Losing Her (Lost and Found Book 1) Read online

  I wondered if anyone was truly worried that I’d left the family home. I didn’t consider myself particularly close with any of them, outside of my father, but I also didn’t want them to worry about me. It wouldn’t hurt to call them and let them know that I was alive and well.

  They didn’t have to know where I was, just that I was alright. I thought of my morning and how kind the man had been to make sure that I had gotten home okay.

  Then the realization struck me out of nowhere. I didn’t know his name. He was just a handsome stranger who had given me a ride home and accepted my invitation for dinner. What if he was a serial killer? I vaguely remembered him mentioning something about it.

  I covered my face in agony. How stupid of me to follow this stranger out to his car and give him directions straight to my house. I could almost hear Jason’s arrogant tone chewing me out for my

  “irresponsible and reckless decisions.” But I couldn’t get out of it. He said he would be here tonight and we hadn’t exchanged contact information. I chewed on my nails, thinking of ways to get out of dinner.

  Maybe I had come down with something or I had a sick family member? But that felt like I was asking for bad karma or something.

  What if I just didn’t answer the door? If I turned out all of the lights and made it seem as if I wasn’t home, he’d be forced to leave. Or he could just wait or come back some other time. I groaned, feeling the anxiety pulsing through my veins.

  To be fair, I reasoned with myself, he did help me when I needed it. It wasn’t anything major, but offering to give someone a ride home to help them avoid embarrassment was a really sweet thing to do. And he was drop-dead gorgeous with his smooth caramel skin and kind, gentle eyes. The way he had looked at me made my knees weak. His body looked well-defined from what I had been able to see through his clothes. I closed my eyes, conjuring a mental picture of the handsome stranger with no name.

  Remembering him from behind my eyelids, I knew right then and there that I was going to go through with it. Maybe it was irresponsible and reckless, but I was in control of my life now, and I wanted to get to know him. Even if it was just for the night.

  But I did have to cover my ass somehow. Someone needed to know that I wasn’t going to be out by myself. Just in case. The only person I’d grown even remotely close to was my next door neighbor, Rosa. I had been carrying in bags of groceries when she’d come bustling out of her residence holding a plate of chocolate chip cookies slightly burned around the edges.

  “Oh, my dear! Hello!” she called out as she bustled down her front steps, her floral neck scarf billowing around her wildly.

  It had been hard to keep my face from looking as surprised as I had felt that day, meeting Rosa for the first time. I smiled sweetly, graciously accepting her less than delectable looking baked goods.

  “Listen sweetie, I can’t bake for shit. Fashion is my thing. But I couldn’t just show up empty handed,” she admitted, running a hand through her medium length salt and pepper hair.

  She’d introduced herself as Rosalita Martinez, or Rosa for short.

  She was a fashion designer, divorced mom to two twin daughters who had long moved out and become fashion models themselves, and one of the most elegant women I’ve ever seen. Sure she was eclectic, as most designers were, but she made fifty look better than my own twenty five years. The way she rolled her ‘R’s, it was apparent that she was hispanic, but her fair skin tone and light colored eyes threw me for a loop.

  In the weeks since I’d moved in, Rosa and I had become close.

  She knew about why I’d left home, but she didn’t know exactly who my family was. I’d been in her house only once, after which I decided that I preferred to stay in mine as hers was pristine and white and modern. I doubt my clumsiness would fare well in that type of environment. Still, I ventured over to her house knowing she’d be an ideal friend in this type of scenario.

  I knocked lightly, having learned that she loathed the doorbell ringing. “It disturbs the creative process” she had said. Not too long after, the door flew open and there she stood, in all her glory. She was barefoot, her toes painted a pale pink color. Artfully ripped jeans were folded up above her ankles paired with a light grey stripped button up shirt tucked in around her tiny waist. Her hair was haphazardly thrown

  into a clip on top of her head and she wore a thin pair of glasses that rested on the tip of her nose.

  “Alina! Come in dear!” she exclaimed, waving her hands enthusiastically before taking off in the opposite direction.

  I grinned at her back, moving into the house and shutting the door behind me, “I’m not interrupting anything, am I?” I shouted, noting that she had music playing through her surround system speakers.

  Some kind of soothing, electronica mix. Not at all what I’d expect her to be listening to.

  “Not at all darling. Come in here!” she called back from somewhere deep inside the house. I found her in her kitchen hunched over a large sketch pad, pencil in hand scribbling. Next to her was a tall headless mannequin with oddly placed leather fabrics pinned to it. She was in work mode and I felt a tad guilty for interrupting her. After a few beats, she looked up over her glasses, “What is it sweetheart?”

  I chewed on my lip, “I’ve got a situation.”

  She set down her pencil and straightened her back, reaching to pause the music by remote. Then, resting her hands on the marble counter as if bracing herself for the worst, “What is it? Who do I have to handle?” her voice ominous.

  I stifled a giggle. Rosa was fierce and protective, like the cool aunt I never had and I loved her for it, “No, it’s not like that. I just might’ve done something stupid. I’m not sure.”

  “Okay…go on.” she urged.

  I moved to sit at the barstool across from her, “So I met a guy…”

  “Ooooh is he cute?” she squealed, interrupting me.

  I laughed, holding up my hands “Rosa!! Wait…okay?”

  “Fine…” she grumbled.

  “I was at the cafe and he sat next to me. Of course, I ended up spilling my drink all over myself and he helped me get home. Well then I

  offered to take him to dinner to thank him and that’s where it gets complicated.”

  “What’s his name?”

  I cringed, “I don’t know..” my voice small and timid.

  She shook her head affectionately, “Oh Alina, you crazy girl. So what are you going to do?”

  “I can’t just cancel and I don’t think he’s a bad guy, but still, you never know. So I thought that if you knew about him and I going out tonight, you’d be able to call the police should I disappear or something.”

  That made Rosa laugh. She doubled over the countertop, laughing hard and loud. “Alina! You will be fine! He sounds like a complete gentleman. I’m a little curious about what he looks like,” she added, moving her perfectly sculpted eyebrows suggestively.

  I sighed, conjuring a mental image of him again, “He’s gorgeous. You’d be all over him.”

  Rosa laughed again, “Oh I’m sure.”

  “So will you help me? We’re supposed to leave later this evening, could you keep an eye out for me?”

  “Anything my dear! I might have to come see this specimen with my own two eyes,” she finished with a wink.

  “Even better.”

  At precisely fifteen minutes past seven o’clock, my doorbell sounded throughout my apartment. I had just misted my neck with my favorite perfume when I heard it. I froze on the spot, a shiver of anticipation rolling through me. Checking my appearance in the full length mirror leaning against the wall, I admired my outfit choice for the night. A simple black shirt tucked into a maroon skirt that flared out slightly and hit just above my knee, completed with a pair of black heels.

  I fluffed my hair, the waves falling over my shoulders, then set off down the steps to the front door not wanting to keep him waiting too long.

  I took one steadying breath before wrenching the door open
. A gasp spilled from my lips as I saw the handsome stranger waiting for me, but he wasn’t alone. Rosa had looped her thin arm through his beefy one and she wore the closest thing to a shit-eating grin if I ever saw one.

  “Rosa!” I exclaimed, not sure how surprised I actually was at her antics. This seemed like typical Rosa.

  “Alina!” she grinned, “I was on my way over to borrow some sugar when I ran into this handsome gentleman arriving on your doorstep.”

  I raised an eyebrow at her, “Sugar?”

  She waved a hand at me, “You know, for baking.” Her attention turned to him, “I had a craving for chocolate,” she purred.

  A confident smile eased its way onto his face as he looked at her, “I see.” Then his eyes were on me.

  My lips parted slightly as I sucked in a breath. He was simply delectable. Black slacks held up by a black leather belt with a black dress shirt tucked in. No tie, I noticed. And the top button was undone, emphasizing his massive chest. He was sex, incarnate.

  “Hello, beautiful.”

  The low rumble of his voice quickened my heart rate. I smiled wide, “Hey…”

  “So what was your name again, handsome stranger?” Rosa interjected, pulling me from his hypnotizing gaze.

  He looked down at her, a gentleness in his expression,

  “Derrick.”

  Her face turned to mine, eyebrows raised, “Ah, well nice to meet you Derrick,” she said, a certain emphasis on his name as she rolled the

  ‘R’s. I fought to keep myself from blushing.

  “Likewise ma’am.”

  “Don’t just stand there, leaving us on the front stoop, Alina. My gosh!” she said playfully, pushing past me while dragging Derrick along.

  I whirled around, eyes wide at Rosa. She was surely playing her part well. Derrick looked amused.

  “So where are you two off to tonight?” she had let go of Derrick’s arm and was casually leaning against the staircase. Derrick stood close to me and turned to look at me for an answer. When I didn’t answer right away — out of pure embarrassment— he chimed in.

  “Alina graciously offered to take me out tonight as a thank you for giving her a ride home early today.” I was amazed at how effortlessly he handled Rosa’s poking and prodding around. Especially having just met her. But that was Rosa. She somehow managed to make you love her within the first few minutes of meeting her. She was that charismatic.

  “Ooh well, that was very kind of you, Derrick. And Alina how thoughtful of you. Look at you two, just going out of your way for each other. Una buena pareja. ”

  Having had to become fluent in more than one language in my former life, I knew she’d just called us a perfect couple. A blush made its way across my cheeks involuntarily, desperately hoping Derrick wasn’t well versed in Spanish.

  “Didn’t you need some sugar, Rosa?” I asked pointedly, trying to cut my embarrassment short.

  She waved a hand, “Oh no darling. I can’t bake. You know that.”

  That made Derrick chuckle. I shook my head, stifling a laugh of my own.

  “Well niños, I don’t mean to hold you up. Derrick make sure you take

  good care of our girl here. Don’t have her out too late. I’ll be waiting up just in case.” She walked towards the front door, pulling it open. “Oh and Derrick, doesn’t she look stunning?”

  I couldn’t even turn to look at him I was so embarrassed. I wasn’t sure if I wanted to hug her or throw something at her. But I knew I loved her for it. She turned and dashed away before either of us could say a word in response.

  I shut the door and took another breath before whirling around to face Derrick. The sight of him standing in my entryway was overwhelming. He was so big and so tall, he made the large space seem smaller around him. And he just looked so good.

  “Sorry about that.”

  He shook his head, “Not a problem. Rosa seems like a lot of fun.”

  I moved to stand directly in front of him, craning my neck back to look up at him, “She is. I absolutely adore her.”

  “Have you known her long?” he inquired.

  “Long enough. She’s practically my only friend,” I admitted, feeling slightly miffed about that reality. Rosa was the only friend I’d made since moving here, outside of the everyday people I saw while out and about. I was grateful for her.

  “Hmm,” was his only response. A beat later, “She was right you know. You do look stunning, Alina.”

  Warmth pooled between my legs. His voice was so seductive.

  His eyes mysterious. The way he said my name drove me mad.

  “Thank you,” my voice timid but full of appreciation.

  “So where are you taking me tonight?”

  “There’s this restaurant not too far from here that I’ve been dying to try. I’ve heard great things. Are you up for an adventure?”

  “Considering I’ve met two lovely ladies in the span of a few hours and am letting one of them take me out tonight, I’d say I am,” he said, a gleam in his eye.

  “You’re a brave soul,” I countered.

  We shared a smile, maintaining eye contact. He seemed so even keeled and controlled while I knew my heart was pounding a rapid fire sequence in my chest. Despite the air conditioner keeping the place at a cool temperature, my body was getting hot. I was attracted to him in the worst way. Back home there was a reputable list of suitors that fit the list of requirements my parents had for a potential mate, and I’d dated a few of them. And while they were attractive, worldly, intelligent, decent guys, the one thing they all lacked was passion. That certain spark.

  Derrick had that spark. And I wanted to be set ablaze.

  We left my apartment and headed to his truck where he opened the door for me and let me step in. As I whisked by him, I inhaled his scent. It was as intoxicating as the man himself. I paused briefly, drawing a deeper breath.

  “What is it, Alina?” he asked, his voice low and raspy.

  I swallowed, realizing he’d noticed the break in my step.

  Turning, I flipped my hair over my shoulder and smiled, “You smell really good,” I admitted.

  He looked down at me, a contemplative look in his eye. I wondered if he was going to kiss me. I hoped he would. But he didn’t.

  Instead, he replied, “I was going to say the same thing about you.”

  I tried to look gracious and not as disappointed as I felt. I really wanted him to kiss me. Once I was settled into my seat, he shut the door and briskly walked to the other side and climbed in. Wordlessly, he turned the key, the engine springing to life and he pulled out of his parking spot. Like our earlier drive, we didn’t talk much. In fact, outside of giving him directions to the restaurant, I didn’t say anything and

  neither did he. I began to wonder if going to dinner had been a good idea. Awkward conversations over dinner wasn’t my idea of a proper thank you.

  We arrived at Sapphire just in time for our eight o’clock reservation. Stepping into the dimly lit space, I was assaulted by delicious smelling food. My stomach clenched as I realized I hadn’t eaten anything all day. Before the spill, all I’d devoured was a few sips of coffee. Afterwards, I’d been too anxious to eat anything else.

  Derrick gave the maitre’d our reservation information, which I found to be very sexy. He just naturally took control of the situation and unlike everyone else in my former life, I liked when he did it.

  The suit and tie-clad maitre’d gestured for us to follow him to our table.

  As we walked— Derrick behind me — the atmosphere buzzed, though the conversations were intimate. There were no open tables, only booths. And each booth was flanked by sapphire blue curtains and illuminated by soft candlelight.

  Our booth was large but as I settled in, Derrick moved to sit close to me, dominating the space. I felt my temperature shoot up a few degrees with his massive frame being so close to mine. We were handed one thin paper menu and then left alone. I twisted my hands in my lap nervously.

  �
�This place is amazing, Alina.”

  My mouth spread into a grin, “I know, right? Better than I imagined.”

  “It’s almost too much. I can’t let you pay for all of this.”

  I frowned, “Yes you can. And you will. I’m showing my appreciation.”

  “Totally unnecessary. I’m glad I could help.” His brown eyes were soft and gentle as he looked at me.

  I knew we’d end up going in circles over this, so I responded sweetly, “Thank you for letting me take you out to dinner tonight, Derrick.”

  He smirked, “You’re welcome, Alina.”

  I flushed as he said my name. I realized he said it often, practically every time he said anything at all. I loved how it sounded coming out of his mouth. He took something as ordinary and mundane as my name and turned it into something exciting and sensual. I relished in it.