by Blue Saffire
“Hey, Beautiful, what do you want to do today?” Lorenzo asked.
“Sleep!”
He laughed. “Okay, after you sleep. You want to go see a movie?” He had to be kidding. I was so tired my body was hurting.
“Not if it isn’t in our living room, no.”
“Fine, how about we go to dinner tonight?”
“Lo, dinner will be at Chateau Botticelli tonight,” I grumbled.
“Vic, we’re really going to spend the whole day locked up in this apartment?”
“I’m so tired, Lo. We go out all the time. Don’t you want to stay home with me?” I whined.
“I have no problem staying home with you, Baby. I just want out of this apartment. This little box is driving me nuts,” he grumbled.
“Maybe we should go house shopping,” I teased.
“Baby, are you serious? I’d love to buy you a house. Let’s go. Get dressed.” I could hear the excitement in his voice. I couldn’t believe he was taking me seriously.
“Lorenzo, I was joking.” I turned to see his face. “What’s the matter with you?”
“I’m not joking. Let’s go.”
He got out of the bed and headed for the shower. I wasn’t going to pay Lorenzo any mind. While he was in the shower, I was going to get me some much needed sleep.
I had drifted off while he was in the bathroom. I took full advantage of having the bed to myself. I only woke up because he was hovering over me, dripping wet, as he kissed at my neck.
I was caught off guard. We still weren’t very physical. Even though we slept in the same bed every night, Lo had set boundaries that respected both our wishes.
However, when I woke, I noticed he was only in a towel. My body tense underneath him. I tried to think. Did I say or do something to trigger this? Lorenzo was always the perfect gentlemen.
Maybe I was dreaming or something. I ran my fingers down his back, causing him to moan in my ear. Nope, not dreaming. I could feel his muscle flex beneath his warm skin.
“Lorenzo, honey, what are you doing?” I asked.
“You want to stay home. This is what’s on my mind when we stay home,” he whispered in my ear, causing a shiver to run down my spine. “Now get up and go get dressed. I’m buying you a house. This apartment is too small.”
“Oh, come on! You promised we could stay home today,” I whined. “I don’t care what’s on your mind. I can sleep through it.”
“Oh, trust me, you wouldn’t sleep a wink,” he whispered with a low growl.
I tried to ignore him, but he was persistent. Lorenzo snatched the covers back, pressing his hard body into mine. He kissed and nibbled at my neck, as he rubbed at the skin on my legs.
I was so tired, I thought I would let him have his way if it meant we could stay home. However, my body was a traitor. I could feel my core becoming moist. Things that shouldn’t tingle started to tingle. Lorenzo slid his hand under my t-shirt, rubbing at my stomach.
I was wide-awake. He was right, there would be no ignoring him. Not with his length pressing into me and my body melting for him.
“Crap! Fine, I’m getting up. Get off me,” I murmured.
He rolled onto his back, laughing at the top of his lungs. I rolled out of the bed and stumbled to the bathroom. I would go house shopping if it meant I got my own room and my own bed.
“You’re lucky I didn’t force you to sleep on the couch. How was I supposed to know he would take my joke seriously?” I mumbled to myself through my whole shower.
It wasn’t my fault he bought a one-bedroom apartment. He had been complaining for weeks that the place was shrinking. I would just move to another room when he started that.
“Do you want me to leave,” I had asked him one time.
“Your big hair isn’t the problem. We needed more space regardless,” he said jokingly.
I wish he would have solved this problem last week, so I could sleep now. I stepped out of the bathroom wrapped in a towel and headed for the closet. Lorenzo was already fully dressed in black slacks and a black dress shirt.
He sat on the side of the bed with his phone, sending a text. I rolled my eyes as I crossed the room. I was so irritated.
“Funny… I walk pass in a towel and you pay no mind. Why can’t you sit in the apartment for a day and do the same,” I mumbled.
“I’m well aware of you and your towel. I just don’t want to be late for our appointment,” he grinned. “Alfonzo called his realtor for me, she texted me an address to meet her at.”
“Whatever,” I hissed.
Walking into the closet, I wanted to grab the first pair of jeans I put my hands on. I knew that wasn’t going to fly. So, I grabbed a pair of black fishnet stockings to wear under a black pencil skirt.
I hunted for my navy silk ruffled blouse. I had the perfect pair of navy blue silk platform pumps, waiting for me to wear this blouse. I had a new leather swing coat that was perfect for the outfit and the weather.
When I came out of the closet, Lorenzo wasn’t in the room. I was tempted to climb onto the bed and go back to sleep. Instead, I headed for the bathroom to see if my hair was savable or would I have to wet it and let my curls snap into play.
I had gone to get it straightened and cut earlier this week. Lorenzo almost had a cow. I only took off a few inches, but he wasn’t happy I cut it at all. As if I couldn’t spare an inch or two.
I pulled the band from my hair and shook it out. It was only starting to curl around the edges, nothing I couldn’t fix on my own. I pulled out the flat iron to straighten the few curl and flip my ends, and got to work.
I was so sleepy, I knew I was moving in slow motion. I was trying not to burn myself. Lorenzo appeared in the doorway, grinning, as he looked me over.
“Hey, Beautiful,” he crooned.
I wrinkled my nose and kept working on my hair. I wasn’t in the mood for talking. He was getting on my nerves today.
“Go away,” I murmured.
“I thought you’d be happy I want to buy you a house,” he said teasingly.
“Lo, you do know I was joking about the house. I already own a bunch of them. Couldn’t we just move into one of them?”
“No… those are your houses, you don’t own one with me,” he said as he stepped into the bathroom and stood behind me.
“You don’t own one with me,” I mocked and made a face, as he watched our reflection in the mirror.
“Wow, you’re moody,” he chuckled. “Do you think you might want to move a little faster? We do have somewhere to be.”
“You know, you’re not cute when you’re annoying,” I hissed.
“You’re always cute,” he laughed and hugged me.
“Get out, Lo,” I hissed. “I’ll be ready in a minute.”
He kissed the top of my head and walked out laughing to himself. I wanted to throw something at him, but I couldn’t find anything. I just finished flipping the last section of my hair and threw on some lip-gloss.
I marched out of the bathroom for the kitchen to grab an apple, only to find Lorenzo with the last one in his hand.
“Ugh, seriously?” I groaned and slammed the refrigerator door closed.
“Oh, Babe, I’m sorry. Look at, I only bit a little of it. You want?” he said, as he realized what I was looking for.
“No, I don’t want your half-eaten apple. How much time do I have? Can I make something to eat?” I grumbled.
“Not really, but if you’re hungry, I’ll wait,” he said giving me a puppy dog look.
“No, we can go,” I said as I remembered the pineapples I stashed in the back of the refrigerator. I had to hide them away from Chris the last time he was over.
“We’re taking your truck,” Lorenzo announced.
I raised my eyebrow at these words. “Fine, but I’m not driving,” I said as I put my arms in my coat, he held up for me.
My father had bought me an in the city truck, since I’ve been staying with Lorenzo. It was nice, nothing like my Maserati, but it
did the job. I had no clue why Lorenzo wanted to drive it.
He had just traded his 350 for a brand new geared up blue one. I didn’t give it a second thought. I was getting in the car and going to sleep.
He could drive whatever he wanted. As long as he stopped driving me crazy by wanting me to stay up, I really didn’t care. He could drive to the moon and I wouldn’t mind.
We were heading to Jersey. I knew Lorenzo was homesick, despite only being a few minutes away from our families. It figures he would choose to buy our home in New Jersey.
I was out for the count before he hit the bridge. I wasn’t paying neither him nor his buzzing phone any mind. I was just happy the seat felt so nice and the car was nice and warm.
The forty minutes of sleep was enough to help me focus for a few more hours, without ripping off someone’s head. Lorenzo brought the car to a stop, causing me to wake, as I felt the soothing motion stop. I opened my eyes to see we were parked in front of a humongous estate.
My eyes widen at the sight of it. I turned to look at Lorenzo, wondering what we were doing here. He had a huge grin on his face and this proud look in his eyes.
When he said he wanted to buy me a house this wasn’t what I had in mind. I know our apartment was small, but this was more than enough space for us plus any family members that wanted to move in.
“You like?” he asked in an anxious tone. Almost like a boy seeking his parents’ approval.
“I thought you wanted to buy me a house,” I said humorously. “Lorenzo this isn’t a house. This is a palace.”
“A palace for a princess,” he returned, letting the grin widen into a smile that reached every inch of his face, including his eyes. “Let’s go see.”
Lorenzo got out of the car to let me out, as I pulled the mirror down to check my face. Once he opened my door, I stepped out of the truck to get a good look around. I noticed a red BMW parked behind us. A thin brunette stood by the massive steps that lead to the entrance.
She was very pretty, tall, long legs magnified by the black skirt suit and sheer stocking she wore. Her hair was long and shiny with neat bangs. Her skin was fair, but not too pale.
We made our way to where she stood. I couldn’t help but wonder if Lorenzo notice how pretty she was. She looked a little young for a realtor. It made me start to question how often Alfonzo went house hunting.
She seemed to stand up straighter, as she caught a look at Lorenzo in his suit. I noticed her looking him over and the smile that smugly crossed her face. She took one glance at me and seemed a little more confident in the thoughts she was having.
That annoyed me a little. She was pretty, but not that pretty. She would need a lot more to take Lorenzo from me. I already didn’t like her.
“Victoria, I want you to meet, Amy.” Lorenzo gestured toward the brunette. “Amy, this is my fiancée, Victoria. She’ll be the one you are looking to please today.”
“Very nice to meet you, Victoria,” she said, not really looking in my direction. She was too busy focused on Lorenzo. “Did you bring a checklist? What am I up against today?” Her tone was joking. It was obvious she and Lorenzo shared some inside knowledge I didn’t get.
“No, Victoria is nothing like my mother. I think she’ll let you know what she wants when she sees it,” Lorenzo said, in an adoring tone, as he stared down at me.
I reached out my hand, wanting to be polite to Amy, even if the way she stared at Lorenzo made me want to snap her neck. How old was she? Did she not hear him say I was his fiancée?
She finally looked in my direction to reach for my hand. I made sure to shake her hand extra firmly. I could see her face wince at my grip.
“Very nice to meet you, Amy. Lorenzo’s right, no checklist needed. I’ll let you know when you’ve done your job,” I said curtly.
Lorenzo placed his hand on the small of my back and gave me a wink. I knew he was telling me to relax. Um. I’d think about it.
Amy gave a weak smile and turned to take us into the house. I decided to refocus myself on the mission we were here for. Buy a house, so that next weekend Lorenzo wouldn’t try to drag me out house hunting again. That would cut down on the number of times we had to see Amy as well.
The estate looked very well kept. The landscaping was beautiful. We entered the huge red oak doors, once we reached the top of the stairs. The foyer opened to a large intricately designed, black iron railed staircase, finished with red oak wooden handrails.
It was pretty. Not as beautiful as my father’s house or the Botticelli estate, but pretty. The chandelier that hung over the stairs in the foyer was glamorous. It was my favorite feature in the space. The floors were large white square tiles with tiny black diamond accents. Making the entry appear even larger than it really was.
Amy was babbling in her whiny voice about the entryway, the moldings, and the design. Lorenzo busied himself watching me, to see if I liked what I saw so far. The expression on his face said he so anxious. I hoped that something in this house would make me want it.
I knew how happy it would make him to give me something like this. However, I also knew I wasn’t going to settle on just any house. I wanted Lorenzo happy, but I wanted to be happy too. I wanted some place I could see us in.
We walked through a few of the rooms on the lower level, which were nice. A large great room, living room, and study, all beautiful and well-lit, but nothing special. When we got to the kitchen I was done with this house.
I was sure this was not our home. From the look on Lorenzo’s face, he knew the same thing. I could tell he saw I wasn’t impressed at all. Amy was too busy babbling on and touching Lorenzo, every chance she got, to notice.
“Amy, I think we can move on to the next one,” Lorenzo interrupted her in mid-sentence. “This isn’t what she wants.”
“Oh…well, there’s so much more house to see. Are you sure?” she replied.
“I know my princess, this isn’t it. We can move on,” he said abruptly. Lorenzo’s voice boomed with dominance that was downright sexy.
“Okay, well, I have a few more I planned to show you. You guys can follow me to the next one. It isn’t very far and its actually newer construction.” She rushed the words out, noticing the change in Lorenzo’s demeanor.
We were back in our cars in no time. I liked watching Lorenzo take charge. It made him look taller somehow. Although he was still giving me what I wanted, he was showing his authority.
I watched him as he drove behind Amy, following her to the next property. I could see the wheels turning in his head. He had something he wanted to say.
I just waited for him to decide to say it. His phone started buzzing again, but this time he ignored it. His phone sure was going off a lot today. Chris was probably trying to get him to hang out. I wouldn’t mind if he wants to go out. I would be safe sleeping in by myself.
“You look like something is on your mind,” I decided to ask, since he was taking so long to decide himself.
He smiled. “Is it that obvious?” Lorenzo is very easy to read. We spend so much time together, it’s like second nature.
“Yeah, you look like you want to say something. What’s up?” I encouraged the conversation.
“What didn’t you like about the house? Was it the size? Victoria, I can give you the house you want don’t worry about it being too big. I could more than afford that house,” he said, looking a little worried. “I don’t want you to walk away from something you want because you think I can’t handle giving it to you.”
I laughed. “Lo, I know you can afford to give me what I want. That house was…plain. It’s not what I want. Don’t worry, I’ll let you know when we find it. Thank you. Be careful what you ask for,” I teased, leaning in to kiss him on the cheek. “I think I’m rubbing off on you now. You’re worrying too much.”
He chuckled back and reached for my hand. Ahead of us, Amy had pulled into a little community of large estates. Some were visible and others were pushed back behind trees. As we drove in, I
noticed the nicely kept houses and the peaceful area.
We turned off into what didn’t even seem like a road. After half a mile, we pulled up to a large gated entry. I have to admit, I was a little excited this time.
We passed through the gates and drove up the long tree lined driveway. It was beautiful. The mouth of the trees opened, letting us into a large courtyard that boasted a large circular centerpiece of landscaping in the middle of the driveway.
The house was beyond grand. I was truly excited this time. The house had large windows and all kind of interesting curves from the outside. Some of the roof had pointed peaks that made me want to see the inside.
Lorenzo parked behind Amy, turning to see the excited expression on my face. This house looked as big as the first one, so I was sure he knew I was telling the truth about the size not being the problem. He reached for my face, kissing me hard before getting out to open my door.
“Okay, guys. This house is on five acres it’s much larger than the first house we looked at.” Amy was all business this time. Her eyes were on me as she spoke. “Victoria, there are thirteen bedrooms, sixteen baths, an indoor and outdoor pool, a theater, recreational room, and two ten car garages to start.”
“Wow, Lo, where will I put my cars?” I teased.
He gave me a wink and squeezed my waist. Amy turned to walk us up the three steps that led to the cove covering the huge espresso wooden, double doors. Large pieces of glass were embedded in the centers. The door handles were brush nickel curves that invited you in. Everything about it scare me.
We entered the heavy doors to walk into the enormous foyer and I knew I was home. A gorgeous chandelier dropped down from the two-story ceiling, bringing all the drama necessary for the colossal ivory double staircase that wrapped the foyer. The ivory travertine floors, sung in perfect harmony with the curved polished ivory columns that handle up the espresso handrails.
I suppressed the smile I was on the verge of releasing. I don’t want Amy to read how much I wanted this house. I slid my arm in Lorenzo’s coat and rubbed his back so he would understand what I didn’t want her to see. I felt his hold tighten in understanding.