Tangled in His Obsession

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After a thorough and, admittedly, invigorating sex, Seraphina finally gave in to the moment's exhaustion. She let herself be cradled by Leandro in the warm embrace of a bubble bath, her body relaxed against his chest as she drifted into a light slumber.

Leandro, with one arm casually draped over the edge of the tub and the other hand gently combing through her damp hair, leaned in and whispered, "Are you satisfied now?"

Caught in the fog of comfort, it took a moment for Seraphina to register his words. "Hm?"

"Weren't you worried I wouldn't be up to the task?" Leandro teased. "Did I meet your expectations for stamina?"

A huff escaped Seraphina before she retorted, "The cologne on your suit is so mature, it has to be the choice of a woman over forty. I was never scared."

Leandro pinched her waist in response, causing Seraphina to yelp and bury herself in his embrace before adding, "I bet it's Aunt Celeste's scent, isn't it?"

Indeed, who else but Celeste Reynolds would be in such close quarters with Leandro and be over forty? It was the only name that came to Seraphina's mind.

Leandro cast his gaze downward and hummed in tacit agreement, choosing not to elaborate further.

That was confirmation enough.

Seraphina fought back a chuckle, then slowly lifted her twisted ankle. "You see, unlike you, who only has his aunt, I had a handsome stranger tend to my foot after I sprained it today."

Leandro's hand suddenly clasped her ankle, inspecting it before looking up. "Oh? What did this handsome stranger look like?"

"Just look on Instagram. He's got the face of that hot new influencer everyone's crazy about. His smile... it's something else," she boasted, but then noticed something amiss.

She tried to wriggle her foot out of Leandro's grip, but it was futile.

"Hey! Let go!" Seraphina protested.

"What's the rush?" Leandro's voice was calm. "Let me check the quality of this young heartthrob's work."

Seraphina couldn't handle the teasing and plunged beneath the water's surface, only to resurface with a splash, dragging Leandro down with her.

It took another couple of hours before the two emerged from the bathroom and returned to the comfort of the bed.

With her hair still damp, Seraphina showed no interest in moving. She handed Leandro the hairdryer and nestled against him.

This was probably the first time Leandro had been tasked with such pampering, but in that moment, he seemed perfectly at ease. Holding the dryer in one hand and supporting Seraphina's head with the other, he blew her hair dry with a gentle warmth.

Basking in the attention, Seraphina's eyelids grew heavier until she was sound asleep.

Once he set the dryer aside and laid her back down, she suddenly laughed, pulling him close. "Mr. Reynolds, not too shabby. Should I tip you?" Leandro just glanced at her and said simply, "Sleep."

She snuggled closer and closed her eyes. The room went dark as Leandro switched off the light, and they lay there together, their breathing soft but awake.

After a long silence, Seraphina spoke again, "Simon went to Summitville today, too."

Leandro had expected there to be more on her mind and calmly acknowledged her statement.

"He even brought flowers to see my dad."

"Mhm."

"He really thinks he's something," Seraphina said with a bite in her voice.

"Was it Simon who massaged your foot?" Leandro's voice remained even.

"No, he had someone else do it. An old family friend. He told them I was his precious daughter... Funny."

Leandro stroked her hair and kissed her temple gently.

"For a moment, I actually felt like he was being a father," Seraphina continued.

"And after that moment?" he asked.

"It felt like it... but he'll never be."

Leandro's hand traced patterns on her back, and he stayed silent.

"Leandro," she called out softly, "don't worry. I'm awake."

"Then sleep," he replied.

She rested her head on his arm but didn't respond. For a moment, Seraphina marveled at how odd it felt. All the unsettled feelings from the day seemed to melt away with just a few words from Leandro. Wrapped in the warmth of their shared bed, she felt a sense of peace.

Once upon a time, this man had been her safe haven, his mere glance or word could calm her soul. And now, improbably, she found herself here once more, cradled in his arms, baring her deepest thoughts.

As reality and the past overlapped, the bygone days of her youth seemed to come rushing back. But she realized, even amidst life's uncertainty, Leandro could still bring her the same comfort.

After some time, Seraphina finally murmured an affirmative, snuggled closer into his embrace, and at last, allowed sleep to take her.