Sadie checked her phone when she got back to her room. There were some new photos from Mandy. She was having the time of her life, though Sadie no longer felt the piercing disappointment now. Rather, she was glad that her little girl was so happy – even if she wasn’t there to share it first hand. Course, it didn’t hurt that Mandy had told her how much she missed her the previous night and told her she wished she was there too. That made her feel better, but altogether Sadie was no longer frustrated by the situation. No, she was strangely serene and even hopeful about the future. Though, she couldn’t deny just a little concern over what would happen when the two weeks were up. A worry for another day.
Her phone started ringing, and on seeing Mandy’s ID, she eagerly snapped it up, keen as always to talk to her.
“Baby, how are you?” she asked eagerly. There was silence on the other end of the phone. “Baby?”
“Who is he?” asked a cold voice.
Sadie went cold. “Al, where’s Mandy? Why are you using her phone?”
“She’s fine – she’s with Karen,” he replied curtly. “Who is he?”
“Al, you really shouldn’t…”
“Who. Is. He.” He repeated the words slowly and a frostiness that would give Mr. Freeze a run for his money.
Sadie took a deep breath. “I don’t see that…”
“Mandy said you had a new boyfriend,” he sneered.
“I never said that,” she protested.
“He better not be someone I know,” he hissed.
“Al…” she tried in a reasonable tone.
“You’ll regret this. I’ll make sure he regrets ever touching you, too.”
He hung up, and Sadie stared at her phone, shaking slightly. She supposed it was a conversation she was going to have with him eventually. No matter what, she was always going to start dating – it had just happened a lot sooner and in a much weirder way than expected.
She wasn’t surprised by the threat – not really. He’d told her she would regret a lot of things in the time she’d known him. Like the time she had determinedly gone out to see Gina without his permission to leave the house. Or the time that she served him with divorce papers. She didn’t regret either of those things yet. But, he had threatened Lorenzo…
Sadie scrolled through her contacts until she found Lorenzo – he had programmed his number into her phone, just in case. Within three minutes, she had called him, and he was knocking up a storm on her bedroom door.
She hurled it open and then hurled herself into his arms. He muttered soothing platitudes as he walked into the room, Sadie wrapped herself around him. He dropped onto her bed, with Sadie settled on his lap.
“What happened?” he demanded.
“I’m sorry,” she said, feeling a little foolish. She knew Al was just a bully and she was letting him bully her – she should just ignore him.
Succinctly, she told him what happened.
Lorenzo was stony-faced. “I won’t let him hurt you,” he growled.
“It’s you I’m worried about!” Lorenzo looked a little confused. “Remember the story of the courier! He broke that boy’s jaw just because I let him in the house and gave him water. Imagine what he would do to you knowing I had been holding your hand and kissing you and having sexy dreams about you!”
“You’ve been having sexy dreams about me?” he asked, frankly delighted.
“Ugh! Focus!”
Sadie pushed away from him and got to her feet. He watched her as she paced up and down.
“Aren’t you worried?”
“Not for myself – I’m pretty resilient.” He gestured to his scars, and she let out a little sound of dismay.
“Oh, Lorenzo…”
He stood and held out his hands to her. Sadie grasped them.
“I’m going to be fine,” he murmured reassuringly. “We are going to be fine.”
“What about when the two weeks is up?” she asked hesitantly.
Lorenzo smiled. “Yeah, I’ve been thinking about that.”
“Have you?” she whispered, fearful of what was about to come.
She found her heart twisting. The idea of never seeing Lorenzo again loomed large, and it suddenly seemed like the second worst thing that could ever happen to her. The number one spot belonged to something ever happening to Mandy.
“Yeah, I don’t know where you stand with your ex, but I was thinking that maybe, I…”
He looked uncertain, and she found herself desperately impatient to hear what he had to say.
“That I… ah…”
“What? What? What is it?!” she snapped, “Spit it out!”
“That I could come and stay with you in Los Lobos.”
Sadie gaped at him in surprise. “You would want to come to Los Lobos?”
“Well, yeah, if you, you know wanted that. I mean I’ve spent my whole life in the leap, so I might be pretty useless out there in the real world.”
“Lorenzo,” she cooed, pulling him down for a long, lingering kiss.
He chuckled as she finally let him up for air. “Do you approve of that plan?”
“Yes,” she breathed in happiness before worry took over again. “But, Al, he…”
“Shhh.” He brushed his lips over hers. “Honey, you’re meant to be mine. He’s not going to stop us being together.”
“No,” she agreed, in spite of her misgivings.
Her hands slipped from his grasp, and she ran them over his chest.
His shuddered and let out a small growl. “You are so beautiful,” he murmured, kissing her jaw.
She smoothed her hands over his shoulders. “So are you.”
He laughed, his large body vibrating against her. “Sure.”
“You are. You are so beautiful to me,” she crooned as he placed butterfly kisses on her face. “Do you think you aren’t because of your scars? You’re so wrong. I wouldn’t change a single thing about you.” She thought about it for a moment. “Well, other than this obsession you have with hiking.”
Lorenzo shook with laughter.
“Stay with me tonight?”
He pulled back slightly to look at her, his eyes shimmering with lust. “Yes,” he murmured.
She almost shivered in delight. How long had it been since she had felt such unadulterated want? Such need for a man? She couldn’t ever remember feeling like this. This was something new, something wonderful.
Sadie unbuttoned his shirt, kissing the inches of skin she unveiled. His questing lips moved over her neck, nipping and sucking at her skin. She finally reached the last button, unveiling his firm, hard chest. She ran her fingers over his muscles, delighting in the beauty of his body. But oh, she wanted more.
Her fingers ripped at his jeans, and suddenly there wasn’t enough time, they weren’t moving quickly enough. As she pulled at his clothes, he tore at hers. They were a whirlwind of jeans, shirts, socks, and underwear until they were standing before one another stark naked. Sadie took a moment to enjoy the sight before her. The large, hard body, so taut and sleek was the most divine thing she had ever seen. But the thing that turned her on the most had to be the look on his face – the desire, the affection – it was stunning.
His member was thick and hard, and she wanted to taste him, wanted to show him how much he turned her on, how sexy she found him. Sadie dropped to the ground and engulfed him. He stiffened in surprise and let out a hearty roar. She wrapped her hands around him as she suckled at him.
She took him in her mouth as far as she could, laving him with her tongue, before releasing him to the tip and taking him again. Lorenzo’s hands balled into fists at his sides as he struggled to maintain control. He let out small groans and growls as the release mounted within him, as he desperately tried to keep still while she took him with her mouth.
Lorenzo may look at himself and see only the scars, but they were nothing to her. The first time she saw him, she knew there was something special, knew he wasn’t like other men. Her eyes flickered to his. They were swirling with gold, with unspent passion. His manhood was growing hotter and bigger in her mouth. She could feel him reaching for his release. Could feel his need to release, and she wanted that – wanted to taste him, to take him every way she could.
“Sadie,” he hissed in warning.
But she wouldn’t let go. She tightened her mouth around him, and he growled as lightning shot through his body, and he released into her mouth. His hips jerked, pressing himself further into her mouth, but she wouldn’t let go, merely kept her mouth around him swallowing his essence, savoring the taste.
Lorenzo panted as his body settled to a series of soft trembles. He unfolded one of his fists, and gently sifted his fingers through her hair.
“Sadie,” he repeated, but rather than a plea, it was a coo of affection.
Finally spent, she freed him and smiled up at him. “You see how beautiful you are to me?” she asked softly. “You see what you inspire in me?”
Lorenzo growled. “Let me show you what you inspire in me.”
He bent down and pulled her into his arms. Eagerly, she wrapped her arms and legs around him. Her drenched sex, so aroused by what she did to him, rubbed against his hardening member.
He pressed her body against the wall, pinning her with his hips. His mouth covered hers. She moaned and mewled as he plundered her mouth and she felt his thickness throbbing against her heat, so tantalizingly near. Her own sex wept for his, desperately wanting to feel him inside, to clutch at him and feel the heavenly pleasure she was sure only he could give her.
She wriggled her hips, trying to take him, trying to get him to move, but he didn’t budge, merely teased her with his growing presence. His hands found her ass, massaging her flesh as his tongue massaged hers.
Sadie ripped her mouth away from his. “Lorenzo, please,” she begged.
His lips curled into a smile as he shifted, pressing himself inside her. Sadie shuddered around him. Oh, it was more glorious than she ever imagined. He was so hot and hard and perfect. Sadie clenched her inner muscles, delighting in the jolts of pleasure she received and the way Lorenzo trembled.
“Mine,” he let out on a groan.
Oh, she couldn’t argue with that. She barely knew him, and yet she knew she was his just as he was hers. She’d known he was special the moment she saw him, she hadn’t understood why, but she knew it. Knew that somehow he was going to be important to her.
Lorenzo slowly drew back, dragging himself out of her before plunging inside again. He thrust in and out of her, making her pant and keen in ecstasy.
“Harder,” she breathed, wanting him to take her as fiercely as she needed him.
“I don’t want to hurt you,” he ground out.
“You won’t,” she promised, clutching at his shoulders, trying to push herself against him.
Lorenzo let out a roar that made her who body quake. He seemed to grow even larger as he started driving himself inside her with a ferocity she never thought possible. Her body screamed in pleasure as an orgasm swept through her, but Lorenzo didn’t stop.
As Sadie dissolved into trembles, he just took her with harder, more forceful thrusts. One hand cupped her ass, his fingers digging into her almost punishingly, while his other hand delved between them, seeking and finding her clit. Sadie gasped as he stroked her swollen nub.
“Come for me,” he growled.
“Yes,” she panted as another release started rocketing through her, this one even more powerful than the last.
Her body shuddered violently as she cried in both relief and bliss. Her body jerked around him, dragging his climax from him. Lorenzo howled in completion and trembled inside her. They clung to one another, their heartbeats racing as they came down from their wonderful sensual high.
Sadie kissed his neck and smiled in happy, tired joy. “And you thought hiking was the most fun we could have together,” she teased.
Lorenzo laughed and walked them over to the bed. They fell asleep, entwined in one another’s arms.
“You really don’t have to come with us,” repeated Lorenzo.
“It’s no trouble at all,” repeated his dad in a forced, jolly voice.
“No trouble,” echoed his mom quietly. “We just wish to help.”
Sadie smiled and squeezed his hand again. His dad was driving them back to Los Lobos. They were in the back of his truck, holding hands and stealing touches. Or at least he was trying to – Sadie kept slapping at his hand when he got a little too forward.
His mom had taken it quite well that he was moving to Los Lobos for a while. His mom wasn’t given to histrionics or emotional blackmail. She was very accepting of everything; it was just that she was such a sweet and kind creature that all her sons and daughters in law went out of their way to ensure they didn’t disappoint her.
He and Sadie had talked, and while they weren’t sure what was going to happen with her ex and Mandy, they would stay in Los Lobos until things were more settled. He knew he would prefer to live with the leap on Honey Blossom Mountain, and Sadie knew that too. He also got the feeling that Sadie wouldn’t mind living there, but ultimately, it was what Mandy needed that would come first, and both of them could accept that.
Sadie had spoken to Mandy daily and had given her daughter a few tidbits of information about Lorenzo. In that, he existed, and his name was Lorenzo. She had also sent her a snapped pic on her phone for her to see. He’d never been so worried about his hair until Sadie took that pic of him. Mandy apparently couldn’t wait to meet him. He was a little nervous about that, but Sadie insisted her daughter would love him.
Her ex hadn’t called again, and he was glad of that. He wanted to discourage contact between the two of them. The male wouldn’t be allowed to bully or hurt Sadie in any way again. His jaguar growled in agreement.
Possibly the thing that concerned him most about moving to Los Lobos was what he would do for work. He would need to earn money, but wasn’t sure what he could do. In the leap, work was always found for its members, no matter what, there would be a job available. He had spent his adult life working as an enforcer within his leap, but what would that mean outside the leap? Very little he suspected. But, his prime, Roberto, had said he would speak to people he knew to see if there was anything they could do – he was thinking of some kind of security job, and that would probably suit him.
“Just the next left,” said Sadie, directing his dad. “And here it is,” she said with a sigh.
His dad let out a snarl as he saw the ugly, dirty building. She didn’t live in a great neighborhood.
“What’s wrong?” asked his mother.
“Uh, nothing,” replied his dad quickly.
Lorenzo looked at the familiar building. The last time he saw it, he was kidnapping her and had hoped he was taking her to a better life. It didn’t quite work like that, but maybe she did think her life was better for having him in it.
“It’s not much,” admitted Sadie. “Money’s been tight, and Al has hardly been generous.”
Lorenzo and his jaguar huffed. Yeah, he was probably trying to starve her to come back to him. Thankfully, Sadie was made of sterner stuff.
“It’ll be fine for a night or two,” said Lorenzo. “We can look for somewhere else.”
Sadie raised an eyebrow before nodding in agreement. Roberto had given him a generous amount of money to ensure he could afford to buy essentials before he started working. Lorenzo considered it was essential that he get his mate and her daughter out of this flea-ridden dump. Okay, he didn’t know it was flea-ridden – he just assumed. So, yeah, he considered it essential that he get his mate and her daughter out of this probably flea-ridden dump.
His dad parked the car and helped his mother out.
“We’ll just grab the bags,” said Lorenzo, “and you can be on your way.”
“Nonsense,” said his mother, “I can’t wait to meet my granddaughter.”
Mandy was due back in a few hours – they had timed their arrival to make sure they were home for her.
“Uh, Mom…”
“Unless,” she bit her lip, “you don’t think it’s appropriate, Sadie? If it’s too soon, we can leave and meet her another time.”
His dad threw Sadie a pleading look. One of the things that mediated the idea that her youngest son might be moving permanently away was the fact that she was also gaining a granddaughter.
“I’m sure she’d love to meet you,” said Sadie kindly.
Lorenzo left his dad to pull all the bags out and took her aside. “Thank you for that,” he murmured and nuzzled her.
His jaguar inhaled the scent of her, shuddering happily, and he licked the skin of her neck where hopefully one day he would place his bonding mark.
“Mmm, as much as I like being thanked like this, I didn’t say it for your mother, I do think Mandy would like to get to know them. My mother won’t talk to me anymore and has no interest in meeting Mandy, and Al’s parents are dead. She’s never had grandparents; I’m sure she’d love some.”
“They’ll spoil her rotten.”
Sadie snickered. “That’s why I’m sure she’ll love them.”
They cuddled, ignoring his dad’s hearty chuckles.
“C’mon,” she murmured reluctantly, “I want to bake some oatmeal raisin cookies for when Mandy gets home – they’re her favorites, and I was hoping your dad could help me.”
Lorenzo smiled. “He’d love that; he has about five different recipes.”
“See, how could Mandy not love them?”
He grunted in agreement, hoping she would love him too.
*
Sadie waited at the window, constantly scanning the street for Al’s car. For the first time in a week she wished she had a cigarette. The better things got with Lorenzo, the less she craved them. Not even after sex, and she and Lorenzo had been spending as much time as possible between the sheets…
She was caught between excitement at seeing Mandy and dread at seeing Al. He hadn’t called her again, but silence with Al spoke volumes. When he was mad, he was loud. When he was outright livid, he was eerily quiet, and she knew that her dating someone else was definitely an outright livid thing.
She hadn’t told Mandy much about Lorenzo; she wanted Mandy to meet him and get to know him herself. But also, she knew that whatever she said would be repeated to Al, and the less he knew, the happier she would be.
She tapped her foot impatiently. They were supposed to be there an hour ago. She supposed the flight could have been delayed, but on checking online, it appeared to be on time. She had tried calling Mandy, and even Al, but both phones went straight to voicemail. Perhaps they were caught up at the airport…
Lorenzo was currently trying to watch TV, but he was even edgier than Sadie and kept switching channels. Lorenzo’s dad was cooking dinner, happily engrossed in the kitchen, while his mom was reading a book and occasionally reading funny lines out loud. His mom was actually an English teacher – she taught at the leap school, and one of her daughters in law assisted when it came to things like reading the assignments she set. She was total bookworm, and so was Mandy. She had told Lorenzo’s mom this and she was virtually itching to talk books with her new granddaughter.
Finally, her phone started ringing, and she leaped at it.
“Hello! Hello!” she nearly shouted into the receiver. Lorenzo jumped up and stood beside her, his arm around her waist.
“It’s Al,” said her ex curtly.
“Thank goodness,” exclaimed Sadie, “is Mandy okay?”
“Of course,” he said in a matter of fact way. “She’s waiting for you to collect her.”
“She’s…” Sadie growled in frustration, and Lorenzo raised his eyebrows. Al did this all the time after she first left him. They’d agree as to when and where she would collect Mandy and then he would do the complete opposite.
“Al, you were supposed to drop her at home.”
“She is at home,” he hissed. “My home – our home!”
Lorenzo let out a low rumble and Sadie breathed in and out, trying to control her temper.
“It’s fine,” she said softly. “I’ll come and collect her.” Lorenzo narrowed his eyes, and she shrugged helplessly.
“Whatever,” he grumbled and hung up.
Sadie slammed the phone down and sighed.
“He’s a dick,” said Lorenzo in a growl.
“Yes, but this is one of the least annoying things he does. I’ll just go get her and…”
“I’ll come too,” he said immediately.
“No, I don’t think that’s a good idea.”
Lorenzo’s face tightened, and she slipped her arms around his neck. “Sweetie, he’s already pissed. You showing up will only make him worse.”
He opened his mouth to object, and Sadie kissed him, hushing him.
“I don’t care whether he’s pissed or not either, but it’s not about him – it’s about Mandy.”
Sadie gave him a pleading look and reluctantly, he nodded and agreed.
“Fine,” he growled, “but just this once.”
“Just this once,” she murmured.