Fighting for Us (Love is Worth Fighting For Book 1)

by Bella Emy

  I’m surprised Gianna is not up yet and running full speed toward me, begging me to open all the gifts from Santa. I look toward my left at the nightstand and find my cell phone. I pick it up; it’s just after six in the morning.

  Is it too early to text someone and wish them Merry Christmas? Because I have this itching sensation to text Carissa already.

  I freaking miss talking to her.

  It’s Christmas. She’s probably up with her family opening gifts, isn’t she?

  I take a shot and compose a text to her. Hopefully she’s not still asleep and won’t curse me out for waking her up.

  Me: Merry Christmas, beautiful.

  I wallow in self-pity after five minutes go by and she still hasn’t responded. She’s totally going to curse me out when she gets this.

  Another ten minutes go by, and finally, she responds back.

  Carissa: Merry Christmas, sexy ;)

  A smile forms across my face. She thinks I’m sexy. I think she’s sexy as fuck. Do I dare ask her for a picture right now? Nothing scandalous, of course. I just want to see her pretty face and gorgeous smile.

  Me: I miss you… send me a picture of your pretty face… please?

  She replies with a smiley face emoji followed by a picture of her in scrubs. Still, she’s damn gorgeous. Before I have a chance to reply, she texts me again.

  Carissa: And I miss you, too, by the way. I keep thinking about kissing you…

  Oh, this could be so dangerous. My cock stirs to life. Fuck.

  Me: You don’t know how badly I wanna kiss you again, too.

  Me: You are so beautiful… is that pic from now?

  Carissa: Yeah, I’m at work… early shift. No holidays off for the hospital crew ;)

  Damn, I didn’t even think about if she might be working. But it’s true. Doctors and hospital staff rarely have off on holidays. I know she’s not a doctor or nurse, but in order to run the hospital, they have to have their staff present, even if only a few of them at a time.

  Me: So, you know what I’m going to ask you now, right?

  Carissa: What’s that?

  Me: I wanna see you again. Come by my house tomorrow night? Let me cook for you again. You work too hard… come by my place, chill out on the couch, and I’ll rub your feet for you :)

  Carissa: That sounds wonderful. I’ll be there.

  Smiling again, I think of Carissa laid out on my couch in some sexy pj’s while I rub her down. Damn, I need to stop.

  I text her back to find out what time works for her, and we set a date for seven again.

  Perfect. I can’t wait to see her. Getting through this day is going to drag.

  “Daddy!” I hear Gianna’s screaming voice as she jumps onto my bed and wraps her arms around me.

  Actually, I think I’m going to really enjoy today until it’s time to see Carissa again.

  “Merry Christmas, sweetheart,” I say, placing kisses on her head.

  “Daddy! Santa came! Come, let’s go open presents!”

  “She burst into my room, tugging on my sleeve. Get up, Enz,” Max says from my doorway, rubbing his eyes. Knowing him, he probably got to bed late and now is in desperate need of an espresso.

  Marianna walks up behind him and peeks in. “Merry Christmas, guys.”

  “Merry Christmas,” I reply. I gently move Gianna over and say, “Okay, let Daddy get up, and I’ll meet you in the living room. Go with Uncle Maxy and Auntie Mari to see if Nonno and Nonna are up.” I know my parents are already up. They’re in the kitchen having coffee. This is just what they do.

  “Okay, Daddy!” Gianna shouts excitedly, jumping off the bed. She darts toward my brother and sister and grabs them both by the hand. “Come on, Uncle Maxy and Auntie Mari! Let’s go!”

  I smile as the three of them head down the hall.

  It’s going to be a good day.

  Chapter Seventeen

  Carissa

  I don’t know what’s been going on with me. One minute I’m holding back, not trying to fall for his charming good looks, amazing personality, and humungous biceps. Yes, I said it… humungous biceps that drive me crazy whenever he wraps his arms around me. And the next minute, I’m really liking him.

  Like, super really liking him.

  Like on the verge of falling in love with him.

  It scares me. God, does it scare the shit out of me. I haven’t been here in so long, and I swore up and down, left and right, and all ways possible that I would never do it again after the way things ended with Steve.

  “So things are good?” Daniela asks me through the phone, bringing me back to reality.

  I’m currently throwing on some jeans, getting ready to leave the house to see Lorenzo tonight. The nerves in my belly have been going wild all day long. I’m so nervous, and excited, and anxious, and, oh my God, every good and nerve-wracking emotion possible.

  I step back and take in my reflection in the mirror, cocking my head to one side. “Yeah, girl. Things have actually been so good… like it scares me.”

  She chuckles. “Yo, you’re falling for him. Hard.”

  Falling…

  I’m afraid I may have already fallen.

  I sit on the edge of my bed and look out toward the window. “Yeah, I realized that this morning when I first woke up. It hit me… like lightning, and since then, I’ve been scared shitless. But at the same time, it’s kind of nice.” I shrug.

  “Of course it is, girl! After the shit you’ve been through with Steve? You deserve everything good. And why not with a super-hot guy who’s a UFC Heavyweight Champion?” She chuckles. “Oh my God. I still can’t believe you’re dating Lorenzo Trevano. Do you know how many women would kill to be in your shoes? Me included.”

  I let out a short laugh. “I guess. I mean, yeah, it’s awesome he’s this hotshot, but the part of it that makes it the best of all is he’s this super sweet guy… like no joke. And he’s a great dad. His daughter is the cutest thing around with big blue eyes and long dark curls. She seriously looks like a porcelain doll.”

  “I wasn’t even aware he had a daughter. How old is she again?” she asks.

  “Five.” Thoughts of the day I met Gianna come crashing into the front of my mind. She is so precious. To think, Lorenzo is raising her all on his own. He did so well. Okay, yes, he said he has family to help, but I’m sure they’re not always around. He lives alone with her, so when she’s sick or wakes up in the middle of the night from a nightmare, he’s the one there for her. He’s the one who cooks and takes care of her mostly.

  But if this thing with him goes any further… If he and I actually get to the next step with one another, will I be able to fill the shoes of stepmother? Yeah, I know I’m thinking way ahead in the future and it would mean we’re married, but I have to consider it as a possibility, maybe. I have to take it into consideration because being with someone who already has a child is important. I know Gianna means the world to him, so if he’s going to be with me, he’s trusting me to be around her and with her. And that, I know, is the most important thing to him.

  Will I be able to be a mother?

  I’ve always wanted kids and have pictured my life as one day becoming a mom, but it was under different circumstances. I’d be married and my husband and I would have a kid together. I never imagined I’d be with someone who already has a daughter from a previous relationship.

  Or marriage.

  I can’t believe he was married. Am I ever going to measure up to who his wife was? I know nothing about her, but I can only imagine how hard it was on him when she passed. Is this something I want to get myself into? Am I ready to give my heart to someone who’s loved and lost someone so dear to him?

  I rise from the bed and leave the bedroom. If I want to be on time, I need to hurry, and my hair still needs help. I enter the bathroom and wrap my first section onto the curling iron. Good thing I had turned it on a few minutes ago, and thank God for AirPods. Knowing me, I probably would end up burning myself if I had to
be on the phone and use the iron at the same time.

  “See, that is amazing. I’m so happy for you, girl. If I thought he was no good, I would have told you. But he’s a great guy, so I’m telling you to go for it. You’re only scared because of what happened in your past relationships. You will overcome it once you keep getting to know him.”

  Do I tell her I’m also scared because I feel I may not be enough due to him loving someone else a long time ago? No, probably not. It’s a discussion for another time. I place another section of hair around the iron and hold it steady for a few seconds. I take the conversation to safer grounds than my thoughts. “And that’s the thing, Dani… I feel like I’ve known him for so long.”

  “Damn, I miss being in love and feeling that way.” She lets out a soft chuckle. “Anyway, I have to run, girl. I’m about to start my shift. Are you coming in tomorrow?”

  “Yeah, I’ll be there.”

  “Okay, I’ll see you then. Text me later with details!”

  I chuckle. “Will do. Bye, girl.”

  We hang up the phone, and I continue fixing my hair. Another fifteen minutes or so and I should be all ready to go.

  I swallow thickly and step out of the car. The time has finally come to see him, and I’ve been considering turning right back around and going home.

  I adjust the hood attached to my coat as a light snow begins to fall. Good thing I’m wearing my boots.

  Something about tonight feels different. Something about tonight feels like things are moving. In the right direction? Maybe. I don’t know for sure. All I do know is I’m happy and scared at the same time.

  How is it possible to feel such a difference of emotions with so much passion simultaneously?

  I never imagined I’d be at this spot in my life again. If someone would have told me two months ago that on the day after Christmas I’d be going to a guy’s house for the second time and that we’d already kissed—damn, I can’t wait to taste those sexy lips of his again—I would have said they were crazy and out of their mind. There was no way I’d go back down this road after what happened with Steve.

  I mean, we were going to be married, and he killed me. He destroyed me and everything I had ever believed in when it came to love. I placed chains and brick walls around my heart the moment he took off.

  Yet, here I am now, ready to dive headfirst with my eyes closed. When it comes to love, diving in blind tends to be what happens because the person entrusted with a heart can just as easily destroy it.

  Like Steve destroyed me. I was dead inside for years.

  But somehow, someway, Lorenzo “Guns” Trevano awoke me. He broke through the icy-cold box I placed around my heart and completely melted it away.

  And now, I’m standing on his doorstep while snow comes down around me.

  I ring the bell. Butterflies in my stomach are fluttering away aimlessly.

  It’s just after seven in the evening on the day after Christmas, and all day I was counting down the moments till I’d see him again.

  Forget butterflies. These are moths and dragonflies, and they’re wild. The nerves in the pit of my belly are doing somersaults.

  Any minute now, he’s going to come open this door, and everything I’ve been feeling up to this point will go away. He’ll make it all better.

  “Carissa, you’re here.” Lorenzo smiles as he opens the door.

  “Are you sure you don’t want me to help with that? I don’t mind, really.” I stand a few feet from Lorenzo as he rinses the dishes and pots from dinner.

  It was a fantastic meal once again. Gianna is lucky to have a dad who can cook for her, and from what he’s told me, she can eat—especially his mother’s cooking.

  He shakes his head. “Nope. You just stand right there, looking all cute, and I’ll be happy.”

  I blush. “Looking all cute… you’re too much.” I take a sip from my glass. I’ve noticed that since I’ve been seeing him, my alcohol tolerance has definitely gone up. I used to not care for it. Now, I crave it. Maybe it’s compensation for craving him.

  I have been thinking about being with him intimately since the night we kissed. I want to kiss him again. And I want him kissing me… all over.

  He turns off the water and picks up a dish rag to dry his hands. “Yup. Looking all cute and gorgeous.” He takes a deep breath, letting his eyes roam over me, which ultimately land back on my lips. “And luscious.”

  I giggle. “Luscious?” My core is beginning to ache with want—need. Why is he making it so hard for me to cool off? At this rate, I’m going to be humping the walls as soon as I get home. Plus, him wearing gray sweatpants is not making this any easier on me.

  He chuckles and breaks his stare. Then, coming back toward me, he says, “Don’t get mad at me, okay?”

  I furrow my brows, still smiling. “What? Why? What are you talking about?”

  “Nah, forget it. You’ll probably hate me for this.” He looks down at the ground.

  Yeah, right. I could never hate him. “No, I won’t. Tell me.” I take a sip of the champagne from my glass.

  Lorenzo looks back at my lips and meets my gaze. He shrugs. “I used to call you Luscious Lips before we officially met and I knew your name.”

  I almost spit out my drink. “What?!”

  “See, I told you. You hate me.” He turns around but then flips back and lowers his head.

  I chuckle. “No, I don’t. I think it’s kind of funny, actually. But you have to tell me why and your reasoning.” Shit, feeling the way I’m feeling right now, with my core all tingling, I definitely want to hear all about why he called me Luscious Lips.

  He leans in closer and wraps his arms around me, sending me into a frenzy. Shit, I want him even more now.

  His eyes hood over, and his stare takes my breath away. “Well, isn’t it obvious? You have the most luscious lips I’ve ever seen and, since the other day, the most luscious lips I’ve ever had the pleasure of tasting.” His voice lowers to the sexiest tone I’ve ever heard, and his mouth is now just inches from mine. “And I want to taste them once more.”

  I swallow thickly. “I want you to taste them again too.”

  I place my glass on the counter in just enough time. Before I know it, our lips crash together like they did that night.

  He tastes so good.

  He tastes fucking amazing, and all I want to do is rip his damn clothes off.

  As if reading my mind, he kisses my neck and quickly lifts me and sets me on top of the counter, knocking my glass to the floor.

  In this moment, I don’t even care about the clatter that it makes. All that matters are his lips against mine.

  It wets my jeans before it goes down, but it doesn’t matter. I don’t stop him, and he keeps going.

  He continues placing his mouth along the length of my neck as his hands roam frantically along my body.

  I don’t stop him. In fact, I welcome him by responding to his every touch.

  “Carissa…” he whispers, then drives his tongue into my mouth.

  As he moves his lips back to my neck and his hand explores my breasts over my shirt, a soft moan escapes me. “Lorenzo… God, this feels so good.”

  “You haven’t seen anything yet.”

  Holy hell, what? I love the way that sounds.

  He places his hands under my ass and stills. He must feel the wet spot from the remnants of the champagne. “Fuck, I’m sorry… I didn’t realize.”

  “I don’t care. Please don’t stop,” I beg.

  “Are you sure?” He searches my eyes and then reaches for a towel to help dry me off.

  I grab his arm, stopping him. “Yes, I don’t care. Hell, take them off me. Please.” I kick off my boots, and they land to the ground in a thud.

  His eyes widen, and he thinks only for a moment before unbuttoning and unzipping my jeans. My pussy is calling out to him as he helps me out of my pants and his hands caress my thighs.

  Lorenzo throws my jeans to the side and stares down at my mo
st intimate section: my drenched panties. They’re not drenched from the champagne. They’re drenched because of everything he’s doing to me and making me feel. A small smile pulls at the corners of his lips.

  He looks up at me, as if asking if it’s okay to touch, and even though I’m feeling a little self-conscious right now, I nod. “Go ahead. Touch me, Lorenzo.”

  He places two fingers over my area, and they circle the wet spot, then he bites down on his bottom lip. “Fuck, Carissa…”

  My eyes close when his lips come back to meet mine. While we kiss, he lifts me into his arms and my legs automatically wrap around his waist.

  He carries me out of the kitchen, our lips never parting.

  He tastes so good.

  So fucking good.

  Like alcohol and candy.

  Like heaven and hell at the same damn time, and I’m not ready to be brought back to Earth.

  Fuck. I don’t ever want to come back to Earth.

  I snap my eyes open the moment he crashes us onto his bed. Frantically, we remove each other’s clothes—well, the rest of mine. I only have my shirt and panties left.

  As he slips my shirt up over my head, he growls, and Lord is it sexy. I can’t wait to hear his growls as he’s pleasing me and mid-orgasm. I help him unhook my bra and let him fling it off. Then he throws it to the side, off the bed.

  “My God… Mmmm,” he says, bringing his mouth onto my breasts, taking in an erect nipple.

  “Jesus, Lorenzo,” I moan loudly, snapping my head back and hitting the pillow.

  “Fuck, sweetheart. You’re so damn sexy,” he says, coming up for air. “So fucking sexy as hell… damn.” He goes back and takes my other nipple into his mouth.

  My knees shake. I desperately need my pussy to be rubbed any way possible. He’s killing me right now.