Suspicious Minds (Fate #3) (8 page)

“‘Monday Night Football’ again, babe,” he said. “Damn, something
smells good.”

Rose stepped out of her heels and slipped into her regular shoes.
She then picked up the baby from the swing she’d been sitting in watching mommy
and her friend giggle like school girls. Olivia glanced at the clock radio on
the dresser and saw that it was already six. The lunch had been a late one, but
she didn’t realize she’d been there
that
long.

“Enzo’s actually on time this week,” Vince said, and then they
heard the other voice coming from the kitchen.

Olivia’s eyes locked with Rose’s as her friend began to smile too
giddily. Her heart was instantly pitter pattering, and she felt the strength
drain from her legs. Only this time it was even worse than all the other times.
His response to her comment way back about what a small world it was assaulted
her.

Too small maybe
.

She’d thought about his irritation last week as well. Not only had
he run into her yet again but at his place of work, which was supposed to be a
comfort. Now here she was again, and Rose was asking her to stick around and
hang out with them? Her mind raced to think of an excuse to get out of this,
but she’d already admitted to Rose she had no plans tonight. That’s why she’d
been in no hurry to leave. Rose actually did a little dance in place.

“This is perfect,” she said. “‘Monday Night Football’. Me and
Vince and you and Lorenzo. It’ll be fun.”

The guys laughed in the kitchen, and Rose smiled even bigger.
Unless she told Rose the whole truth about her and Lorenzo, and she really didn’t
want to, there’d be no talking her way out of this. Olivia had never felt faint
in her life, but at that moment, she thought she might swoon.

Five

Lorenzo

It was the same stupid dance Vince and Lorenzo used to
do when they were kids and tasted whatever
damn
good cooking their mom
had heating on the stove. Just like when they were kids they now stood over the
pot on the stove, shoving blissful spoonfuls of Rosie’s
chile verde
in
their mouths, swaying their hips in delight like idiots.

Lorenzo was in the middle of a particularly flagrant hip thrust
when he heard the giggling and turned to see Rosie and Olivia watching him.
Instantly, he froze, feeling the heat rise up his neck.

“I take it you like it?” Rosie asked with a big smug grin.

Vince, who continued to sway his hips even after seeing the
girls, answered for Lorenzo. “This is damn good, baby,” he said with a mouthful
then turned to them. “Hey, Olivia.” He finished chewing then kissed Rosie and
Ruby when Rosie walked up to him. “Why don’t you make this more often, babe?”

“Because you wouldn’t get as excited if I made it too often,”
Rosie said with a playful smile.

“Oh, you’ll always excite me,” Vince murmured against her ear loud
enough for Lorenzo and Olivia to hear. “Trust me.”

Vince moved down, nuzzling the side of Rosie’s face then making
his way under her chin as she laughed protesting softly. Olivia stopped
laughing when Lorenzo’s eyes met hers. For once Lorenzo was glad about how
blatant and unabashed Vince could be when mauling his wife. Vince’s extra-long
greeting with Rosie gave Lorenzo a moment to try and figure out what it was
this girl he knew so little about was beginning to do to him. Why had she
invaded his thoughts this entire past week? And why the hell was it so
impossible to look away from those eyes. For the first time since he’d begun
running into her, he allowed himself to indulge in them for longer than a few
panicked seconds.

“Olivia is gonna watch the game with us,” Rosie informed them,
pulling away from Vince.

Vince took the baby from her, kissing Ruby’s nose, and turned to
Olivia, making a face. “Don’t tell me you’re a Cowboys’ fan.”

Her eyes practically twinkled as she pulled them away from
Lorenzo and turned to Vince. “Dallas, baby.” She smiled big. “Born and raised. My
siblings and I
bleed
blue and silver.”

“Technically, I’m a Dallas fan at heart too,” Rosie said, smiling
big, “since I’m originally from Texas, but I’ve never been a huge football fan,
so when we moved here and Grace married Sal, whose entire family is all about
the Chargers, I was easily converted. But Olivia here”—she touched Olivia’s
shoulder—“she really is a true fan. She was just telling me about her Dallas
Cowboys four-inch pumps before you guys got here.”

Olivia laughed, and just like last week when he’d heard her
adorable giggle, her laughter now made Lorenzo breathe in deeper.

“Yep.” She nodded. “My brothers would never let me walk out the
door wearing a Cowboys cheerleader costume like I would’ve liked,” she
explained, and Lorenzo didn’t even realize he was smiling just as big as she
was until she turned to him and he caught himself. “So I had to settle for the
shoes instead if I ever wanted to represent when I went out to watch the game
at a bar or something.”

“You’d really wear one of those outfits out in public?” Rosie
asked.

“Heck ya,” Olivia said without giving it a second thought. “Those
uniforms are iconic pieces of history for my hometown, and a little known fact
about those cheerleaders is they do a lot of notable charity work all over the
world all year long. They’re not just out their shaking their behinds in those
short shorts during football season.”

“I wouldn’t let you out of the house in one of those outfits
either.” They all turned to Lorenzo at once and eyed him weirdly, so he rushed
to add, “If you were my sister, that is.”

Much to Lorenzo’s relief his brother agreed immediately,
lessening the sudden strangeness in the room.

“Hell no,” Vince said, kissing Ruby’s little cheek. “Or my daughter.
You hear that, Ruby?”

“Speaking of Ruby,” Rosie said, reaching for the baby, “I need to
get her in her Chargers outfit in time for ‘Monday Night Football.’”

Vince spun around, pulling Ruby out of Rosie’s reach. “Nope,” he
said, hastening out of the kitchen and towards the bedroom. “I think I
accidently threw that out. Besides not all us Morenos are Chargers fans. I’ll
get you to cross over to the dark side yet. But first, let’s get Ruby into her
Raiders gear.”

“You better have not thrown it out,” Rosie said, following him,
then turned back to Olivia. “I’ll be right back.”

Olivia smiled at her, but it was obvious she took her time
watching them walk all the way out of the room then glanced around the kitchen
before bringing her attention to Lorenzo. He leaned against the counter and
stared at her without saying anything at first. If it weren’t for Rosie’s
comment last week about Olivia possibly still being hung up on her ex, he might
actually say fuck it and give into the temptation to just flirt with her. There
was no denying it now. He hadn’t been this attracted to anyone in ages. Lorenzo
wasn’t even sure if he’d call it an attraction. Whatever it was he was feeling
for her, it was only getting stronger every time he saw her, and the fact that
he was so helpless to stop it was annoying as shit.

“I haven’t told her I knew you before I started grooming Sal and Grace’s
dogs,” she said in a lowered voice. “And I’m not going to.”

Lorenzo stared at her, trying his damnedest not to let on about how
that made him feel. Just like everything else he’d felt so far for this girl,
it was irrational for him to be annoyed and he didn’t understand it. But this
pissed
him off.

“Why not?”

“Because I don’t want her to know,” she said firmly, turning
toward the bedroom then back to him. “I sort of, in girl talk, under strictest
confidence, told her about the night we had. I just didn’t mention who with. Since
I figured your cousin is married to her sister, I thought she might know you in
some way, but I had no idea you were her brother-in-law and how close she was
to you, until last week. It would just be awkward now, you know?
Uncomfortable
if anyone else knew now. Have you . . .?” She stopped when Lorenzo shook his
head. “Good. Can we please keep it that way?”

Lorenzo nodded, annoyed that just like the last two times he’d
run into her he was already over thinking everything. It was still possible
that she was seeing someone else now and Rosie just failed to mention that part.
Is that why she thought anyone knowing about their night would make things
awkward? Somehow her bringing up the night they had together being the first
thing she talked about the first chance they got a moment alone, gave him the
go ahead to size her up shamelessly from top to bottom. Why not? She’d just
reminded him she’d willingly let him do so much more already.

She was hot. There was never any doubt about that, even now as
dressed down as she was compared to that night and minus her ‘fuck me’ shoes
like the ones she’d worn then and again to the repast. Hearing Rosie mention
Olivia’s four-inch heels only heightened the desire he’d begun to feel for
having her under him again. She obviously enjoyed being sexy since she’d be all
for wearing one of those skimpy cheerleading outfits out. But he’d been with plenty
of hot sexy girls before, and he still couldn’t put his finger on what Olivia
did to him.

Something stirred deep inside him and, God damn it, in his pants
again even as Vince and Rosie reentered the room. Olivia had since looked away
from him to smile and gush about Ruby’s adorable outfit. Yet Lorenzo couldn’t
take his eyes off of Olivia. Just like that first night with her, he was
beginning to feel the insanity again. He even entertained the notion of making up
an excuse and getting the hell out of there while he still had the chance to leave
with his heart intact. But something even more alarming was happening. The
desire to stay and be around her for a few more hours was beginning to drown
out the panic and the pressing voice in his head urging him to run.

She says she’s over him, but, c’mon, he was her first
everything.

Even the reminder of these words that had worked all week when he’d
considered looking her up online and finding out a little more about her didn’t
work now. The other part of him, the one getting sucked into the idea of
hanging around a while, reasoned this was harmless. He’d just be watching a
football game with her. Vince and Rosie would be there the whole time. How
could that possibly turn into something disastrous?

“This will be fun,” Rosie said, walking back into the kitchen
with Vince and Ruby. “Since you’re such a football fan, we could do this every
Monday from here on. Our ‘Monday Night Football’ gatherings just got a little
bigger.” She kissed Ruby’s little hand. “And here we thought Ruby was the only
new person in our ‘Monday Night Football’ gang this year.” Then his sweet
little sister-in-law turned to him. “And did you know you and Olivia are the
same age?”

Lorenzo didn’t say anything, but he did glance at Olivia, whose eyes
had widened at bit at Rosie’s less-than-subtle comment.

Vince chuckled. “Interesting,” he said, heading toward the front
room. “Maybe you two could go grab some beer since I’m all out while Rosie and
I set everything up.”

Olivia’s eyes locked on his. From the moment she informed him she
wouldn’t be telling Rosie about their night together, she’d appeared cool and
confident. Suddenly the panic in her eyes was as clear as he was certain it was
in his face too.

~*~

Olivia

It was one evening. One game they’d be watching
together. No big deal. If Lorenzo continued to act as indifferently and
uninterestedly as he’d been so far, Olivia would just have to figure out a way
of getting out of anymore Monday nights at Rose’s. As much as she tried to
pretend being around him, knowing he had no further interest in her, wasn’t
torture, she knew she couldn’t do this much longer.

Just walking out the door, knowing she’d soon be sitting in his
car with him, had her insides going wild.

“So just beer,” Lorenzo asked, stopping at the door and peering
back in. “No wine coolers, Rosie?”

“If Olivia’s willing to share, bring me a four pack,” Rosie said
then added, “but I’m only having two this time. Olivia, I’ll make you another
big plate of
chile verde
before you leave, in case you’re feeling at all
tipsy.”

Olivia smiled, nodding and knowing full well she’d be sipping any
alcohol tonight super slowly. Just as she had the night she met Lorenzo. Not
only was she a lightweight like Rosie, thanks to Jay, she’d had a couple of horrible
experiences with alcohol, so she kept her alcohol consumption to a minimum.

Lorenzo turned to Olivia, the smirk on his face surprising her. “Two
wine coolers, huh? Sounds like you’re in for a wild night.”

Refraining from smiling at his obvious teasing, she held her chin
up as she made her way to his car. “I’ve never been much of a drinker, so, yes,
it goes to my head pretty quickly. I have to take it slowly.”

He nodded as he opened the car door for her. For someone who’d
practically sprinted out of her place the night of their romp, acted so coldly
at the repast, and hardly said a word last week, he was certainly playing the
part of a gentleman tonight.

She sat in his car as he went around to the other side, wondering
what else they’d be discussing aside from his teasing her about being a
lightweight. He got in, started up the car, and they were off.

“So you’re my age?” he asked, staring straight ahead. “And you
already own your own business? Or do you just work for the grooming company?”

“Yes and no,” she said, glancing out the window. “It’ll be all
mine once I’m done paying it off. So, technically, it’s not my own business
yet
.
But I don’t work for a grooming company or anyone. That’s all me.” She turned
to him curiously because he seemed surprised that at twenty-four she’d have her
own business when he did too. “Rose said you have your own business too.”

“I do.” He turned to her as they came to a stop. “Only just
recently, like in the last year, I decided to partner up with my brother. But
he started it up years ago on his own. How long have you been doing what you’re
doing?”

“Couple of years,” she said, immediately getting lost in his
eyes.

The conversation they were having seemed perfectly safe—non-romantic
or sensual in any way. Yet something in the way he looked at her said
otherwise. She gulped, wondering if maybe she’d been wrong about his
indifference for her. Maybe he was feeling the same insatiable attraction she’d
felt even that night they first met. Olivia did her best to calm her heart, because
it could also be something else entirely. He could just be hoping for another
round of meaningless sex.

Something she was
not
interested in ever doing again.

Especially not with someone she knew she could easily fall so
hard for already. Someone, who if she wanted to keep her friendship with Rose,
and she did, she’d likely be running into now. Often. She didn’t know much
about him yet, but she did know the three main things that would have her
falling fast.

Rose had called him the total package, not just because he was
beyond handsome and career wise he seemed to be set. Though Olivia had yet to
see it, Rose assured her he was one of the sweetest and incredibly loyal guys
she could ever meet. Add to that what Olivia
had
experienced for herself
already. The incredible way his kisses alone could make her feel and how easily
she could become entirely too mesmerized by him.

They were moving again, and it seemed to be the only thing that
had him pulling those intense eyes away from hers. She could be wrong. She almost
wanted to be wrong. It was starting to scare her that while her mind said “no
way” to another night with absolutely no promises, her body would inevitably
say “yes.” The more she looked at him, the more she craved his lips on hers.