Pizza

Isn't this position better?

Rachel's POV

Dinner was tense after I had dropped the bomb about owning R&D, the only people I conversed freely with was Lorenzo and Cameron. Laurel was silent throughout the period of the meal and I found her gaping at me oddly now and then.

Annabelle had totally avoided eye contact and spent most of dinner stabbing at her steak and muttering profanities. I didn't need to be psychic to know she was wishing the lump of meat was me.

Lorenzo and I left after an hour with me barely eating my portion hence I felt uncomfortable under Laurel's stare plus the way I was trying my hardest not to grab the fork from Annabelle and stab her with it instead.

The iron gates opened of its own accord and Lorenzo drove along a concrete pathway. He said he was taking me to his house, however I couldn't sight any building in sight as we drove inward.

He parked in front of a wall lined with green leaves which was no different from the others and I couldn't help but squint my eyes in confusion. I unlocked my door and alighted from the vehicle, my stare coming face to face with trees and flowers. "Where are we?"

"My house," he smiled and grabbed my hand. "Let's go."

"How am I sure you didn't bring me here to kill me?" I asked as he pulled me toward an opening between the leaves and flowers.

"I'm no psychopath Rach," he cracked up and eyed me oddly.

"That's exactly what a psychopath would say," I mused in a low tone.

"I promise I'm not gonna kill you," he assured as we stomped on dry leaves and grass. We made it through the path and my feet came to a halt at the beauty that was before me. "Welcome to my house."

"Somebody pinch me," I murmured breathlessly. A one-storey cute looking house was facing me. It had tall vintage styled windows with green frames that completemented the brown paint of the walls, a single door stood at its entrance.

A white couch sat in front of the house, throw pillows scattered on it, its armrest a brown shade the same as its legs. 2 brown patio chairs were stationed on each side of it and opposite was a round glass breakfast table with about 5 chairs around it.

It seemed like something out of a painting and I felt a certain squeeze in my chest at the beauty of it. "This is beautiful Lorenzo," I turned to him, my eyes shining.

"It is, but I have something more beautiful," he murmured, his grey eyes pinned on me. I sensed a shift in the air as I then realized how close our faces were.

"I want to see the interior," I blurted and spun on my heel so he wouldn't see the tint to my cheeks. It was past 8 in the evening and the lights from the walls shone down on us.

"Okay," He let out, my hand still in his, he guided me to the entrance and we were met with a staircase in the middle, a kitchen to the right and living room to the left. "I informed the housekeeper to make us something the moment we landed. Go get freshened up while I check what she prepared."

He planted a kiss on my temple and released his hold on my hand. "I told them to drop our bags upstairs." He nodded at the stairs. "So they should be there."

Smiling in retort hence I couldn't form words from his simple action, I ascended the many steps and soon was in a hallway. I spotted my luggage and concluded the other bag as belonging to Lorenzo and gawked at the 2 mahogany doors facing me.

"Innie Minnie Mainie Mo," I said in a sing song voice, my index finger halting at the one on the right. Shrugging, I picked up my bag and shoved the door open.

A King sized bed sat in the center of the room, the blue bedspread appearing fresh and neat. My eyes scanned from the brown clothed pillows to the lampstand, cupboard, mirror, vanity table, wooden chair and clock on the grey painted wall, no speck of dust in sight.

Plopping the luggage on the bed, I moved to a sitting position and got rid of my heels after which I got undressed and made way to a door opposite the bed that I was confident should be the bathroom.

Thankfully it was and not some secret passage. I tested and saw the water running before I changed the temperature to warm. Happy to sight a clean towel, and some bodywash I got rid of the days stress and sweat from my skin.

Retreating from the bathroom, I dried my body and changed into a pair of loose orange shorts that halted midthigh and a black thin-strapped blouse that stopped at my middriff.

Losing my hair from its French braid that I had clipped upward to show my neck, I let it fall on my shoulders and gave it a brush. Accessing myself in the mirror I nodded at my reflection and slid my feet into the black flip-flops I found beside the bed and exited the room.

^^^^^

"Come." he waved me over the instant I descended the stairs. I spotted him lounging on one of the couches in grey sweatpants and a black vest, his mouth moving and a half eaten pizza slice in his hold.

"I see you've started without me," I lifted a brow and strolled to the seat on his left, my butt meeting the soft cushion.

"Not my fault the scent captivated my nostrils." He shrugged and slid the opened box on the table. "I just got it out of the microwave."

"I thought she left some fancy dish, turns out it's only pizza," I murmured and picked up a slice and inhaled to note he was right about the aroma. "Though I'm not complaining, because if this tastes as good as it smells--"

"I informed her on short notice," he explained, and reached for a second cut. "Plus there were no groceries."

"This is heavenly," I moaned as the cheese, flour and everything excited my taste buds, however that action turned to choking as his piercing grey eyes concentrated on my face, lust swirling in them.

"Umm how about a movie?" I managed to blurt in an attempt to change the topic and divert his stare away from my facial features that were becoming flush.

A cocky smirk lined on his lips as he watched my reaction and silly attempt, a twinkling in the grey orbs. The air seemed to be charged with something as his gaze heated up my skin by each passing second.

When I thought he wouldn't give in, a smile appeared on his lips and he turned away from me to the flat screen TV, however I didn't miss the message in his eyes that showed how hard it took to compose himself.

"Which movie?" He asked and turned on the device. It took me seconds for his words to register before I could respond.

"How about one of yours?" I suggested, a grin spreading on my lips. " Love Always?"

"Aaah, women and cheesy movies," he groaned in response while I beamed at him and sat comfortably after I reached out for more of the pizza.

"Men love cheesy movies too," I countered as I observed him shuffle on Netflix and finally stopping on the one I requested. "If not, why would someone like you act a cheesy movie?"

"What do you mean by someone like me?" He angled his head to peer at me just as the movie began playing.

"Shhh, it's starting," I shushed him, grateful for the opportunity hence I had no idea what to reply to that.

His response was to send me a blank expression and leaned back in his seat only to turn seconds later to send me that same blank look which I replied once again with my index finger on my lips.

We were silent for the 2 hours the movie was playing. Halfway through the clip he had disappeared for some minutes to where I presumed was the kitchen hence he returned with another steaming full pizza on a wooden tray.

The rest of the movie went uninterrupted with my gaze fixated on the characters and the story they were trying to act out, my interest mainly on Lorenzo's cast.

Despite the fact my whole attention was on the movie, it didn't stop me from noticing the man beside me offer me a heated glimpse now and then. Most especially whenever there was a kiss scene between the main characters.

It was getting difficult to continue to pretend not to notice when the ending credits rolled up after a steamy kiss that had my cheeks flushing. There was a shift in the air the instant the TV was turned off and I tried my best not to stare at his face for fear of my reaction.

The seconds dragged on and in a bid to do something I cleared my throat and reached for the box only for my hand to meet his. As if burned, I quickly retreated and placed it in between my laps.

His eyebrow raised in inquiry at my action, his lips curling in an enigmatic smile, lids hooded as he munched on the last slice of pizza. In an attempt to to take his attention off me I asked, "how do you act so good? I mean this is my favorite movie of yours yet."

"I don't know," he shrugged nonchalantly, confidence oozing from his features as he continued. "I guess I was born with the talent."

"You don't have to be so cocky about it," I scoffed, not able to control an eyeroll. That same stare he was sending me returned for the thousandth time. It was starting to make me uncomfortable but in a good way.

Before I could say something about it, he beat me to it. "Come sit," he tapped on the space beside him on the couch as he picked up his laptop from the table which I sighted earlier.

"Why?" I implored my eyes narrowing at his position.

"Don't give me that look," he snorted and placed the MacBook on his lap, his irises trained on the device. "I'm waiting."

Not wanting to drag it out any longer, I gulped and stood from my spot, crossed his face and settled on the other end of the couch, putting as much distance as I could between us hence I couldn't trust my body in his presence.

"You won't see anything from there," he smirked, shoulders relaxed on the seat.

"What do you want to show me?" I asked in a frown as I pinched my nose.

"You wouldn't know if you don't lessen the space." His right palm moved, indicating the inches between us.

I spread my hands on my laps as I noticed they had gotten clammy. Making a sound in the back of my throat, I lifted my butt and fixed it closer to his form. I avoided eye contact with the sexy man on my left and strived to make an image of what was displayed on the screen.

"Is that the best you can do?" His deep voice inquired sending vibrations down my spine. I didn't need to peer at him to know he had an eyebrow raised questioningly in my path.

"I'm here now so show me what you wanted," I stated and ignored his question. It took almost a minute for me to realize I had messed up, which was too late, because the next thing I knew was a muscular arm circling around my waist, the hair on his skin tickling the smooth one of my waistline.

My eyes widened at the contact and I let out a choked gasp as I was lifted from the couch and planted on his firm thighs. My whole body went rigid as I felt everything hard about him meshing with my butt cheeks, hips and back.

I couldn't breathe as every nerve in my body was taking time to react to the new found closeness. As if that was not enough to send me into cardiac arrest, he placed his face between my right shoulder and neck, inciting the slight stubble to graze my skin and send an uncontrollable shiver through my bones.

"Isn't this position better?" He implored, hot air fanning my neck and lips brushing my collarbone. My only response was to gulp and he chuckled, retrieving the MacBook from where he had dropped it to rest on my laps.

I shuffled a bit to make the device balanced but inhaled sharply when I sensed a hot hardness stir beneath me.

"Let me," he spoke, voice slightly strained as he stretched out his hands to adjust the appliance. At that moment, I was seconds away from hyperventilating as every bone in my body was pressed to his.

The instant he was happy with the position, he tapped some keys and clicked on a tab which revealed pictures of houses. I wasn't giving a chance to ask as he answered. "We need a house of our own when we get back to New York."