Page 11 of Elusive Enforcer

I nod and we part ways, each off to do our tasks. As soon as I let Sprinkles out of his carrier, the fluff ball begins sniffing everything and prancing around like he already owns the place. The adorable little king finds a laundry basket sitting right outside the bathroom with freshly folded towels inside.

I smile and shake my head when the cat jumps inside, circling a few times before curling up in a little ball and tucking his nose under his paw. At least one of us appears to have no worries in the world.

By the time I get back to the kitchen, Lorenzo has a peanut butter and jelly sandwich cut into quarters on a plate for me, along with barbeque chips and a stack of Oreo cookies. When I look over at him, he has remnants of his own sandwich and cookies sprinkled on his black suit.

“Thanks for lunch,” I say, not sure how to break the awkwardness of the situation. Lorenzo looks up from the message he was sending on his phone, nodding once in acknowledgment. “More like dinner, I guess,” I say more to myself when I see the clock on the microwave. Nearly six in the evening. I guess we really did drive around for hours.

I eat half of my sandwich and two Oreos before I can’t stand the silence any longer. I have more questions, dammit, and I deserve answers. If Lorenzo thought it was important enough tohide me away in this remote location, I deserve to know his role in this whole mess. I’m especially curious as to why he was so against releasing the damning information to the media.

“Who do you work for?” I ask, not for the first time. Back at my apartment, he never got a chance to answer.

Startled by my abrupt question, Lorenzo straightens up in his chair and then runs a hand through his thick brown locks. I've noticed he does that when he's trying to think of an excuse. I'm not in the mood for excuses; I need answers.

“The truth,” I clarify before he can come up with a vague, unsatisfying response.

“It’s complicated,” he starts, getting up from his seat and pacing around the small living area.

“Uncomplicate it,” I reply, standing up as well. Lorenzo may be nearly a foot taller than me, but I won’t let him think he has the upper hand here. I cross my arms over my chest and hold my head up high, not backing down.

I can practically see the thoughts racing in his mind as he tries to settle on something to appease us both. Lorenzo turns the full power of his deep, dark gaze on me. He takes a deep breath, the sharp look in his eyes giving way to something more vulnerable. He’s asked me to trust him a dozen times by now, but he’s trying to figure out ifhecan trustme.

“I work for the mafia,” he says, not breaking eye contact.

The mafia? What the actual fuck…?

“What?” I blurt out, feeling like I’ve been sucker punched.

“The Capparellis, to be more specific. I’m their top enforcer.”

I open and close my mouth a few times and then tilt my head to the side. I have no reason to doubt his answer, I just... I don't know how I feel about it all.

“Say something,” Lorenzo finally blurts out. “Are you afraid of me?”

Everything in me softens toward this man. He fought with himself over what to tell me about his profession, and now that he’s admitted the truth, all he really wants to know is if he makes me uncomfortable.

I shake my head no and uncross my arms, moving closer to where Lorenzo has been wearing a path in the hardwood floor. He stills his pacing, watching me approach him. I’m not entirely sure what I’m going to do until my hand reaches out for his. Our fingers weave together and he pulls me against his body, letting me feel his solid chest and abs against my soft curves.

The hundreds of questions I need answers to suddenly fade away, leaving just me and Lorenzo alone in a remote location. Our hearts race together as our breathing grows shallower with each inhale.

The fire from this morning’s almost-kiss rushes to the surface, our eyes locked on each other while our breaths mingle. “I’m not scared,” I whisper, letting him know I’m not afraid of him or what’s happening between us.

“Good girl,” he hums, his voice deep and making my stomach flutter with his dark tone.

I tip my head up and lift myself up on my tiptoes, swaying forward and hoping like hell I’m not about to make a fool of myself. Our lips touch, softly at first, like we don’t know if we should.

Half a second later, caution is thrown to the wind and Lorenzo slides his tongue between my parted lips, licking into my mouth and kissing me like he owns me. I feel his kiss everywhere, filling me up with liquid pleasure, so much so, I feel some of it trickling down my thighs. I’m so,soincredibly wet. More than I thought possible. And the man has barely touched me.

One of his hands trails down my back, settling right above my ass and pulling me closer to him. Lorenzo’s other hand tanglesin my hair, tilting my head up to deepen the kiss. I moan when his tongue tickles the roof of my mouth, trembling in his capable hands.

The kiss goes on forever and still isn't enough when we finally break apart for air. I'm struggling to breathe as Lorenzo nibbles and kisses down my neck. I tilt my head to the side, making him growl as he continues to lick and suck on my delicate skin.

His mouth finds mine once more, his hands roaming over my body, causing me to squeeze my thighs together to find some relief from the almost unbearable pressure. Lorenzo groans, pulling my bottom lip through his teeth before resting his forehead on mine.

“Fuck,” he breathes out, his hands still caressing my skin, my hips, my back, like he physically can’t stop touching me. I don’t mind. “I shouldn’t… I… Need more of you.”

I want that, too. More of him. More of everything.

Lorenzo walks me backward a few steps, pressing me against the wall and caging me in with his arms on either side of my head. I look up into his golden-brown eyes, seeing a desire so bright and hot it should scare me away. Instead, it heats me up from the inside out, making me bold in my desperation for more.

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