Page 55 of Broken Deal

I should run. The thrill of knowing he could easily catch me makes me entirely too excited, to say the least. This interaction right here is slowly helping me forget about all of my problems. See? I knew Lorenzo would be the perfect recipe to forget about my life for a moment.

Instead of walking away, I take a step closer, lifting my head to meet his gaze despite our height difference. “Should I finish counting for you?” I drum my fingers against the kitchen counter, pondering. “Nah, I think I’d rather run.” I shriek, darting out of the kitchen as quickly as I can.

His unrestricted laugh echoes through the villa as he takes slow steps toward me. “You can run, but you can’t hide, Blue.”

My heart races as I sprint to the living room, leaping over the couch to the other side, putting it between us. “I’m fairly short, but I can be fast. I think you’re going to have toreallytry if you want to catch me,” I say as I unzip his hoodie and take it off, dropping it on the couch.

“If you say so,” he replies lazily, pausing for a moment to graze his teeth with his tongue before flashing me a mischievous smile. He’s savoring every second of this, and I can’t deny that it only fuels the thrill simmering inside me.

Before I can even blink, he charges forward, almost hitting me, but I swiftly move to the left and run back to the kitchen, open the doors to the patio, and run outside. I make sure to close the door behind me to win myself a few seconds. Darting my eyes around, I find a bush close to the pool and hide behind it. A few seconds later, he steps outside, expecting to find me, but when he doesn’t see me, he stops in his tracks, frowning in confusion. My heart wants to burst out of my chest, and I place a palm on top of my mouth to stop myself from laughing. As he starts walking around the patio, my veins pump with adrenaline, and my breath hitches as I wait for him to position himself the way I want him to. When he finally stands in front of the bush, I leap onto him, catching him by surprise. He falls backward, sending both of us into the pool.

The rush of air whips past me as we descend, and for asplit second, I feel weightless—both physically and figuratively, like the weight of my problems is being lifted by the water. The cold water envelops me instantly, sending a refreshing shock through my body, quickly followed by the warmth of Lorenzo’s body as I cling to him for dear life. He resurfaces, bringing me with him. Once we come up for air, I throw my head back, laughing with tears of joy welling in my eyes. Water drips from my hair and skin, and the chilly wind bites at my face, but it can’t diminish the alive and carefree sensation vibrating through me.

He starts laughing, too, so carefree and unrestrained; I crave more of it. “You’re such a cheat.”

I let out a satisfactory sigh as I try to unwrap myself from Lorenzo. He grips my waist instead, keeping me in place. My body becomes aware of our proximity, and not even the cold wind can calm the heat I feel sizzling underneath my skin. Even with clothes on, I can feel every hard muscle of his body against mine. My nipples peak through the wet fabric, and I’m all too aware it’s because of how close Lorenzo is, not the cold. He brushes a wet strand of hair from my face, his hand moving to the nape of my neck, where he begins to caress. Every time he touches me, my body reacts with a familiar burning sensation. In other instances, I would be trying to get as far away as possible, trying to maintain some sense of professionalism. But now? There’s nothing that could keep me away from it. Not anymore.

Closing my eyes for a moment, I exhale a shaky breath as he presses his forehead against mine. We’re so close, yet somehow, it’s still not enough. I crave more of his presence. His scent.All of him—even when I know it’s the last thing I should do. But this feels right. The perfect temporary fix I need. He doesn’t do relationships, I don’t either. It makessense to give myself one last taste. To feel good and adored underneath his touch.

We both look up at the same time, the distance between us still so little. I lick my lips and drop my eyes to his, and he follows the movement, licking his own. He wants to kiss me. I can see it in his hungry eyes. The air is charged with an unspoken spark—the wild, tense silence that seems to fall between us constantly. The same spark we had at the club. The same spark we had last night. Lorenzo can make me feel so much with a single look—scratch that—with hispresence. It’s demanding. Dominant. And plain intoxicating.

“What about our deal?” I ask breathlessly.

He smirks knowingly. I don’t need to specify my question, because it’s clear enough. If we kiss, we’ll be crossing that professional line I was nagging him about this morning. Butfuckthe line, andfuckthe deal. I’m ready to throw it out the window and enjoy every second of this.

His Adam’s apple bobs as he takes a slow, deliberate gulp. “Deals are meant to be broken,” he replies, his voice a deep rasp, his eyes locked on my lips.

There are so many things wrong with that statement, butGod, I could care less right now. Before I lose my momentum, I fist his wet hair and crash my lips into his, my heart hammering wildly. Lorenzo wastes no time and pushes me against the edge of the pool as the grip he has on the nape of my neck tightens. The touch is so primal, demanding, and needy, my skin starts to feel scorching hot. He licks my bottom lip, demanding entrance, and I eagerly welcome him, his tongue fervently crashing with mine. His hand leaves my neck, and I momentarily miss the touch before both of his hands grip my outer thighs as he nips my bottom lip for a moment before he continues kissing me like our lives depend on it. The kiss is punishing and every bitdemanding. The satisfaction of it all pulls me under, drowning me in the feel of his lips, the heat of his strong body pressed firmly against mine. The kiss grows more desperate by the second, and so does my need for him. His erection is obvious, even with all the heavy, wet clothes between us. I’m out of breath at this point, and my lips feel extremely numb, but I don’t dare stop.

Lorenzo stops abruptly, and I whimper at the miss of his lips. He grabs me by the waist and lifts me out of the pool. My clothes hug me, and my body shivers. Water drips in steady rivulets from his hair as he presses his hands against the edge of the pool. His muscles tense and flex, the veins in his forearms becoming pronounced as he hoists himself up. My eyes eagerly roam, appreciating every inch of his body. His clothes hug every ripped muscle, and my clitthrobswith relentless need. I’m not sure how much longer I can hold on. My fingers itch to reach out and touch him. Something tells me he wouldn’t be opposed to it.

“You’re shivering,” he points out with a concerned look on his face, standing and extending his hand for me to take. “Let’s get inside.”

A humorless laugh escapes me, because, yes, I am shivering, but not from the cold. My need for him is so strong, it’s clouding my brain. I think my rational thoughts packed up and walked out, leaving me behind with nothing but a peace sign.

“I have my question of the day for you,” I declare, ignoring his concerned look and his extended hand.

He looks at me expectantly.

There’s no turning back now, Sophia. Are you sure about this?

I’ve never been so sure about anything else.

“Can you make me feel good just for tonight?”

Fuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuck.

I’m sure my soul left my body and came right back at the question Sophia threw my way.

Why are you standing there looking like an idiot? You’re just staring at her.Saysomething.Dosomething.

I blink at her in shock. “What?”

She looks at me with a flustered expression. “You’re going to make me repeat the damn question?”

No, I don’t need her to repeat the damn question. I heard herloudandclear. Her question made my cock a little too excited, too. He’s already getting too many ideas, and I’m trying to shut them down. Be the voice of reason for a change. She was just telling me this morning how she wants to keep things professional, and I’m trying so hard to respect her wishes. I’m grasping for anything at this point.

This is not you, at all. You would have jumped at the chance.

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