“For now,” he said a little too smugly then pointed at her fries. “Are you done with those?”
Lila handed them to him, ignoring his for now comment. “Yes, I’m stuffed. You want them?”
“No, but the ducks will.” He opened his door. “Let’s go for a walk.”
Chapter 5
Sonny
Technically, he still hadn’t lied, not about his name or what he did for a living. He was just being vague—cautious. And he had a good reason. So far, it appeared she genuinely had no idea who he was. Tonight had been a hell of a night for Lila, and he was just trying to keep it from getting too overwhelming.
He’d come clean soon enough, just not yet. He’d almost decided not to suggest they go for a walk, but it was dark enough now that he wouldn’t be recognized. Most of the people in the park now were young couples too into each other to notice anyone else strolling the park anyway.
It was just hard to believe he was here again after all these years with a girl he’d just met. Except given everything that’d happened tonight, he felt more connected to her faster than he’d ever felt to any girl he’d met in years. This was not a night he’d be forgetting any time soon.
He already knew Lila was not someone he’d be forgetting anytime soon, if ever, not just because of how blown away he’d been by everything about her so far, but because he really couldn’t help but feel responsible for Barbie going at her the way she had. Maybe he’d done a little more with Barbie than he’d admitted—or rather Barbie had done more to him—that had her feeling a little more entitled than she should. But there just wasn’t a good way to put that out there, not without the conversation getting a little awkward. And he valued his nut sack too much to chance offending Lila.
Besides, he didn’t see the point. It wasn’t like he anticipated seeing Barbie again, especially after tonight. His cousin texted him that Barbie and her friend were demanding his phone number so they could track his girlfriend down and have her arrested.
Barbie knew as much as he’d told his cousin. Lila went out the back and was so upset she’d immediately left with her friend. She’d wanted nothing to do with him, blaming him for having been attacked, so he didn’t even get her number. Lila—he hadn’t even given his cousin her name—was gone. Those stupid bitches would just have to deal with the consequences of messing with the wrong girl.
Already he knew he’d be dealing with phone calls from the police, but he wasn’t worried about it. His lawyers could deal with them. Truth was he stopped a brawl at a bar between two girls he barely knew and had nothing to do with Barbie or her friend’s injuries. There were dozens of witnesses who could attest to that. Those girls had nothing on him and his mysterious Cinderella that almost got away, which reminded him of something.
He handed the fries to Lila as they got closer to the lake with the ducks. She took them after sticking a piece of gum in her mouth and offering him one. He took it, unwrapping it quickly and sticking it in his mouth, but pulled his phone out just as quick. “Before I forget, because I’ll be kicking myself if I do . . .”
After he rattled off the number he had for her, she let him know which digit was missing. Lila threw a few fries out to the ducks, which promptly crowded around them, then turned to him. “So where do you live now?”
“Not too far.” He glanced back down at his phone where he was still fixing her contact info. “About twenty-five minutes from here.”
Done with her contact info, he glanced up at her. She was staring at him a little weirdly. Okay maybe that was too vague. “In Los Feliz,” he clarified.
Lila nodded, tossing more fries out at the ducks. “I’ve heard of it, but never been.”
“How’s your hand doing?” He brought the attention to her still red knuckles, to change the subject.
Lila held her hand up to examine it then opened and closed her fist. “It’ll be sore for a few days, but I’ll be fine.”
“How’d you learn how to land those kinds of punches?”
Like earlier, when he’d called her a tough girl, she almost frowned. Note taken. She wasn’t proud of being street tough with a wicked right hook. He’d already made a note earlier not to get on her bad side, especially after he’d picked her up and felt her hard body. Honest to God he couldn’t think of anything sexier than a girl who clearly worked hard on her body and knew how to stand up for herself. And holy shit, did she ever.
“With my childhood, it was sort of a requirement. But I’d rather not talk about that right now either. I’m still pissed I broke my streak of being able to keep my cool.”
“Fair enough.”
They started a slow stroll along the side of the lake, and he decided to get back to a subject he was even more curious about anyway. “So how old is your sister?”
“Eighteen.” Like earlier, when she spoke of her sister, her face instantly brightened. “She’s a journalism major. Investigative journalist specifically. But it’ll be a while before she gets her degree because she has to go through community college first and then transfer. She did get a few grants, but they weren’t enough.”
Sonny couldn’t remember the last time he smiled this much. Lila was something else. In the short time he’d known her, he’d already seen such extremes in her personality. She came across as sweet when she smiled the way she did speaking of her sister and when she’d laughed so wholeheartedly. But he’d seen the other side now too, the side that had already begun to turn on him more than once tonight. He liked knowing Lila wouldn’t be the kind of girl where he’d have to dig deep to find out what was bothering her. Nope. If anything, she’d be letting him know loud and clear if he ever did or said anything to piss her off.
But he was curious about one more thing, and since he was still catching Lila’s smirk every time she glanced down at the ketchup stain, he decided to take his chances and ask. Since it did happen to be about Ali, a topic that always brightened her eyes, he figured his chances were good she might not snap.
“So, Ali is still very much in touch with your ex’s sister, right? Does that mean you still stay in touch with his family?”
“No, it doesn’t,” she said immediately as they reached the bridge that went across the lake. “I mean I still talk to Jenny when she comes over. She never did me wrong and she’s a sweetheart, but I don’t stay in touch with his mom or anything like that. I never go into Jenny’s apartment either.”
They reached the top of the bridge and stopped to look over at the water. He decided to let it go because he wouldn’t be a hypocrite. He was still very much in contact with the family of the only girl he’d ever considered himself to be serious about.
But there was one last thing he had to ask and, technically, it wasn’t about her ex. “So, you said it’s been almost two years that you’ve been hesitant about relationships. Has it been that long since you’ve allowed anyone in for something less?”
The change in the serene expression she’d worn since she’d mentioned her sister was instantly replaced with a fiery one. Sonny held his hand up just as quickly. “Back up. That’s not what I meant.”
“Is that why you’re driving me around?”
“No!” he said adamantly because she was already backing away. “I’m just wondering if I’ll get a knee to the groin if I try to kiss you tonight.” Lila stared at him for a moment, searching his eyes, but said nothing. “I swear to you I normally wouldn’t ask a girl if I could kiss her. I’d just sort of ease into it, but I’m not looking to get decked here.” Finally, she smirked and he could breathe a little easier. “Is even kissing something you haven’t allowed in that long too? Because I’m not stupid, Lila. I wouldn’t dream of pushing for anything more this soon. I just thought the bridge of Hollenbeck Park, a place I hold so near and dear to my heart, would be the perfect place for us to have our first kiss.”
Lila leaned against the bridge again, still smirking, and gazed out into the water. “It has been that long since I’ve allowed even that much.” She w
as quiet for a moment, but he dared not say anything until she answered the entire question. “But I guess you’re right,” she said, turning to him with a sweet smile. “This would be a perfect place for a first kiss.”
Thank you, Jesus. He’d been waiting all night.
“But,” she said, lifting a hand up and a sweet, yet dangerous-looking eyebrow. “If I let you kiss me, doesn’t mean I’m ready for anything more, even a relationship. I always said if I ever did allow for one I’d make it absolutely clear I’d need to take things very slow. So, I don’t want you calling me a tease—”
“Are you kidding me?” Sonny said with a laugh. “You think I’m an idiot? I won’t be calling you anything but beautiful. Not just because it’s the truth, but like I said earlier, I’m not looking for a knee to the groin. I heard you loud and clear, Lila. If slow is what you want and need, then slow is what you’ll get. Already, I can tell it’ll be totally worth the wait.”
Without waiting for her to change her mind, he took a step forward, cradled her beautiful face in his hands, and kissed her lips softly. Mindful of her body language that at the moment didn’t seem to be protesting, he kissed her again. He pulled away to look in her eyes. They seemed strangely startled, but she didn’t pull away. So, he went in a little deeper the second time.
Zero resistance.
Even as he pressed his body against hers gently, she didn’t push or pull away. She kissed him back just as eagerly as he did now. Not since he’d been a teen had he felt this much excitement over kissing a girl. Tracing her lips with his tongue, he finally pulled away and gazed into her eyes, breathing deeply as his heart pounded in his chest.
“Wow,” she said as if reading his mind.
“Wow is right.” He smiled. “I don’t know about you, but I heard music.”
Lila laughed, glancing in the direction of the couple over by a picnic table with a radio playing. “I’m hearing it too.”
She let him kiss her again and again and again . . . and Sonny couldn’t even remember the last time he felt all this over just kissing. They held hands all the way back to the car. They were supposed to drive around town, taking in all the scenic areas of Los Angeles. While they did at first, with Lila letting him know this was her first ever ride in a limo, they spent the next several hours, making out like teenagers, giggling and chatting about light stuff. He’d get around to asking her about heavier subjects like her childhood because he was very curious now about everything about her. But he’d respect her not wanting to talk about that stuff this soon.
By the time he dropped her off, something had changed. Instead of eyeing him suspiciously and even annoyingly at times as she had in the beginning of the evening, she gazed at him in a way he hoped meant she was feeling for him what he’d so quickly begun to feel for her. He wished he could cancel all his plans for the next several weeks so he could stay here and get to know her better in person.
Unfortunately, he couldn’t. He had too many things he needed to do before finally settling in, in Los Angeles. But at least he knew once he did he’d be there for a while. But he would make something abundantly clear before he was gone.
“I hope you know this isn’t a onetime deal for me.” He leaned his forehead against hers and that brightened those beautiful eyes of hers. “I just have to be out of town for the next several weeks or so. But you’ll definitely be hearing from me. When’s the best time for me to call?”
“Evenings are best, but I can text or email anytime of the day.”
That made him smile. She didn’t want to wait all day to hear from him either. “Good to know.” He took out his phone and keyed in her email address. “Check your phone often. You’ll be hearing from me every chance I get.”
He kissed her good and long, trying not to imagine what he’d imagined the whole night: if the rest of her firm body tasted as good as her mouth did.
Chapter 6
Lila
Not since the first night she’d slept with Marcelo had Lila been so incapable of sleeping. But with him, she’d been worried. They’d been reckless. Marcelo had assured her if he pulled out they’d be okay, even though Lila knew how irresponsibly stupid that was. They’d also been in the backseat of a car like she’d been last night when she made out with Sonny. Only it was hardly an elegant and spacious limo. They’d parked deep into Griffith Park in his mom’s tiny Nissan Versa. Lila wasn’t even sure how they managed to fit in the backseat, but fit they did. They were supposed to have just made out like all the other times they’d gone up there, except things got carried away.
Unlike Sonny, who she could feel almost come undone last night but respectfully refrained from pushing for more, Marcelo had begged just like he had all the previous times. Her dumb ass had finally given in, and for the entire night and all the others until she’d gotten her period that month, she hadn’t gotten a single good night’s sleep. Now she’d been tossing and turning since four in the morning when she woke and remembered what she’d done last night.
This time there was no chance she could be pregnant, but for some reason, she felt even more worried that she’d made a terrible mistake. Not that she couldn’t just take it back. No one was forcing her to continue anything with him. At this point, she wasn’t even sure when to expect to hear back from Sonny—when to start worrying if she didn’t. But that’s what worried her most. Lila had enough going on in her life, enough to worry about: getting Ali through college and deciding if she was really going to go through with getting back in the ring. The last thing she needed to be worrying about was her heart being crushed again.
Everything she’d disregarded last night, as the thought of Sonny kissing her eclipsed her better judgment, was now screaming at her. She still knew so little about him. For all she knew, he could be married or have a girlfriend. Unlike him, she stupidly never even thought to ask him. Worst of all, he was actually into girls like Barbie, at least enough to hang out with her. Lila slapped her forehead with a groan.
God, she was an idiot. The man had hung out with the last girl he met at that club, whatever the fuck that meant. But judging from Barbie’s whorish qualities, Lila could only imagine how much more he’d done with her. Then he admitted to not having seen or talked to her since. Lila had very likely been his flavor of the night this time.
Frustrated, Lila sat up, pulling her legs off the side of the bed. Why couldn’t she just be normal? It wasn’t like she’d slept with the guy. Even that would’ve been normal in this day and age. The guy was hotter than shit and his kisses . . . She closed her eyes, smiling just from the memory. Lila may not have been kissed since Marcelo, but she’d been kissed before him and by Marcelo many times. Nothing in her experience had come close to Sonny’s kisses. Just imagining how good he was at other things had her entire body heating. Last night she’d been on fire.
She was only glad now that she hadn’t given into her body’s urges. She didn’t do one-nighters because the guy would have to be pretty fucking perfect for her to even consider it and that only meant one thing: feelings would inevitably be involved. That only led to heartache and hurt feelings, which led to anger. And the entire day yesterday was a staunch reminder of how far she was from a real grasp on dealing with her anger issues.
Pathetically far.
Shaking her head, she stood up, taking a deep breath. Lila didn’t even want to check her phone or emails. Already the bubbling in her stomach from the possibility of hearing from him again was out of control. That meant each time she checked her phone for texts or emails and didn’t have any she’d be even more pissed about giving into those kisses last night.
It was only eight and Ali was still sleeping soundly. The fact that she hadn’t coughed all night as she had the night before was a relief. It meant she was getting better. Still, Lila walked to the kitchen and checked the chicken she’d taken out of the freezer last night when she’d gotten home. Ali loved her chicken soup, which was one of the few things Lila was good at cooking.
Hea
ring her phone ring in the other room had her insides going crazy. Without sprinting the way she wanted, she rushed back to her room, not just because of who it might be, but because she didn’t want it to wake Ali.
To her disappointment, it was Stacia who hadn’t come home last night. “How’s Derek’s dad?” Lila whispered, hurrying out of her and Ali’s bedroom and closing the door behind her.
“Better, but they had a hell of a scare.”
Stacia explained about the emergency open heart surgery he’d had to have and how he was going to need more surgery. She said VIP night at the Ratz concert just wasn’t meant to be. Then she asked the magic question. “I felt so bad about leaving you last night. How’d you get home?”
“I met a guy,” Lila said, trying not to make too much of it.
“You did? Who?”
Once again, her friend sounded as surprised as Lila had expected her to. Not once in the past two years had she just met a guy, especially one she’d allow to take her home the same night she met him. “The guy in the backseat of that limo that almost hit me before we walked in. He came over to apologize when he saw me sitting alone and turned out to be a pretty nice guy.”
Lila chewed her lip and decided to keep the rest to herself, including having gone in the back room with him when she still didn’t even know his name. She’d already decided she’d keep the fight—if you could even call Barbie’s and her friend’s ass kicking that—to herself too. She didn’t need to relive it, and she certainly didn’t want any pity from her friend or Ali if she never heard back from Sonny.
“So, you got a ride home in a limo?”
“Yeah.” She smiled, setting up the coffee machine. “It was pretty cool actually.”
“So how was the show?”
Lila froze. A good liar she was not and she knew Stacia well already. If Lila said it was good, Stacia would follow up with questions about which songs they played.