Chapter 17
Lorenzo
“We’re going to need to get together with the inspector. Set up a meeting and make sure it’s on my calendar.”
My assistant, Kathleen, nods, and everyone files out of my office, except for Kane, Dominick, and Matteo since we’re having lunch brought in.
“I’m going to check on Peyton before lunch gets here,” Dominick says.
“Everything okay?” I ask.
“Yeah, she texted that Damien came home from school early, not feeling well.”
“How’s it going with your new wife?” Matteo asks with a smirk, no doubt remembering my antics when I was buzzed at the casino the other night.
“I was actually thinking about asking her out,” I admit.
Matteo’s eyes go wide, and I wait for him to tell me that’s a bad idea. He never held back how he felt about Hillary when we were together.
“Yeah? Well, normally, I’d say you shouldn’t risk it with that bitch on the loose,” Matteo says, “but I actually wanted to talk to you about that.”
“Wait. You’re not going to tell me going out with her is a bad idea?”
Matteo shrugs. “Dani likes her.”
“Bri does too,” Kane chimes in. “She’s making her some pregnancy dress or some shit.”
“Did you forget that she drugged me and then conned me into marrying and fucking her?” I point out.
“Her back was against the wall,” Matteo replies, shocking the hell out of me. “But if you have a problem with what she did, why are you thinking about asking her out on a date?”
Fuck, he’s got a point.
“So, what was it you wanted to talk to me about?”
“With Leysa going quiet, she’s either given up or she’s hiding out, waiting for us to fuck up.
And I’m leaning toward the latter. And since Vanessa is her new obsession, I was thinking, what if you two went out somewhere public, but not too public?
Like a restaurant we own. My guys and I would be there, so she’d be completely protected, and we could try to draw that psycho bitch out from hiding. ”
“I’d have to ask her and find a sitter for Leo …”
“Bri and I could watch him,” Kane says. “With her being due in a couple of months, it could be good practice.”
“You sure?” I ask.
“Yeah. She’s all nesting and shit.” Kane stands and pulls out his phone. “I’ll call and confirm with her now, but I know she’ll be on board.”
“Tonight?” Matteo asks.
“That’s last minute,” I note.
“What else are you doing tonight?” Matteo smirks like the asshole he is. “Besides, now you’ll be forced to ask her out instead of chickening out. Unless you don’t want to …”
Fucker.
“Fine, I’ll ask her out for tonight.”
Matteo grins smugly and stands. “I’ll make the arrangements. Let me know where you want to take her. I suggest Pasquale’s. They have the best Italian.”
Since I’m not sure what Vanessa likes, I nod in agreement, figuring I can’t go wrong with Italian.
“Yeah, okay. That place will work.”
“Great. Hopefully, we’ll lure this bitch out and take her out once and for all.”
With my office momentarily empty and lunch not having arrived yet, I check my phone, immediately concerned when I read a text from my sister from earlier.
Dani
I just wanted to check on Leo. Peyton said he threw up. I texted Vanessa, but haven’t heard back. If you guys need anything, I’m here.
What the fuck? Leo’s sick?
I double-check and don’t find a single call or text from Vanessa. I’m about to call her when I stop myself. I trust her, and if she thought she needed to call me, she would.
I set my phone down, but the thought of not knowing if my son is okay hits too strong, and I pick up my phone and click on the security app.
I shouldn’t do it.
But at the same time, she’s watching my son, and I had no problem watching it when the other nannies were taking care of him.
“Fuck it.”
I’ll just click on it, confirm my son’s okay, and then get out.
No harm, no foul.
I check the living room first, but it’s empty.
So, I click on the camera that shows Leo’s room. I don’t have cameras in any bedroom but his. His door is closed, and he’s sleeping soundly in his crib.
I watch his chest rise and fall for several seconds. And I’m about to exit out of the app when a red dot pops up, indicating there’s activity in the hallway.
Curious—and if I’m honest, wanting to see Vanessa—I click on that camera, only to be met with a butt-naked woman running down the hallway.
Water is sluicing down her body, droplets hitting the floor as she damn near slides into the wall from her feet being wet.
I should exit out of the app, but I can’t stop watching as her perky breasts bounce while she runs straight for my bedroom. With the front of her body facing my door, I’m given the perfect view of her backside, and fuck if her ass isn’t as perfect as the rest of her.
She turns the handle, swings my door open, and disappears into my room, and I’m left wondering what the hell is going on and why she’s running around naked and dripping wet.
So, I do the logical thing and pick up my office phone and call her.
A few seconds later, she appears in the hallway again, still dripping wet and naked, running back to her bedroom.
If I wasn’t so confused as to what was going on, I’d be turned on.
Okay, fine. I am turned on.
This woman is a goddess, and the fact that I had sex with her and can’t remember it is a fucking shame.
“Hello?” she says, sounding out of breath.
“Why the fuck are you running around my house naked?” I ask, trying to keep the mirth out of my tone.
“Lorenzo?” she asks.
“Yes. Who else’s house would you be running around naked in?”
“Oh my God!” she shrieks. “Are you watching me on the cameras?”
“Why are you running around naked?”
“Stop watching the cameras!”
“Stop running around naked!”
She hangs up on me, and I chuckle. I’m about to click out of the app when she appears in the hallway. Still fucking naked.
She looks directly at the camera, giving me the perfect view of her body, and smirks.
“Better take a picture,” she says, knowing my security cameras have sound. “It lasts longer.” Then she raises her hand, flips me the bird, and turns on her heel, slowly sauntering back into her room.
Lorenzo
That sounded like you just gave me permission to use that footage for personal use.
I hit Send and then immediately regret it, knowing I’ve crossed the line. It’s one thing to mistakenly see her naked, but it’s another to imply I’m going to use said footage to jack off to.
I try to click Unsend, but she’s already read it.
“Shit.”
I wait for her to tell me I’ve gone too far, that I’m a fucking perv, and I wouldn’t blame her. But then her reply comes through …
Vanessa
Feel free to add it to your spank bank. And if you wanted to reciprocate, I wouldn’t say no. Girl has needs …
My thoughts go back to our kiss the other night, and I know I’m fucked. I wasn’t supposed to want my fake wife, but I do, and my admitting to Matteo and Kane that I want to ask her out on a date only cements what I already know—I’m done fighting it.
Lorenzo
Or I could take care of those needs myself.
Vanessa
I thought that’s what you just said—hence using the footage of me naked as your spank bank material.
Lorenzo
I meant your needs.
As the texting bubbles appear and then disappear, I hold my breath, wondering what the hell I’m doing. I haven’t even asked her out on a proper date. Yet I’m insinuating that I want more from her.
If Vanessa didn’t want to go on a date with me, would I be willing to have casual sex with her? I mean, we already fucked—despite me not remembering it—so I could make an exception for her.
But as I consider that option, I know that’s not what I want.
I want more.
More nights of playing cards and talking.
More banter.
More cooking dinner for us because she can’t cook for shit.
More time spent with her and my son.
I want more.
And that starts with taking her out on an actual date.
When it’s clear she’s not going to respond because she either doesn’t feel the same way—which is hard to believe since she said the kiss we shared was the best kiss she’d ever experienced—or I’ve spooked her, I change the subject, remembering the reason why I was checking the cameras in the first place.
Lorenzo
Is Leo okay? Dani mentioned he threw up …
Vanessa
I think he just had an upset stomach because he hasn’t done it again and he doesn’t have a fever. After he threw up, his mood got better, and he fell asleep.
Lorenzo
Thank you for taking care of him. You have no idea how much it means to me to know he’s safe with someone I trust.
As I click Send, I read the words I wrote and realize I mean them. Somehow, in the month that she’s been living with us, she’s managed to win me and my son over.
Vanessa
Keep talking like that, and I’ll be taking care of your needs.
I bark out a laugh.
Lorenzo
That screenshot of you in the hallway will be taking care of them plenty.
She sends me a laughing emoji, ending the conversation, but that’s okay because I’d rather discuss us in person. Which is what I’m planning to do as soon as I get home.
After my assistant brings the Thai we ordered in, the guys return, and we have lunch, discussing business and then moving on to tonight’s plans—as long as Vanessa agrees.
Once they leave, I respond to a few clients who need immediate responses, and then I let my assistant know that I’m cutting out early for the day. If I have any hope of getting Vanessa to go out with me tonight, I need to do it in person and then give her time to get ready.
On the way home, I stop at the store to pick her up some flowers.
Anytime my dad wanted to make my mom happy, he bought her flowers.
It didn’t matter what kind they were. Every time he gave them to her, her face lit up.
I go with white anemones since the florist said they often symbolize love and protection.
When I walk through the door, I find her sitting in the living room, holding Leo while giving him his afternoon bottle.
Dani said since he’s almost one, it’s time to consider weaning him from the bottle, but the thought of him moving to strictly solid food is hard to think about.
I feel like two seconds ago, he was only a few months old, and now he’s nearly one, trying to walk and talk.
When Leo hears me walk in, he throws his bottle to the side.
“Dada!” he shrieks, making me smile.
Hearing my son call me Dad will never get old.
“Going on a hot date tonight?” Vanessa says with a smirk, nodding toward the flowers in my hand.
“Hoping so,” I say, handing them to her. “They’re for you.”
Reluctantly, she takes the flowers and brings them to her nose to smell them—and memories of my mom doing the same thing surface, causing my heart to squeeze in my chest.
“Thank you,” she says. “They’re beautiful. But, um, just out of curiosity, what are they for?”
“I don’t know what I’m doing,” I admit with a shrug, making her laugh as she sets them on the side table.
“Well, I know something you can do,” she says, her eyes twinkling with mirth.
I glance at my son and quirk a brow, wondering if she forgot he was in the room with us.
“Not that!” She laughs. “You can make dinner.” She stands and places Leo on top of his play mat on the floor. “I’m craving lasagna, and I looked up a recipe and was going to try to make it. But since you’re home, it’ll save me from screwing it up and you remaking it properly.”
I snort a laugh and shake my head. This woman is something else.
I glance at Leo, who’s now playing with his animal farm book. “How’s our boy feeling?” I ask, wanting to make sure he’s okay before I suggest we go out tonight and leave him with Bri and Kane.
I don’t realize what I said until Vanessa’s eyes go wide in shock, but I don’t take it back or rephrase my words because even though he’s not biologically hers, she loves and cares about him the same way I do.
“He’s okay. But, man, I never knew someone so tiny could throw up so much in one go.
” She sighs. “That’s what led to me streaking through the house in the middle of the day.
I forgot I was doing my laundry and had no towels, so I had to run to grab one from your room, giving you some low-quality content for your spank bank. ”
“Trust me, that image was far from low quality.” I chuckle, not even bothering to deny that I screenshotted the image of her naked and flipping me off.
“He hasn’t thrown up since that one time this morning,” she adds, smiling softly at him. “So, based on my Google search, I’m thinking he ate something that didn’t agree with him, but he’s been fine since his nap.”
“Good. Then how about instead of me cooking lasagna, we go out for the best lasagna in Harbor Point?”
Vanessa’s eyes go comically wide. “We can leave the house? Does that mean they caught that crazy chick?”
“No, they haven’t caught her. Matteo thinks if we go out in public, maybe we can lure her out.”
She glances at Leo and shakes her head. “No, I’m not chancing anything happening to him. And I can’t believe you would even suggest it.”
“Not Leo,” I clarify, stepping toward her. “Just you and me on a date.”
“To lure her out …”
“That’s the hope,” I say. “But that’s not the reason I’m asking you out on a date.”
“What’s the reason?”
“Because I want to take you out.”
“On a date …”
I chuckle. “Yes, I want to take you out on a date. Unless you don’t want to chance it. Then we can put Leo to bed, and I can make us lasagna …”
“No.” She shakes her head. “I want to go on a date with you.”
“Good.” I take a step back, knowing if I don’t, I’ll do something crazy, like kiss her again. “I’ll hang out with Leo while you get ready. Bri and Kane should be here in about an hour or so to babysit.”