Total pages in book: 98
Estimated words: 95049 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 475(@200wpm)___ 380(@250wpm)___ 317(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 95049 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 475(@200wpm)___ 380(@250wpm)___ 317(@300wpm)
Several emotions flit across Vanessa’s features before she settles on a soft yet sad smile. “Yeah,” she rasps. “I’m, uh, planning to go back after Christmas … if that’s okay. It will be Nicole’s first Christmas without her dad, and even though he was a piece of shit, it’s still hard for her. And …”
Tears prick her eyes, and all I want is to pull her close and tell her not to leave, but since I can’t do that, I gently wipe away the tear that escapes.
“Sorry,” she chokes out. “I just … I’m going to really miss Leo, so I was hoping, if it’s okay with you, I’d like to spend Christmas with him.”
Fuck, this woman. Why does she have to be fifteen years younger than me and still in college? Why did I have to meet her now instead of at a different time, when we were both able to be in a relationship? This is the worst case of right person, wrong time, and it fucking sucks.
“What about me?” I joke, trying to keep the conversation light so we don’t ruin our weekend.
“What about you?” she asks, confusion laced in her tone.
“You said you’re going to miss Leo, so you want to spend Christmas with him. What about me, Wild Card?” I reach around and tug gently on her ponytail, tilting her face up. “You going to miss me?”
She chokes out a laugh, mixed with a hint of a sob, and more tears fill her eyes. “Maybe just a little.”
Unable to go another second without my mouth on hers, I cradle her head and curve my lips around hers. Tasting, coaxing, devouring. The kiss is filled with desperation. Both of us hoping to convey everything we can’t say. And when I pull back—knowing if I don’t, we’ll never make our dinner reservations—Vanessa is breathing heavily, her eyes filled with heat.
“Lorenzo,” she breathes.
“We have all weekend, baby.” I caress her lips once more. “But we have dinner plans, and then we’re going to the casino, which means you need to get dressed.”
She hits me with an adorable pout but nods.
“Fine, but if I internally combust from being so worked up, I’m blaming you.”
I chuckle. “I’ll take care of you later, I promise.”
Since I’m already dressed from work, I freshen up and brush my teeth while Vanessa gets ready, and then I check in with Matteo.
Lorenzo
Any news on the DNA?
While Matteo said the picture pretty much confirmed it was Leysa who died in the fire, he’s not taking any chances. This bitch had played us too many times. So, he sent Kaleb to Colombia to get her DNA so it can be run against the body and prove it’s her.
Matteo
Hughe said they gotta send it out, so it’s going to take a few weeks.
Lorenzo
K, thanks.
I would never admit it out loud, but there was a small part of me that was hoping it wasn’t her, and then Vanessa would be forced to stay with us longer. But Matteo said the woman he saw, as well as the picture of the burned face, matches Leysa, so the DNA is just to give everyone peace of mind. So, unless something crazy happens between now and Christmas, Vanessa said she’ll be heading back to Seattle on December 26.
The click-clack of heels against the marble floor has me pocketing my phone so I can focus on Vanessa. I glance up, and I’m damn near knocked on my ass by the sight in front of me.
“How do I look?” she asks, a hint of uncertainty in her tone. “Am I casino-worthy?”
She’s wearing a sleeveless burgundy satin dress that dips low in the center, showing off the swells of her perky breasts. It’s short and tight, highlighting every perfect curve on her body. And she’s paired it with black stilettos that accentuate her toned calves and thighs.
Her hair is down in waves, and her makeup is on the heavier side with some black shit on her lids, making her violet eyes pop. But her lips … she kept them bare, with only a hint of gloss.
“Marry me,” I half joke, making her throw her head back in laughter.
“Lorenzo!” she chides. “I’m serious. I made this dress the other day, and I’m not sure about the way it drapes across the front.”
“You look stunning.” I pull her into my arms. “Everything about the dress is perfect. Including the woman wearing it.”
She flushes a beautiful shade of pink, and I wonder how I’m going to live without this woman in my life when she leaves.
“I’m going to need to stop someone to take a picture of us,” I murmur, nuzzling my face into her neck so I can inhale her floral scent.
Reluctantly, I pull back, and when my eyes land on her again, I remember something. “I have a gift for you.”