by E A Price
“Sadie,” he hissed in warning.
But she wouldn’t let go. She tightened her mouth around him, and he growled as lightning shot through his body, and he released into her mouth. His hips jerked, pressing himself further into her mouth, but she wouldn’t let go, merely kept her mouth around him swallowing his essence, savoring the taste.
Lorenzo panted as his body settled to a series of soft trembles. He unfolded one of his fists, and gently sifted his fingers through her hair.
“Sadie,” he repeated, but rather than a plea, it was a coo of affection.
Finally spent, she freed him and smiled up at him. “You see how beautiful you are to me?” she asked softly. “You see what you inspire in me?”
Lorenzo growled. “Let me show you what you inspire in me.”
He bent down and pulled her into his arms. Eagerly, she wrapped her arms and legs around him. Her drenched sex, so aroused by what she did to him, rubbed against his hardening member.
He pressed her body against the wall, pinning her with his hips. His mouth covered hers. She moaned and mewled as he plundered her mouth and she felt his thickness throbbing against her heat, so tantalizingly near. Her own sex wept for his, desperately wanting to feel him inside, to clutch at him and feel the heavenly pleasure she was sure only he could give her.
She wriggled her hips, trying to take him, trying to get him to move, but he didn’t budge, merely teased her with his growing presence. His hands found her ass, massaging her flesh as his tongue massaged hers.
Sadie ripped her mouth away from his. “Lorenzo, please,” she begged.
His lips curled into a smile as he shifted, pressing himself inside her. Sadie shuddered around him. Oh, it was more glorious than she ever imagined. He was so hot and hard and perfect. Sadie clenched her inner muscles, delighting in the jolts of pleasure she received and the way Lorenzo trembled.
“Mine,” he let out on a groan.
Oh, she couldn’t argue with that. She barely knew him, and yet she knew she was his just as he was hers. She’d known he was special the moment she saw him, she hadn’t understood why, but she knew it. Knew that somehow he was going to be important to her.
Lorenzo slowly drew back, dragging himself out of her before plunging inside again. He thrust in and out of her, making her pant and keen in ecstasy.
“Harder,” she breathed, wanting him to take her as fiercely as she needed him.
“I don’t want to hurt you,” he ground out.
“You won’t,” she promised, clutching at his shoulders, trying to push herself against him.
Lorenzo let out a roar that made her who body quake. He seemed to grow even larger as he started driving himself inside her with a ferocity she never thought possible. Her body screamed in pleasure as an orgasm swept through her, but Lorenzo didn’t stop.
As Sadie dissolved into trembles, he just took her with harder, more forceful thrusts. One hand cupped her ass, his fingers digging into her almost punishingly, while his other hand delved between them, seeking and finding her clit. Sadie gasped as he stroked her swollen nub.
“Come for me,” he growled.
“Yes,” she panted as another release started rocketing through her, this one even more powerful than the last.
Her body shuddered violently as she cried in both relief and bliss. Her body jerked around him, dragging his climax from him. Lorenzo howled in completion and trembled inside her. They clung to one another, their heartbeats racing as they came down from their wonderful sensual high.
Sadie kissed his neck and smiled in happy, tired joy. “And you thought hiking was the most fun we could have together,” she teased.
Lorenzo laughed and walked them over to the bed. They fell asleep, entwined in one another’s arms.
Twenty-Four
“You really don’t have to come with us,” repeated Lorenzo.
“It’s no trouble at all,” repeated his dad in a forced, jolly voice.
“No trouble,” echoed his mom quietly. “We just wish to help.”
Sadie smiled and squeezed his hand again. His dad was driving them back to Los Lobos. They were in the back of his truck, holding hands and stealing touches. Or at least he was trying to – Sadie kept slapping at his hand when he got a little too forward.
His mom had taken it quite well that he was moving to Los Lobos for a while. His mom wasn’t given to histrionics or emotional blackmail. She was very accepting of everything; it was just that she was such a sweet and kind creature that all her sons and daughters in law went out of their way to ensure they didn’t disappoint her.
He and Sadie had talked, and while they weren’t sure what was going to happen with her ex and Mandy, they would stay in Los Lobos until things were more settled. He knew he would prefer to live with the leap on Honey Blossom Mountain, and Sadie knew that too. He also got the feeling that Sadie wouldn’t mind living there, but ultimately, it was what Mandy needed that would come first, and both of them could accept that.
Sadie had spoken to Mandy daily and had given her daughter a few tidbits of information about Lorenzo. In that, he existed, and his name was Lorenzo. She had also sent her a snapped pic on her phone for her to see. He’d never been so worried about his hair until Sadie took that pic of him. Mandy apparently couldn’t wait to meet him. He was a little nervous about that, but Sadie insisted her daughter would love him.
Her ex hadn’t called again, and he was glad of that. He wanted to discourage contact between the two of them. The male wouldn’t be allowed to bully or hurt Sadie in any way again. His jaguar growled in agreement.
Possibly the thing that concerned him most about moving to Los Lobos was what he would do for work. He would need to earn money, but wasn’t sure what he could do. In the leap, work was always found for its members, no matter what, there would be a job available. He had spent his adult life working as an enforcer within his leap, but what would that mean outside the leap? Very little he suspected. But, his prime, Roberto, had said he would speak to people he knew to see if there was anything they could do – he was thinking of some kind of security job, and that would probably suit him.
“Just the next left,” said Sadie, directing his dad. “And here it is,” she said with a sigh.
His dad let out a snarl as he saw the ugly, dirty building. She didn’t live in a great neighborhood.
“What’s wrong?” asked his mother.
“Uh, nothing,” replied his dad quickly.
Lorenzo looked at the familiar building. The last time he saw it, he was kidnapping her and had hoped he was taking her to a better life. It didn’t quite work like that, but maybe she did think her life was better for having him in it.
“It’s not much,” admitted Sadie. “Money’s been tight, and Al has hardly been generous.”
Lorenzo and his jaguar huffed. Yeah, he was probably trying to starve her to come back to him. Thankfully, Sadie was made of sterner stuff.
“It’ll be fine for a night or two,” said Lorenzo. “We can look for somewhere else.”
Sadie raised an eyebrow before nodding in agreement. Roberto had given him a generous amount of money to ensure he could afford to buy essentials before he started working. Lorenzo considered it was essential that he get his mate and her daughter out of this flea-ridden dump. Okay, he didn’t know it was flea-ridden – he just assumed. So, yeah, he considered it essential that he get his mate and her daughter out of this probably flea-ridden dump.
His dad parked the car and helped his mother out.
“We’ll just grab the bags,” said Lorenzo, “and you can be on your way.”
“Nonsense,” said his mother, “I can’t wait to meet my granddaughter.”
Mandy was due back in a few hours – they had timed their arrival to make sure they were home for her.
“Uh, Mom…”
“Unless,” she bit her lip, “you don’t think it’s appropriate, Sadie? If it’s too soon, we can leave and meet her another time.”
; His dad threw Sadie a pleading look. One of the things that mediated the idea that her youngest son might be moving permanently away was the fact that she was also gaining a granddaughter.
“I’m sure she’d love to meet you,” said Sadie kindly.
Lorenzo left his dad to pull all the bags out and took her aside. “Thank you for that,” he murmured and nuzzled her.
His jaguar inhaled the scent of her, shuddering happily, and he licked the skin of her neck where hopefully one day he would place his bonding mark.
“Mmm, as much as I like being thanked like this, I didn’t say it for your mother, I do think Mandy would like to get to know them. My mother won’t talk to me anymore and has no interest in meeting Mandy, and Al’s parents are dead. She’s never had grandparents; I’m sure she’d love some.”
“They’ll spoil her rotten.”
Sadie snickered. “That’s why I’m sure she’ll love them.”
They cuddled, ignoring his dad’s hearty chuckles.
“C’mon,” she murmured reluctantly, “I want to bake some oatmeal raisin cookies for when Mandy gets home – they’re her favorites, and I was hoping your dad could help me.”
Lorenzo smiled. “He’d love that; he has about five different recipes.”
“See, how could Mandy not love them?”
He grunted in agreement, hoping she would love him too.
*
Sadie waited at the window, constantly scanning the street for Al’s car. For the first time in a week she wished she had a cigarette. The better things got with Lorenzo, the less she craved them. Not even after sex, and she and Lorenzo had been spending as much time as possible between the sheets…
She was caught between excitement at seeing Mandy and dread at seeing Al. He hadn’t called her again, but silence with Al spoke volumes. When he was mad, he was loud. When he was outright livid, he was eerily quiet, and she knew that her dating someone else was definitely an outright livid thing.
She hadn’t told Mandy much about Lorenzo; she wanted Mandy to meet him and get to know him herself. But also, she knew that whatever she said would be repeated to Al, and the less he knew, the happier she would be.
She tapped her foot impatiently. They were supposed to be there an hour ago. She supposed the flight could have been delayed, but on checking online, it appeared to be on time. She had tried calling Mandy, and even Al, but both phones went straight to voicemail. Perhaps they were caught up at the airport…
Lorenzo was currently trying to watch TV, but he was even edgier than Sadie and kept switching channels. Lorenzo’s dad was cooking dinner, happily engrossed in the kitchen, while his mom was reading a book and occasionally reading funny lines out loud. His mom was actually an English teacher – she taught at the leap school, and one of her daughters in law assisted when it came to things like reading the assignments she set. She was total bookworm, and so was Mandy. She had told Lorenzo’s mom this and she was virtually itching to talk books with her new granddaughter.
Finally, her phone started ringing, and she leaped at it.
“Hello! Hello!” she nearly shouted into the receiver. Lorenzo jumped up and stood beside her, his arm around her waist.
“It’s Al,” said her ex curtly.
“Thank goodness,” exclaimed Sadie, “is Mandy okay?”
“Of course,” he said in a matter of fact way. “She’s waiting for you to collect her.”
“She’s…” Sadie growled in frustration, and Lorenzo raised his eyebrows. Al did this all the time after she first left him. They’d agree as to when and where she would collect Mandy and then he would do the complete opposite.
“Al, you were supposed to drop her at home.”
“She is at home,” he hissed. “My home – our home!”
Lorenzo let out a low rumble and Sadie breathed in and out, trying to control her temper.
“It’s fine,” she said softly. “I’ll come and collect her.” Lorenzo narrowed his eyes, and she shrugged helplessly.
“Whatever,” he grumbled and hung up.
Sadie slammed the phone down and sighed.
“He’s a dick,” said Lorenzo in a growl.
“Yes, but this is one of the least annoying things he does. I’ll just go get her and…”
“I’ll come too,” he said immediately.
“No, I don’t think that’s a good idea.”
Lorenzo’s face tightened, and she slipped her arms around his neck. “Sweetie, he’s already pissed. You showing up will only make him worse.”
He opened his mouth to object, and Sadie kissed him, hushing him.
“I don’t care whether he’s pissed or not either, but it’s not about him – it’s about Mandy.”
Sadie gave him a pleading look and reluctantly, he nodded and agreed.
“Fine,” he growled, “but just this once.”
“Just this once,” she murmured.
Twenty-Five
Sadie got out her car and stared at the house she had lived in for twelve years. She had always hated the house. It was gaudy and big, and too far away from the street. Al had it built for his first marriage. He hired his friend’s construction company, and they built it to his specification. She often wondered whether his first wife had hated it as much as she did.
She stood by her car for a few moments, praying that Mandy would come running out herself. But no, it was too much to hope for. Slowly, she trudged to the front door.
After she left Al, he had hounded her about who her boyfriend was. He was sure that she had to have one – that she couldn’t have left him for her own sake. Nope, he was certain that there had to be another man in her life and Al had been desperate to get his hands on him. After six months, he seemed to drop the subject finally. After he could find no evidence of wrongdoing on her part that is. She imagined he would be insufferable about Lorenzo.
She reached the door and pressed the bell, cringing at the musical tune it played – Hearts and Soul.
Okay. She just needed to get Mandy and get out of there. Yep. Just needed to grab her daughter and leave. She wished Lorenzo had come, but she worried that if she brought him, Al would have become belligerent and would have refused to let Mandy leave with another man. It would have turned into a huge argument, and Sadie preferred that Mandy not have to witness that. Not yet at least.
Al yanked the door open and scowled at her.
“Hi Al, is Mandy ready to go?” she asked with forced cheer.
He looked her up and down coldly. “Almost.”
He walked away from the door and with a sigh, she followed him, closing it behind her. He strolled into the living room and straight to the liquor cabinet.
“Drink?” he offered as he poured himself a large brandy.
“No, thank you, I’m driving. Is Mandy in her room? I could call her and let her know I’m here.”
He downed his drink and poured another. “She’s listening to music. I told her to put her earphones in.”
“Why? Shouldn’t she be getting ready to leave?”
Al cast an accusing look at her. “Why did you have to ruin our family?”
“Al,” she groaned.
She really wasn’t going to get into this again – she tried to tell him, and he didn’t understand. He couldn’t understand – he saw nothing wrong with his behavior. Sadie wasn’t saying it was all him. She was sure she wasn’t perfect in the marriage, but she was the one who couldn’t live with him anymore.
“I can’t talk about this again. I’m going to get Mandy and…”
Al moved forward and captured her arm. “No, you’re not.”
“Let go of me,” she said staring into his eyes.
He was careful in the way he held her. He wasn’t hurting her. She had never thought he would physically hurt her, or Mandy. If she had actually believed that there was no way in Heaven, Hell or Atlantis that she would have allowed Mandy to visit him, never mind what any judge said.
But she knew he was capable of hurti
ng others, and he had that look in his eye like when he broke that boy’s jaw. That had been the worst. There had been other incidents before him that she hadn’t even admitted to Lorenzo. Like when she was planning on meeting one of her old high school teachers for coffee, and after the old teacher canceled, she saw him in the grocery store with a black eye. He ran in the other direction when he saw her. Small things like that – things that she stupidly ignored because she had loved Al, and because she hadn’t wanted to break up her family. But she wasn’t that person anymore.
“You belong to me,” he hissed.
Sadie blanched. Lorenzo had said the same thing to her just that morning when they woke up in each other’s arms. He had crooned it into her ear as she snuggled against him. Both men wanted her, but that was where the similarities ended. The two of them were poles apart.
“No, I don’t.”
His face flashed with fury. “Do you really think I would allow you leave me for that… that hideous boy?”
He must have seen the picture she sent Mandy. Sadie wrenched her arm free and snapped at him, “I didn’t leave you for Lorenzo, and he’s not hideous. You and I are already apart, and yes, I want to be with him – I love him!”
“You don’t love him!” exploded Al, resembling a volcano – or perhaps given the frothing at the mouth, a baking soda volcano.
“Yes, I do!”
Just when Mount Al looked like he was ready for another explosion, he calmed a little and chuckled. He returned to the liquor cabinet and poured himself another brandy. Sadie watched him suspiciously. Laughing wasn’t usually in Al’s angry wheelhouse.
“What’s so funny?” she demanded.
Al glanced at his watch. “Doesn’t matter now whether you want to be with him or not.”
Alarm bells jangled every nerve. “Why? Al, what are you doing?”