Page 154 of Lorenzo

“No.”

She reaches for a pillow and hits me with it.

I catch it before she can pull it back.

“Do you require assistance bathing, dolcezza?” I ask, my voice deepening.

She sends me a heated look over her shoulder, and for a moment, it looks like she’s considering. Then the pillow hits me full in the face again.

I laugh and roll onto my back in time to watch her walk toward the bathroom, enjoying my view of that very lovely ass and those long legs.

“I take that as a no?”

“No,” she says firmly. “Stay out, you lech.”

The bathroom door closes behind her.

A moment later, I hear the lock click.

I grin and reach for my trousers.

“Very trusting,” I call through the door.

“I know exactly who I’m dealing with.”

The shower starts before I can answer.

I dress, still smiling, then head downstairs to retrieve the wine and make the call.

Mocha is lying near the foot of the stairs, watching me.

He lifts his head when I approach.

“She is showering.”

His gaze remains fixed on me.

“I am feeding her.”

One ear shifts.

“You are quite judgmental, you know,” I say, reaching into the pocket of my coat for my phone. “Trust me. I’ve taken good care of her. Very good care.”

His tail strikes the floor once.

I stop and look at him. “All right, what's it going to take for you to warm up to me? A treat? What if I give you a treat?”

His tail hits the floor again, a little more enthusiastically.

“A bribe, then.”

Mocha rises immediately.

I glance toward the kitchen. “You know where she keeps them?”

He turns and walks away without waiting for me.

I follow him into the kitchen, but instead of stopping in front of one of the cabinets, he sits at the back door and looks over his shoulder at me.