Love My Friends with Benefits novel Chapter 41

With visiting hours over, I took the elevator towards the first floor, my mind racing over what had just happened.

Had Leonard brought Bell here to get me in trouble? What did Phoebe and Gail have planned for me? What should I do to get away from them...

With a ding, the elevator came to a stop.

I had my head bowed. I wasn't paying attention to my surroundings and walked out of the elevator, not even noticing that this wasn't the first floor.

Suddenly, a pair of arms shot out from the side and wrapped around me.

Shocked, I was about to cry for help when something pressed against my lips and silenced me. A familiar cologne wafted over me.

It was Leonard.

The moment I realised this, my eyes turned red with rage.

"Let me go!" I struggled desperately, kicking and punching him.

...

I managed to stomp on Leonard's foot. He let me go with a scowl. "You lunatic."

He'd done all these things, yet he had the nerve to call me a lunatic?

I raised my head and glared at him. "Let me go, you animal!"

Leonard's eyes turned stormy. "Say that again."

I was so furious that I actually repeated myself. "I said, you're an animal!"

I thought that Leonard would fly into a rage and do something to me here. Unexpectedly, however, he quickly calmed down. "Give me a reason."

I sneered. "How about you going against our deal and bringing Bell to the hospital?"

Leonard smirked. "Is that it? Anything else?"

"This is more than enough!"

I started to struggle furiously again.

However, there was too big of a difference between his strength and mine. He only had to use one hand to subdue me.

"Stop moving, or I'll take you right here and now," he said. "Queena, did you really think that I was trying to push you over the edge?"

I refused to give in. "What else could it be?"

Leonard actually started to laugh. "Silly girl."

His laughter washed over me like a bucket of cold water, immediately extinguishing my fury. I started trying to deduce his objective.

A nurse hurried towards us from behind him, a notebook in her hands. I wanted to let out a yell to attract her attention so that I could get away from Leonard.

"Don't be silly." He seemed to guess what I was thinking and lowered his head, rubbing his nose against mine affectionately. "As I said, I don't mind taking you right here and now."

I knew that this b*stard would definitely act on his threat.

I had no choice but to keep quiet.

The nurse passed by us and blushed at our intimate posture before hurrying away.

I thought woefully to myself, "She probably thinks that we're a couple."

Leonard patiently waited for the nurse to leave before asking me, "Have you had a smooth-sailing life, Queena?"

The fury that I'd barely managed to extinguish was reignited with that one sentence.

"Yes, everything's been wonderful." I let out a disparaging laugh and started counting with my fingers. "When I was six, my mother took her own life and gave up my family for a mistress and an illegitimate daughter. When I was sixteen, the Jones family kicked me out and I had to support myself through university... Compared with your Phoebe, my life's been perfect!"

Leonard didn't seem to hear the mockery in my words. He said indifferently, "I meant when you're doing business. Have you ever fallen prey to those under-the-table rules?"

I was taken aback. Leonard continued, "In reality, our deal has never been equal. I've always been the one in control, and I can end it any time that I want to."

I took a few deep breaths. "So you're ending it now?"

Judging from the way that Bell had left in a huff earlier, he probably wouldn't be here for the time being. In other words, I could come to see Grandma every day, at least for a short while. If so, what was the point of our deal?

"No." Leonard shook his head. "I just wanted to tell you that you've had the wrong mindset all this while."

My mindset?

Wasn't all I wanted a fair deal?

I finally knew what he was getting at. Leonard was using his unique way to mock my naivety.

I gave it some thought and asked him, "Are you still angry over that dish?"

Leonard's expression cooled. "I don't know what you're talking about. Listen up, Queena..."

"I can apologise for that." I cut him off. "Leonard, you owe me an apology for today."

He stopped talking, the frostiness in his eyes almost turning me into ice.

"If you don't want to proceed with this, we can end the deal any time. I'm fine with it." I shrugged fearlessly and broke free of his embrace. "Things like this have always been based on mutual agreement. It's not called a deal if one party isn't consenting."

...

Leonard didn't say anything. He pulled out a cigarette, lit it, and walked to the window.

It seemed that he no longer wanted to speak to me.

I boldly guessed that I'd got him.

"Actually, I've been very satisfied with your performance over the past couple of days." A wave of exhilaration rushed through me. I walked past him and threw him a flirtatious look. "Leonard, your body is much more tempting than you yourself."

I pressed the button for the elevator.

It happened to stop on this floor and the doors opened with a ding.

I was about to walk in when someone caught the belt of my coat.

Leonard pulled me into his arms and gripped me so tightly that I felt like my bones were on the brink of shattering. I almost cried out in pain.

...

After crushing me for a while, Leonard pinned me to the wall and forced my head up. "What's in it for you by provoking me?"

"I... I'm not provoking you."

I sucked in a breath of air and looked at him challengingly. "Or maybe you're trying to tell me that you're terrible in bed?"

No man would be able to accept such an accusation.

He narrowed his eyes. "Queena, do you have a death wish?"

"How can I die before getting to enjoy your and Phoebe's wedding toast?" I scoffed. "Don't worry, Leonard."

He leaned in close to me.

I thought he was going to kiss me forcefully. However, he just brushed his lips against my cheek before lowering his head.

What on earth was he doing?

Just as I was feeling confused, an immense pain came from my shoulder.

Leonard had chomped down on it viciously.