Page 21 of Four Love (Ever and Always 2)

Holly nodded, “It’s true. There’s absolutely nothing for you to worry about except healing up. I can’t wait for you to go home and start living the life you should have had before.”

“Well, that makes two of us. You get started on yours and I’ll catch up. I love you more than anything, Holly.”

“I love you too, Mom.”

“Tell Trent I’m going to cook him an even better celebration dinner when we’re on the other side of all this.”

“His favorite isfeijoada,” Lorenzo said with a wicked grin.

Owen barked out a laugh. “Uh, no. That’syourfavorite.”

Lorenzo shrugged. “He already got one meal and messed it up. My turn.”

“I’ll let you take turns choosing the menu if you share your mother’s recipes with me. We’re going to need a bigger table, though.” Mom beamed. “Now get out of here and do something fun.”

“You heard the lady,” Owen murmured with an uncharacteristic easy smile that set Holly on fire. When they finished their goodbyes and got in the elevator, he punched the button for the level that housed the cafeteria.

“The taxi the security guys arranged is meeting us on the ground floor,” Lorenzo pressed that one too.

“I know. Mind if we make a quick stop first?” Owen asked them.

“Are you hungry?” Holly squeezed his hand. “My mom has taught me a thing or two. I can cook for us when we get home if you want. I’m still making up for missing a few meals myself.”

He grinned at her. “I’ll get something to hold us over. But yeah, I’ll take you up on that.”

Lorenzo linked his fingers with Holly’s, then drew her aside when they got off the elevator. He nodded to Owen. “Go ahead. We’ll wait for you here.”

It wasn’t long before he returned with two paper bags. He handed Holly one and kept the other. They piled back into the elevator as she opened it up and found her favorite chips and an apple.

“What’d you get?” she asked as they crossed the lobby and into the afternoon air.

“Nothing.” He shrugged, then gave his bag to the man they’d passed on the way in, who’d woken from his nap. “Lunch is on me, buddy.”

“Thanks, man. I’m starving.” The guy peeked inside and grinned. “The good stuff even. Not just leftovers. Yes!”

Owen held out his fist and let the man bump it before turning toward her as if people did that kind of stuff every day. No big deal. Lorenzo smiled knowingly at Owen, clearly having guessed his intentions.

Right then, Holly knew she was in trouble. Because it wasn’t only Trent she was coming to care for but his best friends too. Sex was great. But this… This was dangerous.

10

Holly paced.

Trent still wasn’t back, he hadn’t texted, and now Lorenzo was about to leave too.

“I’ll call off if you want.” He came up behind her and rubbed her shoulders.

“There’s no need. Owen’s here. And so is the new shift outside.” She jerked her thumb toward the place where Ransom, Sevan, and Levi were hanging out. “As long as they’re going to send someone with you too, go. Have fun and rake in those dollar bills while you show the ladies how studly you are.”

Lorenzo cleared his throat. “Does that bother you?”

“That they all see what I’m lucky enough to have?” She snorted. “Hell no. Go. Make ’em jealous as fuck.”

He grinned, then kissed her before smacking her ass. “For the record, you’re the only one getting any of this. Okay?”

She hadn’t been about to ask, even if she had wondered exactly how that worked. Were they in an open relationship? Or was she just lucky enough of a bitch to have three guys to herself? It made her greedy and pretty hypocritical, but she liked the idea that they would be all hers, like the arrangement Andi and Kari had with their guys. They had so much to figure out yet.

“Okay.” She smacked his ass right back.

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