Love’s Influence by Tori Alvarez

Chapter 7

Back in myroom I’m waiting on Lorenzo, flipping through channels and wondering how much longer he’s going to be. I understand why he didn’t commit to a time, but it still leaves a feeling of uneasiness wondering if he’ll show or how late he’ll be.

A knock on the door unlocks all the excited butterflies I thought had already vacated my body. Lorenzo, dressed for a night on the town, greets me as I open the door with a grin I can’t control.

“Beautiful.” Lorenzo steps up to me wrapping his arms around my waist meeting my lips with his. He pulls back from the soft and sensual kiss, placing his forehead on mine. “Are you ready?”

“Yes, although I’m not sure what I’m ready for.” I’ve been curious about what we would be doing since he asked me earlier.

“It’s a surprise.” He straightens up, smirking.

“Surprise?” My brows raise.

“Yup. I’m going to introduce you to the nightlife here. While it won’t be as busy since it’s a weekday, you will get the picture.”

“Okay.” I drag out the word unsure what nightlife a small town has.

“Get your purse. Let’s go.” He nods his head, eyes dancing with mischief.

A resort driverdrops us off on Main Street in front of an old wooden building where music is floating out.

“This is it!” His smile engulfs his whole face. “Can you be back a little before eleven?” he asks the driver. The driver nods his affirmation as we step out of the small shuttle.

As soon as he closes the door I ask, “I didn’t realize they offered shuttle service at night?”

“They don’t. At least, not yet. They aren’t busy enough to have the driver on standby. I’m paying for him tonight. I cleared it with Carson.” He cocks one brow up.

“Oh.”

“Come on. Let me give you the grand tour.” He grabs my hand, pulling me behind him down a long sidewalk on the side of the building.

There was a wooden door up front near the curb, so I wonder where we are going. We reach another wooden door that he opens, waiting for me to enter first. We are greeted by a hostess stand and an older lady dressed in cowgirl fringe.

“Hi, Lorenzo!” Her eyes gleam as soon as she sees him. “Are you here to eat?”

“Yes, but we’ll eat in the bar. This is Olivia, and it’s her first time here. I wanted to show her the steak house before we go up front.”

“Sure. Go on in.” She smiles brightly. “Hope you join us another time, Olivia.”

Lorenzo places his hand on the small of my back, guiding me into a large dining room that reminds me of a large log house. There are oversized, sturdy wooden tables with leather-covered chairs. Different animal heads are mounted on the walls. The size of this place is surprising for the size of the town. Even for a Tuesday night, there are a few tables enjoying a late dinner.

“Wow” is the only word that comes to mind.

“I know. Wild, right?”

“Have you eaten here?” I ask quietly.

“Of course. They have really good steaks and know how to cook them.”

“Do you mind if I snap a couple of pictures?” I hate doing this while we are on a date, but I want to be able to add this to the blog.

“Go right ahead. That’s why we came in this door.”

I pull my phone out, snapping a picture of the dining room as a whole and a couple of others to capture its ambiance. As soon as I place my phone back in my purse, he places his hand on my lower back, guiding me to a hallway. A door in the hallway leads to a small country-looking dance hall with performers on stage. The place isn’t full but, again, has a fair amount of people sitting at tables around the dancefloor and at the bar.

Lorenzo steps in front of me, nodding his head to the corner. I follow him as he leads the way. He slides into a horseshoe-shaped booth, and I scoot in until I can see the whole area without turning around.

“This place is… Wow.” I’m still in shock at what’s inside based on my judgement when I saw the building on the outside.

“Yeah. You have to be looking for this place to find it. What do you think?” He pulls his lips in holding his smile.

“I love it even though I haven’t tried anything yet. The energy, the people, the atmosphere all come together so fluidly.”

“I knew you would get this place.” His hand comes under the table, giving my thigh a small squeeze.

A small “Reserved” sign on the table catches my eye. “Wait. We need to get up; this table is reserved.” I begin to slide out.

He grips my leg holding me in place. “I know. It’s reserved for me. I called ahead for this table.”

“You planned this whole evening?” I lean in a little closer to him.

His gaze drops to my lips before coming back up. “I did.”

“Thank you.”

My heart races at this gesture. The elusive chef has planned a thoughtful evening just for me. Is this even real life?

I move towards him, wanting to taste him again, when I hear a throat clear and, “Welcome. What can I get y’all?”

Startled, I quickly pull away.

“Hi.” Lorenzo responds. “We’ll take an order of the sliders, chips and queso, and the poppers, please. I’ll have the local lager and…” Lorenzo looks to me, “what would you like to drink?”

“I’ll have the lager also.”

As soon as the waitress walks away, I ask, “Do they also brew here?”

“No. There’s a brewery in town that supplies this place.”

“Oh.” There is so much more to this small town than I could have ever imagined.

Our beers and silverware are dropped off, and we listen to the band play as I people-watch. This joint attracts a variety of people. The eclectic crowd varying in ages and dress is strange. I have never seen a place attract a crowd so diverse.

Lorenzo breaks the silence between us, asking, “Tell me what you did today?”

“I ventured around the property after I saw you. Walked the vines and hung around in the tasting room mainly. I was able to get some great pictures. It was nice. I enjoyed the quiet, just me and my camera.” I answer him honestly then take a sip of my beer.

“I’m glad you enjoyed yourself today. There is still so much to see around here though.”

“Really? I wish I had done more research before coming out here.” I bite the inside of my cheeks wondering how I can make the most of my time here without missing key parts.

“I could be your tour guide, if you’d like.” His caramel eyes say more than the words.

“You want to be my tour guide?” Everything in me wants to jump at the chance to spend a whole day with him, but I know he has a restaurant to run.

“I don’t want to be your tour guide, I need to be your tour guide.” His voice drops an octave as his middle finger grazes my hand.

I nod, whispering, “Okay.”

He leans in, whispering in my ear, “You are mine for the next two days.” His nose grazes the edge of my ear as his warm breath caresses my skin. That one sentence sets my center on fire. I squirm, feeling the moisture collect between my legs.

“Here ya go.” We are interrupted by the waitress setting plates down on the table.

My cheeks burn in embarrassment.

“Thank you. And can you get me another one?” He lifts his glass then looks to me.

“Me too, please.” I ask for another, hoping a cold one will calm me down.

Lorenzo grabs a napkin from the table and brings it down to my lap. His fingers graze up the middle of my thighs before he brings his hand back up. His pupils dilate as he licks his lips then says, “Let’s eat.”

I let out a breath I was holding not knowing how far he was going to go.

He turns to the table grabbing the spoon in the dip, stirring it.

“This queso is in its own league. Try it.” He dips a chip in and takes a bite.

I follow his lead, focusing on the food. I break a chip in half before dipping it. I bring it up to mouth and a small drop drips down before I get the whole chip in my mouth. I begin chewing quickly grabbing my napkin to clean my lip. His finger gently swipes my lip, removing the queso. He then brings his finger to his mouth licking the queso off. I swallow hard, not knowing if it’s safe for us to be in public anymore. He leans in, his lips meeting mine as his tongue swipes where his finger was, then kissing me gently and pulling away. He is a master at playing with me. He is able to get me hot and bothered in less than a minute.

“We are going to have to leave soon if you continue these little games.” I bring my hand down to his leg. I squeeze it gently then let it graze the same way he had just done to me.

His eyes darken with desire. I can see him struggling with what he wants to do.

“Fine. I’ll behave.” He smirks then adds, “At least for little while.”

“What is on the agenda for tomorrow?” I ask before I grab a slider and take a bite.

“A few things. I want to surprise you. But I will tell you to bring a swimsuit.” He tells me after swallowing.

“Swimsuit?”

“You’ll see.” One side of his lips pulls up.

“When have you had the time to explore? Opening a restaurant has to be so time-consuming.”

“I’ve been coming up here for years. I carry wines from several of these wineries in my restaurants.”

“Makes sense. I can’t believe it has taken me this long to visit. I knew about the Texas wine country but never put it on my radar to explore. I’m so glad I accepted the invitation,” I answer truthfully.

“I am too.”

“Do you miss the city?” While this small-town life is charming, I don’t know if I could actually live here.

“I do, but I committed to at least six months here. I need to ensure the kitchen is running and I’m comfortable with the chef that will take over. I’ve only been here about a month so far.”

“You aren’t moving here permanently?”

“No. I still have my two other restaurants in the city. I will have to come here every now and then to ensure the quality and service stays to my standards. You know, surprise visits.”

Knowing he will eventually be back in the city is exciting, but will he want to see me then?

We finish eating, and the table is cleared before the waitress brings us our last round. The band has taken a break, and a slow country song begins. I watch as people make their way to the dance floor.

Lorenzo slides out of the booth, extending his hand to me. “Come dance with me.”

I grab his hand, following him to the dance floor where he pulls me close, our bodies flush against each other. He leads me in a slow two-step. The teasing all night and having him so close has my body wanting so much more than a simple dance. My nipples are sensitive as my breasts brush against him gently. His hand drawing slow circles on my back, coming a bit lower each time, has me clenching. I don’t want to wait any longer.

“I need you now.” I look up at him.

His lips brush past mine gently before he whispers in my ear, “So you’re ready to go?” He looks down at me, winking with a sexy smirk.

“Yes.”

His hand leaves my back, and he pulls his phone out of his pocket. I watch as he texts and slides it back in. “I think I have a couple of more dances before Charlie arrives,” he whispers in my ear, his breath sending electric chills of anticipation down my back. If we weren’t already close enough, his hand against my back presses firmly, holding me tight. I lay my head on his chest, feeling his heart thump strongly.

Entering the resort,Lorenzo grabs my hand and leads me through an employees-only door.

“Where are we going?” I ask, wondering where we are headed.

“I haven’t had dessert yet.” The words may be innocent, but I hear the desire loudly.

Before I could think of a response or another question, he opens another door, which leads into his kitchen. He walks in, pulling me in behind him. It’s quiet and empty, not like the busy kitchen I was able to witness last night.

“What are we having for dessert?” I ask. As soon as he turns back to look at me, I slide my tongue across my top lip.

“Keep that up, and I’ll be the only one getting any.” His brow raises, challenging me. A shiver travels down my spine, heating up my body as it goes.

He pulls me to the prep table I occupied last night and sits me on the stool that’s conveniently still there. He walks to a large fridge and pulls out two small steel bowls and places them on the table. Still not saying anything, he walks away, grabbing a single glass bowl, a spoon, and a whisk. My eyes never leave him as I wonder where the night is heading. He stands at the edge of the table, placing everything down except for the whisk.

“I made this right before I left the kitchen this evening. A dark chocolate mousse with homemade whipped cream.” He grabs the bowl and whisks it for a few seconds before doing it to the next.

My heart is pounding imagining how spectacularly dirty this can get, and the nerves float around in my belly at the thought of being in a public place where anyone can just walk in. The nerves have nothing on the wetness I feel gathering between my legs.

He scoops a few spoonfuls of the mousse into the glass bowl and then places a large dollop of the whipped cream on top.

“Not my usual presentation, but I’m only going for the taste tonight.” His tone drops an octave.

“I only see one bowl. Does this mean you are the only one that’s going to enjoy?” I play coy, knowing the chocolate is probably for me.

“That’s yet to be determined.”

He takes the couple of steps to me, dessert in hand. He grabs a spoonful of the mousse and whipped cream bringing it slowly to my mouth. I slowly open, wanting the decadent sweetness to hit my taste buds. I softly close my mouth around the spoon as he slides it out gently. I wish I could concentrate on the sugary goodness in my mouth, but all I want to do is taste him.

I watch him as he takes the spoon, filling it again and bringing it to his own mouth. Impatient with this dance, I stand, wrapping my hands around his neck to pull him in for a heated kiss. The sweetness dances around as our tongues as we explore each other. He grabs my waist, lifting me and setting me down on the steel table, standing between my open legs. The cold surface shocks my heated body.

His lips move down to my neck as he kisses and sucks, moving further south until he makes his way to the swell of my breast. He looks up at me with hooded eyes, and before I can say anything, his finger full of mousse has swiped a line across my cleavage. He watches me as he brings his tongue to follow the line his finger left.

My core is aching, ready for a release. My heads falls back as I arch forward, pushing my breasts into his face. My dress is being lifted, so I raise my arms, wanting nothing in the way of his hands and lips. He pulls down the strapless tube bra I’m wearing and takes my hardened nipple into his mouth. I gasp as he bites my nipple firmly then licks it with the flat of his tongue, soothing the sting.

One hand grasps my other tit, and the other comes between my legs.

“Now to see which is sweeter.” Lorenzo rasps out before he pushes my panties to the side, sliding two fingers into my core.

A loud moan escapes my lips as he swirls and pumps his fingers inside me before pulling them out way too soon.

“Fuck me!” I groan needing to feel the fullness.

“Patience. Look at me,” he orders.

I pick my head up, opening my eyes as he brings the fingers he just had inside of me to his mouth. Groaning, he licks his fingers. “This has become my favorite dessert.”

I pull him forward wanting to taste myself on him and rubbing myself against him, trying to find some relief. He breaks our kiss quickly, leaving a trail of kisses and bites down on my breasts and stomach.

I lay back, placing my heels on the table. The cold surface cools down my overheated body. He swipes his tongue past my swollen clit, teasing me. I buck my hips up needing him to give me my release. He sticks his fingers back in me as he comes in, sucking my clit into his mouth. An orgasm hits me quickly from the foreplay we engaged in all night.

With my breathing still erratic, he unzips his pants and quickly slides a condom on, entering me before my orgasm subsides. He pumps in and out of me hard and fast. I wrap my legs around him trying to pull him in deeper.

He pinches one nipple playfully as he rubs my clit with the other hand.

“Come again for me,” he rasps out.

I let go again, falling into oblivion. He continues sliding in and out until he groans out his release. He folds over, placing his head on my breasts as we catch our breath. I hold him to me, frustrated I can’t feel his skin on mine, wanting to feel his broad shoulders and strong back muscles.

Too soon for my liking, he stands up and slides his pants back on, “I better clean this place up.”

I nod, still dazed I was so bold to have sex in a restaurant kitchen. I slide my tube top back in place and slide my dress back on. I watch as Lorenzo makes haste, cleaning up and wiping down the surfaces.

He tosses the rag he was using into a bin and comes to stand in front of me, his hand cupping my cheek, “Don’t think I’m done with you yet.” His hand slides around to hold the back of my neck as he brings his other hand between my legs.

His complete control has me wanting again. “You’re still wet for me,” he whispers as he kisses me with force, his fingers sliding through my wet folds.

He removes his hand, and a whimper escapes my mouth.

He breaks the kiss and growls out, “To the room before I take you here again.”

He grabs my hand, leading me out of his kitchen.