Total pages in book: 98
Estimated words: 95049 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 475(@200wpm)___ 380(@250wpm)___ 317(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 95049 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 475(@200wpm)___ 380(@250wpm)___ 317(@300wpm)
“But I’m just—”
“You’re not just anything,” he says. “You’re Vanessa Baker, an extremely talented designer who’s going to go all the fucking way. Even Kora sees it, which is why she wants to partner with you. But as a businessman, who’s done my fair share of deals, I want to make sure that nobody can take advantage of you. So, please, don’t argue. Talk to my legal team so you do this properly.”
“Okay,” I breathe, wondering how I got so damn lucky to have someone as good as Lorenzo in my corner. “I’ll meet with them.” I lift slightly and kiss the corner of his mouth. “Thank you.”
“You never have to thank me,” he says. “I meant it, Vanessa. I care about you. And I’ll always be there for you, no matter where you are or what dreams you’re chasing. Leo and I will be here, rooting for you.”
His words are meant to be supportive, but they’re also a reminder that for me to follow my dreams, it means giving up two of the most important people in my life.
“C’mon,” he says, sliding his arm around my waist and pulling me into his side. “Let’s enjoy our weekend. And now, with your news, we have something to celebrate.”
“Do you know how hot it is to watch you, in that sexy dress, beat all of these assholes?” Lorenzo whispers, making me laugh.
After dinner, we went to the casino, where he insisted that he pay for us to have a little fun. And since I’d never legally gambled, I let him because I’d always wanted to know what it would be like to play poker and blackjack at a casino.
And maybe it’s because I’m winning, but, damn, it’s fun. Especially when all the older gentlemen look at me like I’m nothing more than Lorenzo’s arm candy and then realize that I’m more than that when I take their money.
“I think we should stop,” I tell him as we walk away from the blackjack table that I just won two thousand dollars at. “The odds are against us, and I don’t want to lose your money.”
Lorenzo chuckles. “I know we don’t discuss money, but you have to know I’m worth billions. A few grand isn’t going to set me back.”
“I know,” I say, my shoulders tensing, “but I’m not comfortable spending your money.”
Before I get the last word out, Lorenzo moves me into the corner against the wall. “You are not your mother,” he says, caging me in with his arms. “I want to have fun with you, and if that means I spend a little bit of money on you, then so be it. What we have is nothing like how it was with my ex, and I would never think for a second that you’re using me for my money. You’ve repeatedly proven that’s not who you are. Understand?”
“Yes,” I breathe, turned on by his words. “But honestly, I’ve had enough gambling. I really want to go back to our room and have you fuck me in that big bed.”
I hook my leg around his hip, and he groans in response.
“You got it, baby.”
The moment we get back to the room and the door closes, Lorenzo is on me. We’re all hands and mouths and tongues as we tear each other’s clothes off, desperate for the connection that being together intimately brings.
He lays me out on the bed and situates himself between my legs, ready to devour me, but when I think about how limited our time together is, I stop him.
“I want to try something else,” I say, ignoring the heat that spreads across my neck and face, knowing I’m going to have to say what exactly it is I want to try.
“Anything,” he tells me, so quick to give me whatever I want.
“I was thinking we could pleasure each other at the same time. And …” I breathe out a harsh breath, trying to get the courage to say what else I want. “I want you to do it in my ass.”
Lorenzo’s blue eyes darken with a mixture of lust and want. “You sure?”
We might not be each other’s lasts, but I want to give him all my firsts. He’s messed around with my butt a few times, but we’ve never taken it any further. But I want to give him this.
“Yes,” I tell him. “I want you to be my first.”
As if he’s thinking the same thing I just was, his jaw tics, and I hold my breath, waiting to see if he’ll correct me, but when he simply nods once, even though it breaks my heart, I know we’re on the same page.
Lorenzo lies next to me on the bed, and I take a moment to memorize every inch of his body, including the tattoos that I now know are meaningful.