Love Redesigned (Lakefront Billionaires #1) by Lauren Asher

Her left brow curves into a perfect arch. “Don’t tell anyone what?”

“What you saw.” He kisses the top of her head before yanking the door open.

Josefina walks outside. “And what exactly did I see?” She bats her lashes at her son.

“Too damn much.”

“Don’t—”

“Te quiero. Cuídate.” He swings the door shut, closing us off yet again from the outside world.

Just how I like it.



Julian tried his hardest to have me stay over, and I nearly caved to his request, but then I remembered our agreement. If I want to protect myself from getting hurt by him again, I should steer clear of cuddling, late-night pillow talk, and sleepovers.

When I wake up the next morning, I find my mom waiting for me in the kitchen.

Te quiero. Cuídate: Take Care.



“Mami?” I rub the sleep from my eyes. “Shouldn’t you be at work?”

“I wanted to be here when you woke up.”

Ah, shit. I knew this conversation was coming once Josefina found me at Julian’s house last night, but I didn’t expect it to happen so soon.

I place a coffee pod in my mom’s Nespresso machine before turning around. “I’m sorry you had to find out about everything the way you did.”

“You think I’m upset?”

“Yes?”

“No, mija. I’m worried.”

Unlike my mom’s usual bouts of anxiety, this feels different.

“You came back…so sad. I don’t want to see you like that again.”

I drop a teaspoon of sugar in my cup. “I’m doing better.”

“I know, which is why I worry.”

“This is different.”

“How so?”

“Um…” Yeah, it’s a hard pass on talking about my sex life.

“It’s not too serious yet,” I say.

She makes a noise in the back of her throat.

“We’re seeing how things go,” I add.

She nods. “You’re old enough to make your own decisions.”

I’m stunned into silence. I expected my mom to be rattling off about sex before marriage and rushing to have a church wedding to save my soul, not this.

“That’s it?” I ask.

She rises from her stool and drops a kiss on the top of my head. “That’s it.”

“You’re not going to warn me about getting hurt or being stupid or something?”

“Julian won’t hurt you.”

I rear back. “How do you know?”

“The answer is obvious every time I catch him staring at you.”

My heart misses a beat. “What do you mean?”

“That man would rather hurt himself before putting you in true harm’s way.”

I lock my knees together to stop myself from toppling over. “Mami.”

“It’s been that way since you were kids.”

“Do you…” My voice trails off.

“Do I what?”

Think he could be the one?

Are you serious, Dahlia? You got out of a serious relationship less than five months ago.

I shake my head. “Nothing.”



Lily replays the video of me screaming for the fifth time this afternoon. She has spent our entire lunch together showing everyone who will spare a minute of their day.

At this rate, by five p.m., everyone in town will have seen me losing my shit over a ghost that doesn’t exist and a Halloween lawn decoration Rafa found in Josefina’s garage.

I rise from my seat to the sounds of the waitress and Lily laughing together.

“Hey! Wait up!” Lily calls after me.

“No.” I walk out of the diner.

Lily chases after me. “Stop!” My sister huffs and puffs as she grabs my arm and yanks me away from my car. “What was that about?”

I throw my hands in the air. “I’m sick of seeing that video.”

“Come on. You have to admit it’s kind of funny.”

“It’s embarrassing.”

“I beg to differ. It’s so cute how you cry out for Julian.” She repeats the part where I almost break into tears.

I bite down on my tongue until I taste blood. “I’m going to kill Rafa for sharing that video in the group chat.”

“It would have been a hate crime to keep this gem hidden from us.” Lily shows me the screenshot she saved as her phone’s lock screen.

“I won’t sleep well until I get my revenge.”

She rubs her hands together. “What are we thinking?”

“We?”

“You’re not seriously thinking of doing something fun without me.”

“The fewer the witnesses, the better.”

She winks. “Just how I like it.”

“You want to help?”

“Of course. You and I are partners in crime.”

“Speaking of crime, your friend’s brother is a deputy, right?”

Her smile alone could land her on the FBI’s Most Wanted list. “Yes.”

“Do you think he is the type to willingly arrest someone who isn’t actually guilty of a crime?”

“I’m sure he can be enticed into the idea with a gift card to the town’s bookstore or something like that. Why? What’s the plan?”