by Bella Emy
They say single. I still say widowed. I’m not single. I still love my wife, even if she’s no longer with me here on Earth. She’ll always be in my heart.
Anyway, they would love for me to meet someone on one of my off weekends from being with my daughter. I know they hate that we’re alone, but I’m not looking to pick up women or find a replacement for Sylvia. There is no one who will ever replace my love. You’d think by now they’d understand.
So, to make them happy, I spend time with the two people I can count on no matter what: my brother and sister.
I’m the oldest, followed by Max and then Marianna. Well, it’s funny because they’re only a minute apart. Yeah, they’re twins, but they couldn’t be more different if they tried.
Max and I look a lot alike. We both take after our mother, while Marianna is the spitting image of our father, except for her long hair, pretty face, and boobs.
“I still don’t think it’s a good idea,” Marianna says, bringing me out of my musings.
Max intervenes. “Why? I think it’s fine. It’s been five years.”
I sip on my beer and watch Marianna throw him the glare I knew was coming. These two usually go at it when they differ in opinion… which is most of the time.
“Why? Why? Because! That’s precisely the reason! Five years!”
Max shakes his head. “It’s not the first big match since she’s been gone, Mari.”
Marianna rolls her eyes, annoyance obviously on her face. “It doesn’t matter. It’s the fifth anniversary. He should never take part in any match on December fifth,” she responds as if I’m not sitting right here in between the two of them. It’s a small circular table, so we’re all facing one another.
I close my eyes and take another sip. Thinking I’d best say something, I take a deep breath and slowly open my eyes to look directly at Marianna. “Mari, it’s fine. I’ll be okay, and I definitely have to take part in this match. I’ve been training for it for months. I’ll be okay.”
Marianna shakes her head. “I don’t think it’s smart for you to take part in the match. I know you have built up anger because of… well, everything.”
“He’s fine, Marianna. You heard it straight from the horse’s mouth,” Max says.
Marianna turns to face Max. “I’m worried about him, Max. You don’t understand because you’re a guy.”
He chuckles. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“I’m worried he’s going to get hurt… or worse, hurt someone else, maybe more.”
They throw glances at me, and I almost spit out my beer. Yes, I’ve been known to have a temper. I’ve had built-up anger since Sylvia’s passing, but isn’t that natural? I lost someone who meant the world to me. It wasn’t fair. I’ve been depressed, and lost, and downright angry. It’s the main reason why I turned to MMA fighting. I thought it would be a positive way to channel my feelings. I need to unleash my inner beast. Plus, my brother has a temper too. I think every guy in my family does.
“Guys, I’ll be fine. And I won’t hurt anyone… that bad.” I give them a smug grin.
Marianna rolls her eyes while Max laughs.
“Ugh! Lorenzo! I give up with you! I’m going to have Mom talk you out of it,” Marianna says and takes a sip from her glass.
I’m about to tell her that not even Mom can convince me not to partake in the event on the fifth, but as I’m about to respond, my eyes dart toward the door.
The ringing of the bell above it caught my attention, but the woman walking in behind two other ladies is holding it. She pulls a red-and-white striped candy cane out of her mouth and keeps it in between matching crimson lips for a few seconds.
Luscious, plump crimson lips. Damn.
I shake my head and look away, but I glance back at her as she makes her way to a table.
Long brown hair cascading down her back and big brown eyes make me stare. Pink cheeks and a pretty smile that is now visible grace her face, lighting up the dimly lit bar. Wow.
She’s got a small frame, but her curves are evident as she slips her wet coat off. She’s wearing a white top and skin-tight denim jeans. Heeled boots sit on her feet.
I take a long swig of my beer. I need to think of something else.
“Really, please give it some more thought, Enz. I would hate to see something bad happen,” Marianna says. I know she’s been talking for a minute, but I’ve been distracted, and that’s all I’ve really heard her say in the past couple of minutes.
I turn my glance away from Luscious Lips and face Marianna.
Shit, did I really just give this woman I don’t even know a nickname? And that nickname?
Okay, it’s been a long time since I’ve last been intimate with someone. Sylvia was the last person I’ve been with. I haven’t had the urge to be intimate with anyone since. I don’t now either, but somehow I gave a name to this stranger.
Luscious Lips? What the hell? Yeah, she does have some nice lips that I imagine she can do amazing things with, but…
Damn, it’s not my fault. The way she’s sucking on that candy cane is really distracting. Fuck.
I shake my head and decide to answer Marianna. She’s still staring at me, waiting for me to say something. I pick Marianna’s hand up from the table and place a kiss on it to reassure her. “I’ll be careful, sis. I promise.”
Marianna lets out an audible breath and smiles. I think I’ve gotten through to her. Finally.
“Okay, big bro. I trust you. But you know I’ll still be right there, cheering you on and ready to kick your butt if things get out of hand.” She chuckles.
“Mari, you’re so tiny. You wouldn’t be able to do a damn thing,” Max says.
“And though she be but little, she is fierce,” she says, quoting Helena from A Midsummer Night’s Dream, still smiling as she rises from her seat. It’s her favorite line from Shakespeare, and she says it often since she’s tiny, standing at only five foot two inches.
She looks at her phone, scrolling through it. “Dammit, he still hasn’t responded. Maybe the service is bad here… I’m going out back to see if it makes a difference. Don’t you two get into any trouble while I’m gone.” She throws us both a warning look, pointing at us, and then pushes in her chair.
“We’ll try not to,” Max says as she walks away.
“She still hasn’t heard back from Jordan?” I ask.
Max shrugs. “I don’t know. She hasn’t talked too much about him. But I guess he hasn’t called her back.”
Of course not. Piece of shit. I swear one of these days I’m going to wring his fucking neck and hang him from his nuts.
Max drains the remnants of his beer. “Anyway, you wanna tell me what that’s all about?” He motions up with his chin, but I don’t know what he’s talking about.
I furrow my brows. “What?”
“Over there… Trouble. You know, the pretty little thing you’ve been ogling since she walked in here. She looks like trouble.”
“What the hell are you talking about? I haven’t been ogling anyone,” I say a bit defensively.
Max chuckles. “Yeah right, Enz. I’m not blind. I’ve seen her, and I’ve seen you staring. It’s not a bad thing, bro.”
“I still have no idea what you’re talking about,” I lie.
He’s not buying it. “Uh-huh. Well, whatever. You wanna play that game, fine. But check her out. To the left, white top, fucking amazing lips, and pretty brown eyes. She’s sitting in between two chicks who could pass for her sisters or cousins or something.”
Yeah, he knows I’ve been checking her out, but I need to pretend like I haven’t seen her until now. I look over at where he mentioned.
“Oh, her,” I respond.
He chuckles. “Oh, her? You’re hilarious.”
I turn my glance back toward him and shrug like it’s nothing. “Okay, she’s nice looking. What’s your point?” I take the final sip of my beer.
He shakes his head with a smirk. “Nice looking. My point is that you�
�re a man, and every man has needs. It’s been a long time since… well, you know. It’s okay to see other women you’re attracted to and possibly talk to them. It’s not a crime, and it’s not wrong.”
I chuckle, but it’s void of humor. My anger is starting to flare, and I don’t like where his words are going. The last thing I want is to get into an argument with my brother. “You’re crazy, Max.”
“I’m not. You probably feel guilty about it, but Enz, it’s fine, and you have no reason to feel like that. It would be a totally different thing if Sylvs were still here and you were having thoughts or feelings about another woman, but—”
“That’s enough!” I say, slamming my fist onto the table, just in time for Marianna to walk back, horrified and witnessing my anger firsthand.
“What’s going on here?” She pulls out her chair.
“Don’t bother taking a seat. It’s time to leave,” I snarl.
“What? Dude, we just got here twenty minutes ago,” Max says.
I glare at him. Smoke has got to be visibly coming out of my ears.
I take a breath and try to compose myself.
“Fine, you guys stay. I’m out of here.” I rise from my seat and walk away without saying another word. Good thing I met them here and had come in my own car.
“Lorenzo!” I hear Marianna call out to me, but I don’t bother answering her or turning around.
As I walk toward the door, I glance over at the mystery woman who caused this whole commotion. It’s her fault this shit started in the first place.
Our eyes lock for the first time.
I quickly pull my stare away and walk out the door. I need to go home and forget this night. What a disaster. Thanks a lot, Luscious Lips.
Chapter Five
Carissa
“Wow. Someone is definitely not getting any tonight,” Emy states and Shannon chuckles.
“What?” I ask, turning my gaze from the door to look at them.
I was watching a guy as he stormed out of the building. He was intimidating. I’ve never seen a guy up close that massive before. Plus, he didn’t even look all that friendly. He looked downright scary. I wonder what had gotten him so upset.
The woman three tables over called out to him. Lorenzo, she called, but he didn’t stop. I wonder if she’s his wife. Something she did upset him because he didn’t even acknowledge her.
When our eyes met, it was as if he were looking right into my soul. It sent goose bumps down my spine.
“I’m just saying, that lady must have really pissed that guy off for him to walk out of here the way he did, without even looking back at her,” Emy says.
“Yeah, but he sure did give you a captivating stare,” Shannon says, turning to face me.
“What are you talking about?” I ask.
The girls turn to face one another and smirk.
“Girl, please. Don’t even lie and say you didn’t notice because you totally stared back at him. And I can’t even blame you. He was gorgeous,” Emy states, then takes a sip from her cup.
Dammit, they noticed.
Shannon nods, looking at Emy. “He was really gorgeous.”
“And I think his anger added to his hotness… Like, can you imagine the damage he would do to a girl being that full of rage? Just lying underneath him? Oh my God… I would love to find out,” Emy says.
I roll my eyes. “You two are insane.”
Shannon pushes her hair out of her eyes. “Carissa, I’m sorry, but Em is right… He looks like he could literally destroy somebody, and I would love to be on the receiving end as well, just saying.” She holds up her hands defensively and says, “If I were single, of course.”
I roll my eyes again.
Emy places a hand underneath her chin. “I’m really curious as to why I’ve never seen any of them before. This isn’t that big of a town.”
“Maybe they don’t get out much,” Shannon states.
“Then macho man who just left would be perfect for Carissa.” Emy smiles at me, her dark hair glimmering in the low lighting above our heads.
Shaking my head, I bite off a piece of candy cane and look back at the table where the furious man was sitting. The two other people, a man and a woman, who were sitting with him are still there, but now they’re bickering about something I can’t make out. The man looks a lot like him. He could pass for his brother. The woman on the other hand looks nothing like either one. It’s what makes me think she’s his wife or girlfriend. But if so, something still doesn’t add up.
“Cariss, are you ever going to pick up your drink and down it?” Shannon asks.
“Yeah, put the candy cane down and drink, woman!” Emy says.
I shrug. I’m not a big drinker. I don’t like the feeling I get afterward. “Maybe.”
Both of them roll their eyes. Surprise, surprise.
“One day we’ll get her to throw them back… one day,” Emy says.
“Yeah and then I bet she’ll drink both of us under the table.” Shannon laughs and takes another sip.
Rolling my eyes yet again, I say, “You two are something else. Do you know that?”
“We do,” they say in unison. You’d think these two were best friends and I’m just the third wheel.
“Anyway, back to the match coming up in two weeks… You’re going to come, right?” Emy asks, fluttering her eyelashes at me.
“What?”
Emy pulls out the same flyer from earlier and places it down onto the table. “Two weeks. Straight fire. Look at these hotties.”
I stare at the ad in front of me but don’t really know what to say. Both of them want me to go, but I’m not sure I want to.
Shannon bites down on her bottom lip. “They are all freaking hot, but Guns is definitely the hottest one,” she says, pointing at the man in the center, the one she had nicknamed earlier today at my apartment.
Emy lets out a sigh. “He really is. What I would give to see him up close and personal.”
Shannon nods. “Me too.”
“Look at this one though. He’s just as hot… damn,” she says, pointing at another guy next to Guns.
Jesus, I can’t believe they’ve got me calling him that too.
Emy turns to face me. “So, what do you say? Are you down or what? It’ll be loads of fun.”
I scrunch up my nose. “I guess it wouldn’t hurt to tag along.”
“Yes! That’s my best friend! That’s my best friend!” Emy says in a singsong voice. “I’m going to get us tickets tonight when I get home.”
“Are you sure they’re not sold out?” Shannon asks.
Emy smirks. “Oh, they are. They’ve been sold out for a while now, but I’ve got connections.”
“You do?” My brows furrow.
Emy flashes me a wide, open grin. “I do.”
I can’t wait to hear all about how she has connections to an event that’s been sold out. “Do tell.”
“Yes, Em. Do tell,” Shannon repeats.
Emerson takes a sip from her glass, bats her eyes, and says, “I happen to personally know one of the guys fighting in the event.”
My eyes go wide. “You do?”
Shannon grabs Emy’s sleeve. “And you didn’t tell us before? Oh, is it Guns? Is it Guns? Tell me it’s Guns!”
Emy and I laugh.
Emy points at the man standing next to Guns. Jesus. I did it again. I shake my head.
“See this piece of eye candy right here, standing to the right of Guns? This is Ryker Manzoni, and I met him the other night. He was handing out these flyers at the mall. We struck up a conversation, and well, let’s just say we hit it off nicely. If we want it, we’re in.”
“Ryker Manzoni? Jesus Christ. Even his name sounds hot,” Shannon says.
“Doesn’t it?” Emy taps on the one named Ryker three times. “Yum, yum, yum. I can’t wait to see what he does inside the ring.”
I have a feeling this is going to be a very interesting event.
The two of them carry on
in a full-blown conversation about the men who will be fighting in the matches, but all I can do is wonder about the man who had stormed out of here. Where the hell had I seen him before?
Chapter Six
Lorenzo
For the past week, all I’ve been seeing every night as I lie in bed and close my eyes are those same red luscious lips.
Luscious Lips. Fuck, she was something like I’ve never seen before. Her long dark curls, cascading down her back… her big brown eyes, and her amazing curves…
Wow. She was something else.
And yeah, I’m still referring to her as Luscious Lips. I seriously can’t get those plump, crimson, heart-shaped puckers and the way they wrapped around that candy cane out of my mind. Fuck, it’s been too long since I’ve gotten laid.
I need to snap out of my thoughts. This isn’t the time or the place. I’m supposed to be focusing on my daughter, but I know she’s in good hands.
I shake my head and lean back farther into the plastic chair connected to the table. I watch as Gianna laughs and plays with Marianna at the Skee-Ball machine.
It’s crazy how much a tiny person can resemble the love of your life. The way her head whips back as laughter escapes her throat, with a twinkle in her eyes, reminds me so much of Sylvia, it hurts. She’s got her same sparkling blue eyes.
Tears well in my eyes, and I casually bring up a hand to wipe them away.
“You all right, man?” Max asks, then stuffs a mouthful of cheesy pizza down his throat. It’s been a week since our little altercation. I knew it wouldn’t last long. We’re family and very close-knit. Plus, we’ve had the same argument time and time again. I always end up coming to my senses and forgiving him. I know it’s not his fault. I know he—as well as the rest of my family—want to see me happy and settled down again someday. I know they’re tired of seeing me hurt. I can’t blame them for caring. It’s what they’re supposed to do. I love them for it. Sometimes I just start missing Sylvia so much, all I want to do is fight anyone who says I should move on. Fuck moving on. I’ll always love my wife. It was the promise I made her on the day we got married.
