I hadn’t been in a car with Lorenzo since we got married, and that was almost three weeks ago. How had I been married to him for this long yet not even had a real conversation with him? My mind immediately thought back to the last time I’d tried to get to know him—when I’d cooked. He’d shut me down quickly and left me reeling, wondering how to be and act around him. But nothing worth having came easy, right? So, maybe now was the perfect time to ask him something—anything.
I opened my mouth, keeping my focus on the back of the driver’s seat, and asked, “How’s your week been?” I felt him still next to me, then oh so slowly I turned to face him.
“Busy,” he responded, his gaze focused on me again. “Yours?”
I shrugged. “I’ve been doing a lot of assignments.” I bit down on my bottom lip, not sure whether I should keep talking or not. But I reasoned that if he didn’t want to listen, he’d probably tell me to shut up anyway, so I continued, “I’m nearly caught up now, though. My one professor seems to hand them out nearly every week. I swear he does it just to torture us.”
Lorenzo’s lips curved at the corner, and I had a feeling he was thinking about a different kind of torture than what I was talking about. “I could make the professor stop handing out so many assignments,” he said, raising his brows. “Or you could quit college altogether.”
“No,” I gasped. “No to both.” I shook my head. “I was only venting to you. I wasn’t asking you to resolve a problem.”
Lorenzo was silent for several seconds, his gaze drifting away from me as we pulled into the street the church was on. “I know you weren’t.” He sighed as we stopped in front of the church. “You never ask for anything.” He said it so low I was sure he didn’t mean for me to hear, but I did. I heard him loud and clear, and I wondered what he meant by it. But before I got the chance to ask, he was pushing out of the SUV and walking around to my door. He opened it, offering his hand, and I took it without hesitation.
His large palm squeezed mine, and he didn’t let go as we walked toward the church steps. People were milling about, their attention zooming in on us as we entered the church, and I understood then. He was putting on a show, making out like we were a normal couple.
I spotted Ma and Dad in our usual pew at the back and lifted my hand in a wave. Vida jumped up and down, mouthing something to me, but Noemi pulled her back down to sit before I could make out what she was saying.
Lorenzo greeted several people on the way to the front pew, and when we got there, two spaces were left open for us. “Ladies first,” Lorenzo said, his tone different now. It was sweeter, a voice I’d never heard him use. I didn’t like it. I didn’t like it one bit. I’d take broody asshole Lorenzo over this version any day of the week. At least then I knew what I was getting—kind of.
“Hi,” I whispered to Sofia as I slipped in next to her. She frowned at the sight of Lorenzo, probably thinking the same thing I was: Why had he come today?
Lorenzo settled in next to me, his face turned toward the front, and as soon as the doors at the back closed, the priest started talking. I wasn’t sure what he was saying because I was too preoccupied with my own thoughts and the fact that Lorenzo was sitting only inches away from me.
I was hyperaware of each of his movements, so when his arm reached out, and his hand landed on my knee, I nearly jumped a foot in the air. I gaped at his long fingers as they covered my entire knee and part of my thigh. His fingertips grazed my bare skin, and I shivered. Why did he have to be such an asshole but also make my body go haywire? It wasn’t fair. None of this was fair.
“Relax,” Lorenzo whispered, low enough for only me to hear, but I didn’t turn to face him. I acted like the only thing I was doing was listening to the priest, but in reality, my mind was racing at a mile a minute.
His hand squeezed, a move no one around us could see, and it hit me like a freight train. Outside he’d held my hand for show, but here in the front pew, no one else could see. What did that mean? What was he trying to say? What was he trying to achieve? I had no idea. And I wasn’t sure I wanted to know, not when I felt this confused.
I squirmed as his hand moved a little higher, and I stared at it, seeing his wedding band on his finger. It looked so sexy on his tan hand, and I wondered if he thought the same about my wedding band. Did he like the way it looked? Or had he not even noticed?
I was in a world of my own, trying to make sense of everything, so when people started standing, signaling the end of service, I blinked, trying to break free from my own thoughts. Lorenzo’s hand slid from my knee and to my hand as he helped me up.
He didn’t let go as people drifted toward us. Normally at the end of service, I made a beeline for my family, but I couldn’t escape the crowd of people surrounding us. And when I tried to let go of Lorenzo’s hand, he held on tighter. “I’m sorry,” he said to the man standing in front of us—a man I’d never seen in church before. “It was nice seeing you, but we need to go and see my wife’s family.” He tilted his head toward the back of the church, and my shoulders dropped in relief.
Lorenzo pushed us through the crowd, keeping his lips in a straight line as he did. He was polite but to the point, getting away from them as they asked him all kinds of things. Help with businesses, investments, and wanting to talk to the boss of the Beretta family. He was treated like royalty.
“Lorenzo,” I whisper-shouted as he pulled me down the aisle. “Not so fast.” I chuckled, but it was out of nerves. “These heels aren’t easy to walk in.”
He paused and turned back to me, his gaze trailing over my hips, down my legs, and to my heels. “They look good on you.”
“I…” I cleared my throat. “Thank you.” My attention snapped to the pew my family sat in, trying to distract myself from him, but it was empty now. My stomach dropped. We’d missed them. Too many people had gotten in the way, and now I wouldn’t be able to have my usual Sunday cuddles with Vida. “They’re gone,” I said lowly. “We missed them.”
Lorenzo turned to face the doors, but he didn’t give anything away as he pulled me down the rest of the aisle and outside. “You can see them next week.” He didn’t let go of me until we were standing next to the SUV, where Mateo waited patiently. “Or you can go after college one of these days.” He pulled open the back door and waved his hand for me to get in. “You do that a lot anyway.”
I frowned, wondering how he knew that, and for the first time since he’d put the ring on my finger, I felt a little bravery simmer up. “How do you know that?”
He laughed as he got in and slammed the door behind him. “I know everything, Aida.” His gaze met mine, the darkness a clear warning. “No one makes a move in my city without me hearing about it.” He leaned his arm on the door as Mateo sped away from the church. Was he trying to tell me something? Was he trying to warn me? I racked my brain, trying to figure out what he meant, but I was coming up empty.
“You should remember that,” he finished, not looking at me now. “And so should that guy you dated.”
“What?” I screwed my face up. “What are you talking about?”