I hope you have enjoyed reading Lorenzo and Olivia’s story. Please take a moment to leave a review at your favorite retailer.
Have you read the 5th Street series yet? Here is a little the blurb and excerpt from the first in that series, Noah:
Veronica Cruz has been through hell and back.
After disconnecting with the world two years ago to be at the side of her dying mother, she’s left alone, unemployed, overweight, and feeling a decade older than her twenty-eight years. When her best friend coaxes her into joining the local gym to ditch her depression and rejuvenate her life, she meets Noah. Assigned to help Veronica lose weight, Noah is everything she expected a young trainer to be—perfectly chiseled, supportive, and motivating. Add to that he’s incredibly sexy. He’s everything she’s ever looked for in a man. What she least expected was for him to fall for her, but he has. There's just one glaring problem: Noah is eight years younger.
Noah Quintanilla has his eye on a boxing title—someday. Down for a few months with an injury, his maintenance-boy pay at 5th Street Gym won't cut it. He’s finally given the opportunity to train. The catch? His trainee is an out-of-shape woman with a free week pass. Taking on the challenge, Noah stumbles into one of the closest friendships he’s ever known, and before he knows it, he’s in love. But Veronica’s not having it—the age difference is too much. Their platonic relationship however, means having to watch her date other men—something that would make Noah crazy.
Believing he’s the man for her, Noah sets out to prove that age is but an illusion, and there's more to him than just a number.
Excerpt from :
Roni sighed as she concentrated on stretching until she was interrupted by a sweaty guy holding a jump rope. She’d began to familiarize herself with most of the members, but since there’d been so many new ones, there were lots she didn’t recognize. This guy was one of them.
“Hello.” He waved at her. “My name is Edward. I’d shake your hand, but mine is a little sweaty right now.”
“Hi,” she said and stopped stretching, a bit curious.
“I just started working out here a little over a week ago. I noticed you right away and have been meaning to introduce myself.”
Veronica felt the nerves immediately. This guy looked around Noah’s age, maybe a little older, but then, like Noah, he was a big guy and that had completely thrown her off about Noah’s age. It’d been a long time since she’d had anyone hit on her.
“You’re a little early today, aren’t you?”
He’d even noticed what time she worked out? Wow. He must’ve really been watching. “Yeah, I’m leaving early today, so I thought I’d make up for it and get here early. I’m Veronica by the way.”
She watched as Noah approached from behind Edward with that hard look he so often had when they worked out.
“Listen, part of the reason I hadn’t approached you was because you’re always with that one guy. Are you and him—?”
“Yeah, we are,” Noah said, getting a little too in Edward’s face.
Edward backed up with a smirk. Veronica watched, her mouth dropping open. Abel and Gio walked toward them cautiously.
Edward lifted his hands, nodding, but the smirk was still there. “I had a feeling that was the case. I’m glad I asked. No harm, no foul, right? Can’t blame a guy for trying.” He turned and winked at Veronica. “Nice meeting you, Veronica.”
Noah didn’t say another word. He simply stared at Edward until he’d walked away then turned back to Veronica. “Ready to work out?”
Veronica’s mouth really fell open now. She shook her head and blinked. “First, can you explain what that was about?”
“What do you mean?”
She looked at him incredibly. “Me and you are what?”
“Workout partners, right? Isn’t that what he was asking?” Noah walked past her, but she didn’t miss the corner of his lip lifting as he did. “We should make this a good one since it’s gonna be short.”
“That is not what he was asking, and you know it.” Veronica followed him, feeling secretly thrilled. Had Noah really implied to another possible suitor that she and he were …? She wouldn’t even think it. Maybe he’d just been just playing, though his body language had said anything but.
He stopped so fast she nearly collided with him. “Why? What do you think he was asking?”
She looked up at his eyes that had gone back to hard again like when he’d gotten in Edward’s face. “Well, just based on what he said before you got there—”
“What did he say to you?” His brows furrowed, looking around the gym, and then he turned back to her, searching her eyes.
Great, now she felt like a braggart. She shrugged, trying to make less of it and suddenly feeling stupid. “Just that he only started working out here a week ago, but he said he noticed me right away.”
“Is that right?” She watched his jaw work as he looked around the gym again.
If she didn’t know any better, unbelievably she’d think her instincts had been right. Noah was jealous. His eyes came back to hers and he stared at her hard. “So what? You interested?”
“No, but—”
“Good. ’Cause he looked like an asshole.” He started toward the treadmill again, and she followed, glancing around.
Edward did not look like an asshole to her. But her instincts once again told her she better just shut it and let it go. It was very reasonable that, like her, Noah had begun to feel there was a bit more to their friendship. She couldn’t decide if that was necessarily a good thing. This could be bad.