“You don’t have to keep it, you know,” Clarissa said.
He pulled her in close and wanted to kiss those full lips, but he held himself back.“I know, but I want to.I worked hard on that, and I think it looks awesome.”
He didn’t kiss her.Clarissa wasn’t ready, and right now, she was more open than she ever had been, and he wasn’t going to ruin it.The temptation to kiss her was so strong, but he held himself back.Now was not the time but the moment it was, he would take that kiss.
He led her outside, and he hated that he had to let her go at all, but he helped her into the passenger side of the car.He couldn’t resist taking care of her, and he reached in, grabbing the seatbelt, securing her in place.
His guards were already doing their jobs and climbing into two different cars.One of them took the lead, with the other driving behind him.There was always strength in numbers, and with the current threats to the Colombo Mafia, although dealt with, he wasn’t willing to risk his wife’s life.
Clarissa didn’t say a word as he pulled out of the driveway, and that awkwardness started between them.He hated it.He needed to get her guard down.
“So, tell me, what was the best thing you have ever made?”he asked.He concentrated on the road but attempted to draw her out.
“Uh, the best thing would have to be my wedding dress.I worked on it for over a year, and trust me, it wasn’t easy.”
“You looked amazing in it,” he said.
“You liked it?”
“Yep, it was the prettiest wedding dress I’d ever seen.You made the most beautiful bride.”He glanced over to her, but there was not a smile.She looked troubled.He was usually good at reading people, but Clarissa was like a blank book.He had no idea what was going on in her mind.She would make a good spy.No one would be sure if she was the enemy or not.
“What’s wrong?”he asked.“What did I say?”
“Nothing.”
But he felt that withdrawal and he gritted his teeth.This was fucking hard.It was like attempting to take fucking blood from a stone.
“What’s your favorite time of year?”he asked.Wasn’t that a topic that helped to get people to learn more about each other?He was drowning here.
“I love this time of year.I like Halloween and Christmas.It’s my favorite time.What about you?”she asked.
“Uh, I am a sucker for Christmas and snow.Don’t tell anyone, but I am also partial to a mince pie, as well as a whole range of cookies.”He had a sweet tooth, something he had to combat in the freaking gym.“Don’t even get me started on the pies.”
He was a sucker for food as well.It was why he rarely allowed his cook, when he asked him to come into work, to make sweet food.
Lorenzo loved to cook.His own father had said a way to a woman’s heart was in the kitchen.Of course, that was in doing the dishes, but he did love to cook.It was something he had enjoyed for a long freaking time.He also hired a cook, because he was busy most of the time and didn’t have the spare time to cook.This morning was the first time he had ever cooked for Clarissa.
“I love pie,” Clarissa said.“Apple is my favorite.”
“I love chocolate pecan pie.”He held his fingers together and kissed the air.“And it has to come with a dollop of heavy whipped cream.Just heavenly.”
Clarissa laughed.“I did not think you loved food that much.”
“Well, I guess we’re both learning a lot about each other,” he said.
“True.”
And he felt her start to withdraw.
“Other than sewing, what else do you like to do?”he asked.
“I like to knit.You’ve seen me knitting, but I am bad at it.My grandmother seemed to know every single stitch, and it was like she could multitask.She would knit, do all the right stitches, count, and hold a conversation.It was incredible.I have to keep going over my stitches as I lose count.Especially if I’m watching a movie.Most of the time I just listen to it, because I need to look, otherwise I end up with holey items.”
Lorenzo laughed.“She was an incredible woman.A force to be reckoned with.”
She smiled.“Yeah, a total force.”
He glanced toward her and saw the smile had started to slip, and he knew it was because the woman was gone from this world.So, he did the only thing he could.He reached out and grabbed her hand, trying to offer some level of comfort.Anything that would take the pain of losing the people she had loved.