Page 21 of The Holiday Hookup

I’ve never looked at the payroll, but I know more or less how much people make at our company. He shouldnotbe able to afford that. He must come from an influential family or something.

He unlocks the car with his key fob and pads over, the headlights beaming. Thinking it's the least he could do after our escapade tonight, I’m offended when he doesn’t rush to open my door. I get inside and shut the door quickly to hide from the cold and my hurt. Maybe I should have gotten in the backseat if I’m so meaningless to him.

A few moments later, I hear the trunk slam and turn around to see him circling the car to the driver's side.

“Thought you could use this,” he says, handing me a black leather jacket. He puts the key fob into the cupholder and presses the push to start button, saving me the embarrassment of being caught with my mouth hanging.

I tug the jacket on, appreciating the immediate warmth it provides me. It hashissmell on it, and I try my best not to inhale it deeply over and over again.

“You’re not in the habit of giving thanks, are you?” Lorenzo asks as he peers out of his window and peels onto the road. He floors the gas and I throw my arms out to grip the door and console.

Lorenzo either doesn’t notice or ignores my fearful position. He hardly slows down at the stop sign before barreling down the road.

“Don’t you need to know where I live?” I ask, forcing my hands to release their tense hold on the car. But he continues to drive at high speed, and I lose my temper. “Can you slow down?”

He glances over at me, which causes me more panic since his eyes are off the road for far longer than necessary. He must sense it, because his foot lets off the accelerator. I let out a breath and he grins. I roll my eyes and stare out the window.

“Where do you live?” he asks, making a left onto the main road of our town.

“If you give me your phone, I’ll put in the address,” I respond. The last thing he needs to be doing is typing while driving.

“Just tell me,” he says. I eye him for a moment and then rattle off the address. He guns the gas again, turning at the appropriate street towards my apartment complex.

My dad's always said you can learn a lot from a person by the way they drive. I don't think I like what Lorenzo is telling me right now.

The rest of the ride is spent in silence, save for the roar of his engine, the wind whipping at the car, and my heartbeat in my ears. At some point, the seat heaters turned on and warmed me enough that his jacket almost felt stifling. But I kept it on, liking the feel of him over me, even indirectly.

I should probably explorewhyI like it, but I’ll save that for another time. Or maybe I’ll just ignore it forever. Lorenzo keeps his eyes trained on the road and plays no music. He swerves in and out of lanes, treating our streets like his own personal race car video game.

I try to distract myself from the potential threat of death by inconspicuously glancing around his car. The back seat is littered with used cups, clothing, and other junk I can’t fully make out. Obviously I don’t own a car, but if I did, I know I’d keep it spotless.

The street lights are whizzing past us, so I glance at the dashboard and nearly choke on my own spit. “You’re going 70 miles per hour!”

He glances over at me again and I point to the road. He laughs but turns back to the windshield. “Yeah, you said to slow down.”

“Slow down? The speed limit is 45! Do you have a death wish?”

“I’m not afraid of death.” Before I can retaliate—because being afraid of death and wanting death are two totally different things—he breaks hard and pulls up to my complex a moment later. I didn’t even realize we were close.

As soon as he throws the car into park, I unclick my seatbelt and open the door, desperate for the stable ground and the safety of my apartment. I slam the door shut and turn to the sidewalk, but I hear the window open.

“My jacket, princess?”Oh, right.I shrug out of it and drop it onto the seat I vacated, then meet his stare. Remembering his comment about gratitude, I decide I should probably thank him.

“Thanks for the ride, and the, uh, jacket,” I say tersely. I’m not sure how the energy between us changed so drastically. From the way he was looking at me after sex to… this strange distance. If my orgasm hadn’t been so intense, I’d be questioning whether I made it all up in my head.

“Of course. I had fun tonight.”

“Me, too.”

A moment of awkward silence passes. Well, awkward for me. Lorenzo looks completely comfortable, giving me a lopsided grin.

“See ya Wednesday.”

He peels off before I can wish him Happy Holidays.

Chapter Six

December 24th

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