Page 12 of Legacy
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“This is amazing!” I scooped more cream into my mouth with my fingers. The little place, with its plastic tablecloths and faded sign above the door, wasn't a cafe at all. It was a bakery. A bakery that apparently served the best cream cakes I had ever tasted. I had already scoffed down two and was eyeing up my third by the time Legacy had finished his first.
“I told you.” Reaching across the table, he touched the corner of my mouth with his finger. It came away with a dot of cream on it. “Think you missed this bit.”
Leaning forward, I closed my lips over the tip and sucked the tiny bit of cream into my mouth. Across the table from me, Legacy’s eyes widened, and I froze as the realisation of what I had just done hit me.
“Fuck.” He breathed the word as if it were a prayer..
With a wet pop, I pulled away. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to do that. It just kind of happened.”
“I don’t mind.”
Legacy’s voice was so quiet that I barely heard him. Staring at him, I didn’t know what to say. He didn’t say anything, and that just made it worse.
Guilt made a tight knot in my chest. It wasn’t because I found Legacy attractive. I had always thought he was good-looking. A woman would have to be blind to think otherwise.
“It doesn’t mean anything,” he added, but his words just seemed to make it worse.
Because it did mean something. My reactions to him meant I was lusting after the one man who should be out of bounds. And the way he was looking at me told me he might just be feeling the same way.
What was wrong with me?
“I should go.” I stood so suddenly that the chair I had been sitting on fell backwards with a clatter. Just another thing for me to be embarrassed about. “I’m sorry, I…”
Legacy grabbed hold of my wrist, stopping me in my tracks. Lifting his eyes to mine, he smiled sadly. “It’s okay, Kate, really, it was an accident. It doesn’t mean anything. Just sit down. I'm enjoying spending time with you.”
“Well, isn’t this a fortunate coincidence?” A smooth voice spoke out from behind me. The bakery door was open, so I hadn’t even heard anyone come in until they had spoken. I froze, and a trembling started in my fingers, sweeping its way up my arms and down my body until I stood shaking in place.
“I was told you were looking for me and here you are.”
Legacy pulled me towards him. His eyes never left mine. His chin jerked towards my chair with a silent command, and I stumbled to obey. Sticking my hands under the table, I clasped them so our unwelcome visitor wouldn’t see them shaking uncontrollably.
“Tristan.” Legacy nodded his head while kicking his long legs out, so his boot grazed my ankle. “I was and here I am.” Legacy’s voice was easygoing, relaxed, as if they were two old friends catching up, but his face wasn’t friendly. It was the complete opposite of friendly.
“I’m assuming you got my message. Do we understand each other?”
Tristan cocked his head to the side. “See, I would love to help you out, friend. I really would.”
I paled as he turned his eyes on me. “But—”
“There is no ‘but’, Tristan. Any debt they owe I will cover.” Legacy’s voice was like iron, cold and hard.
Tristan shook his head and the smile on his face reminded me of the smile he had on his face when he had slammed the door shut behind me.
“I’m sure we could come to some arrangement, Legacy. Watching her suck that cream from your fingers…” Tristan whistled through his teeth. “I want a piece of that. I already know she’s got a mouth on her and it looks like it feels good. Does it? Is it warm and soft, the perfect place for a cock?”
His words were crude. Disgusting.
“Anyway, fair is fair. I’ve tasted her cream on my fingers. It seems fitting she gets to taste mine down her throat.”
Legacy made a sound like a charging bull and threw himself out of his chair. He hit Tristan like a rugby player, slamming the smaller man down with little resistance. And his fists were already pummelling the smile from Tristan’s face before his head had hit the ground.
“You will not touch them!” Over and over again, he hit him. “She is not yours to touch.”
“Legacy, stop.” I stumbled out of my chair. Tristan deserved this. He deserved worse, but I couldn’t let Legacy beat a man to death. I couldn’t cope with the guilt. This was all my fault.
“Legacy, stop,” I said again. “Please?”
