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“He put you in fucking cuffs?”
“That’s kind of what they do when they arrest people, Lorenzo.”
“But he didn’t fucking arrest you. He had no warrant.”
I shake my head. This is all too confusing. Every part of it. The whole thing with Jake, and now this with Lorenzo. I hate that I seek his comfort, hate that I can feel how much he cares for me even after those awful things he said. This would all be a lot easier if he acted like that uncaring asshole from the other night.
A thick vein pulses in his neck as he goes on staring at me and holding onto my wrist. “I’ll fucking kill him.”
I jerk my hand away. “Is that your answer to everything? Destroy it?” I swallow down the sob that wells in my throat. We both know I’m no longer talking about Jake.
His eyes flash with pain. “Mia.” My name is spoken like a plea, but I have no idea what he’s pleading for. He destroyed everything we had together.
“You killing Jake isn’t going to help me, Lorenzo. In fact, the only way you can help me is by staying away from me.” Brushing past him, I walk into the house.
* * *
With a mugof chamomile tea warming my hands, I recount exactly what happened at the hotel and everything Jake said to me in the interrogation room.
Drake’s brother, Nathan, seems to take charge, asking me questions and probing for more information, not letting up even after Lorenzo scowls at him. Nathan James is a formidable character. Tall and dark and muscular, but leaner than the Moretti brothers. He wears casual slacks and a white polo shirt, but every inch of him screams power and control.
When I’ve gone over my account at least three times and Nathan has asked me dozens of questions, Lorenzo stands and clears his throat. “It’s late,” he says pointedly to Nathan and Drake. “There’s nothing that can’t be discussed in a day or two, after Mia’s had a chance to rest.”
I glance sideways at him, thankful for his intervention.
“Of course.” Nathan stands and Drake follows suit. “I have to fly back to New York for a hearing tomorrow, but I’ll be back in Chicago by Wednesday. I’d like Mia to come in and we can discuss everything in more detail then.” He glances at me and I swallow. I guess that means we’ll be talking about the fact that I actually did murder my husband. I’m sure Lorenzo has told them both that already, but they probably need to hear the full story from me. Isn’t that how these things work?
Lorenzo agrees and pulls Nathan into a brief hug. “Thank you for coming.”
“Any time. I’m just glad I wasn’t needed tonight,” Nathan says, slapping Lorenzo on the back.
Once everyone else is gone and Dante finally persuades an anxious Kat that she needs to get some sleep, I find myself alone with Lorenzo. I can’t help feeling like this is a setup. I’ve felt his eyes on me all night long. I hate that I still find more comfort in his presence than I do with anyone else, but he can’t undo what he said.
I fake a yawn and stand. “I guess I’ll head to bed as well. Goodnight.” Lorenzo stands too, and as soon as I open the door, he’s right there behind me. His closeness has goosebumps popping up all over my body.
With one hand above my head, he closes the door and blocks my exit, his body heat warming my back.
“Lorenzo. I’m tired. Please just let me go to bed,” I say with a heavy sigh.
He brushes the hair from the nape of my neck with his free hand, and my skin quivers at his touch. “Can we talk?”
My thighs tremble, but I suck in a deep breath.Stay strong, Mia. You can do this.“I-I have nothing to say to you.”
He moves closer until his warm breath dances over me. My core contracts with pulsing need. “Then listen.”
Listen?! How fucking dare he!I spin around so I’m facing him. “I don’t want—”
He grabs hold of me, one hand in my hair and one on my ass, and seals his mouth over mine, pushing me back into the door. My treacherous body wants to melt against him, but I slam my fists into his chest. It has no impact. He’s an immovable wall. He doesn’t even flinch. Instead, he deepens the kiss, pulling me tighter, and despite my anger at him, wet heat pools between my thighs.
But this can’t happen. He doesn’t get to kiss or fuck me into submission.
Struggling, I try to shove him back, but he holds me in place with his undefeatable strength. I bite his lip, drawing blood, but he simply licks it off and goes back to kissing me. Beating against his chest, I strain to get away from him, but he pins me with the weight of his body and captures my hands in one of his, securing them above my head. I could say my safe word, that would make him stop. He’d never break that trust, right? So why can’t I bring myself to mumble that one word?
Why are my eyes closed and my legs trembling? Tears stream down my cheeks. I don’t know what to think anymore. I want him, but he’s not mine. He’ll never allow himself to be mine. I wrench my lips away and rasp, “Cantaloupe.”
Gasping for breath, he releases me, a pained expression taking over his face. “Mia. Please?”
Tears blur my vision, and I swallow the words that my heart wants me to scream. I cannot let this man rip my soul apart again. I won’t recover from it a third time. “No, Lorenzo. It’s too late. There’s nothing you can say.”
