Solitude (Cunningham Security Book 4) Read online

  Unfortunately, when I tried distracting Lorenzo, I wasn’t as successful. I had discreetly readjusted my top to show a bit more cleavage just before I walked over to get a ball. There was no doubt that Lorenzo noticed my ample breasts as I leaned over to grab a ball at the same time he did. His eyes heated, but beyond that, his game was not ruined.

  “Not so easily distracted, big guy?” I wondered when we both came back to get our balls.

  He cocked an eyebrow at me.

  “Stop looking at her like that, De Luca,” Dom ordered from behind us.

  Lorenzo and I both looked at my brother.

  “You’ve got nothing to worry about,” Lorenzo assured him. “This one is nothing but a boatload of trouble, though.”

  Then, he lifted his ball, turned, and knocked down his remaining pins. Once they were down, he looked at me and smirked.

  Damn.

  I finished my turn, only knocking down a total of six pins, and flopped down in the seat between Kendall and Kate.

  “Maybe one of you should try,” I huffed. “He’s clearly not attracted to me.”

  “Are you kidding?” Kate laughed.

  “No.”

  Kendall put her hand on my leg and assured me, “He is absolutely attracted to you. Trust us. That man’s eyes spoke for him. We just need to come up with another tactic.”

  I shrugged my shoulders. “What can I do?”

  “Maybe he’s too easily able to appreciate the visual aspect of your game,” Kate suggested. “What if you try getting physical?”

  I sat up a little straighter and leaned in. “I’m listening.”

  “Girl, you’ve got boobs and an ass. We know he’s not completely immune to the sight of your curves, but given what he does for a living as a private investigator, he has practiced the art of self-control and focus. You need to up the distraction.”

  “Hmm,” I hummed.

  I could do that.

  As the rest of the girls and guys took their turns and we were slowly closing the gap in the score, I tried to come up with a plan.

  When it was my turn, I walked up, but accidentally lost my footing. Inches before I went face first into the bowling balls, Lorenzo’s arm caught me from the opposite side. His hand was at my belly, my breasts against his forearm. Tingles shot through my body and the only reason I put my hands out to push up off the balls and out of his hold was because I needed to see if Lorenzo felt the same thing I did.

  Looking at him, I found his face littered with concern, but he mostly looked unaffected from a sexual tension standpoint. When he spoke, his voice was gruff. “Are you okay?”

  I nodded and clarified, “That wasn’t intentional.”

  “I didn’t think it was.”

  Finding myself thrown slightly off-kilter, I picked up the ball and walked away to my lane. I managed to get down a measly four pins, but I figured it was better than a gutter. When I turned around to walk back to the ball return, I glanced over to see Lorenzo eyeing me. He quickly looked away and took his turn. I watched as his ball skimmed the edge of the lane all the way down, only managing to knock over a single pin.

  The girls cheered from behind me while the boys groaned. I could only barely register the sounds coming from behind me because my gaze was focused on the man in front of me. Lorenzo’s eyes were narrowed and his brows furrowed, as he looked down at the ground a few feet in front of him.

  Maybe I had been wrong. Maybe Lorenzo was the tiniest bit affected by me.

  My ball came back, so I picked it up and moved to the lane. I did my best to focus, rolled it, and managed to knock down the remaining six pins.

  A spare!

  I spun around, locked gazes with Lorenzo, and sauntered right over to him. Pressing my hand to his chest, I felt him tense up before I taunted, “How do you like me now, big guy?”

  He let out a laugh.

  After I gave him a wink, I walked back over to where the girls were celebrating. They all congratulated me, and when I looked back at Lorenzo, I found he only got another two pins down.

  Once he was back over by the guys, he glanced over at me. I couldn’t read the look on his face. He wasn’t angry, but he wasn’t happy. If nothing else, he seemed contemplative.

  My sister sat down next to me and whispered, “I think we found Lorenzo’s weakness.” When I directed my attention to her, she went on, “Physical contact with you.”

  I bit the corner of my lip and felt the giddiness overtake me. Maybe I wasn’t a total turnoff and there was still a chance he might be into me.

  We’d made it through several more rounds, the girls managing to get within a few points. When we were on the tenth frame, I knew I had to give it all I had. I took my time to concentrate on my lane, threw the ball, and got my first strike. I was so excited I began jumping up and down. Lorenzo was the closest to me since he was preparing to take his turn, so I closed the short distance between us and wrapped my arms around him to hug him.

  The second I was there, I knew I didn’t want to let him go, but I felt his body tense against mine. It took a moment, but one of his arms came around my back and gave me a gentle squeeze.

  “Congratulations, Jolie,” he said softly.

  I beamed up at him, “Thank you, Lorenzo.”

  His head jerked back and his fingertips pressed into my skin a little harder. I loved it, but Lorenzo almost immediately dropped his arm from around me and stepped back.

  Just like that, the warm feeling that had washed over me was gone. I moved back to celebrate my strike with the girls while Lorenzo matched my strike with one of his own.

  The boys ended up winning.

  After bowling, Dom and Ekko wanted everyone to join them back at their place. A bunch of Dom’s co-workers met us there and the rest of the night was spent just hanging, chatting, and having a good time.

  Sadly, as much as I had hoped to talk with Lorenzo, it never happened. We stole glances at each other throughout the night, but he never approached me.

  To say I was disappointed when he left would be an understatement. The truth is, I wasn’t exactly having much luck in the dating scene. It had been a long time since I’d had an official boyfriend, but dates weren’t exactly easy to come by either. While I was overjoyed that my brother had found Ekko, there was a part of me that was feeling sorry for myself. I had seriously missed having not only physical intimacy but also companionship.

  Two weeks later, I saw Lorenzo at Dom and Ekko’s outdoor wedding rehearsal. I would have been lying if I said that I wasn’t secretly thanking them for pairing me with him. As we walked down the aisle, I took full advantage of being able to curl my fingers around his bicep and inhale the scent of him.

  Following the rehearsal, the bridal party and a few close friends and family had dinner together. Elle was seated next to me on one side, Lorenzo on the other. Pre-wedding festivities had taken over and there wasn’t an opportunity for me to have a conversation with Lorenzo. What I got instead might have been slightly better. Every so often, my arm brushed up against his or he’d send an intense stare in my direction. Those things made me feel far more than any conversation could have at that moment anyway.

  At the end of the night, I made my way home to my condo and got ready for bed. While I left the rehearsal dinner feeling slightly disappointed, there was no denying that I had a serious crush on Lorenzo. Of course, a huge part of that crush was a result of his looks, but I was intrigued by the mystery of him. Unlike most of my family, an outgoing bunch, Lorenzo was quiet, reserved, and maybe even a little detached.

  For that reason, and so much more, I found I wanted to know more about him.

  The wedding reception wasn’t far away and I was very much looking forward to having an opportunity to dance with Lorenzo. Something told me he wasn’t much of a dancer, but I knew I’d have, at a minimum, the bridal party dance. Truthfully, I wouldn’t care if he had two left feet. The sexual tension between the two of us was high and I just wanted to have my body pressed agains
t his while he held me in his arms. On those thoughts, feeling very giddy, I fell asleep.

  The next morning I was up early and out the door. All the girls were meeting at the venue to get ready together. Once we’d made sure that our bride was looking stunning for her groom, we ushered her off for her first-look session with him. After Ekko had left to get some pre-wedding photos done with Dom, I pulled my sister aside.

  “I’m freaking out, sissy.”

  She blinked her eyes at me. “Because Dom’s getting married?”

  I shook my head. “No. I’m freaking out because I can’t seem to get a grip. Ever since we went bowling, my brain won’t stop thinking about Lorenzo. I think I really like him.”

  “Jojo, you barely know him,” she noted.

  “I know,” I agreed. “It doesn’t make any sense. I’d like to get to know him, but we are the definition of opposites attract. I mean, I hope there’s an attraction on his end.”

  “So why don’t you try talking to him?”

  I swallowed hard at the thought. “I want to, but he’s so serious. What if he’s just off-put by my outgoing nature?”

  She shrugged her shoulders. “Then he doesn’t deserve you. I know that’s not what you want to hear, but if any man doesn’t like you for who you are, you have to move right along. That said, I saw the way he looked at you when we went bowling a few weeks ago. That alone told me he is attracted to you. But yesterday? If I hadn’t already thought so, yesterday would have solidified that for me.”

  I blinked my eyes and jerked my head back. “What do you mean? What happened yesterday?”

  “During the rehearsal dinner, I glanced over at him a few times when you were rambling on about something to the entire table and he was looking at you.”

  “Okay,” I began. “Considering I was talking, I’m guessing he was just looking at me because that’s what you do when someone is speaking.”

  She shook her head. “No,” she stated firmly. “He was looking at you. Trust me, there was a distinct look he had in his eyes. That man had just finished the whole plate of food in front of him, but Jojo, he looked at you like he was starving.”

  My breath caught in my throat.

  “Do you think he’s just shy?” I wondered after several seconds of silence had passed. “I don’t mind making the first move if that’s what it is, but I don’t want to have my heart crushed if he’s not interested.”

  “I’m honestly not sure. He’s certainly quiet, but he also seems confident. Looking like he does and seeing how you’ve been around him, I’m guessing he knows you’re attracted to him. It won’t hurt for you to talk to him. I don’t think he’d purposely try to hurt you. Keep in mind that he’s one of Dom’s closest friends. That alone is reason enough to assume he won’t be a jerk to you.”

  I took in a deep breath. “You’re right. Okay, I have to work up the nerve to say something to him at some point today.”

  Kendall smiled at me. “Good luck. You know I’m here for you if you need me.”

  “Always, sissy.”

  A few minutes later, Ekko was back and the wedding was about to start. We took our places and the next thing I knew I was standing at the end of the aisle in the gorgeous champagne-colored, plunging neckline, A-line bridesmaid dress Ekko had picked out.

  As I walked down the aisle, my eyes first went to Dom. He gave me a look of adoration. I couldn’t have been more proud than I was at that moment to be part of his special day. My eyes left Dom and slid to his left, where they moved past Colton, Memphis, and Levi before finally settled on Lorenzo.

  His eyes were glued to me and the intensity of his stare sent shivers down my spine.

  I made it to the end of the aisle and took my spot. While I waited for the rest of the bridesmaids, and ultimately the bride, to join me, I couldn’t help but look at the man standing in the same spot opposite of me.

  Once the ceremony began, I redirected my attention and focused on the real reason we were all there. To witness two people commit themselves to each other. Two people I absolutely loved and adored. I felt myself getting emotional as Dom and Ekko said their vows to one another and had to fight to hold back the tears.

  The next thing I knew, Dom was being told he could kiss his bride. After they turned and made their way down the aisle, I started feeling nerves in my belly. I took steps toward the aisle as each bridesmaid paired up with her respective groomsman. Just as Elle and Levi started walking away, Lorenzo came into my line of vision.

  I was so distracted by him that I missed stepping over the aisle runner and tripped instead. Lorenzo’s eyes widened briefly, but he acted quick and caught me before I fell. It happened so fast, but oddly, the second he wrapped his arm around my waist and caught me, he turned so that his back was to the guests.

  “Sorry,” I lamented as I moved to stand up straight.

  He cleared his throat and got out a husky, “Your dress.”

  “What?”

  “You’re nearly exposed,” he stated, his voice sounding strained.

  I looked down and gasped. The cut of the dress was not conducive to nearly face-planting. That’s why Lorenzo turned so quickly. He was using his body to cover me so that I didn’t flash everyone at my brother’s wedding. I hadn’t completely fallen out of my dress, but I was certainly close.

  I readjusted myself and looked back up at him. He wasn’t looking at me. Instead, he had his head up and turned to the side.

  Was he trying to be a gentleman?

  I took a small step back. Lorenzo dropped his gaze to me and confirmed, “All good?”

  Giving him a quick nod, I replied, “Thank you.”

  He didn’t respond. Instead, he turned and held his arm out. I wrapped my fingers around his bicep and walked alongside him down the aisle.

  After spending some time taking photos with the bridal party, we made our way to the reception. Introductions were made before Dom and Ekko shared their first dance. Immediately following their dance, the bridal party joined them on the dance floor.

  Lorenzo put one arm around my waist and held me close while he wrapped his hand around mine. As we moved slowly with the music, I stared up at him and the rest of the world melted away. For the first half of the song, I did nothing but hold his intense gaze and enjoy being there with him. I eventually realized that if I was going to make a move, I needed to do it before the song ended.

  “Thanks again for making sure I didn’t completely embarrass myself earlier,” I broke the silence between us.

  “You’re welcome. Are you always so clumsy?”

  My eyes widened. “What?”

  “That’s the second time I’ve saved you from getting your face busted open,” he clarified. “I’m just wondering if that’s a normal thing for you.”

  I shook my head. “No, it seems to only happen around you.”

  He offered one slow nod but said nothing in response. His eyes left mine and he scanned the room.

  “Lorenzo?” I called.

  He dropped his stare to me and answered, “Yeah?”

  “What’s happening?”

  He pulled his brows together. “Come again?”

  “It’s just…” I stammered. “I feel like there’s something more going on here between us.”

  “Fuck,” he muttered quietly, looking away from me. He took several moments to live inside his own head. When he looked at me again, his eyes were haunted. “Do you want this one day?” he asked.

  “I’m sorry?”

  “A wedding? Marriage? Commitment?”

  I felt my body get tight. “Sure, yeah, I mean, one day I want to get married. But not now.”

  “Right. Then you need to understand now that I’m not that man and I never will be,” he stated firmly.

  “Okay,” I replied, stretching out the word hoping to indicate my confusion at his statement.

  He didn’t offer an explanation, but I was still curious. Was he saying that he was okay with a one-night fling, but nothing long-term?
/>
  “So, if I had said that I was just looking for a hookup, would you have had a different response?” I wondered.

  His eyes flared. “Is that your thing? Having a random hookup?”

  I shook my head slowly. “No, but that doesn’t answer my question.”

  He shrugged his shoulders. “If you were anyone else, sure. But you’re not just anyone else. And that means nothing will ever happen between us. Ever,” he stated firmly and with such conviction.

  My whole body went rigid as my eyes darted back and forth trying to figure out how I could have so easily mistaken the glances from him and the attraction I thought was mutual.

  “I don’t understand. Are you not attracted to me?”

  Something flashed in his eyes. Regret maybe? Frustration perhaps? I couldn’t tell, but it didn’t matter because he answered, “Doesn’t matter, you and I won’t ever happen, Jolie.”

  Thankfully, at that moment, the song ended.

  I pulled out of his hold and walked away. I went to the bathroom so I could pull myself together. When I stepped out a few minutes later and returned to the reception hall for the dinner, I stopped at the bar and grabbed myself a drink.

  If Lorenzo didn’t want me, that was his loss. Clearly, he believed I wasn’t good enough for him. That was fine; I was going to enjoy myself tonight. I kept my attention focused on anyone and anything other than Lorenzo. As the night went on, I had more drinks and did a lot of dancing.

  Putting him out of my mind, or at least telling myself that that is what I was doing, was the best decision I could have made. Because if I hadn’t, I would have realized that he spent the rest of the night with his eyes on me.

  Five months later

  “What do you think about this one?”

  I was standing in the dressing room at my favorite department store in the Windsor Mall with one of my closest friends, Ava Oliver. Ava and I work together at Serenity Salon and Spa where I am a massage therapist and Ava works as an esthetician.

  It was Wednesday afternoon and we decided to take a trip to the Windsor Mall to buy new dresses for this weekend. Ava and I were meeting up with all of our co-workers for a night out. I wanted a new dress for this weekend’s festivities, and being my partner-in-crime for these outings, Ava had driven us both here so she could also snag herself something fancy as well.