Lorenzo held her tighter. He took one of her hands in his. He slid down her glove and took it off.
Evelyn tensed, and then she relaxed back into him. Her hands shook. She couldn’t hold back the tears. Memories from that night in Greenwood crashed into her again and a sob escaped. She covered her mouth and closed her eyes. The tears still fell.
Lorenzo scooped her up in his arms and positioned her on his lap. He held her, not saying anything, just holding her in his tight embrace. She breathed into his neck, letting his scent soothe her. The sobs eventually stopped and so did the tears. What must he think of her now? She’d tried so hard to hide this side of herself.
Lorenzo whispered in her ear. “Please tell me what happened to you? These scars are old. You must have been a child... Please, you can trust me.”
Lorenzo ran his hands through Evelyn’s hair. The repetitive motion was calming. She eased off Lorenzo’s lap to sit next to him. She took a deep breath and looked into his eyes.
“When I was seveneen, there was a massacre in Greenwood—right outside of Tulsa. Greenwood was a very affluent area for Black people. Black-owned businesses flourished there—everything from hotels and banks to hospitals and movie theaters. My family had only been in Greenwood about a year before the massacre. We moved there so my mom could continue to practice medicine. She was a leading physician in her field, Black or White. One night my momma came home from the hospital frantic. She seemed out of her mind at first. She was so unlike herself we thought she was sick or something. She told us a horde of angry White men was heading for Greenwood and they were out for blood. They were saying a Black boy attacked a White woman. The courthouse wouldn’t let the men get to the boy, so they turned their hatred on our town.”
Tears started streaming down Evelyn’s cheeks again. Lorenzo wiped them away with his thumb. He kissed Evelyn’s hands and looked into her eyes. She didn’t know what she was supposed to feel in that moment. She was telling a White man about how a White mob had destroyed everything she loved, changed her life irrevocably, and yet all she wanted was for Lorenzo to keep holding her.
“They set fire to our buildings, to our homes, after they shot and killed entire families and stole whatever they wanted. They burned down the entire town. My mom had made us pack up and leave as soon as she’d gotten home. We were driving out of town when a group of men stopped us. They pulled my mom and dad from the car.”
Another sob escaped. Lorenzo rubbed Evelyn’s back.
“My dad and mom fought back, but they were both shot dead. The men set my parents on fire, and I ran to my mom and took her hand.”
“That’s how you got these scars?”
Evelyn nodded. “It was so much chaos. Military planes were flying over, dropping bombs on the town to target the people. I didn’t notice, but a group of Black men came and killed the rest of the White men. I managed to escape that night, but I will live with these scars forever.”
And Evelyn didn’t mean the scars on her arms.
When she was done talking, she noticed tears in Lorenzo’s eyes. He cupped the back of her neck and pulled her lips to his. It was the softest kiss Evelyn had ever had.
“I’m so, so sorry. That never should have happened to you...to any of you. I’m just...”
Behind the tears, Evelyn saw rage in Lorenzo’s gaze. She reached up to touch his cheek. “It’s in the past, Lorenzo.”
“I know, but...” He stopped before finishing his thought. “I just want to make sure no one ever hurts you ever again.” He covered her hand with his.
“You know what the worst part of it is?” she said.
“What?” Lorenzo asked.
“It’s like it never happened. No one was ever prosecuted for the murders or the destruction. The papers reported on it only briefly, and then nothing. It’s like Greenwood never existed—like we never existed.”
CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR
Lorenzo
Lorenzo continued to run his hand up and down Evelyn’s back. Hearing her tell of the destruction of her home, of an entire town full of successful businesses and families, made him want to hurt someone. He wanted to get revenge for all of those people...for Evelyn. He wanted those men to pay with their lives.
Suddenly he understood his father better than he ever had before.
Evelyn got to her feet and held her hand out to Lorenzo. He took her hand and stood up. She led him down the hall to his bedroom. His mind raced. He wanted her. He wanted her so badly. But he couldn’t shake the fact that being with him would put her in even more peril.
“Evelyn, I don’t know if this is a good idea...”
Evelyn shut the door when they were both inside the room. The dim light from the lamp next to his massive bed glowed gold, casting shadows on the wall. Evelyn walked toward him. Looking at her beautiful eyes, lush lips and glowing skin made him hard. Oh, God. He didn’t think he could be strong enough to fight his desire for her.
“Lorenzo, don’t think. I’ve been through so much, and I know you have too. Let’s just comfort each other. Can we do that?”
Lorenzo nodded and scooped her up. He laid her gently on her back on his bed. He pulled her shirt over her head and took in her beautiful body. Leaning down, he kissed her neck and caressed her breasts. He pulled her bra from her shoulder and kissed her collarbone. Oh, how he relished her soft skin and the seductive curves of her body. He wanted to pleasure her pain away.
He kissed a path down her stomach to the waistband of her pants. He stood and pulled them off, leaving her pink silk underwear on. He positioned himself between her legs and took one of her feet in his hand. He massaged her delicate foot and kissed a trail from her ankle all the way up her leg, kissing her core through the thin layer of fabric.
Evelyn gasped. “Oh, Lorenzo...”
Her desire fueled his own. His erection pushed painfully against his pants. He still had on his suit from the club. He continued to kiss her through her underwear, savoring her scent and her wetness. He put pressure on the bud that hardened almost immediately as he continued to kiss her in her most sacred place.
Evelyn started to move her hips. Lorenzo pulled her underwear off and tossed them on the floor. He sat back and took in her beautiful body.
“Why do you get to see me, but I don’t get to see you?” she said, lust evident in her voice.
Lorenzo stood and took off his suit jacket. He then took off his bow tie, unbuttoned his shirt and slid it off. Evelyn sat up and ran her hands along his chest. She traced the outline of his muscles.
“Let me.”
She took his belt off and unbuckled his pants. There was no hesitation in her movements until she pulled his underwear down.
“Oh, my,” she said. “It’s... Is that going to fit inside of me?” Her gaze met his, full of concern.
“I won’t hurt you. I promise.”
Lorenzo crawled onto the bed between her legs. He took one of her breasts into his mouth. Her breasts were more than a handful and he loved them. He spent time sucking, tugging, kneading her nipples, before finally moving down her stomach and kissing her mound of hair.
He slid two fingers inside of her as he took her bud into his mouth and sucked hard. Her back arched off the bed and she screamed his name. He laughed, enjoying seeing her overwhelmed with pleasure. He increased the speed of his fingers. She clung tightly to him. Her wetness slicked his skin and he wanted to sheathe himself inside her. His erection throbbed.
But before he would allow himself to experience her, he wanted to make sure she was ready. He refused to hurt her. He thrust his tongue inside of her, lapping up her wetness. She writhed under him. He held her thigh to the bed, so she was still from the waist down. Then he pushed his tongue inside of her, over and over, until he felt thunder rip through her and his mouth was full of her wetness. She was ready.
He pulled his fingers from her and li
cked them. Then he licked his lips. Holding one of her legs, he pulled protection from his drawer and positioned himself at her entrance.
“Are you sure this is what you want?” he said, gazing into her eyes.
“Yes,” she said, and she pulled him to her and kissed him passionately.
He pulled back reluctantly. “It might hurt a little at first, but I promise I will please you.”
She nodded and lifted her hips off the bed to encourage him to enter her. And he did. He closed his eyes at the sensation of her clinging to his erection. He worried that he would finish right then and there, just after one thrust inside of her warm, tight cove. He held on to his release with all his might. He’d never felt anything like it.
His heart beat fast in his chest and his senses were consumed by Evelyn. All he could see was her beautiful body, connected to his in the most intimate way. He smelled her sweet scent and tried to hold on so that he could please her the way she deserved.
Her body tensed as he pushed inside of her, over and over, but eventually she relaxed, which allowed him to go deeper. She yelled his name as he let out unintelligible sounds of his own. Her back arched and her hips moved in rhythm with his thrusts. He lost himself in his magical experience with Evelyn, where time no longer existed and all that mattered was the way her body felt as she climaxed repeatedly around his shaft.
* * *
Evelyn had fallen asleep in his arms, and before he knew it dreams were taking over for him too.
Lorenzo woke first. Evelyn was wrapped around his body and he held her tightly against his chest. He looked over at the clock. They’d been asleep for several hours.
It had been a long time since Lorenzo had spent the night with a woman, and this was the first time he’d had a woman stay in his bed. Now he didn’t know if he could ever let Evelyn go.
Evelyn stirred in his arms. “Good morning,” she said.
“Good morning. How do you feel?”
“I’m a little sore, but I feel wonderful.”
“Can I see it?” Lorenzo said.
“See what?” Evelyn turned to look up at him.
“Greenwood?”
“There isn’t much there. They started rebuilding, but so many of us died that night, and the ones that could leave did. My friend Erin was murdered that night—but her grandmother is still there. Miz Minny was like a grandmother to me too. I’ve been meaning to go back and check on her, but I’ve been...afraid.”
“I will take you. I won’t let anything hurt you.”
“I’m not afraid of anything hurting me. I’m afraid of what being back there will do to me. Your offer is sweet, Lorenzo, but I don’t know if it’s a good idea. How can you leave your club?”
“Jeb will handle things.”
Evelyn took a deep breath and sighed. She looked away from Lorenzo. “What about the fundraiser?”
“We’ll get it done. I believe that you walked into my club for a reason.”
Evelyn turned back to face Lorenzo. “Yes, I did. I wanted to sing.”
“No!” Lorenzo laughed. “I mean, I think that there’s a reason we met, and it’s bigger than you or me.”
“Lorenzo, I—”
Lorenzo cut in, “No, Evelyn, I need to say this. There’s something about you that makes me want to be a better man, and that’s not even the craziest part. I’m starting to believe I might be able to be better.”
“What makes you think you’re not already a good man?” Her brows furrowed with frustration.
“Because I know me.”
“I don’t think you give yourself enough credit. From what I’ve seen, you’re one of the best men I’ve met.” Evelyn looked away shyly. “I’m sorry for how I reacted to you not wanting things to go too far between us initially. You were right. We shouldn’t have gone down that road with each other.”
For a moment Lorenzo had thought he could finally move past what had happened to Holly. That he could love Evelyn in the way she deserved. But in the short time he’d known Evelyn, he’d realized how little he knew about falling in love.
He recognized that what he’d had with Holly didn’t have anything to do with what he had with Evelyn. He’d been a kid. The man he was now wasn’t the same as the boy who had been trying to mimic the actions of his father.
Evelyn stood up. “I should get dressed.” She pulled the covers around her and stood up. She picked up her clothes. “May I get cleaned up?”
“Of course. I’ll have some of your clothes and toiletries brought up.”
Lorenzo pulled on his pants and picked up the phone beside his bed as Evelyn disappeared into the bathroom. Then he got dressed in his other bathroom and started cooking breakfast.
CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE
Evelyn
After returning to her apartment, Evelyn had a few hours to rest before she had to get ready for the club. Her head spun with the possibilities for her and Lorenzo. She wanted to believe that there was a chance for them to be something real, but as soon as he wasn’t touching her reality hit her. She and Lorenzo lived in two different worlds and nothing would change that.
She didn’t go back to Lorenzo’s apartment, like she’d thought she would. She needed time to think. He knew her past, but she still didn’t know his. And what really kept them apart was the future. There wasn’t any future where they could be together safely. Between his family, the KKK and his illegal businesses, Evelyn would be in constant danger.
She pulled a short black flapper dress and a feather and rhinestone turban headpiece from her closet. She pinned her hair, slipped on the dress and put on the headpiece. She chose black gloves with rhinestones. She’d just set them on her dresser when a knock sounded at her door.
She grabbed her gloves. She wasn’t expecting anyone, and she approached her door hesitantly. She smiled with relief, put her gloves on the table and opened the door for Lorenzo.
“Hey, sorry to bother you... I’m not really sure why I’m here.”
Evelyn laughed. “Don’t you think you should have thought about that before you came down?”
“Well, it’s obvious how much I enjoy your company. I keep showing up at your door uninvited.”
They both laughed.
“Please, come in.” Evelyn stepped aside and waved him in. “This is a perfect opportunity for me to learn more about you. I feel like we talk a lot about me, but I don’t know very much about you.”
Lorenzo
Lorenzo had been expecting this, but it still shook him. How was he going to explain that his first and only girlfriend had been murdered because she was in the wrong place at the wrong time when some goons had come looking for Lorenzo?
He walked over to her window and stared out like the answers might be out there in the darkening sky. “There really isn’t much to tell.”
“Oh, you’re not being fair. I thought we were going to get to know each other.”
Lorenzo sighed and sat down in the chair. “Okay, let’s see... I grew up in a very protective family. My cousins and I played in the backs of speakeasies. We grew up with guns in our hands, learning to shoot before we got out of training wheels on our bikes. Where I come from, family and respect are the only things that matter. My father’s business is very lucrative, but very dangerous. I lost someone when I was younger, and that changed how I thought about the world.”
Lorenzo looked out of the window, remembering Holly. She’d been innocent...like Evelyn.
“What happened to your friend? If you don’t mind me asking.”
Lorenzo’s brow creased and he ran his hand through his hair. “That’s a story for another time. We better head downstairs now, before Benny sends out a search and rescue party.” Lorenzo stood, holding his hand out to Evelyn.
Evelyn took it and said, “I’m sorry if I’ve upset you.”
“You didn’t.” Lorenzo
turned to look at her. “Really. I’m just still not able to talk about what happened. It’s hard to put into words what I lost that day.”
Evelyn stepped in closer to Lorenzo and put her hand on the side of his cheek. She gazed into his gray-green eyes. “I understand. But I want you to know that when you are ready to talk, I’m here to listen.”
Lorenzo leaned in and pressed his lips to hers. The kiss brought him back to the present. He let his lips linger against Evelyn’s. She smelled like candy and tasted just as sweet.
His heart beat erratically in his chest. Whenever he was close to this dame he teetered on the line between having a heart attack and playing things cool. Her soft touch had saved him from spiraling into past nightmares.
Leaning his forehead against hers, he rubbed her arms and took her hands in his. He enjoyed seeing all of her. Running his fingers along her scars and kissing them was quickly becoming one of his preferred things to do. She was beautiful. Her scars were beautiful. He wanted all of her.
“I’m glad I got to spend this time with you. Are you ready to head downstairs?” Lorenzo said, pulling away to step back.
Evelyn nodded. Lorenzo took her hand again and led her to the door. She grabbed her gloves from the table by the entryway and slipped them on. He wondered if she would ever feel confident enough to let her scars show, but relished the fact that they shared this secret and that she hadn’t tried to put her gloves on in front of him. He felt that in some way that was something significant in what they were becoming to each other.
Lorenzo’s head spun at how quickly things had changed between him and Evelyn, but he wasn’t complaining.
They rode the elevator downstairs in silence. The operator smiled when he saw Evelyn, and quickly became stoic again when Lorenzo got on the elevator. Lorenzo tried not to be annoyed by that. Everyone seemed to like Evelyn. But what wasn’t to like? She was beautiful and smart, talented and humble,
Harlequin Historical September 2021--Box Set 1 of 2 Page 61
