“Aha, I found them, no thanks to you.” Angel wielded her flip-flops in both hands.
The love he felt every time he thought of her, would have scared the crap out of him a year ago. Now, he couldn’t imagine his heart not skipping a beat when he pictured their future together.
“Are you ready?’ He reached down to grab the bag next to the bed.
“Um… How do we sneak out without alerting my parents?” She chewed her lip.
He took his finger and released her lip from her teeth. “I already told your parents I was taking you home with me. After I agreed to let your bodyguard come along, your father relented. He didn’t want your mother to worry.” He grinned.
She rolled her eyes, but a smile played at her lips. “My father always uses that excuse. His machismo is off the charts."
Chapter Ten
The next few days flew by with more and more of Angelina’s stuff filling up Lorenzo’s master suite closet. The place had been built with a couple in mind, if the huge space was any indication. Lorenzo had all his clothes organized and on one side of the room. The man had organization down to a T, with all his shirts color coordinated and every article in its own space, from his Gucci shoes, to his Tom Ford suits. The song “Sharp Dressed Man” came to mind as she perused his closet.
She felt like she was playing house. To Lorenzo’s credit, he did his best to make her feel comfortable, even asking if she wanted to change anything. But this was his home, not hers. Today was the first day she’d had the place to herself. And she was lost.
She had no job, no house to call her own, and she feared Lorenzo was going to wake up and realize he could do better. “Stop it, Angel.” Great, now she was talking to herself, and not in the way that helped her solve issues.
The familiar ringtone of her best friend made her smile. If anyone could cheer her up, it was Gia.
“I’m going crazy. Save me.” Desperation was clearly evident in her voice.
“Awe, is my big brother keeping you locked up in the tower? Do you need me to let down my hair?” Her voice held the faint Cuban lilt they all had.
Walking out of the closet, thoughts of what to wear were forgotten. “You’ve got your fairy tales messed up, Gia dear.”
Gia snorted. “Yeah well who the heck waits for a man to save you? Not me.”
Angelina heard the pain her best friend tried to hide behind her words. She realized she hadn’t stopped to think about anyone but herself. “What’s wrong Gia?”
A sniff, followed by the sound of a nose being blown, was Angel’s answer.
“Tell me where you are, and I’ll come see you. I need to get out of this house anyways”
She promised Gia she’d be there in an hour, before she hung up and went in search of her ever-present bodyguard, Lyle, to tell him they were leaving. When she found him in the kitchen, reading the paper, concentration was etched on his features.
A man of few words, he simply nodded, folded his paper, and led the way to the garage.
She really missed driving her own vehicle. Since she’d been staying at Lorenzo’s house, they’d not left once, until he had to go to a meeting today. Now she wished her car was housed in his garage instead of hers, and that she could jump into the driver’s seat. But Lyle stood next to a large black sedan with tinted windows. He held the back door open for her like a chauffeur.
The ride into town wasn’t nearly as fun as it would’ve been had she been driving, but Lyle navigated the busy Miami highways with ease, giving her time to think.
Gia was waiting outside the apartment building where she lived. Lyle followed them into the elevator to the top floor; his stance kept anyone from joining them.
“Would you like to come inside, Mr. Lyle?” Gia asked with her sunglasses still on.
“It’s just Lyle. If you don’t mind, I’d like to inspect the inside, and then I’ll just wait in the hall.” His deep baritone voice brooked no argument.
“Okay.” She tapped in her key code to open the door. The door unlocked, but Lyle pushed past them to enter first.
“Wait here,” he murmured.
She met Gia’s eyes, and both ladies shrugged at the same time, bursting into giggles.
“All’s clear. I’ll just be outside.” Lyle stepped aside while they entered then stepped out into the hallway, closing the door securely behind himself.
“Wow. That was intense,” Gia wheezed.
“I’ve never heard him say so many words. He’s more of a nodder or grunter in my experience.” Angel glanced toward the door to make sure he wasn’t still there.