Total pages in book: 159
Estimated words: 149148 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 746(@200wpm)___ 597(@250wpm)___ 497(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 149148 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 746(@200wpm)___ 597(@250wpm)___ 497(@300wpm)
Pretend that he loved Bobby?
It felt like a terrifyingly easy thing to do, and that was what made Leandro uneasy.
Chapter Eight
LEANDRO DID HIS BEST to ignore all the looks that were directed his way as he entered the library wearing his new pair of fake eyeglasses. It was a Saturday morning, and the place was empty except for a few students and the library staff. All of them were looking at him, making Leandro feel ridiculously self-conscious. It was damn ironic, the way he had nerves of steel when it came to underground races, and yet the prospect of Bobby seeing him like this gave him a sense of trepidation.
He adjusted his glasses as he started walking in between shelves, his gaze absently roaming the stacks of books lining each layer. He still had a hard time believing that he had indeed taken Priscilla up on her suggestion and went ahead with buying himself glasses.
“Leandro?”
He looked up, unable to believe what he was hearing.
It was her.
Goddammit, it was her and he was wearing his glasses.
He almost whipped them off but stopped himself from doing so by digging his hands into his pockets.
Bobby was staring at him.
It was his first time to see her in more than a week, and his eyes devoured every inch of her hungrily. Bobby had on her usual combination of large shirt and jeans, and looking at her, all he could think about was tearing her shirt away and getting his hands on her bountiful breasts.
When she still didn’t speak, his tension grew, and he wondered if it was because she was trying to find the nicest way to tell him that he looked like shit.
She opened her mouth and he stiffened, telling himself that he would not snap at Bobby if she ended up insulting him in the face.
“Have you been wearing glasses for long?”
That was what she was going to ask? Just that?
As Bobby waited for Leandro’s answer, she couldn’t help greedily taking her fill of him. He was so beautiful it just wasn’t funny, the way he made her feel so dreadfully ordinary next to him. Like her, he was no fashion plate. Except for the night of the party, he seemed to like dressing himself casually in shirts and jeans, something she secretly found really sexy about him.
Most men tried to boost their confidences with stylish clothes, to the point that they ended up looking like overgrown peacocks. But Leandro Christopoulos was different. Even when dressed simply, there was no hiding the aura of danger that surrounded him. It was so powerful it felt like a part of Leandro, something he would never get rid of even if...even if he was, like now, wearing glasses.
When Leandro didn’t answer her question, she asked awkwardly, “I didn’t know you wore glasses.”
He deliberately stayed silent, seeing that Bobby was more prone to talk and maybe even reveal more of herself if he didn’t speak.
Bobby clasped and unclasped her hands, needing something to concentrate on so she wouldn’t end up giving in to her instincts and that was to...well, to throw herself at Leandro and tell him how much she had missed him.
She colored at the thought.
Looking back at Leandro, she could see the wariness in his gaze and her heart softened as she realized one thing. “You’re embarrassed about your glasses, aren’t you?”
Leandro just shrugged. She knew she had guessed right...and that meant she had misjudged him in many ways. It touched her, the way Leandro was so sensitive to criticism like her that he had decided to hide behind a disguise. Sarcasm had been her defense while his had been arrogance. Someone this sensitive couldn’t have possibly seen her only as a challenge and meant to play with her just to while the time away. Right?
When Leandro adjusted his glasses the third time in the past five minutes, Bobby’s heart skipped a beat. That was a sign of unease, of nervousness – emotions that made one vulnerable, and which she would never have thought applicable to Leandro Christopoulos.
Bu apparently, she was wrong about him over a lot of things.
She said stiltedly, “I’m sorry. I just realized I misjudged you and never really let you explain.”
The words stunned Leandro. Never had he dreamt she would apologize to him so suddenly!
He said carefully, “I don’t blame you for thinking the same things others would have probably thought.”
“Don’t.” Bobby felt even more miserable at Leandro’s nice words. “I know when I’m the one who messed up, and this time I did mess up so I’m sorry. I was wrong to assume so many things – like how you only saw me as a challenge and that you didn’t really care about how I felt while you were gone. I thought you deliberately kept me in the dark because you were subconsciously teaching me who’s the boss between us.”