Supreme Mars novel Chapter 67

It was Marie's voice that finally pulled Leo out of his stupor.

"Hello? Earth to Leo? Earth to Leo?"

Leo looked down and saw Marie holding her fist below Leo's chin like she was holding an invisible microphone.

"Mr. Cohen! Mr. Cohen! You're about to share a bed with my sister!" Marie's eyes held a playful glint in them. "What are your thoughts on that?"

Leo rolled his eyes at Marie's antics. "That's enough, Marie. I'm not in the mood for your games." When Marie continued to hold the invisible mic near his chin moments later, Leo sighed. "Look, I don't know, okay? I have no idea what to do."

"Holy shit." Marie's eyes were as wide as saucers. "Seriously, Leo? My sister literally just told you to share a bed with her tonight. And you have no idea what to do?" A playful smirk formed on Marie's lips. "Did you skip Sex Ed in school?"

Leo gave her the stink eye. "I just don't think it's a good idea, that's all." Leo shook his head. "This isn't right."

Marie snorted. "And it's right to leave them to their loneliness? Gee. I can't fault you for that logic right there." Marie's words dripped with sarcasm.

Leo stared at Marie blankly. "Uh... What's wrong with that, exactly?"

Marie let out an exasperated sigh. "You know, for a smart man, you sure are pretty dense when it comes to human interactions, Leo."

Leo frowned. "What's that supposed to mean?"

Marie smiled. "Did you really think Emilia was throwing a tantrum just because she wanted to sleep with both her parents?" Marie arched her brow challengingly.

Leo's brows shot to his hairline. "Wait, you mean she was faking it?"

"I wouldn't say faking it," Marie said, pausing in thought. "More like she has an ulterior motive behind her tantrum."

"What motive?"

Marie rolled her eyes. "She wanted you and my sis to grow closer, duh!" Marie held his gaze. "Kids can tell these things, you know? I bet Emilia noticed the rift between you and my sister and decided to take matters into her own hands."

"That's a little unlikely, isn't it?" Leo looked at Marie skeptically. "She's only five."

"Leo." Marie was looking at him like he was some kind of naive child. "My sis was kicking ass in the international math Olympiad when she was five." Marie snorted. "Emilia is my sister's daughter. She's smarter than you know."

Leo pondered Marie's words in silence. Admittedly, it seemed more and more likely that Emilia's tantrum was part of her matchmaking plans.

"Seriously, Leo." Marie chuckled. "You really are so dense when it comes to relationships." Marie shook her head. "My sis is the same. You're both so damn obtuse."

Leo studied his sister-in-law, waiting for her to continue. Seconds later, she did. "You were gone for five years, Leo. And then, all of a sudden, you, a complete stranger, just reappeared in Lydia's life." Marie sighed. "And yet she accepted you." Marie levelled a serious gaze at Leo. "She did it because of Emilia. You and your infinitely dense brain might not know this, but Emilia is the glue between you and Lydia. She's the foundation of your marriage. Without Emilia, your marriage would fall apart because there's nothing holding it together."

Leo sighed and shook his head.

"Let me ask you something, then." Marie looked at Leo until she was sure she had the man's attention. "Think back to all your interactions with my sister. Does it feel like you're a married couple?"

Leo shook his head.

"Now that won't do, will it?" Marie gave him a sad smile. "Also, married couples share the same bed." Marie stepped forward and patted Leo's shoulder. "You should think about what I've said, Leo. You're gonna have to do better than this if you want to win my sister's heart, okay?"

"Roger that," Leo said with a nod. A moment later, he didn't think that was enough to express his gratitude towards Marie, so he clicked his heels together and gave Marie a salute. He was a soldier, after all. This was the best way he could think of to show his respect. And in all honesty, this all felt like he was about to go on another mission, like he was about to charge into a hail of bullets, except this time, he wasn't doing it for his country—he was doing it for his heart, and for the woman he loved. "That's right, Leo Cohen," he thought. "There's no going back now. Time to forge on and get this done." A smile formed on his lips when he suddenly remembered a famous saying by Captain Farragut that conveys his sentiments perfectly: Damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead!

Squaring his shoulders, Leo marched up the stairs and headed towards his personal battlefield. Outside the master bedroom, he paced back and forth, taking one calming breath after another until he felt confident enough to reached for the door handle.

Lydia and Emilia were already in bed when he walked in, both dressed in their sleepwear—Lydia in a pale violet silk night gown and Emilia in a pair of Pikachu pajamas—waiting for him to join them.

"Daddy!" Emilia beamed at Leo from the bed and began patting the spot beside her. "Over here! Over here!"

Leo stood at the foot of the bed, studying Lydia's face for any signs of resistance to Emilia's request. When he saw none, Leo walked around to the other side of the bed and lay down.

Technically, this didn't count as him and Lydia "sleeping together."

After all, Emilia was cushioned between them.

"Daddy? Will you tell me a story?" Emilia was giving him puppy dog eyes again, which he found utterly irresistible. "I'm sleepy, but I want to hear a story from you."