Lorenzo (Members From Money Book 12)

by Katie Dowe

  He stared at her for a minute as if wondering how she knew it was Janice then hurried into the next room.

  “I have strawberries and whipped cream and I am totally naked. Tell me you are on your way over.”

  He thought he had gotten over how totally unpredictable she was but she always proved him wrong.

  “Janice,” he groaned.

  “Are you on your way?”

  “I will be right there,” he told her breathlessly.

  “Good because the whipped cream I rubbed on my nipples are melting and I need you to suck it off,” she told him blithely.

  His breath was trapped inside his throat and his penis hardened painfully. “Don’t start without me,” he told her hoarsely.

  *****

  “If I had died on my way here, it would have been your fault,” he told her wryly. His heart had almost failed him as she opened the door completely naked and just stood there with whipped cream on her nipples and her pubic area. He had kicked the door shut behind him and started feasting on her. They had not made it to the bedroom, but he had pulled her down to the floor and made passionate love to her right there on the floor.

  “I accept all responsibility for that.” They were in her bedroom on the bed and she was trailing her fingers down his naked torso causing a shudder to go through his body. It was unbelievable the effect she had on him. “So what do you want to do now?”

  “I am sure you are going to tell me what we will be doing,” he told her dryly, capturing her hand as it ventured closer to his pubic area.

  “It’s a nice day out so I think we should go take a walk in the park and feed the ducks in the pond.” She pulled her hand away and reached for his semi erect penis. “But later, much later,” She murmured, sliding her hand up and down his shaft.

  “Anything you want,” he told her hoarsely, pulling her on top of him.

  *****

  “Our daughter is going to have your head,” Janet told him mildly as he took off his jacket and hung it on the coat hanger just inside the doorway. It had been drizzling and his closely shaved head was glistening with water. He had not bothered to go to his apartment but had come straight to the house. “Charlene went to see her and wanted to know if you were seeing someone.”

  “Oh damn,” Richard said with a groan. “I am going to have to call her.”

  “Who?”

  “Janice, of course,” he told her. He had brought her back something, an antique ring dated back to the fifteenth century with a unique emerald in the middle. He knew how much she loved collecting antiques and he had thought of her when he had seen it. He had been doing a lot of thinking about them while he had been alone in his hotel room and he knew he wanted her back.

  “What about Charlene?” Janet passed him a steaming cup of herbal tea with honey just the way he liked it. It was late Monday afternoon and he was planning to spend the night.

  “I suppose I will have to deal with her,” he sighed. “Want to be with me when I talk to her?’ he asked her half jokingly.

  “Not a chance. You made the mess, you are going to have to clean it up.” With that she went into the kitchen to prepare something for them to eat.

  *****

  She took his hand. He had resisted at first and then he relented. It was a beautiful day and being the second week of May it meant that summer was rapidly approaching but the weather was still cool and there was a slight breeze. Families were out in their numbers and they saw a blanket spread out underneath the shelter of an old oak tree and a family of four enjoying their meal. “We should have packed a meal,” she said softly as she watched as the little girl with the blonde pigtails devoured her hotdog.

  “We ate just before we left the house,” he reminded her. They had wandered over to the lake and she reached inside the bag she had carried and took out slices of bread, passing one to him. He stared at it as if he had no idea what to do with it.

  “You use it to feed the ducks,” she indicated the birds swimming around. They sat there and fed them in silence for awhile and then she spoke. “I want children,” she murmured. He went still and felt something squeezing his heart. What was she talking about?

  “I think we should go.” He made as if to stand and she held onto him tightly.

  “I am not saying that I want children right now, David, relax. I was thinking after we got married and maybe a year or two down the road we could try.” She was trying not to laugh at his haunted expression.

  “You are assuming a lot,” he told her grimly. “I did not tell you that I wanted to get married again let alone have children.”

  “I said eventually.” She turned and faced him. “I am in love with you David, and I know you are shying away from the topic and maybe you do not want to believe it. But I am and it is not going to change.”

  “Eileen told me she loved me and I treated her love like something disposable.” He gripped her hands with his none too gently. “I am not going to take the risk of that happening again. I think we should give each other some space.”

  Janice could have kicked herself for bringing up the word marriage; it was too soon for him.

  “I don’t need space and neither do you,” she told him firmly. “Loving you is my responsibility and I am prepared to deal with it but I refuse to be shoved aside because you cannot deal with your emotions and your guilt. I am not your departed wife, I know what I am getting into and I am quite okay with it.”

  He stared at her for a moment as if not quite knowing what to make of her. “I cannot promise you anything,” he said finally.

  “I know what I am facing David, I am a big girl. Speaking of which, I want to feel you inside me and your lips on my nipples, so let’s go home.” She took his hand and pulled him up and then standing in front of him she looped her hands around his neck, bringing down his head to take his lips with hers. He took her mouth hungrily, his tongue delving inside and his body growing hard with desire. He tightened his arms around her and deepened the kiss forgetting where they were. It was she who pulled away, using her teeth to nip at his bottom lip causing a dart to zip through his body at an alarming rate. “Do you still need space?” she asked him huskily.

  “No.” His body was shaking against hers and he could hardly stand still. “No.” He took her lips again and this time he had to forcibly put her away from him. They barely made it to the car parked a few feet away and he drove quickly to a secluded area where he dragged her over to his side and took out his painfully erect penis, burying it inside her straight to the hilt. As he moved within her, he held her face between his hands and plundered her mouth with his helplessly, his desire like a raging storm inside him. What he felt for her was so all consuming that he found himself pounding inside her, his hands roaming her body restlessly from the force of his passion!

  *****

  “I don’t want to talk about it right now, Lance.” Leah sank down on the side of the bed and eased her tired and aching feet out of her clogs. She had done a double shift at the hospital again and she had just come home, only to find Lance waiting for her, spoiling for a fight. He had been that way since she had gone out with the girls’ accusing her of cheating on him.

  “Well tough,” he said coldly. “We have decided to give our marriage a try and I am the only one dong the trying. What is going on here, Leah?” He was a tall and handsome dark skinned man with close shaven head and a bulky frame. He had taken up working out at the gym and had become obsessive about it.

  “I am on early tomorrow morning so I would love to get some sleep and I would appreciate it if you would let me.” She stood up and made her way to the bathroom.

  “Don’t you walk away from me.” He pulled her back against him, his hands punishing.

  “Let go of me,” she told him softly, suddenly remembering why she had decided to leave him in the first place. He had a jealous streak that was a mile long and had become so possessive that she had not been allowed to talk to any male at the hospital. “And I would like you
to leave right now.”

  “I am not going anywhere,” his tone was sinister and with a sudden movement he backhanded her across the cheek causing her to fly across the room. She laid there stunned, her ears ringing and for a moment she could not get up. Then she did, shaking her head to clear her ear of the ringing, and picking up a heavy glass vase, she held it aloft.

  “I want you to leave right now before I forget I am into healing people and hit you with this.” The side of her mouth was bleeding and she was trying hard not to cry, she was not going to allow him to see any weakness. “I want you to stay away from me from now on and I will make arrangements for us to have different shifts. Please leave before I change my mind and call the cops.”

  He made as if to come closer, but she lifted the vase, her intentions clear. With a careless shrug he left. Leah quickly went and locked the door behind him, securing the chain after remembering that he had a spare set of keys. Realizing that she had the vase in her hands she carefully put it on the table and slid to the floor, her head buried in her lap.

  After she had calmed down sufficiently, she called her best friends.

  *****

  “Why didn’t you call the police?” Candace demanded. She was fit to be tied. Both she and Janice had come over at once. Janice had had plans to be with David for the night but when Leah had called her she had quickly shelved them and told David she would see him tomorrow. He had hesitated and she had the feeling he had wanted to ask her why, but he did not know how to.

  She held the ice against her friend’s swollen lips and felt a spark of anger invade her body. “Was this the first time?”

  Leah nodded. “He was always possessive but he never went that far.” It was painful to talk and she winced slightly. She could not believe he had hit her. She was in a field where she had seen many battered women and had secretly wondered why they put up with it and now it had happened to her by a man who had professed his undying love for her! How messed up is that?

  “Are you going to do something about it?” Candace was so angry that she could not stay still.

  “Candace, you are not helping,” Janice warned her. “I know you are upset and want to go and tear him from limb to limb, but we have to think about Leah first.”

  “She is right.” Leah took the ice pack from Janice and placed it on the table. It did not hurt as much as before and her headache had drifted to a dull ache. “I need to do something about it. I am going to file a report at the station and I am going to press charges.”

  “Are you sure about this?” Janice asked, holding up her hands as her friends looked at her quizzically. “I know. But considering that this is going to affect the rest of his life.“ She stopped suddenly. “What am I saying? Go ahead and do it, the bastard deserves everything he gets.”

  *****

  They went with her to file the report and she took out a restraining order against him. She was asked if she wanted to press charges but decided against it, saying the restraining order will do. He had tried calling her, but she had ignored the call. When he called again, Candace had answered. “Listen you poor excuse for a man, if you come near her again I am personally going to cut out your balls and feed them to some ducks I saw in the pond at the park. You got that?” She punched the off button and threw the phone on the bed, turning to find her friends staring at her in amazement. “What?”

  They burst out laughing and that served to lighten the mood.

  They spent the night with her and the three friends slept in the same bed and in the morning Leah called in sick and went to stay at Candace’s place for the day. “In case he gets any idea that he can come by while you are alone,” she said grimly.

  *****

  “You look like you did not sleep last night,” Maggie commented as soon as she dragged herself to the store the next morning.

  “Friend crisis,” she said briefly, shrugging out of her light jacket. It had started to warm up and for the first week of June which was next week, they had a huge wedding to make arrangements for.

  “The bride to be called just now and wants to change the order to daffodils and tulips instead of the peonies and baby’s breath,” Maggie told her. “You okay?” she asked in concern.

  “I am just tired, Maggie,” she said forcing a smile. “We have an order for some gladiolas and Lilacs for the tea party over at the community center. Do you think you can take Jake with you to set up?”

  “Of course,” Maggie said immediately. “I will go and make the arrangements.”

  She called her friend when she got a chance. “How are you?”

  “Feeling like the biggest fool there is,” Leah sad ruefully.

  “You cannot blame yourself Leah, it’s all on him,” Janice told her firmly.

  “What does it say for my taste in men Jan?” she asked wearily. “I was thinking of actually going back to him and I knew that something was off, he was too possessive and I ignored that. Why? Was it because I did not want to be alone?”

  “Honey you have to stop beating yourself up. Just know that you are not going to allow it to happen again.”

  “You got that right. I am going in to work tomorrow and I am going to be up front with my supervisor and I am not going to hide away from him and stay huddled into a corner. There is a support group at the hospital that I think I might just go to.”

  “Good for you honey, talk to you later.”

  She was just resting her head back against the chair when she heard the chime of the bell above the door. She heard when Maggie told the person that she was around the back and wondered who it could be when she saw him looming in the doorway of her small office. He looked so handsome with his wind tousled hair and his expertly cut charcoal grey jacket suit and red shirt that she just wanted to jump into his arms and devour him.

  “Hi,” she said huskily, watching him standing there.

  “I tried calling you, but I got your voicemail. You okay?” he asked her in that irritatingly polite voice of his.

  “I am now,” she told him softly. “You missed me!” Her expression was teasing and she saw with amusement as he looked around as if wanting somewhere to hide.

  “I just wanted to make sure you were okay that’s all,” he told her stiffly.

  “Is it so hard to say it?”

  “Janice stop it,” he said tightly. “I have a meeting to go to so I guess I will see you later if you are not too busy.”

  “Do you really have a meeting or is that just an excuse for you to run?” She had moved from around her desk and came towards him. “I missed you last night, but one of my friends had an emergency.” She looped her hands around his neck.

  “You don’t owe me any explanation,” he muttered his hands still at his sides.

  “I know I don’t, but you are my man and I want to explain.” She hid a smile at his panicked look at her mention of him as her man.

  “I am not- I am-“ He stuttered to a stop as if not knowing what to say.

  “You are trying to say you are not my man?” she asked him mildly. “I beg to differ.” Her hand went between his legs and she pulled down his zipper and took out his rising penis. “You are my man, make no mistake about that.” She gripped him in her hand and touched the tip of him.

  “Janice, you need to stop.” His breathing had accelerated and he leaned back against the door jamb weakly.

  “Tell me what I want to hear,” she whispered. “I missed you inside me last night and I was thinking about you. Tell me what you were thinking.”

  “I was thinking about you,” he rasped, the words dragged from him. He gripped her arms and brought her closer to him. “I can’t do this here.”

  “I know.” She released him and wrapping her arms around his neck, she took his mouth hungrily with hers while he closed his arms around her, crushing her against him, his mouth plundering hers.

  It was the sound of laughter in the store that pulled them apart. He stood there staring at her his eyes unreadable and his jaws taut with the e
ffort it took for him to control himself. He was a mess where she was concerned and he was not able to control himself around her. “I will come over later.” He zipped up his pants and closed his jacket over it and left without another word.

  Janice forced the trembling to stop, by taking deep breaths. She had to go out to the store and she had to find some semblance of control first before she did so. With a confident smile on her full lips swollen by his kisses she knew he was more than half in love with her!

  Chapter 8

  The wedding happened on a very beautiful day. It was the first Sunday in June and the sun was brilliant in the clear blue sky. It had rained the night before and the rain drops were still on the plants and the colors of the flowers added a beautiful backdrop to the stark white of the chapel. She and her staff of two had been invited as guests as well and they had arrived earlier in the morning to place the floral arrangements on the inside of the church and had put garlands on the benches.

  The ceremony was set to commence at one in the afternoon and Janice had gone home to get ready. She had asked David to attend with her and he had told her no and that had caused an argument.

  “Why not?” she had demanded. He had been over to the house on Saturday and she had told him about it after they had made love.

  “I don’t go to weddings,” he had told her stiffly, climbing off the bed and pulling on his t-shirt. His hair was tousled from the movement of her fingers running through it.

  “I would like you to go with me David as my date,” she said stubbornly, getting up and coming to stand before him completely naked. He had avoided looking at her because he knew he would weaken if he did and he was tired of losing control to her.

  “Take your friends with you and I am sure you are not short of men who would be falling over themselves to take you,” he told her cruelly.

  “You want me to invite some other man to take me to the wedding?” she looked at him incredulously.

  “We are not exclusive Janice, so you can do whatever you want,” he said, turning away from her.

  “Are you seeing someone else?” she had asked him quietly.