As she pulled back, teasing warmth returned to her voice. "And I was joking. You are stupid only sometimes." She paused deliberately. "And you are handsome most of the time."
Leo looked at her, and the shadows in his eyes slowly faded, replaced by pure, unfiltered amusement. A laugh escaped him, low and rough from disuse but completely genuine. "You thought I was sad because you called me stupid?" he asked, his shoulders shaking slightly with quiet laughter. Oh, his Bella. His wonderfully unexpected Bella.
Bella shook her head quickly, but a soft pink blush spread across her cheeks anyway, betraying her. Flustered, she looked away for a moment, suddenly very busy adjusting a cushion that was already perfectly straight and perfectly aligned.
Leo just watched her quietly. The blush spreading across her skin. The way she bit her lower lip to stop herself from smiling too much. His heart thudded hard and heavy inside his chest, loud in the quiet living room.
