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Eleven Months Later
Henry
“Goldilocks,” Henry called out as he closed the front door. “Come downstairs. I want to show you something.
“You’re home early. Is everything all right?” Victoria peered down at him from the top of the staircase, her eyes widening when they landed on the evergreen Henry had balanced beside him. “You bought another Christmas tree!”
Henry set the tree in the living room. “Do you like it?”
“Are you serious? Yes. Yes,” Victoria exclaimed. “I love it!” She bounced down the staircase, a huge smile on her face. As soon as she reached Henry, she threw her arms around his shoulders, craning her neck backward to smile up at him. “Have I told you how wonderful you are?”
Henry rubbed a golden curl that had fallen from her ponytail between his fingertips. “Not nearly enough,” he answered, preoccupied with securing the stray strands of hair behind her ear. “Have I told you you’re the most beautiful woman in the world?”
Victoria furrowed her brows and shook her head. “Dressed in yoga pants and an oversized sweatshirt?” she questioned, sounding skeptical.
“Yes.” A wicked grin crossed his lips. “And even more breathtaking in nothing but those oversized glasses.”
“Insatiable.” Victoria swatted playfully at his chest.
Masculine pride coursed within him. He’d moved into the colonial home almost a year ago and was still able to make her blush. Cheeks flushed a pretty shade of pink, he pulled Victoria tighter against his chest. “Maybe you could indulge me a little,” he teased, grinding his pelvis against her hip.
She shrugged. “Perhaps.”
Henry clasped her ponytail and gave it a slight yank. “Maybe?” he teased.
“Hey,” Victoria said and clutched his shoulders, her fingernails clawing into the fabric of his shirt. “Kiss me,” she said, moving her lips to his.
Breaking the kiss, Henry’s lips moved to her ear, his breath scalding her cheek as he whispered, “I want to fuck you—right now.”
“I like the way you think,” Victoria said. “Meet me upstairs,” she laughed, rushing for the staircase. Quickly, Henry came up behind her, swatting at her ass as she jogged ahead of him. Halfway up the flight of stairs, Victoria turned to face him. Standing on a step above him, they stood eye to eye. She cupped his face between her palms, softly brushing her lips against his. Gentle and sweet, the kiss lasted but a moment before she said, “Thank you.”
“If I’d known I’d receive this type of treatment, I’d have bought you an entire tree farm,” Henry chuckled.
Suddenly, Victoria’s lips twitched. She whirled around and bolted up the remaining stairs.
Henry dashed after her, following her into their bedroom. Desire coursed through his veins as she pulled the elastic from her hair. A tempting seductress, Henry thought, realizing Victoria had no idea how gorgeous she was. Her blonde ringlets rained down her back and cascaded over her shoulders.
Using his long legs, Henry advanced toward her. “You’re being very naughty.”
Victoria stepped closer and began to open the buttons of his shirt. Once it was completely unbuttoned, she roughly brushed it from Henry’s shoulders. His cock pulsed as she worried her bottom lip. “Do you plan to punish me?”
“Absolutely.” Henry grinned devilishly. His hands moved to the edge of her sweatshirt. “Lift,” he said. Immediately, her arms swung above her head. Henry gripped the material, pulling it over her head, and then reached behind her to unclasp her bra. He tugged the straps down her arms, his eyes fixated on her breasts as her bra fell to the floor. “Take off your pants,” he ordered.
Slowly, Victoria swayed her hips, shimmying ultra slowly as she lowered her pants to the floor.
Henry wet his lips with his tongue. “Panties, too,” he ordered and then added, “Keep your glasses on.”
“Yes, sir,” Victoria said, removing the flimsy material and handing it to him.
“I’m the luckiest bastard in the world,” Henry said as he snatched the panties from her hand and held them to his nose, inhaling her scent.
A flush colored her cheeks. “Henry,” Victoria said softly.
“It’s true, you know?” Henry lowered to his knees, placing a palm against each of her hips. “You, Ms. Hathaway, are a goddess,” Henry said, a look of awe crossing his face as he peered up at her.
Victoria gasped as his tongue flicked over her sex. With his teeth, Henry playfully tugged on the tight, golden curls that sheathed her feminine mound. “Lift your leg over my shoulder.”
“You’ll catch me if I lose my balance?” Victoria panted.
“Always.” Henry tightened his grip on her hips. “You know I’ll never let you fall.”
Her hand on one shoulder, Victoria lifted her leg to Henry’s other shoulder, running the arch of her foot up and down his muscled spine. A sigh came from her lips as Henry’s lips brushed across the flesh of her inner thigh, painting kisses all the way up to her pussy. “Such a good girl,” he said. “You deserve a reward.”
Victoria swayed forward, an incoherent sound escaping from her lips as his tongue flattened against her sex, running up the length of her channel. “Henry,” she cried out, cupping his head to pull his mouth closer.
Removing a hand from her hip, he cupped her ass against his mouth. With his other hand, he inserted two fingers into her opening, using his thumb to circle her clit.
Legs buckling beneath her, her body spasmed. Henry secured her to him, allowing her to ride out the wave of desire as his tongue plunged in and out of her channel. Once she was sated, he gently lowered her leg from his shoulder.
“I’m going to fuck you now,” Henry said, unbuckling his belt. “Get on the bed and brace yourself on your knees. Lower your shoulders flat against the mattress and tip your ass into the air.
“Yes, sir,” Victoria said, biting her lip as Henry’s jeans slid to the floor, immediately followed by his boxer briefs. His cock throbbed, the thick vein bulging along the underside of his shaft. Turning toward the bed, Victoria crawled onto the mattress and positioned herself on all fours.
Henry’s warm palm smoothed down the length of her back. Victoria cried out, her back arching as his hand slapped down on each butt cheek. He rubbed his palm over her ass to ease the sting and then fisted his cock, guiding it from the base of her spine to the opening of her asshole. “One of these days, we’re going to discover a whole new type of pleasure,” he promised.
“Why wait,” Victoria panted, her arousal running freely down her inner thigh.
“Because right now I want to fuck you hard, fast, and rough,” Henry declared as he gripped her hips and rammed his cock into her.
“Henry!” Victoria shouted as he filled her to the hilt, her feminine walls clenching around his cock.
“Fuck, each time I’m inside, you are even sweeter than the last,” Henry growled, his hips bucking wildly. His balls slapped against her ass, the sound thrilling him.
Breasts bouncing, Victoria fisted the bedspread, her whole body jerking with the force of each of Henry’s thrusts.
“Shit!” Henry yelled out. “I need you to come.”
His hand ventured to her breast, pinching the hardened tip. Victoria’s orgasm erupted, her entire body spiraling into bliss as she felt Henry stiffen and shudder, a stream of warm liquid jetting into her as he climaxed with her.
Victoria
“Thank you for surprising me with the Christmas tree and for taking the day off to decorate with me,” Victoria said as she sat next to Henry on the couch later that day.
“I thought I’d be a regular 9–5 businessman when I accepted Helen’s offer to work with the Newport Ladies’ Refurbishment Society. Figures my bastard of a father would have a heart attack. It shouldn’t have surprised me, though; his health was terrible. But still, to just keel over and die from a heart attack during his sentencing and leaving me as sole heir to his estate is a lot to swallow.”
“I know,” Victoria said, snuggling deeper against Henry’s side, one arm slung over his muscled thigh. “Have I told you how proud I am of you?”
“You have,” Henry chuckled and then suddenly turned serious. “I’ve been working round the clock, and I want you to know regardless of my long hours, you’re always my number-one priority.”
“Building a nonprofit patient care facility on that property is a major undertaking. To think that children are going to be able to utilize your rehab facility to heal, along with sharing their love for art, is monumental.”
“You’re right. It’s a huge undertaking. At least I know I’ve tried to add some good to the Santana name,” Henry said. “I’ve had this vision since I was in high school. As crazy as this might sound, I cannot express how privileged I feel to have the ability to see it through now that I inherited the estate to house the facility and the funds to support it.” Henry tightened his arm around Victoria’s shoulder. “It’s as if justice is being served.”
“It is. You can’t change any of the ugliness from your past, but you can use it to help others. I’d say, that is justice being served.” Victoria rubbed her palm over Henry’s palm. “We should have had this done by now,” she said, changing the subject and pointing at the pile of boxes scattered in the middle of the living room floor.
A sly grin formed over Henry’s handsome face. “Well, we would have if you hadn’t insisted on rewarding me for your gift.”
Victoria made a tsking sound. “I didn’t hear you complaining at the time. I’m just happy you gave it to me in the morning, or we’d never get to decorate at all.”
“Oh, I never said that I was upset about us not completing the decorating yet,” Henry said, his arm tightening around her shoulder. “What’s in that small box over there?”
“What box?” Victoria asked.
“That one.” Henry pointed to a small box.
“It says Holiday Haven,” Victoria exclaimed, her eyes widening. “You went to Holiday Haven?”
“I might have.”
“Did they still have it?”
“Have what?” Henry asked mischievously.
“You know!” Victoria slapped playfully at his chest. “The glass-blown ornament that we admired from the window display.”
“Oh...yes,” he said. “I think I recall it. The one with the burgundy ribbon tied into a bow at the top?”
Victoria nodded vigorously.
“And hand-painted roses outlining the rim of a white glass ball?”
She bit her bottom lip, her eyes dancing with anticipation. “Yes.”
Henry shook his head. “No,” he said.
“They didn’t?” Her brows furrowed, creases lining her forehead. “I’d been planning to swing by after work one night and purchase it. Business has been so hectic lately that I’ve not had the chance.”
“That’s too bad. It looks like someone else shares your exquisite taste.” Henry’s attention moved to the middle of the room. “What do you suppose could be in that box? It doesn’t sound like you recognize it.”
Victoria said hopefully, “A hand-painted, glass-blown ornament?”
“Go look,” Henry commanded playfully.
She walked to the center of the room and bent down to the pile of boxes. Slowly she opened the lid, a squeal of delight escaping from her lips. Jumping from the floor, she spun toward Henry. Then she froze, her mouth agape.
On bended knee, Henry looked nervous as he smiled up at her.
Fingers trembling, she placed them over her mouth. “Henry—”
“Victoria Hathaway, before I met you, I was a hopeless shell of a man. Your love has brought me to life.”
A tear fell from the corner of his eye.
“In your presence, I feel closer to God. You’re my guiding light. My hope. My future. Please,” he said, his voice breaking, “do me the honor of becoming my wife.”
Tears streamed down her face. Unable to speak, she nodded.
Hesitantly, Henry rose from his knees and caressed his palms over her trembling shoulders. “Is that a yes?”
Victoria’s head bobbed up and down again. Overcome with happiness, she was too overwhelmed to speak.
His blue eyes stared at her incredulously. “Yes?”
“Yes,” she whispered.
“Thank God,” he breathed out. Taking her hand in his, Henry was all thumbs as he fumbled with the ring that he’d had specially commissioned for her. In the center a two-carat flawless diamond glistened brightly while surrounded by two equally lovely semi-precious emeralds on each side. “Our birthstones together symbolize that our lives will forever be entwined.” Fingers trembling, he slid the ring onto her left finger. “I love you, Victoria Hathaway.”
Her palms splayed across his chest, Victoria balanced on her tiptoes and craned her neck to gaze up at him. “I love you more,” she breathed, brushing her lips against his.