Free One Night Stand (The Complete Story) by Katie Silver Page B

quickly. First I grabbed my favorite pale pink dress, but I quickly put it back and opted for comfortable jeans and a white tank top instead. I still felt some urge to make myself look sexy for Lorenzo, but I resisted. Why should I dress up for a guy who obviously didn’t care about me?
     
    Finding his gallery was easy. A quick internet searched showed me that it was only a few blocks from his apartment, in the swanky part of town. I decided to walk, both to save money and to clear my head. The weather was perfect, with only a slight breeze. I found myself almost cheerful by the time I arrived outside the gallery. The outside looked simple, and understated. It was elegant, to be sure, but I had expected something more extravagant and over-the-top considering everything I knew about Lorenzo. What do I really even know about him? I wondered. I really had only known him for two days, a few weeks ago. And now I’m pregnant with his baby.
     
    I sighed and pulled myself up straight. There was no point in postponing the inevitable. I pulled the heavy metal door handle and walked inside. Clean, pale grey walls were accented only with natural wood detailing and artfully arranged paintings. I glanced around at the sparse crowd until I saw him.
     
    Damn. He looked hot as ever, in his perfectly tailored suit with his dark hair hanging just so perfectly over his eyes. I felt that familiar tug in my core. Try as I might, I couldn’t stop the dirty thoughts from tumbling into my head. What would it be like if he fucked me right here, against these gallery walls?
     
    I took a step towards him and then froze. He was talking to someone and she leaned over and placed her hand on his arm. He smiled at her, then said something that made her laugh. He was flirting with someone else. Why did I even expect anything different? I fumed at myself, and at him. It had been stupid for me to come here expecting anything.
     
    I turned on my heel and walked right back towards the door.
     
    “Emma? Is that you? Emma, wait!” I heard his voice behind me, but I didn’t stop. I pulled open the heavy door and walked back out into the sunlight. The natural light now felt harsh and I shielded my eyes.
     
    A hand landed on my shoulder. I spun around. Lorenzo.
     
    “Emma, what are you doing here? Why haven’t you returned my calls? Is everything alright?” Lorenzo looked at me with such concern, I could have sworn he was being genuine. He was a good actor.
    “I shouldn’t have come here. You’re obviously busy.”
     
    “I’m not busy. Emma, please talk to me.”
     
    I looked down. Looking into his handsome face was too difficult. “I saw you with that woman in there…”
     
    “She is just a wealthy woman who is interested in buying a painting. Emma, she is married. I promise you, it was nothing. Can I please take you to lunch so we can talk? Just lunch, I promise. There is a little café right around the corner.”
     
    “Alright,” I agreed reluctantly. It was impossible for me to say no to him. And would lunch be so bad? I had to tell him about the pregnancy at some point.
     
    Once we settled into a small corner table at the café, I finally looked up and into Lorenzo’s eyes. They were as intense as ever, burning with passion. But was that passion really for me?
     
    “Why did you disappear for three weeks?” Lorenzo finally asked after the waitress took our orders.
     
    “For the same reason I left your gallery. I don’t enjoy being just one of your many conquests.”
     
    His eyebrows shot up. “Is that what you think? I tried to show you that you are special to me.”
     
    “I don’t just want to be special among your many girls.”
     
    He reached out to touch my hand gently. “Emma, I’m not seeing anyone else. I haven’t even thought about anyone else since I met you.”
     
    “I saw pictures, Lorenzo.  I saw pictures of you with lots of different women you were taking back to your apartment.”
     
    He looked taken