Free Live Love Rewind: The Three Lives of Leah Preston by Anne Glynn

forced – to be with me. Wham, bam, thank you, ma’am, and now…
    See you never.
    “I should have stopped after I’d asked for peace on earth,” Leah said.
    Neal cocked his head quizzically. Lifting her hand to his mouth, he kissed it.
    The landscaper wasn’t as young or handsome as the FBI agent but he had some worthwhile qualities. He loved his work, he was loyal, and he was romantic. Moving into the middle years of his life, he remained vital and attractive.
    If all he’d wanted was a sexual playmate, there were dozens of willing candidates at the Skyline Apartments. She’d watched him ignore the flirtatious efforts of any of the tenants who approached him.
    He wasn’t interested in a brief affair. He was seeking something really special, a lifelong commitment.
    Neal might not be the love of my life , she admitted to herself, but he acts as if I might be his. He’ll be with me because he wants to be. It’s the choice he’s making, not a choice that’s been made for him.
    That’s more than I can say about Jon.
    If Neal’s pressing a little too hard for now, that’s okay, too. I’ll tell him he has to take it slow and we’ll both see where it goes from here.
    “Everything outside, I care for,” Neal said. “Inside, Ashley was responsible for things. It’s a small place. Less to clean.”
    He sounded like a salesman, trying to pitch the house’s advantages. Leah said, “It’s perfect.”
    “I’d welcome your company here,” he said, “while we’re courting. If you don’t find it too bold a suggestion.”
    “A little, maybe. We can discuss it.”
    “The room to your left is my bedroom.”
    “And the one across from it?”
    “That would be your bedroom. Would you like to see it?”
    The curved, hand-carved doors had been left open. Leah saw that each room was a twin of the other. They were lightly furnished, with a small single bed placed in the center of the hardwood floor.
    “My bedroom?” she asked. “You mean, during our courtship?”
    “No, no.” Neal’s lips brushed her fingers. “Over time, Ashley and I realized the physical aspect of a relationship was the least important part of it. These days, I don’t have an interest in that kind of thing.”
    “You…don’t?”
    He regarded her warmly. “It’s not a traditional relationship but it might be better in some ways. More spiritual.”
    Leah stared at him. She didn’t have any objection to other people sharing a sexless relationship. Indeed, she believed that marriages could, and did, flourish under such conditions.
    She’d just never expected to be in such an arrangement herself.
    “There you are.” Wiping his feet across the front mat, Jon entered through the open doorway. Freshly shaved, he was dressed in his suit. The lines fell cleanly, unwrinkled despite spending the night on an apartment floor.
    David Boreanaz wishes he looked so good , Leah thought.
    Jon said, “I wondered where you’d gone.”
    Leah pulled her fingers from the gardener’s grip. “How did you find me?”
    “Good thing I work for the FBI.” Jon adjusted the knot on his tie. “Also, it appears there’s an elderly spy in this complex. She uses her binoculars to watch the world around her.”
    “Rita.”
    “She’s not really a fan of yours,” Jon revealed.
    Neal said, “You’re the man who spent the night. Leah’s friend.”
    “More than a friend, I hope.” He pulled her to his body. Leah melted into his kiss, feeling a flush of passion rush through her.
    Jon asked, “See you after work?”
    “Leah has other plans.” Neal’s frown deepened the wrinkles around his mouth. “She’s ready for a steady, regular life. A life with me. She doesn’t want what you have to offer.”
    Jon curled his arm around her waist. “I hope you’re mistaken.”
    Leah remembered her conversation with the Colonel, only a short time earlier: Did the Visitors say how long the symptoms last?
    It ends with release.
    Last night, Jon had attained release,