that good things could happen again. I walked over to her and took her hands in mine.

"I need to tell you something." "What?" "I haven't felt this happy in three years. Not since before the accident. You did that, Zoe. You brought me back to life." Her eyes filled with tears. "Leo-" I spun her around, lifting her off her feet, and she laughed-a sound so pure and joyful that it made my heart soar. When I set her down, she was still giggling, and I couldn't help but join in. "I love hearing you laugh," I said. "I love making you smile." We looked at each other for a long moment, and then she stepped closer, rising up on her tiptoes to kiss me.

I met her halfway, my hands finding her waist, pulling her against me. The kiss was soft at first, gentle, but then it deepened. Her hands tangled in my hair, and mine slipped lower on her back. When she made a small sound, a soft moan that shot straight through me, I had to pull away. "Don't tempt me," I said, my voice rougher than I intended. "What if I want to tempt you?" "Zoe-" But she was already walking away, exploring more of my apartment. I followed her down the hallway, watching the way her hips swayed as she moved. "What's in here?" she asked, pushing open a door.