Chapter Thirty-Three Lorenzo
CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE
Lorenzo
I f I kiss Lily right now, in private without an audience, it will change everything.
I don’t want to ruin the connection we’ve built over the last six weeks, but I also know I can’t resist.
Not after she told me she wants to be possessed .
One kiss won’t ruin an arrangement, right? We are two mature adults who have kissed plenty of times over the last six weeks, so what’s one more?
My mind goes blank as I lean forward and brush my lips across her collarbone. She inhales sharply, and I smile against her skin as I leave a path of kisses across her chest. My mouth traces the delicate curve of her neck before it lingers at the corner of her mouth.
“Don’t forget. You wanted this,” I mutter against her skin.
She nods, her eyes glazed over like she’s under my spell, only for them to slam shut when I seal my mouth over hers.
At first I’m reserved, teasing her with soft pecks that leave her squirming underneath me. Testing, teasing, yearning .
Only for the private moment to be shattered by Willow knocking on the door to let us know that Dahlia took Rosa home because she wasn’t feeling well. Lily shoves me away, jumps off the couch, and calls her sister to figure out what happened.
Apparently Rosa’s blood pressure was through the roof, most likely because of me not telling her about the proposal beforehand. A fact Julian is all too eager to gloat about once Lily and I find him backstage.
“How could you not ask for her permission?” Lily’s eyes grow impossibly large.
“I didn’t know I was expected to.”
She bangs her head against my chest with a groan. “Lorenzo! No wonder she had high blood pressure.”
“Looking back, I could’ve gone about the entire night differently.”
“You think? I could kill you right now!” she whisper-shouts.
“Do you need a murder weapon? I’ve got a few tools in my truck that can do the job,” Julian offers, speaking for the first time since we joined him backstage.
I flip him off without breaking eye contact with Lily. “I didn’t realize her condition was so fragile.”
No wonder she wants to protect her mom from the Ludlows and the NDA they talked her into signing. If my mom struggled with stress that bad, I’d do everything possible to stop an episode too.
Lily frowns. “She’s not fragile, but I think anyone would have heart palpitations if their daughter got engaged out of the blue to a man they hardly know.”
I rub the back of my neck, suddenly self-conscious. “Now I feel like an ass.”
“You should,” Julian replies, still looking a bit green.
“Don’t you have a trash can to go heave into?”
“No, but do you want to lend me your favorite Ferragamos by chance?”
I’m about to reply when Willow gives us the signal.
I squeeze Lily’s hip. “Ready?”
With a nod, she slips her hand into mine, and together we walk toward the parting curtains. Everyone is seated at their assigned tables, obscured in darkness as Lily and I take the center of the stage.
A spotlight follows us to the microphone stand, and I reach for it with my free hand. I’m not the type to get nervous while public speaking, but there is a slight flash of panic at the idea of divulging my past.
I’ve never been the face of the Healing Hearts charity before.
Like most of my work outside of running for mayor, I prefer to keep my personal affairs private, and the small team at Healing Hearts knows that.
They’re committed to finding families who need support, so long as I keep supplying the funds.
Money can’t bring loved ones back, but it helps with legal fees, medical needs, and mental health services that can add up over time, which is why I’m here tonight.
I hit the crowd with a dazzling smile. “Thank you, everyone, for coming out tonight to support Healing Hearts. Lily and I are happy to have you here.”
She dips her head toward the crowd and places a hand over her heart.
I physically force myself to look back at the ballroom full of people when I’d rather stare at her.
“When I started this charity two years ago, I had recently found out that I lost two family members due to a drunk driver.” My hand tightens around the microphone, and I banish the memory before it tanks my mood.
You’re doing this for them.
Lily peers up at me, but I keep facing the crowd. If I acknowledge the sympathy in her gaze, I’ll end up struggling to get through this speech, and it’s hard enough talking about my parents’ deaths as it is.
“Losing a loved one is one of the hardest experiences we can go through. Grief is a journey, and a never-ending one at that, and at Healing Hearts, we try to help families through the process by connecting them with services in their area and providing whatever funding they need. I’m aware that a lot of people don’t have access to the same resources as I did, so I’ve made it my mission to give back to those who are looking to heal. ”
Lily places her hand right on top of my tux, right over my heart, which feels like it dropped to my stomach as soon as I started speaking.
“The silent auction will begin in an hour. So please enjoy the food, grab yourself a drink, and feel free to use the private car service we hired for the evening.”
A waiter rushes over to us with a tray, and I pass Lily a champagne glass before grabbing my own. We both hold ours up in the air.
“And with that, I’m going to enjoy a dance with my fiancée.”
Manny claps me on the shoulder, and I turn to find him scowling. I expected him to be in a better mood since Jane agreed to be his date, but something has clearly upset him, and I’m going to guess it has something to do with my surprise earlier.
The blank way he stares at me is unsettling because Manny wears his heart on his fruit-patterned sleeve.
He breaks eye contact first. “I’m starting to question if we’re best friends.”
“If me wearing your strawberry shirt wasn’t proof enough, then I’m screwed.”
He pushes me toward the bar. “That’s the only reason I’m forgiving you.”
“I don’t think you could hold a grudge even if you wanted to.”
“Oh, I’m pissed.” He waves a bartender over, and we both order our drinks.
“I wanted to tell you,” I say. “But I couldn’t ruin the surprise, and no offense, but you can’t keep a secret to save your life.”
“Hm” is his only reply.
“How do I make it up to you?”
“Ask me to be your best man.”
I laugh, thinking he’s joking, only to stop when he doesn’t join in.
“You’re not joking?”
“My heart took a serious beating right now.”
“Rest assured, if I have a best man, you’ll be my guy.”
“If?” He gawks. “What do you mean if ?”
I walk back my answer to not raise suspicion. “We could decide to elope.”
He laughs hard enough to gain some attention from those around us.
“What’s so funny?”
“You’re marrying into the Lake Wisteria royal family. You have no choice but to have a big wedding with all the bells and whistles.”
“Sounds like my dream,” I reply with a heavy dose of sarcasm.
“Don’t worry—I’ll be there every step of the way to help you out. It’s my duty as your best man.”
“I haven’t even asked you yet.”
“Yet? See, I knew I was your only option.”
“Keep annoying me and I’ll ask Julian to spite you.”
He rears back. “You wouldn’t dare.”
“What if I told you his speech tonight is a test run?”
“So let’s say—hypothetically speaking, of course—that Julian was to go missing. Would you mind if I step in to offer my endorsement?”
“Your friendship is the best endorsement of all.”
He wipes at the corner of his dry eye. “That might be the nicest thing you’ve ever said to me—at least up until you officially ask me to be your best man.”