Fighting for Us
(Love is Worth Fighting For Series, #1)
Bella Emy
Publication date: November 1st 2020
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance
LORENZO
I had it all.A wonderful family with a loving wife who was my world and a beautiful baby girl.
I didn’t need anything more to be rich in my eyes.
Then one day, everything changed and my world was ripped apart.
My wife, my everything, was taken from me, and I was left alone to raise our baby girl.I was forced from late night sessions at the gym to changing diapers all by myself.
Thank God for the help I received from my parents and siblings or I would have been lost.
I accepted my fate of being alone with my baby girl and living life with just us two…
Until the day I met her, and she became everything worth fighting for.
CARISSA
Life was so perfect.A loving fiancé, wonderful friends and family, and a job I adored.
Until one day, my world was turned upside down and the man I loved threw the promise of forever down the drain and walked out of my life.
The day he walked out of my door, I knew that everything I had ever grown up to believe in was a lie.
Love is unconditional but love sure as hell doesn’t last forever.
The vow to love me for the rest of our lives ended quickly as he pulled away from me, and buried himself in the arms of his ex.
I was left alone, cursing the male species and everyone who had found their happily ever after.
My sister and my best friend were the only ones there for me…
Until the day I met him, and he became everything worth fighting for.
**This book is part of Kisses Under The Mistletoe, a collection of 10 stand alone holiday stories from 10 authors!
EXCERPT:
I push my cart into aisle five: baking supplies. Shannon’s birthday is tomorrow, and I’m planning on making her a birthday cake. Red velvet cheesecake.
Cheesecake. Cream cheese. I’d better go grab some before I forget. I need to head to the dairy section of the grocery store. I always leave that aisle for last because every time I’m there, I freeze. It totally doesn’t help that I’m wearing a miniskirt right now. Like what had possessed me?
Emy is supposed to be coming over for dinner, and afterward, we’re planning to head out. Shannon can’t make up her mind on whether she wants to go to the movies or go dancing. I’m hoping she picks the movies because I really don’t want to go dancing, but it is her birthday, and I will sacrifice what I need to make her happy.
I push my cart into the dairy section and scan the items. Yogurt… butter… mozzarella… cream cheese. Bingo.
Reaching to grab it, my hand brushes against another as it tries to grab the same thing.
I snap my head to the left and… holy shit. What are the odds? Out of all the freaking places to be on a typical weekday afternoon… How?
Lorenzo “Guns” Trevano is here, shopping at the same freaking grocery store as me. I’m surprised he doesn’t have people to shop for him.
“Oh, I’m sorry,” I say, pulling back. My heart speeds and my hands tremble. I can’t believe he’s standing so close to me.
A warm smile forms on his face. “No, no. It’s my fault. Please, go ahead.”
I smile back, unable to withhold it. Slowly, I reach forward and grab two containers of cheese, still staring at him.
His smiling face turns into a puzzled expression. “That’s a lot of cream cheese,” he says. “Planning brunch for a big crowd?” Now he’s smiling again.
Suddenly realizing that I was grabbing more cheese off the shelf, I quickly stop. Somehow, two containers of cream cheese became four, four became five, and finally six. In no time, I had managed to clear the store of their entire stock of cream cheese by putting them all in my basket.
I feel my cheeks turning bright red. Way to embarrass yourself, Carissa.
“Oh, fu—” I catch myself before letting out the obscenity. “I’m sorry…” I begin placing the containers of cream cheese back.
He chuckles and holds out his hands to show he’s not offended. “May I?” he finally asks, pointing at the containers still in my hands, asking if he can have one.
“Oh, yes, of course!” I pass one to him. “You want more?”
He chuckles again. “No, no. One is quite enough, thanks.” He places it into his cart.
Of course it is, Carissa, you moron.
Who goes out to clear the supermarket of their entire stock of cream cheese? Only me. I place all but two of the containers back onto the shelf.
“I’ve seen you around before… I’m Lorenzo,” he says in a cool, sultry voice, extending his hand.
I reach and grab it. Holy fuck, what a grip. His hand is like twice the size of mine… maybe more. I don’t know, but my tiny one gets swallowed by his much larger one.
I nod. “Yes, I saw you at the match the other night. I’m Carissa. Nice to meet you.”
Now he nods and then our hands let go.
But our eyes don’t. We don’t let go of one another’s gaze, and I’m beginning to feel uncomfortable… self-conscious.
Shit, is my hair in place? Is this shirt too tight? Ugh… I hate questioning myself right now and feeling this way.
His eyes are completely eating me whole, and it seems like he’s staring at… my lips? Fuck, is my lipstick smeared? I want to pull out my pocket mirror from my purse, but it would be too obvious.
Okay, I need to take a deep breath and relax. I need to cool off. I need to remind myself he’s just another guy.
Another guy who is most likely another asshole.
Shit, a guy like him probably has women hanging all over him on a daily basis. He’s sure to be a complete heartbreaking asshole. They’re all the same, and I’m sure he’s as cocky, arrogant, and dick-headed as they all are.
I’ve had more than my share of it all, and I’m not looking for another way to get my heart broken.
I need to keep my cool and remind myself that all guys are no good. All guys are pricks only looking for one thing.
He breaks my train of thought with his next words. “Well, I don’t mean to hold you up. I’m sure you have places to be.” He pauses for a second, staring at my mouth again for a bit too long. “It was nice officially meeting you, Carissa.”
Damn, the way he said my name…
Nodding, I respond, “Likewise.”
Our eyes continue to take one another in, but something deep inside me is causing heat to form deep in my core.
Fuck, he’s hot. His smoldering look, burning into me… his sexy grin… He’s igniting a fire within me I’m not sure I can control.
Dammit, Carissa. Get your shit together. Focus…
Remember, he’s no good for you. He’s an asshole, only looking for one thing.
Okay, sure, all guys are pricks, assholes, and shitheads only looking for one thing, but something about the way he bores his gaze into me is making it really hard for me to follow the rules I set aside for myself.
Bella Emy is a USA Today Bestselling Author.
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She loves all books, but her favorite genre to read, as well as write, is romance. Bella loves creating heartbreaking stories that will deeply touch her readers, but in the end, a good HEA is usually the turnout.
Whenever Bella is not typing away on her computer with a nice hot cup of coffee, she loves spending time with her family and friends. Her favorite places to go are the movies, the beach, or just on a good plain old road trip. Some of her must haves are coffee, chocolate, pizza, music, & movies.
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