Olivia
Unbelievable.
Lorenzo was Rose’s brother-in-law. Again, what were those freaking odds? Olivia had known Rose might know him, maybe even well, but not this well. She was only glad now that she’d had the presence of mind to not tell Rose who her one-night-stand had been with. But still Olivia had given her new friend details of her night with him, and it turns out the guy was Rose’s husband’s brother and she was “very close” to him?
Olivia’s had to practically pick her jaw up from the ground when he drove up tonight and she heard Rose’s words. “Oh, look. It’s Enzo, my brother-in-law.” And then Olivia had watched in horror as he got out of the car, looking as hot as ever.
Having to stand there and talk to all of them in front of him while keeping her cool had been a huge challenge. She’d been doing just fine until Vince’s unexpected invitation to join them watching the game. Olivia couldn’t spit out her “no” fast enough, and she was certain from Lorenzo’s expression her fumbling words hadn’t gone unnoticed. But at least she’d managed to come up with something, even though it didn’t make sense. Olivia hadn’t finished telling Rose about her one-night stand, so she knew Rose would want her to finish. This was why they’d kept talking outside even after the guys went in. Fortunately, Rose hadn’t questioned why she stuck around if, in fact, she had to get going as she’d claimed.
If Rose’s brother-in-law had been anyone else, Olivia just might’ve hung out with them tonight. It wasn’t as if she had anywhere else to be, and she was really beginning to enjoy her new friendship with Rose. But, of course, hanging out with them with Lorenzo making her heart thump the whole time was out of the question. She actually felt kind of sad about the whole thing.
After he’d gone into the house, Rose told her she and her husband do a lot with Enzo. It was likely that, if she and Rose ever did start doing some of the things they’d talked about like Oktoberfest at Gaslamp, he’d probably go too.
Olivia didn’t ask Rose, but the way she spoke of him hanging out with her and her husband a lot and the fact that he’d showed up alone tonight, it appeared he was single. Rose never once mentioned a wife or fiancée or even a girlfriend.
If that were the case, then one thing was even clearer. His lack of interest in anything more than the one-time romp they shared had nothing to do with guilt or being unavailable. It was genuine disinterest in her. Olivia took a deep breath, doing her best to squelch the sting this reawakened. It reminded her of all that time Jay could never commit to anything with her despite what she thought she’d felt from him, but he wasn’t just committed to Margie now—he was engaged to her.
It was a dumb thought, she knew, but it made her wonder if something about her repelled guys from wanting to commit to her. She’d sworn she would never have such insecure thoughts again. Jay had made her that way. Yet, she couldn’t help feel the insecurity seep in.
The only way she’d be able to be around Lorenzo was if her feelings for him were mutual. But after tonight she had to admit if she were around him more than the few minutes she’d had since their night together, she’d just be torturing herself, even if he continued to be kind of a jerk as he’d been at the repast. She’d like to say she was as uninterested in anything more between them as he appeared to be.
The truth was every time she’d seen him so far her legs had gone weak. Every time she took in how incredibly sexy he was, she’d remember his kisses, and her insides would turn to liquid. And every time he looked at her in that way that confused the hell out of her, she knew she’d get her hopes up that maybe he was feeling a little of that same undeniable connection she’d felt for him that first night.
She couldn’t be around the guy and not start falling for him. They’d barely exchanged a couple of nods and words, and already she was thinking about him way too much. Even before tonight, she’d caught herself thinking about him and their one night together too many times. She’d spent entire grooming sessions daydreaming about the possibility of it ever happening again: Running her hands over those glorious muscles on his arms, shoulders, back, and chest. Having him devour her lips and mouth as he had with such fervor that night, making her feel something so profoundly intense as she never had before. Having him inside her again.
Okay, stop.
This had to stop. She shook her head as she climbed out of the van, ashamed that the tingling between her legs had once again started up just thinking about him. But any tingling or thoughts of Lorenzo were quickly snuffed when she walked in the house to face her two older brothers’ lethal glares.
“You wanna explain this to me?” Isaiah held up an envelope.
From where she stood, she couldn’t see what it was, but she had a pretty good idea. Even so, she put on the oblivious act. She had to buy a little more time. She knew the day was fast approaching when she’d have to tell them, but she’d been so distracted lately with thoughts of Lorenzo she’d stopped rehearsing how she’d explain it.
“What is it?” she asked, putting her things down on the coffee table.
“A contract between you and Hollingsworth,” Isaiah said, his voice even more severe. “I told you I didn’t want you involved with that asshole in any way.”
“What happened to the money, Liv?” Nathan asked, crossing his arms and leaning against the doorframe to the hallway.
At least Nathan was respecting her wishes to not be called Ollie anymore. To her siblings, she’d always been Olivia or just Liv. Occasionally, they called her by the nickname Jay had bestowed on her early on because they’d gotten used to hearing it. It was also what Margie called her once she’d heard it enough from Jay. Olivia hated hearing it now and had asked them to stop.
“I still have it,” she explained. “All of it.”
“Why didn’t you use it?”
“Because we’re gonna need it for Emi’s school and Nathan’s attorney fees,” she said, seeing that undeniable spark in her oldest brother’s eyes. “Two years is more than enough time for me to pay the money back. I’m halfway through the first already.”
“Damn it, Liv.” Isaiah threw the envelope on the counter. “I told you I’d figure out Nathan’s attorney fees, and Emi will likely get a scholarship with her grades. I didn’t want you in any way indebted to that prick.”
“Emi’s talking ESU, Isaiah,” she said, her eyes pleading for him to understand. “It’ll be so much harder for her to get a scholarship to an Ivy League school, and it’s super expensive.”
“Is it just the money the asshole’s asking for?” Nathan asked, moving away from the doorway and walking toward her.
“Yes, of course!” she said a little too quickly—loudly—so she toned it down, hoping they wouldn’t pick up on her panicked insincerity. “It’s all in the contract. He hasn’t asked for anything else at all.”
Of course that was true if you didn’t count the numerous times the guy had gone back to suggesting, off the record, that he’d be willing to knock off some of the loan if she’d just do him the honor of accompanying him for a day on his boat or at his mountain cabin. When he first made these suggestions way back, he insisted it would be money well spent just to be able to enjoy the time with her. He told her to look at it more like a sponsorship and insisted he’d be a perfect gentleman. And while she, of course, had turned him down politely but firmly, she still had to put up with him showing up unannounced sometimes at her appointments. He always said he was just in the area and wanted to check on her and the van.
That was usually when he’d make his subtle suggestions about his boat or cabin or even just dinner. She also had to deal with his phone calls, especially during months she knew she might be short with the payment and she had to play nice. It was why every now and again she’d agree to go to lunch with him, especially when he’d conveniently happen to show up around lunch time and he’d wait for her to be done with her client.
It just sucked that, until she paid him in full, technically the van and her business was his. But until she was done paying, he had full access to her schedule. He knew when and where she’d be on any given day she was working, but her brothers didn’t need to know all that.
“It’s not fair, you guys,” she began the speech she’d had planned for months. Careful not to insult anyone, she was including herself in said speech. “Our father left that money for all of us. It was clear in his will that he wanted us to invest the money in our future. While I think being a firefighter is admirable, I’m pretty sure Dad meant college. Emi is the only one of us with aspirations of attending college. AJ’s already made his choice, and it’s the best one for him. He was born to play ball and me . . . Well, dog grooming isn’t exactly—”
“Don’t do that.” Isaiah’s face instantly contorted. “I hate it when you do that, Livi. It takes skill and talent to do what you do. And this is your business and passion, not just a job. You have a waiting list for a reason because you’re damn good at it, and your clients recognize that. Regardless of how long it took you to get formally trained, you deserve to use this money just as much as Emi does.”
“And I did,” she reminded him. “I used part of it for the training. But I can pay for the van on my own,” she insisted. “I have been. When Emi goes to school, especially one as academically demanding as ESU, she won’t be able to work full-time to pay for it. And you said yourself Nathan doesn’t stand a chance of getting past the fire department’s background check unless he gets those charges expunged from his record. So, technically, his attorney fees are for his future as well. It’s a win-win, Isaiah. Please don’t be mad.”
Her brother sighed, and she knew she was home free. She rushed to him and hugged him. “How much do you still owe him?” he asked after he pulled away.
Okay, maybe she wasn’t entirely home free, but she wouldn’t let him talk her into just paying off the loan. Nathan and Emi needed it so much more than she did. No way was she telling any of them about Elton’s advances. Nathan’s temper had gotten him in enough trouble already. She could handle Elton Hollingsworth on her own.
~*~
Lorenzo
It had begun to feel like a conspiracy of sorts. It was the only thing that could explain the continual barrage of run-ins with Olivia. At one point, Lorenzo had even begun to question whether Rosie and Vince had anything to do with it. Was it possible they’d planned this? But how could they have? You couldn’t plan something this perfectly.
First, the inability to stop thinking about a nameless girl, who just like the others he’d had one-nighters with, should mean nothing. How could anyone have anticipated his response to her? How could they’ve manipulated the irrepressible intrigue he’d feel for her?
That Olivia happened to be related to Romero of all people spoke volumes as to how much this could not have been planned by anyone. No way in hell would Romero have volunteered his own flesh and blood, especially given how that first night went down.
As unnerving as it’d been each time he’d run into her since, he still couldn’t decide if he should be thankful for his luck or cursing it. Despite the angst he’d felt with every encounter, each time he’d also felt the incredible urge to just confront his feelings. Yet each time he’d also felt the resistance from her. Granted he’d been rude, but he had good reason to be.
Lorenzo had seen her a few more times since the night at Vince’s. Adding to his growing curiosity of her, his irritation also grew. Of course, her being so friendly with Rosie was now the biggest reason why his luck, good or bad, had continued.
Sprinkles of curiosity were laced with annoyance. When Rosie and Olivia had stopped by the firing range last week so Rosie could drop off burgers from a restaurant they’d gone to lunch at, a place Olivia had highly recommended for their famous burgers, Lorenzo had been privy to an exchange between Rosie and Olivia. It was just after one of the married instructors known for being an outrageous flirt had tried to sweet talk Olivia. Lorenzo had been pleasantly surprised, not to mention relieved, to hear she’d shot him down cold. That is until he heard the tail end of her conversation with Rosie after the fact.
“It’s a good thing you didn’t bother giving that jerk your name,” Rosie had said just as Lorenzo had approached them. “I wouldn’t have either, not my real name anyway.”
“Yep,” Olivia had agreed with a smirk. “Jerks only ever deserve no names or fake names.”
Their eyes had once again locked when she’d said it, with a strange smile he couldn’t quite make out. The fact that she immediately mentioned needing to leave because it was her day off and she had plans was surprisingly irksome.
That’s when Lorenzo had decided enough with the ambiguity. Obviously neither of them wanted to share about their night of indiscretion, but they were no longer strangers anymore. There was no need for the continued unspoken awkwardness. He’d never been one to play games, and while it was unfair to say she was doing so, because she’d done nothing to deserve that accusation, whatever it was that was happening, she was winning hands down. Damn it!
No more wondering. No more bullshitting himself that he wasn’t interested in getting to know just a little more about this girl. This might be a huge mistake, and he had no idea what he would say or do, but his mind was made up. The first chance he got he was taking matters into his own hands.
~*~
Olivia
This wasn’t happening again. Olivia insisted she wasn’t a glutton for punishment. Just a week after yet another disappointing run-in with Lorenzo, Rose had insisted repaying Olivia for taking her out to lunch, a lunch that was supposed to have been a safe way to hang out with Rose without the danger of running into Lorenzo again. That had been happening way too often, always with the same outcome: Lorenzo laying on the indifferent act way too thickly.
Today Rose invited Olivia over for one of her home-cooked meals. Olivia had agreed but only because she resented feeling forced to cut off her friendship with Rose and because Rose had told her that Vince worked all day and wasn’t coming home until the evening, so that meant no risk of Lorenzo being there. With her having Mondays off, this might replace their girls’ night with girls’ mornings or afternoons. Already she and Rose were also doing a lot of talking on the phone.
Another reason she agreed to lunch today was because Rose’s sister was the head chef at one of the Moreno’s restaurants, one of the most prominent restaurants in La Jolla. Rose said she’d learned a lot from her sister over the years and promised to make something extra special for her for lunch.
The moment she entered Rose’s house, Olivia could smell evidence that her friend hadn’t lied about making her something delicious. Whatever it was, it smelled heavenly.
“Mmm,” she said, taking in a long whiff. “That smells so good.”
“It’s Vincent’s favorite.” Rose smiled big. “Chile verde con carne. I haven’t made it for him in a while. So I figured I’d make a big batch so he can have some when he gets home this evening and”—she giggled—“I can show off my skills for you.”
The baby was down for a nap, so they sat down to eat. While the food was delicious, the conversation topic Rose chose had Olivia’s stomach instantly tightening. They’d just finished laughing about the food orgasm Olivia was having over the chile verde when Rose got right to it.
“Not to put you on the spot or anything,” she started with a silly smile, “but what do you think of my brother-in-law, Enzo?”
God no!
Olivia stared at her, pretending her mouth was too full to answer, but she could feel her face heating already. Had he told her about their night? Did Rose now know that the best sex Olivia had told her she’d ever experienced, even though she and Jay had been sexually active for years, was with her brother-in-law? Had slightly intoxicated Rose told him that, that first night he showed up to watch the game with Vince?
She wiped her mouth casually as her appetite slowly vanished. “Um, think of him?”
“Yeah, like looks wise. I think he’s hot”—she laughed—“but then I’m biased because he looks so much like my husband. He’s also a really nice guy and single. And you two are the same age.” Rose bounced her brows then appeared instantly remorseful as she reached across the table and touched Olivia’s arm. “I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to embarrass you.”
Olivia shook her head, sure her face was flaming red because it felt like it. “No, I’m just . . .” She laughed nervously. “You just caught me by surprise.”
“I was just thinking about it the other day. You two kind of have something big in common.”
Staring at her cautiously, Olivia took a sip of the lemonade. She still wasn’t sure if Rose knew anything. “Oh?”
“Yeah, well sort of.”
Rose began to tell her about Lorenzo’s ex. He had been engaged, but unlike in her case when she’d finally ended things with Jay, Lorenzo was still in love with his ex at the time of their breakup.
“I haven’t asked him a thing about her since they first broke up almost what? Nine months ago?” Rose said, shaking her head, clutching her heart. “She cheated on him!”
Olivia felt her mouth fall open. “But he’s so hot.”
Rose laughed. “Isn’t he though? And he’d asked her to marry him even with her having a kid and all.” Rose rolled her eyes disgustedly. “She ended up sleeping with her baby daddy while she was still with Enzo even though Enzo previously told us about what a deadbeat the guy was. Here she had this total package with Enzo being so handsome, a pilot in the Air Force Reserves, and he owns his own business. Not to mention he’s one of the sweetest and most loyal guys you could ever meet. He was so good to her and her little girl, and she did him so wrong.”
Instantly Olivia’s heart ached for Lorenzo. But she also had a million questions in her head too. The most clamorous of all was, is he still in love with this girl? But there were others as well. Was that the reason why, even though she’d felt something so insanely profound that night and she’d been certain he had too, he still bolted out of her house so abruptly? Was that why he’d laid the indifference on so heavily each time she’d run into him since? Because he was still hurting and in no way ready for anything more than what they’d done that night?
I won’t even need your number.
Olivia remembered how insulting that had felt at first but then reminded herself it was what she’d gone out for herself that night.
At first she’d regretted blurting out how hot she thought Lorenzo was. She’d planned on being a little more reserved when she finally got around to answering Rose’s question of what she thought of him. But there was no denying it. After seeing him again and for a longer period a time, it was decidedly undeniable. The guy was a walking wet dream. She still hadn’t gotten over her luck of having met him the one night she’d decided to go out in search of a quick release. How in the world that had come full circle to her sitting here having lunch with his sister-in-law, she still had no idea. Rose still appeared to be completely unaware of Olivia’s night with Enzo. Yet, here it seemed she was suggesting Olivia and her brother-in-law might be a good match.
Olivia almost felt guilty about not telling Rose the truth. But how could she? Instead of fessing up, she ate silently as Rose filled her in some more about how blindsided Lorenzo had been the night he caught his ex.
Listening intently, Olivia barely remembered to eat until Rose got up and served herself more food before sitting back down and continuing with her story. “I’m sure he’s been taking care of his needs since.” Rose’s lip pulled to the side in a disapproving gesture. “But as far as dating anyone, I don’t think he has at all. He certainly hasn’t brought anyone around us. Don’t get me wrong. I’m sure going through something like that was tough.” She shuddered even more exaggeratedly this time. “I went through some excruciating pain once upon a time myself with Vince. I’ll have to tell you about it another time, but mine was different. As hopeless as things felt back then, I held on to the sliver of hope that mine could somehow be remedied, and thank God it was. But I sincerely hope it’s not what Enzo’s doing, because I can’t imagine ever welcoming that bitch back into my home again after what she did to him.”
Smirking, Olivia had to ask. “So is this what you’re doing, Rose Moreno? Wining and dining me in the hopes of hooking up your brother-in-law with someone you do like?”
Rose grinned scandalously. “Why, Olivia Romero, I do think you’re on to me.” She laughed, shaking her head. “No, please don’t think that. The thought didn’t even occur to me until just this past week. I meant it when I said I’m in dire need of some adult girl talk. This is my life.” She pointed around her empty house. “Everyone is working during the day, so my jibber jabber with Ruby all day is all I have most days.” She squeezed Olivia’s arm and smiled genuinely. “I’ve enjoyed the time we’ve spent chatting like today. But, yes, I’d like nothing more than to see my brother-in-law happy again and with someone deserving of such a great guy.”
Olivia smiled, feeling flattered, but shrugged. “I don’t think I’d want to be anyone’s rebound girl. Sounds to me like maybe he’s still not over his ex.”
“Oh, no, that was one thing he did tell Vince the very day it happened and again not too long ago,” Rose said, picking up her lemonade. “That he was over her almost as soon as he found out that she”—Rose leaned in and whispered as if there were anyone around to hear—“fucked her ex.”
A laugh escaped Olivia, and she covered her mouth with a napkin.
“I’m serious,” Rose said wide-eyed. “Like I said, he really is a sweet guy almost all the time, and he’s usually all smiles and a lot of fun to be around. But this is something he’s fiercely vehement about. He and Vincent are one and the same when it comes to certain things, and this is one of them. The only thing that gives me hope that he’s just holding off on getting into any relationships and not hoping to get back with her is because Vincent said he’d feel the exact way. He said as much as he loves me, even with us having a baby now and all, if I ever did something like that, the utter disgust he’d feel for me would ruin any feelings of love and he could never take me back. So maybe Lorenzo has no intention of ever getting back with her, and he’s just waiting. But I think over nine months is long enough. I’m not saying he needs to jump into a serious relationship right away. I just think he should at least try doing some casual dating.”
This time Olivia was the one wide-eyed, only she felt speechless. Something had hit her in the middle of everything Rose had just laid on her. Since she’d slept so heedlessly with Lorenzo after having just met him that night, maybe he didn’t buy for a second that she didn’t usually do stuff like that. Maybe the thought of being with someone who’d likely gone out since and done the same with someone else was too disgusting for him to be interested in doing anything with her again.
That would make sense why he’d be so aloof with her. If that were the case, poor Rose had no clue how fruitless her idea of getting the two of them together was.
“I’ve been around him a few times now, Rose,” Olivia said, glancing down at and stirring her chile. She’d since decided she’d definitely keep the first time she’d met him to herself. So she’d try another route. “He’s shown absolutely zero interest in me. I don’t think there’s any attraction on his part.”
“There could be several reasons for his not showing interest, but I can guarantee you lack of physical attraction isn’t one of them.” Rose lifted a scolding brow. “You have to know how pretty you are. Grace even said so the day of the repast after you left. She said you and your sister are absolutely adorable. And Isabel said she’d been glad your brothers weren’t there because they would’ve been downright irked by the way some of the men gawked at you two. You have to know that curvy shape of yours is a major head turner. That outfit you wore and those heels . . .” She winked then smiled. “Hot. But I’ve never understood how anyone can walk in shoes that high.”
Olivia laughed, chewing her food without a care until Rose spoke again.
“He did ask if you’d mentioned what your plans were last week,” Rose said, peering at her with a playful smirk.
Stopping mid chew, Olivia stared at her. “He did?”
Rose’s playful smile morphed into a more genuine one. “I won’t make up rumors or anything. It was more of a casual comment actually,” she explained, but it was too late. Olivia’s heart was already pumping wildly. “That same night we dropped the burgers off at the firing range he stopped by here to help Vince work on that hunk of junk car they’re restoring together out back. They both raved about the burgers, and Vince happened to ask if you’d hung out with me still when you dropped me off. I told him you hadn’t, and then Enzo just made the comment that you had big plans for your night off.” She shrugged, smiling silly. “That was all, but it sort of felt like a question, as if he were waiting for me to comment further—see if I’d mention what you might’ve told me about your plans. So I did.”
The clamoring in Olivia’s head as it raced to remember what she’d told Rose she was doing was so loud she thought Rose might hear it. She was torn between being happy about what she’d told Rose and being annoyed with herself for not coming up with something more exciting than she was going to catch a show with Emi.
According to Rose, Lorenzo hadn’t commented further, but it’d been enough to plant the seed in her head and ask Olivia what she thought of him. They continued to chat about Rose’s theories about why Lorenzo hadn’t showed much interest in Olivia. Lorenzo still being bitter was the biggest one. The fact that she was Romero’s cousin could be another one. “Maybe he thinks it would be too awkward,” she offered.
Olivia managed to steer the conversation away from the nerve-wracking topic of Lorenzo for a bit by asking Rose about the dish she’d made. It really was delicious and something her siblings would definitely appreciate if she ever made it for them.
That took off into talk of her sister and how she’d met her husband Sal when she went searching for a job at their restaurant. Then that took her into the long story she said she’d have to tell her about another time because it was how she’d met Vincent through her sister’s boyfriend at the time, now husband. Then the baby woke up and thankfully any talk of Lorenzo seemed long behind them. Rose told her all about her pregnancy and delivery. They then moved into Rose’s bedroom where Rose showed her the pair of shoes she’d recently bought.
Olivia didn’t even realize how long she’d been there. They were in the middle of giggling as Rose demonstrated how not good she was at walking in high heels when they heard the front door open and Vince called out for Rose.
“‘Monday Night Football’ again, babe,” he said. “Damn, something smells good.”
Rose stepped out of her heels and slipped into her regular shoes. She then picked up the baby from the swing she’d been sitting in watching mommy and her friend giggle like school girls. Olivia glanced at the clock radio on the dresser and saw that it was already six. The lunch had been a late one, but she didn’t realize she’d been there that long.
“Enzo’s actually on time this week,” Vince said, and then they heard the other voice coming from the kitchen.
Olivia’s eyes locked with Rose’s as her friend began to smile too giddily. Her heart was instantly pitter pattering, and she felt the strength drain from her legs. Only this time it was even worse than all the other times. His response to her comment way back about what a small world it was assaulted her.
Too small maybe.
She’d thought about his irritation last week as well. Not only had he run into her yet again but at his place of work, which was supposed to be a comfort. Now here she was again, and Rose was asking her to stick around and hang out with them? Her mind raced to think of an excuse to get out of this, but she’d already admitted to Rose she had no plans tonight. That’s why she’d been in no hurry to leave. Rose actually did a little dance in place.
“This is perfect,” she said. “‘Monday Night Football’. Me and Vince and you and Lorenzo. It’ll be fun.”
The guys laughed in the kitchen, and Rose smiled even bigger. Unless she told Rose the whole truth about her and Lorenzo, and she really didn’t want to, there’d be no talking her way out of this. Olivia had never felt faint in her life, but at that moment, she thought she might swoon.