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Suspicious Minds by Elizabeth Reyes (2)


 

 

Lorenzo

Since the night at the emergency room with Linda over six months ago, Lorenzo had lost track of all the meaningless romps he’d had to try and numb the anger. It worked well enough, but the numbness was always only temporary. He was past the pain finally, but he’d since accepted he’d never get over the rage he still felt over Linda’s betrayal. He was actually angrier with himself now for getting so caught up with Linda and ignoring the signs of betrayal.

It had been annoying to hear her on the phone with her ex so often—watch her slink out of the room for more privacy. Lorenzo always thought it was because the guy was being an asshole or something and she didn’t want Lorenzo getting worked up. She insisted she had to be amicable because she didn’t want Patrick challenging the arrangement they had with Nikki. She didn’t want to risk his asking for joint custody. Lorenzo had been doing what he thought was the right thing: being the understanding and supportive boyfriend—fiancé. And what did it get him? The thought always had him gnashing his teeth. It was beyond infuriating even after all these months.

Tonight had started off as just another night he’d be numbing the rage. He knew the moment he saw her wander into the bar—alone—she’d do just fine. But it was highly unlikely that a girl with an ass that would put Kim Kardashian to shame and the swagger to match it would be alone for too long. So he waited curiously for her man to arrive. When it became obvious none would, he made his move. He’d struck up a generic but obvious “I’m only looking for one thing tonight” conversation, and she’d been all for it. Now he was about to fuck her senseless and he’d since forgotten her name.

Exactly how he liked it.

It was better if she remained nameless—kept things all the more impersonal. The only way he wanted things to be with any woman he hung out with now was impersonal and meaningless.

Ripping her panties off as he lifted her up against the door, he wondered if he’d be doing her right there or if they’d be moving to the bed. As hot as she was and as into this as she seemed to be, her quivering was of a different kind than what he’d become accustomed to from most girls so eager for meaningless sex. She was different from what he’d expected a girl with the swagger she’d displayed earlier to be. In fact, he’d gotten the distinct feeling this wasn’t a common thing for her, even before she told him it wasn’t.

“I don’t usually bring men I just met home with me.”

As jaded as he was about women, he actually believed her. Something about those big sparkling yet unsure golden eyes made her statement believable. The same eyes he’d gotten caught up in too many times when talking to her at the bar seemed to mask her unease with what was happening between them. He’d begun to feel the same unease the longer he’d talked to her.

“Tonight’s different,” she’d added as she’d glanced away poignantly. “It’s what I want tonight. I need this.”

As curious as that had made him, Lorenzo hadn’t asked for more. He didn’t need to get into anything about her personal life. Her background. All he needed to know was that she was willing and all in for an insignificant night of unabashed rage-numbing sex.

“Is this what you need?” he whispered against her lips as his fingers caressed her wet slit, making her quiver all over.

He watched her lashes tremble as she closed her eyes and nodded. Her teeth sunk into her bottom lip, and then a gasp escaped from those lips as he slipped two fingers in her. As wet as she was, she was tighter than he expected. Feeling even more aroused, he squeezed her abundant but rock solid ass even harder. Leaving his two fingers inside her, he placed his thumb upward on that spot he knew would make her quiver again.

For a moment he thought about just taking her on the bed and fucking her. Getting it over with. Forget all the foreplay. It was all he wanted anyway. But he couldn’t stop staring at the expression on her face. He knew now that was one of his weaknesses. A weakness he’d enjoyed at the time. A risky weakness.

Normally, watching as he got a girl off was such a harmless turn on, but getting caught up in eyes like this girl’s was dangerous, especially because this weakness was only second to his all-time weakness: her glorious extra-plush ass. He’d noticed it about her first thing, and it had his cock instantly going erect.

She stared deeply into his eyes now as he worked her into a frenzy with his fingers. Noticing things such as how deeply the cute little crease between her eyes went and wondering why she needed this tonight as she began to pant, were setting off alarms. He had no business wondering about her personal life. It didn’t matter.

He dove into her neck, sucking harder as he felt her undeniable climax build. Pulling upward slightly, he sucked her earlobe, bringing the tiny diamond stud into his mouth. A small moan escaped her as he continued to work her other pulsating bud down below, the one he wanted his mouth on now too. “You like that?” he whispered against her ear. “You want me to make you scream before I fuck you hard? Is that what you need?”

“Yes!” she said breathlessly. “Oh my God, yes!”

Unable to take it anymore, he pulled away and kissed her deeply as she came, her body quivering uncontrollably. Her mouth was impossibly delectable. He could kiss her all night, but something about the way she kissed him back so profoundly didn’t feel right. Kissing wasn’t supposed to feel this intimate. It was supposed to be a turn on—period—something he did just to get her and himself going.

Lorenzo lifted her and rushed to the bed just a few feet away. The moment he let her go he tore his shirt off and started to reach for his wallet, but she pulled him down onto her. He’d been right. Kissing her was unbelievable, and apparently she’d thought so too because, despite the fact that she’d just had what sounded and felt like an incredible climax, she wanted him to keep kissing her. And damn it if he wasn’t tempted to devour her mouth all night too.

He did, at first, bringing his hands around her face almost as frantically as she’d pulled him down. Her hands ran all over his tense arm, chest, and shoulder muscles feverishly. Cradling her mouth as his ravenous tongue explored every inch of it, he nipped at her bottom lip then sucked it. He couldn’t get enough. His heart had never beaten so hard over just a kiss. It was insanity. His attempts to stop and move on with what he’d come there to do only ended with him staring deeply into her eyes before diving in again, unwilling—unable—to stop himself. The kissing went on for far too long. Finally, he forced himself to pull away breathlessly and stared into those beautiful eyes once again. Why the fuck had he ignored what looking into her eyes did to him and come back to her place anyway?

She flinched when he jerked back and pulled the wallet out of his back pocket. Almost in a panic, he pulled his pants off and climbed back on her, spreading her legs. He had to get this over with, bag her and leave as he always did.

“I need to get my cock in you already,” he said, wanting to sound anything but sweet because this wasn’t supposed to be sweet, damn it. “Spread nice and wide for me,” he ordered brusquely.

Slipping both hands into hers, he brought her hands over her head, holding them there as he swayed his hips against her and began to slide in. His heart nearly gave out when he felt just how tight she was, and he froze.

“This isn’t your first—?”

“No!” she said too quickly, and he stared at her for a moment, afraid to move on.

What the hell was wrong with him? Even if she were a virgin, this wouldn’t be his first time with one. But there was something about those eyes. He could only think of one way to explain it. But it was too sweet—too romantic—cheesy even. It was almost is if her eyes spoke to him. The faint but undeniable ache in them felt all too familiar.

Ignoring it, he did what he should’ve done from the moment they walked into her place. He slammed deep into her with a purpose, doing his best to not think about how incredibly tight she felt, which was nearly impossible because it felt so damn good. But he refused to get caught up in those eyes anymore, especially not as the incredible sensation began to increase. The anger he felt now for allowing himself to even wonder for moment about this girl helped move things along faster.

Normally he’d take his time, enjoy the act, and draw it out as long as possible for maximum pleasure. Now he thrust into her roughly, faster and deeper, because he needed to get there—needed to numb the rage he’d begun to feel once again. The way her body reacted to his was also new to him. Their rhythm was perfect, and despite his earlier suspicions that this might be her first time, she knew exactly how to move, and it was making her moan. Giving into the temptation, he glanced down at her face, and their eyes nearly locked, but he tore his gaze away quickly.

Why hadn’t he taken her from behind instead? Damn it! It would’ve eliminated any possible eye contact. But then he would’ve been staring at something else that might’ve driven him even crazier. Groaning through his teeth, he focused on their hands above her head. Even as her body began to tremble uncontrollably and she cried out, he would not look into those sweet eyes again. With one final grunt, he buried himself deep inside her and collapsed over her, purposely facing away.

The moment he was able to catch his breath and his heart calmed a little, he was off the bed. This was another thing that alarmed him. Normally he couldn’t care less what his one-nighters thought of him. His intentions were always made clear before he even left with a girl back to her place, his place, or even just his car. “I’m just looking to have a little fun tonight. I won’t even need your number.”

He’d said the same thing to this girl tonight. Now he felt like a dick. But as tempted as he was to ask her name again, he forced himself not to.

No fucking way.

“Thanks,” he said, pulling his pants on. “That was . . . very nice.”

It was way more than nice, and already he could tell it wouldn’t be nearly as forgettable as all the other trysts he’d had lately. That scared the hell out of him. It was why he wouldn’t even allow himself to eye her for longer than a few seconds. And despite the incredible urge to kiss her goodbye before he left, he refrained. His exit was one of the quickest and dirtiest he’d ever made, and while it made him feel like a total dirt bag, he stepped on the gas, skidded out of there, and never looked back.

~~~

Sal’s oldest two kids stood outside in the front yard, each holding on to a leash with a fur ball at the end—their twin Chow Chow pups. Hearing about how adorable the pups were from his brother Vince was one thing, but seeing them was something else. It was months ago when Vince first told him about the puppies their cousin had bought for his kids, and because they usually met on the fairway, it’d been even longer since Lorenzo had been over to Sal’s house. Lorenzo could only imagine how much cuter they’d been back then since they weren’t tiny puppies anymore, but they were still a sight to see.

The kids ran to him when they saw him and hugged him.

“Look at owe puppies, Uncle Enzo!” Vivianna said, holding up the leash, and happily ignoring the fact that her R’s were still nonexistent in her speech. “Yogi and Baloo. Auntie Wosie named Baloo aftah huh favowit teddy bah.”

Vivianna was the younger of the two but despite her slight speech impediment usually did most of the talking.

“Yogi and Baloo? Those are very cool names,” Lorenzo said, squatting down to pet the two little guys. “You guys taking them for a walk?”

“No,” Vivi said as Chavita shook his head and waited for his little sister to explain. “We’ah waiting fo da gwoomuh.”

As usual, it took a few seconds for Lorenzo to completely understand what she was saying. “The groomer? These guys getting a haircut?”

“Ah huh,” she nodded, smiling big. “It’s theuh fust time.”

Lorenzo kissed his niece on the forehead, willing away the still painful memories of Linda’s daughter Nikki. He was over Linda now, but he hated how much he missed Nikki, and being around Sal’s kids, especially Vivianna, always reminded him of her.

Sal and his good friend Romero walked out the front door. As usual, Romero was in the middle of laughing until he was distracted by something out in the street.

“There she is,” Romero said, and they all turned in the direction where he motioned.

A big white-and-pink van with the words “Wagg’n Wheels,” with photos of dogs and cats and a trail of pink paws painted all over it, pulled up in front of Sal’s house.

“Cool!” Both kids said in unison as they all took in the van.

“Is she gonna need to pull into the driveway?” Sal asked Romero. “I can pull my car out.”

“I don’t know,” Romero said, walking away toward the van. “Let me ask her.”

The kids started to follow Romero until Sal told them to wait. He then turned to Lorenzo. “We’ll go as soon as I get this taken care of. Grace is busy feeding the baby, and I want to make sure I get the payment taken care of and next appointment set.”

Lorenzo nodded. “Is Romero going too?”

“Nah.” Sal turned back to the van where the young girl wearing pink scrubs stepped out. “He can’t today. He’s just here because that’s his cousin. I’ve only met her a handful of times. Romero set this up, so he thought it might be best if he was here for her first visit.”

Lorenzo turned back to the girl curiously. Both she and Romero were turned away from them now as she began opening up the side of the van. He’d seen some of these mobile pet-grooming vans on the road, but he was curious now what one looked like inside. He’d personally never had a pet that needed to be groomed, but it didn’t surprise him that his cousin Sal not only would have his expensive dogs groomed but he’d have a groomer who made house calls.

“That’s cool that you don’t even have to take your dogs in these days,” he said, still studying the Wagg’n Wheel’s van. “They come to you.”

Before Sal could respond to that, Romero waved them over. The kids and the pups were instantly off and running. The girl had already stepped inside, and Romero stood just outside, looking in.

“Oh my goodness!” Lorenzo heard the young woman say as the puppies made their way up the small ramp she’d put out. “They’re adorable!”

Vivianna made the introductions, giving their new groomer their puppies’ names. Lorenzo stretched his neck out curiously to peek inside the van. Even as the girl came to the door, he was still trying to catch a glimpse of the inside of the van behind her. It looked very state-of-the-art.

“Hey, Sal,” she said as Lorenzo brought his attention to her now as she made her way down the ramp.

“Hi, Olivia,” Sal said, as he reached out and shook her hand. “How’ve you been? It’s been a while.”

“I’m good,” she explained as Lorenzo peered at the girl in a ponytail. “Staying real busy, so I can’t complain.”

He couldn’t be sure, but his insides were already tightening up. The more he looked at her, the more familiar she seemed. It wasn’t a good kind of familiar either. This wasn’t just Sal’s new dog groomer; she was Romero’s cousin. And if she was who he thought she was, this could get real awkward. But he held off having any kind of inward freak out just yet because he could still be wrong.

“Well, you’ve met Baloo and Yogi,” Sal said, smiling down at the two little fuzz balls wagging their tails rapidly. “This is my cousin, Lorenzo.” He turned to Lorenzo, who froze the moment his eyes met with hers. “Enzo, this is Olivia.”

He caught the instant she, too, made the connection and froze.

Olivia.

It’d been over a month since the night they’d had together and he’d hightailed it out of there like a little bitch. He’d since tried in vain to remember her name, but he was sure it hadn’t been Olivia. All he remembered was it was short and uncommon. At least to him it was. Maybe all this time he’d been feeling like a dick for running out on her like that, and he didn’t have to. It appeared she hadn’t even bothered giving him her real name. At least he’d given her his real name. For all he knew, she could already be in a relationship—married even—another cheating whore.

The sudden reminder of whose cousin she was snapped him out of that thought instantly. He was certain Romero would not take too kindly to hearing Lorenzo refer to his cousin as a whore, regardless of the circumstances.

She nodded, barely acknowledging him with a tiny smile, and then quickly turned back to Sal as he explained they’d all get out of her hair and let her work in peace. Lorenzo stood frozen to the spot, barely able to catch his breath and failing miserably at keeping his eyes off her while she explained to Sal what she’d be doing and how long it would take her.

For as much as he tried to focus on the puppies, his nephew and niece, inside the van—anything—he could not keep himself from staring at her. Those big golden eyes that practically sparkled when she smiled still captivated him, even though they weren’t nearly as poignant as he remembered them. She was self-confident and apparently a master of her trade. It was obvious how much pride she took in her work and how much she enjoyed it. The way she sort of dumbed it down for the kids, who also seemed to hang on her every word, was impressive.

This close, he could see the pink scrubs she wore had light beige paws all over them. Her outfit couldn’t be simpler and sexually innocuous, yet when she turned and climbed into the van, the swell of her ass triggered memories of his hands all over her, squeezing that ass. The shift in his crotch was so instant he jerked his head away, focusing on the damn dogs again.

As unforgettable as that night with her had been, he’d since managed to squash any thoughts of her and what gazing into her eyes had done to him. He’d done a pretty good job of killing any and all memories of what it felt like to kiss her the moment he even began thinking about it. At least he’d thought he had. That inner voice that cried out so hysterically that night for him to get the hell out of her place had been instantly rebuking any thoughts since then.

For the most part, it hadn’t been too hard to do so. He knew nothing about her, not even her name, and he had zero intention of ever going near where she lived or even stepping foot in the bar where he’d met her. He’d been home free. Damn it! It’d been weeks since he’d last thought of the nameless girl with the bewitching eyes whose mouth he hadn’t been able to get enough of. Now he stood there, unable to muster so much as an ounce of restraint to help keep his eyes off her.

The kids whined when Sal told them they had to go inside and let Olivia do her job. Instantly, those eyes of hers lit up. Lorenzo felt himself suck in a sudden breath and had to look away.

The night they met at the bar she’d smiled a few times as they’d flirted, but he’d seen something indescribable in them. Something haunting he thought he could relate to instantly drew him in. At the bar, he’d chalked it up to him just being horny and the anticipation that he’d soon have her under him. She’d made it pretty clear from the get-go she was attracted to him and had the same non-verbal cues telling him that they both were looking for the same thing. But the shine in her eyes now was genuine. No mystery hid behind it, unlike that night.

Maybe any relationship issues or whatever it was that had made her go out that night and screw someone else had worked themselves out. She appeared happy enough now.

“That’s okay, Sal. They can stay,” she said then looked back down and smiled at an already-dancing-in-place Vivi. “Just as long you promise not to touch anything.”

The whole time Lorenzo stood there listening, almost transfixed as Sal, Olivia, and the kids went back and forth because Sal didn’t think it was a good idea for the kids to be in her way. In the end, they’d promised to just sit quietly and watch, and Sal gave in.

She waved at all three of them as they walked away, showing a complete disinterest in Lorenzo, and he was glad for that. It was insane what seeing her again had done to him. He’d begun to think what he’d felt that night was a fluke. It made absolutely no sense. Their entire conversation that night had been generic flirting, nothing of substance. They were two people out looking for the same thing—a glorious release with no strings attached. But what he felt when he held her . . .

Tonight’s different. I need this.

Admittedly, he’d thought of her words from that night more than once in the weeks following that night. What had she meant by needed this? Obviously, she was either going through something or had just recently gone through it, but he hadn’t dared ask her to elaborate.

Seeing her now only confirmed something further. He’d been right. She wasn’t like the girls he was used to doing the hit-it-and-quit-it thing with. If he ever ran into any of those other girls, they’d immediately smile wickedly—offering a silent invitation to hit it again if he ever wanted to. Olivia wasn’t the first girl to utter the words “I don’t usually do this” to him. She was just the first girl he actually believed, and he still had no idea why.

Sal nudged him, and he turned to see both Sal and Romero staring at him. Romero smirked.

Hello?” Sal said a bit annoyed.

Lorenzo regarded them both, confused. “What?”

“I asked you if you want to take two cars or one.”

Romero laughed now. “Yeah, like three times! And you just stood there staring out into space.”

Shaking his head, Lorenzo forced a smile. “I’ve just had a lot going on at work. I was still thinking about everything I have to anticipate tomorrow.”

He agreed to take one car, his. Sal was paying for the nine holes of golf they’d be playing. Sal told him more about the puppies he’d gotten for the kids and some funny stories about the many adventures they’d already had trying to train the pair.

It was the distraction Lorenzo needed to get his mind off Olivia. Then they got on the fairway, and his cousin asked him about the last thing he ever wanted to talk about again.

“So you and Linda don’t talk at all anymore?” Sal asked as they waited for the guys before them on the first hole to finish up. “I thought for sure you two would work through whatever it was that went wrong. You two seemed so solid.”

It surprised Lorenzo that Sal still didn’t know the details of what had happened. If he did, Lorenzo was certain he wouldn’t be stupid enough to bring it up. The only ones who knew why things had ended so abruptly were Vince and Daniel. He was actually glad that Daniel, his emergency room attendant friend who’d called him that awful night to tell him about Linda being brought in, was in a relationship now and never around anymore. Hanging out with him was just another reminder of that night. But it surprised him that Sal didn’t seem to have a clue how badly things had ended. His wife and Vince’s wife, Rosie, were sisters. He knew his brother told Rosie everything, and he figured she’d likely told her sister who in turn would’ve mentioned it to Sal. It’s what married couples did, right?

It’d been long enough, and Lorenzo was over it, but he still didn’t see the point in talking about it. So he figured if he was honest enough about it Sal would know why he’d prefer not to. Sal had asked him about it once before when it was still too raw, and Lorenzo had been vague. Even then, Sal seemed to have the notion that it was just a silly argument or something they’d eventually get over. It was likely why he was now asking, so Lorenzo made sure that after today his cousin never brought it up again, even as casually as he was now.

“She went back to her ex,” he said simply then added, “Nikki’s dad.”

It was enough to stun Sal silent as they made their way onto the first hole but only momentarily. “And you’re sure she’s back with him? It hadn’t worked between them before, right? It’s why she was with you.”

“I have no idea if she’s with him still or not,” Lorenzo said, surprised by how little he cared anymore, “but she decided she wanted him back in her life even before we’d broken up.”

He took a few warm-up swings before setting up for his first putt of the day, feeling that familiar heat seep in again. Okay, maybe he didn’t care if Linda was still with Patrick or not because, regardless, he wanted nothing to do with her ever again. But the thought of how effortlessly she’d lied to him on the phone that night still burned him up.

He clenched his jaw then his golf club, turning back to Sal before taking a swing. “The bitch lied to me about where she’d be the weekend I found out.”

He turned back to the ball and took a swing. The ball flew higher and further than he’d ever sent one before. Lorenzo watched it, gulping hard and refusing to fall back into that state of mind. It was in the past now, and while he vowed to never forget so that he’d never be taken like that again, he refused to stew about it forever.

Sal was still staring at him, and if Lorenzo weren’t mistaken, his ever the “let’s be rational about this” cousin didn’t seem convinced. Time after time and for good reason Sal had accused not just Lorenzo and Vince but his own two hotheaded brothers of reacting before thinking. Considering what a nice and respectable girl Linda had always appeared to be, Sal was likely having as hard a time as Lorenzo had when he’d first arrived at the hospital that night of believing that she’d be capable of doing such a thing. So he figured he may as well burst his cousin’s bubble about how all women had it in them to blatantly lie and cheat. Even the sweet respectable ones.

“She was caught red-handed, Sal.”

“Did you see them together?” Sal asked as apprehensively as Lorenzo expected him to be.

This only annoyed Lorenzo further as if that were the only way he’d be convinced.

“No,” Lorenzo said, lifting an irritated brow. “But when I asked her straight out, she admitted she fucked the guy the night before. No way of getting around that, right?”

Lorenzo moved out of the way, hating how the memory of that night could still make every muscle in his body tense. At least the thought of Linda cheating no longer made him nauseous. The pain may have been long gone, but as much as he hated to admit it, the anger and disgust would always be there.

“I had no idea, Enzo,” Sal said, sounding remorseful. “I wouldn’t have brought it up if I’d known.”

“It’s cool,” Lorenzo said, fidgeting with his golf gloves. “I’m over it now.” He glanced up to see his cousin looking every bit as remorseful as he’d sounded, so Lorenzo shrugged. “If anything, like my dad always says, ‘Every experience, good or bad, is a learning experience.’ I’ll never get sucked in by any girl like that again. That’s for sure.”

He wouldn’t say more because he knew Sal would disagree. Obviously there were exceptions to the rule. Not all women were liars and cheats. Sal would certainly point out that his Grace and Vince’s Rosie were perfect examples of that fact. But Lorenzo had found out one thing first hand with Linda. He sucked at knowing the difference. Clearly his radar for detecting a cheat was way off since he would’ve never believed Linda to be one.

No way was he ever taking that chance again.

 

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