Harlequin Historical September 2021--Box Set 1 of 2

by Christine Merrill

  “Maybe I should leave.” He didn’t even look at her.

  “I think that would be best,” she said, focusing on the floor.

  Someone knocked at the door.

  Evelyn got down from the counter, smoothed her skirt and sweater, and walked to the door. She took several deep breaths to extinguish her tears before opening the door.

  The doorman stood there, looking very nervous. He wouldn’t look her in the eyes. “Miss Laroque, I have a message for Mr. De Luca. I was asked to bring it up. Is he here?”

  “Yes. Come in.” She stepped aside.

  “Mr. De Luca, I hope you’re having a good day, sir. Here you go.” The doorman handed Lorenzo a note.

  “I am. Thank you for bringing this up.” Lorenzo’s words came out clipped.

  The doorman bowed and said, “Is there anything I can get either of you?”

  “No, thank you,” Lorenzo said, without even letting Evelyn speak for herself.

  She rolled her eyes at the back of Lorenzo’s head. He still hadn’t looked at her since he’d ended their moment of pleasure. But the more time that passed, the more Evelyn breathed steadier. Perhaps not getting too entangled with Lorenzo was for the best.

  “I’m actually going to follow you out,” he told the doorman. He glanced back at her and said, “I will see you later. I want to talk about the fundraiser. I hope you’ll still help me with it?”

  Evelyn didn’t intend to speak to him. She didn’t know if she’d ever want to talk to him again. She was mortified. She felt led on.

  But maybe she’d mistaken his kindness for interest. His fundraiser was important to Evelyn too. She’d have to deal with him just enough to make sure it went well.

  After both men left, Evelyn sank to the floor and let the tears fall.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

  Lorenzo

  Lorenzo left Evelyn’s apartment completely conflicted. He’d wanted her so badly. He almost hadn’t stopped himself. He would have taken her right there on that counter and no amount of knocking on the door would have mattered, but he didn’t want her to get hurt. He didn’t want to see her in pain.

  But that was exactly what had happened.

  After he’d stopped touching her and kissing her, the pain on her face had struck him deep. He hadn’t been able to look her in the eyes again. He’d thought he was doing the right thing, the noble thing, by stopping before it went too far, but he didn’t know what being noble meant.

  He wasn’t a noble guy. He was a criminal—a man with flexible morals. He’d always been that way, and he hadn’t felt the need to change until now.

  But it was more than that. Like Evelyn had said, there were two Americas—did he even have a right to pursue her, knowing there would be people who’d try to hurt her just because he loved her. Hell, they might both be put in jail.

  He didn’t get on the elevator with the doorman; he opted to take the stairs. Just as he was about to go into the stairwell he heard Evelyn’s sobs. They were faint, but distinct. He’d heard a woman cry before, but this time he was the cause.

  His stomach dropped like he’d been on a rollercoaster. He honestly didn’t know what the right thing to do was, so he did the only thing that would ensure she wouldn’t cry anymore. He opened the door to the stairwell, climbed it two stairs at a time.

  He was taken aback by the tears that clouded his own vision. He immediately blinked them away, opened the door to his loft and resigned himself to not allowing himself to be close to Evelyn, and definitely not being alone with her, ever again.

  Blaming his moment of weakness on his exhaustion, he determined he would practice discipline. He had to. The KKK was putting pressure on his club and preying on the young women of his city. He wouldn’t stand for that.

  And Lorenzo had to prioritize taking care of the threats against Evelyn, even if that meant he had to keep his distance to protect her.

  He stripped out of his suit and lay face down on his bed. He still tasted her silky sweet skin, smelled her sweet citrus scent. His fingers trembled at the memory of her thighs. He’d meant what he’d said to her. Being near her, knowing he couldn’t be with her, was killing him.

  That was his last thought before he drifted off to sleep.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

  Evelyn

  Tears mixed with warm water. As soon as Lorenzo had left, Evelyn had gotten in the shower. Now her tears were finally drying up. What she and Lorenzo had almost done still had her nerve-endings tingling. She’d been crushed by his rejection, but she would never let him make her feel that way again.

  It probably was for the best that things hadn’t gone any further.

  She would keep her position at Blues Moon until she could figure out her next step. She would just have to keep her distance from Mr. Lorenzo De Luca.

  She briefly that worried everyone would be able to see her humiliation on her face. But she would not feel bad about being a woman with needs and desires. Lorenzo had been sending her signals, she thought. He’d wanted her as much as she wanted him. She wouldn’t allow this situation with him to change her plans for herself. She had her grand to think about. She also shouldn’t have been so ready to give herself to a man who lived such a different life than the one she lived. They were worlds apart for so many reasons.

  What had she been thinking?

  He’d saved her from making a huge mistake.

  That fact didn’t erase the sting of his rejection, though, and the memory of how badly she’d wanted him, his hands, his lips...his everything.

  After she’d dried off from her shower and washed her face, she released her hair from her bonnet. Loose waves fell around her shoulders. She opened the compartment of her toiletry bag that housed her hair pins and began the work of pinning her curls so they would stay in place. She pulled out her makeup bag next, and completed her routine of applying natural-looking makeup with just a touch of pink tones to her cheeks, eyelids and lips.

  Looking at the added plumpness of her mouth reminded her of how surprisingly soft Lorenzo’s kisses had been...

  She rolled her eyes at herself. Then she curled her lashes and applied her mascara.

  Satisfied, she’d walked into her bedroom when she heard a knock on the door. She put on her robe, wondering who even knew she lived there, and panicked briefly considering that it might be Lorenzo.

  She peeked through the peephole and sighed with relief. She opened the door. “Hey, Benny. What are you doing here?”

  “Evelyn, I’m sorry to bother you, but Mr. De Luca asked me to come up and make sure you have everything you need,” Benny said gently.

  Evelyn’s fists clenched at the sound of Lorenzo’s name. She stared at Benny and had to remind herself that she was upset with Lorenzo, not Benny. Unclenching, she tried to smile. “I do, and thank you for checking on me. I’ll be down just in time for the show.”

  “You won’t need anything to eat before we start?” Benny sounded concerned.

  “No, thank you. I’m not hungry.”

  “All right... You’re taking care of yourself, aren’t you?”

  “Yes, I am. I’ll be down in a bit.”

  Evelyn smiled, trying to convince Benny she was fine. She didn’t know how successful her smile was because she really wasn’t okay, but she would be. She’d survived much worse.

  “All right, I’ll see you in a little bit.” He tipped his hat and walked back to the elevator, looking over his shoulder once at her. Sadness filled his eyes.

  Did he know what had happened between her and Lorenzo? She would kill Lorenzo if he’d told anyone. She decided that if he had shared their intimate moment, it would warrant his death.

  Usually she would want to get to the club an hour or so before she had to sing, but spending only the necessary time there would be best from now on. She didn’t want to risk running into Lore
nzo.

  She closed the door and walked to her newly installed phone. She didn’t even know her own telephone number. She dialed.

  “Hello, Grand. You were right about Lorenzo.”

  “I’m sorry, sweetheart, but it’s for the best. He will never understand the world you live in, and being involved with him would just hurt you in the long run.”

  Her grand had repeated the words she’d said before Evelyn had left West Eden. “I know that now.”

  “I do have some good news. I’m really happy you called. You know West Eden had a baseball field built for the Negro baseball teams? Well, one of the owners called, and he’d heard about your singing. They want you to sing at the baseball game in a couple of weeks.”

  The fact that people were talking about her talent sent chills of excitement through her. She’d only just started at Blues Moon and word was already out. She hoped jobs would flow her way, so she could move on from the club before she had a chance to humiliate herself in front of Lorenzo again.

  As her grand told her the details, she realized the news was only tainted by one thing. She wanted to tell Lorenzo all about it. She wanted him to come see her sing at the game. But neither of those things would happen.

  “I’ve gotta go, Grand. I’ll talk to you later.” She moved to hang up the phone, but then put it back to her ear. “Wait—are you coming to the club?”

  Her grand’s presence there would make it easier for her to avoid any interaction with Lorenzo at all. She ignored the pang of disappointment at not having him to talk to anymore. She’d only just met him, and already she was missing a relationship that wasn’t even a relationship. They weren’t even friends.

  “Yes, I thought you knew? Mr. Lorenzo just called to let me know he’s sent a car over to pick me up. I should be there within the hour.”

  She would arrive just after Evelyn’s set started. That would have to do. Evelyn would stay in her apartment until there was only a few minutes before she had to be on stage. She didn’t know what she would do about helping with the fundraiser, but she would have to figure something out. Giving back to the community was something that meant a lot to Evelyn.

  She went to her bedroom and retrieved her dress. She laid it on the bed. She loved this dress best of all. It had taken several checks from the pharmacy for her to afford it. It was one of her more conservative dresses, floor-length, no slit, and it came with a cape. It hugged her figure perfectly because she’d had it altered. The cream and silver sequined material clung to her like a second skin.

  She needed this dress tonight. She needed the confidence it would bring her. If she had to see Lorenzo again, she wanted to look her absolute best.

  She realized Lorenzo had had her cabinets stocked, and the refrigerator. She had everything she could want, and she had the man who’d just broken her heart to thank for it all.

  Lorenzo made her head spin. A man didn’t do all he had done for someone if he didn’t have feelings for that person. She was done trying to figure it out, though.

  She decided to make some tea, to soothe her throat before she had to perform. The whistle from the tea kettle filled the otherwise quiet room. She’d never lived alone, and although she enjoyed having time to herself, she was starting to feel lonely.

  She would ask her grand to spend the night, so she wouldn’t have to make the journey back to West Eden late. There was plenty of room. The apartment had two bedrooms, both furnished with modern wood beds and dressers. Evelyn had put her belongings in the larger room. She really didn’t need all of the space.

  She put one spoonful of honey in her tea and walked over to the window. She looked out at the busy garment district, watching people while she sipped on her drink. She breathed in deeply and let it out slowly. Finally, the tightness in her shoulders loosened, the restless energy in her hands and legs subsided. Hopefully she could put her feelings for Lorenzo out of her mind—or add them to the pain she used as her muse while she sang.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

  Lorenzo

  Lorenzo had had a fitful dream about Evelyn. He awoke with a start and looked quickly around his room, trying to catch his bearings. There’d been white sheets holding her. She’d screamed for him, but he hadn’t been able to get to her. He’d banged on the glass cage he was in until his hands and arms were bloody. She’d cried and screamed as they took her. He hadn’t been able to stop them. He hadn’t protected her.

  Sweat dripped from his brow. He cupped his hand over the back of his neck. His sheets were wet with sweat. He looked at his watch. He was late for the club.

  He got in the tub and let the hot water soothe his aching muscles. He’d been in knots since leaving Evelyn. Not being able to release his pent-up desire for her had him on edge.

  Admittedly, he’d been aroused by her from the moment he met her. He had a lot of built-up energy and he’d almost let it cloud his judgment. But he’d made the right choice. If he’d allowed himself to experience being inside her, the entire world wouldn’t have been able to keep him from being with her. He would probably have married her.

  That was why he couldn’t let himself forget again that being with him would put her in danger—between the bigotry, Jim Crow Laws and his mob family, her life would be in constant danger because of him. He cared too much about her to let that happen. He could and would protect her from afar.

  He got out of the tub and grabbed his towel. Stepping on his plush rug, he looked at himself in the mirror. He shook his head. His eyes were bloodshot. He hadn’t gotten much rest in the last few days. Usually he didn’t need a lot of sleep, but pining after Evelyn really took the energy out of him.

  His phone rang in the bedroom. He rushed to get it, almost losing the towel he’d tied around his waist.

  “Hello?” He used another towel to dry his hair.

  “Lorenzo, we need to meet.”

  There was something in Dred’s voice that made the hair on his arms spike. Something bad was about to happen—or had already happened.

  Lorenzo went to his closet, which was really like a second bedroom, and scanned through his suits. When he found what he was looking for—a light brown tweed he’d gotten his last time in Italy—he went over to the bench that was in the middle of the closet and got dressed. He chose cufflinks and a bowtie. He picked a hat, but went back to the bathroom to do his hair first.

  Putting on his hat, he walked out the door not even ten minutes after he’d talked to Dred.

  He took the elevator down to the first floor. Usually he would walk down the stairs, but his nerves were bad and he needed to stand still a moment to calm himself.

  He had to get back to being the cold-hearted, morally ambivalent boss he always had been. He didn’t do anything if it didn’t fit into the plan that he had for his business and his life. But in just a few days he had started making choices based on what he thought was best for Evelyn. He would still protect her with his life, but that was all he could do. It wouldn’t even be safe for them to be friends because he would always want more.

  He walked into Blues Moon and was immediately swarmed by Jeb, Dred and Tommy.

  “We have to talk,” said Dred.

  She walked toward Lorenzo’s office and obviously expected Lorenzo to follow, which he did.

  “What’s going on?”

  Lorenzo closed the door once they were all in his office. Jeb closed the blinds so no one would be able to see them from the club. Lorenzo could hear Evelyn’s melodic voice, and it was all he could do to stay in the room and talk with his friends about whatever had them all riled up. Her voice sounded especially morose and beautiful.

  “I infiltrated a KKK meeting tonight, and what I heard was not good.” Tommy stroked the light stubble on his chin. He looked disheveled—not at all like his usually impeccably groomed self.

  “And?” Lorenzo grew impatient.

  “The
y’re coming after Evelyn—and you. They’re planning something big. They never said what, but the main cat kept saying the plan was working. He never said what the plan was.”

  “You didn’t interrogate anyone?” Lorenzo watched as Tommy paced.

  “I didn’t want to blow my cover. I had to get out of there before someone questioned who I was. They were all drinking and smacking each other on the back about this plan. I did manage to lure one of them away from the meeting, but he wouldn’t cooperate.”

  “Tommy, what’d you do?” Dred said. She sat in the chair by the door. “And stop pacing. You’re giving me a headache.”

  Tommy sat in the chair next to her. “I did what I always do. I shut him up.”

  “Did you kill him?” Jeb asked, completely void of emotion.

  “Nah, I don’t think so. He was breathing, however faintly.”

  Jeb leaned against the door. He looked like he was developing a plan in his head. He always looked like that, and he usually was.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

  Lorenzo

  Lorenzo sat at his desk with his head in his hands. He hadn’t had a day like this in a long time. He needed to focus on the problem...the big problem that he and his crew were discussing...but his thoughts kept flitting back to Evelyn.

  He couldn’t wait to see her. He wanted to talk to her—explain that he cared for her and wanted to do the right thing for her. But he couldn’t do that. He had to keep his distance from her.

  “Lorenzo, did you hear me?” Dred’s glare pierced the air, and it was directed at him.

  “No, what did you say?”

  Lorenzo needed to tune in to the conversation. They would expect him to have a solution to the problem. Jeb must have proposed a plan, and it would be up to Lorenzo to confirm if that was what they were going to do.

  The way Dred looked at him, Lorenzo knew he needed to focus. “I’m sorry. I’m not myself right now.”