Fighting for Us - Bella Emy Page 0,48

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