Chapter 159: Chapter 159 What happened between us?
Bella stirred in her sleep, her brows softly furrowing as she tried to adjust. Something didn’t feel right—her pillow was too hard. She wrinkled her nose and let out a tiny sigh, shifting her cheek against it. Oddly enough, it was warm... firm... and it smelled really, really good. Like fresh rain and musk and something comforting she couldn’t name.
She snuggled into it again with a sleepy pout, her lips brushing against skin.
Wait—skin?
Her eyes fluttered open slowly, still hazy with sleep. All she saw at first was a blurry stretch of bare skin inches from her face. Confused, she lifted her head slightly and blinked again, trying to focus.
Her heart skipped.
Muscles.
Real, sculpted muscles—taut and warm beneath her cheek.
Her eyes traveled up slowly until they landed on the unmistakable face of Leonardo Moretti, peacefully asleep.
Her heart slammed against her ribs.
She was laying on top of Leo.
And he wasn’t wearing a shirt.
Her mouth parted in silent horror as she slowly sat up, only to realize the black fabric she was wearing... wasn’t her own.
His shirt. She was wearing his shirt.
Her cheeks flushed scarlet in an instant. She looked like a little cherry tomato as her hands flew to her lap, trying to cover herself out of instinct. Her brain was a mess of thoughts and blurry memories, trying to remember how on earth she ended up like this.
"What happened between us?" she whispered to herself, nervously biting her lip. Her brows furrowed in deep thought as she tried to replay last night.
The last thing she remembered was crying in the car. Then Leo holding her. Then... nothing.
She had watched some romantic movies with Scarlett when they were together—just a few scenes Scarlett let her sneak-watch and in most of them, when a girl woke up like this, it meant something... had happened. Something very... adult.
Bella’s face turned even redder.
She’d never really learned about these things. Her uncle kept her from any shows that weren’t cartoons. Her classes were all online. She wasn’t dumb—just terribly inexperienced. All the romantic stuff girls her age knew? Bella skipped over all of that.
She knew kisses... were supposed to be special.
She knew couples... did things beyond kisses.
But what exactly those things were... she only had a vague, scandalous idea.
So sitting like this, on top of Leo—on his bare stomach, in his shirt, while he was asleep...
She was dying from embarrassment.
Meanwhile, Leonardo had been awake the moment she moved.
And the moment he realized where she was sitting and how innocently unaware she looked—he had to physically bite the inside of his cheek to stop himself from reacting.
This damn girl was going to kill him.
Did she not understand what she was doing?
Her soft thighs were pressing into him. Her tiny hands were braced on his abs. Her bedhead curls were falling into her flushed face as she sat on him like she had no idea how dangerous mornings could be for men.
He let out a low breath through his nose, trying to stay calm.
And then—
"What are you thinking about?" he asked, voice rough and deep from sleep.
Bella blinked, startled. Her head jerked down to meet his gaze. His dark eyes were watching her now, completely awake.
She looked down quickly, tucking a piece of hair behind her ear. "I-I was just thinking what happened between us," she mumbled shyly.
Leonardo’s lips twitched, amused despite himself. "You don’t remember?"
Bella’s eyes widened. "Did something... happen?" she whispered.
He sat up slowly, his back leaning against the headboard as he placed his large hands lightly on her waist to steady her. The movement made her shift... lower.
Right onto his hips.
She froze.
And Leo cursed under his breath, gripping her waist harder to stop her from moving. If she kept wiggling like that—
"I-I don’t remember..." she said again, voice very small, looking down at his chest.
And then she felt it.
Something... hard.
She glanced down.
And blinked.
"Um... Leo?" she asked, tilting her head. "There’s something... poking me."
She shifted again.
Leo groaned, a sharp, low sound that made her still.
In the next second, he flipped their positions in one swift motion, his arms caging her underneath him.
Bella gasped, her eyes wide as she stared up at him. His face was close. His jaw tight. His eyes... darker than before.
"Do you even know what you’re doing right now?" he asked, voice deep and low and dangerous in the quiet room.
"I-I’m sorry..." Bella stammered, completely misunderstanding. "I didn’t mean to hurt you. I know I’m heavy. I didn’t realize I sat on you so hard—"
Leo stared at her like she’d just slapped him.
"...Heavy?" he repeated.
Bella nodded, guilt in her eyes. "I-I know I gained weight recently and I was just sleeping and—"
"Bella." His voice was strained. "You’re not heavy. I could carry you with one arm."
She blinked.
"Oh..." she murmured. "Really?"
"Yes. So don’t ever say that again." His tone softened just a little as he hovered above her, brushing a piece of hair from her cheek.
And then he looked down at her—this innocent, clueless bunny who had no idea what she was doing to him...
Bella, still blushing, looked up at him with curious eyes. "Leo?" she whispered.
"Hmm?"
"Did we... really not do anything last night?"
He smirked faintly. "If we did... do you think you’d forget?"
She gasped and quickly covered her face with both hands, squeaking.
"I’m teasing," he said with a low chuckle, leaning down to whisper in her ear. "Nothing happened. You just cried, fell asleep... and snored."
"I did not!" she whined from behind her hands.
"You did," he teased again, watching her face flush deeper.
And for a moment—just a moment—he wished he could freeze time.
Because this morning, with her in his bed and in his shirt, blushing and squirming under him... felt more real than anything else in his life.