Blake
This woman was going to be the death of me. My heart gave a hard thump, and my blood turned to fire as my gaze swept over her. She’d changed into another skimpy white tank top, and she sat there in the middle of the bed staring at me, looking like the most delicious fantasy.
Catching my eye, she flipped the covers back with a nervous smile. Maybe I wasn’t as far into the Friend Zone as I’d thought. Not about to let her renege on the offer, I yanked my shirt off and shucked my pants before sliding under the cool gray sheets next to her. Victoria’s eyes widened momentarily before she averted her gaze and turned toward the nightstand. She flicked off the lamp, bathing the room in darkness.
I stretched out on my side of the bed, staring at the ceiling, feeling every flex of the mattress as she shifted. Why had she asked me to stay with her again? Was it just for protection? Or was it more than that? She’d looked so vulnerable admitting her attraction to me this morning, but she’d been giving off mixed signals all night. She’d withdrawn after admitting she was a virgin, and I couldn’t quite figure her out. Maybe I’d just give her some time, slowly earn her trust. I wouldn’t take advantage of her, but neither was I willing to give up on her just yet. As much as I hated it, I’d just have to wait for her to come to me.
Which happened sooner than I expected. The sheets pulled taut, and the mattress dipped as Victoria scooted so close that her hip touched mine. Taking it as a sign, I rolled to my side and pulled her against me. Draping an arm over her hip, I slid my hand beneath the hem of her tank top and settled it on her stomach. She snuggled closer, fitting her body to mine and burrowing her head into the space beneath my chin. I tightened my hold on her and our bodies moved together, chests rising and falling with each breath in an easy, comforting rhythm. I was almost asleep when she spoke.
“There’s a reason I’ve never had sex.”
The seriousness of her tone immediately jerked me awake. I stroked my thumb over her stomach, silently letting her know I was listening, encouraging her to continue.
“I did something really stupid. Looking back, I can’t believe how naïve I was.” I felt her head shake in self-deprecation against my chin. “It was years ago—almost a decade ago now. God, I can’t believe it’s been that long.”
She was silent for a moment, lost in the memory. “My friend Leah and I were at the mall one night the summer before senior year. When we left, there was a guy standing on the sidewalk. He said he was stranded and couldn’t get home.”
A sense of foreboding slithered down my spine, but I remained quiet.
“Leah didn’t want to give him a ride, but I insisted. Our families were both very religious, and we’d been raised to be good Christians. If someone needed something, you did whatever you could do to help. Leah kept telling me no, but I ignored her. I didn’t want to listen…”
She drew in a shaky breath and shifted restlessly, a testimony to how much the past still affected her. I dropped a kiss on her shoulder. “You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to.”
“No, I do, I just…” Her voice wavered and she sucked in another breath. “I’ve only told a couple people about that night. It’s part of the reason I wanted to be a psychologist, you know. After what happened… I wanted to use my personal experience to help other people.” She let out a bitter laugh. “Look how that worked out. I obviously couldn’t help Rachel.”
Christ, she still blamed herself for that? “Sweetheart, whatever happened to you and whatever Rachel was going through were two entirely different situations. Rachel was suffering from something of her own, right?” I felt Victoria’s slight nod and continued. “You may have made a mistake, but it wasn’t your fault that something bad happened.”
“I just…”
“Tell me what happened.”
She let out a harsh exhalation and I brushed a kiss over her temple to temper the command. She snuggled closer before continuing. “He said his friends had played a joke on him and left him behind, so I offered to take him home.”
She touched her fingers to her lips. “He had a facial deformity—a cleft lip. I felt bad for him, you know?”
Yeah, I could understand that completely. The guy had probably used it to his advantage to prey on Victoria and her friend.
“He said his name was Marc, but…” She took a deep breath. “I’m sure he lied about that, too. Leah complained the whole time about what a terrible idea it was. He said he lived just outside town, and it felt like we’d driven forever until we finally turned down this long, dark road. I had a bad feeling, so I stopped the car and told him I couldn’t take him any farther.
“I should have known; I should have seen it coming.” Another deep breath. “He pulled a knife from out of nowhere and held it to my throat then made Leah tie me to the steering wheel. I knew we wouldn’t make it out of there, and I screamed at Leah to run, to save herself. He left me in the car and took off after her into the woods. I sat there for probably close to an hour, praying to God that she’d managed to get away. When he finally came back, he cut me loose and forced me into the woods, too.”
My hand automatically clenched into a fist. I couldn’t imagine what she’d experienced, the sheer terror she’d felt. And she’d been—what?—all of seventeen at the time? She was just a kid trying to do the right thing and help someone out. I forced myself to relax, splaying my fingers once more over the soft skin of her stomach. If my touch was firmer, more possessive, she didn’t complain.
Victoria spoke again, her voice breaking. “I… I couldn’t see where I was going, and I tripped. He turned on the flashlight and…” Her voice turned to a whisper. “I didn’t even recognize her at first. There was so much blood. I think I screamed, but I don’t remember, I just ran as fast as I could. I didn’t know where I was going, I just knew I had to get away.”
I closed my eyes and swallowed, simultaneously wanting her to stop talking yet get it off her chest.
“I ran and ran until I came to an old train trestle. He’d caught up with me by that point and he grabbed my hair, cornered me. I was pressed up against the railing, begging for him to stop, to let me go. He said, ‘I’m sorry it has to be this way.’” Her motions were illuminated by the pale light filtering through the gauzy curtains covering the window, and she raised a hand to her neck. “He had the knife to my throat and I knew I had to do something. I kneed him, and the next thing I knew, I was falling. I’d never been so scared in my life, and I knew right then that I was going to die.”
The anger I felt on her behalf was almost overwhelming. I wanted to track down the asshole responsible and rip him limb from limb. My voice came out rough. “How did you get away?”
“I happened to fall near the middle of the bridge where there was a support pillar. It had stormed the day before, and a bunch of tree limbs and debris had gotten caught there. I landed near them, and somehow, they kept me afloat. I laid there, listening to him walk back and forth over the bridge, talking to himself for probably half an hour. I stayed as still as I could, moving my head just enough to keep it out of the water so I could breathe.” She shuddered. “Finally, he left. I don’t know how long I waited after that. It seemed like hours. I swore he’d come back for me, but he never did. He must have figured I was dead. I climbed out of the river and followed the train tracks—looking for a house, a road, anyone who could help. I saw headlights just as I was coming up to a road and I ran like a crazy person, waving my arms around, trying to get them to stop.”
She let out a self-deprecating laugh. “I must’ve scared the poor woman half to death. I was wet and covered with mud, my clothes torn. I refused to get in the car with her, and I just stood there crying hysterically, begging her to call the police. Thank God she had a cell phone. She was nice enough to wait with me until the cops came. I told them what happened, where Leah was…”
I laced our fingers together, then pressed a kiss to the spot where our hands were joined. “Oh, baby. I’m so sorry you had to go through that.”
She squeezed my hand in return. “I wonder all the time why God chose me. I shouldn’t have lived that day, but somehow I did.”
I gently rolled her to her back and stared down at her. “He knew you’d do great things, Doc. You’re a survivor; not many people can say that. Better yet, you use your experience to help others. He chose you because you’re an incredible, amazing person.”
Tears slipped down her temples, dampening her hair, and I brushed them away.
“Seriously—you know it wasn’t your fault, right? Not what happened to you back then, and certainly not what happened to Rachel.”
“I know.” Eyes downcast, her reticent tone was a direct contradiction to the words she spoke.
I released her hand and pushed to a sitting position, then scooped her into my lap. I held her close, just as I had a week ago, reflecting on how much had changed in just a few short days. She’d stirred something within me, something I never knew was missing. “Thank you for telling me. It means a lot that you trusted me with that.”
She leaned her head into my chest, cuddling closer. “It was hard to have normal relationships after that. I tried dating in college, of course, but I wasn’t ready to let anyone in until…”
Her words trailed off and hope bloomed in my chest. “Until?”
“You know, I really didn’t like you when we first met.”
Her comment elicited a startled bark of laughter. “Yeah, I kinda got that impression.”
“I just…” She sighed. “When I walked through the door and saw you... It sounds weird to say, but I felt something before I even met you. Lust, maybe? I can’t explain what it was, but I immediately thought ‘he would never be with someone like me.’”
I tipped her face up to see her better. “Why would you think that? You’re beautiful.”
One shoulder rose and fell. “You stood there in your suit, looking like you just walked off a billboard and gave me this little smirk. I thought you were making fun of me.” I opened my mouth to speak but she cut me off. “I know how I looked, Blake. I hid under those baggy clothes, trying to hide my figure. When I saw you, I instantly got defensive. It was easier to pretend I hated you than to feel that little spark of... whatever it was.”
I understood that, even though it wasn’t true. “You’re perfect, no matter what you wear or how you look. What brought on the change?” I held my breath, almost afraid to hear the answer, and I couldn’t help but grin when it finally came.
“You.” Her head dipped in embarrassment. “Kind of, I mean. I just wanted to get your attention.”
I chuckled. “Oh, sweetheart, you definitely have that.”
I could practically feel her blush. “Kate finally talked me out of hiding behind my old clothes and helped me pick out some new things.”
“Do the new clothes make you feel better?”
She hesitated before nodding. “They do, actually.”
“Then that’s all that matters. There's nothing sexier than a confident woman.”
When she remained silent, I changed the subject, shifting her the tiniest bit closer. “I could get used to this, you know.”
“What’s that?” Her voice was soft and tentative.
“Being here with you. I know we’ve only known each other for a couple weeks, but I have this crazy need to see you, touch you all the time. It’s hell having to work in the same building as you all day but not be able to pull you aside and kiss you whenever I feel like it.” I lowered my voice. “I’m glad you asked me to stay.”
“Me, too.”
I dipped my head and brushed my lips across hers, teasing the seam of her mouth with my tongue, and she opened for me, returning the kiss with equal fervor. Caught up in the passion of the moment, I skimmed one hand up her side and cupped her breast. She stiffened, and I immediately dropped my hand away.
“Sorry.”
She burrowed her nose against my neck, inhaling deeply before speaking. “No… I… Please.”
“Please what?”
She grabbed my hand and pulled it back to her breast.
“I need to hear you say it.” My heart beat frantically as I waited for her to answer, the silence almost interminable.
“I want you to… touch me.”
Her plea cut through me like a knife. I gently lay her back on the bed then stretched out next to her. Propped on one elbow, I coasted my fingers down her arm from shoulder to wrist, then back up again. Across her collarbone, up her neck, my fingers blazed a trail over her skin, slowly acclimating her to my touch. I wouldn’t make love to her. As much as I wanted to bury myself inside her, it was a new experience for her, and I wouldn’t pressure her. I had plenty of other methods of pleasure to share with her instead.
Goosebumps broke out over her skin as I coasted downward, my fingertips gliding over each rib, the dip of her waist, and across her hip. Inching her shirt up, I teased the silky skin of her stomach before slowly making my way up to her breast. A little shudder rocked her body and her head dropped back in ecstasy as I circled her nipple.
“If you want to stop, sweetheart, just tell me.”
She shook her head and opened her mouth to speak. Instead of words, a soft moan escaped and I bit back a smile. Smoothing my hand over her waist I grasped the hem of her shirt, then pulled it upward.
“I want to see you.” Levering to a sitting position, I drew the material over her head and off, exposing her exquisite body. My gaze trailed over her torso, examining the indent of her waist where it flared out at her softly rounded hips, then up to the swells of her breasts. I leaned in and dropped a kiss on the arc of one. “God, you’re gorgeous.”
She turned her face away in embarrassment, and I redirected her gaze to mine. “Do you trust me?”
I held my breath for a moment as she searched my eyes. “I trust you.”
Her hands stole around my neck, curling into my hair and tugging me down for another kiss. I ground my mouth down on hers before remembering my vow to take it slow. Pulling back a fraction, I gentled the kiss and trailed my lips over her jaw, down her throat, between the valley of her breasts. I sucked one tight peak into my mouth, and she writhed beneath me. I teased her other breast, circling the nub until her flesh tightened under my ministrations.
I took her mouth again, skimming my hand lower and slipping under the waistband of her shorts. Her legs moved restlessly as I found her hot center and stroked her through the satiny material. She tore her mouth from mine and threw her head back as she arched under my touch.
The sight of Victoria, eyes closed in ecstasy, chestnut waves tossed wildly over the sheets, was nearly my undoing. Looming over her, we locked eyes as I hooked my fingers in the fabric and slowly pulled the shorts down her legs.
The sight of her clad in only a pair of black satin panties made my heart beat double time and my mouth water. She bent her legs, tucking them in close for modesty, and I shook my head, a tiny smirk playing about my mouth. I wouldn’t let her hide from me anymore.
Catching one foot in my hand, I pressed my lips to her instep before kissing my way over her ankle, up her calf, along the inside of her thigh. At the apex of her legs, I nuzzled her core through the material of her underwear.
Her breathing hitched as I slipped one finger beneath the fabric and pulled them down her legs. One foot slipped free of the panties, then the other, and I settled beside her, chest to chest. My lips caught hers again in a scorching kiss as my fingers trailed up her thigh, over her hip, and down to her core. My hand slid through her curls to cup her mound with gentle pressure. Her breathing quickened and she threw her arms around my neck.
A ragged moan welled up in her throat as I slipped one finger inside her, massaging the sensitive folds. Her legs fell open in invitation and I stroked in and out, gradually increasing the tempo until she came with a ragged cry, her muscles clenching, holding me tight. She looked so beautiful lying there, breathing heavily, hair disheveled, that I couldn’t help but smile. Her eyes finally opened and they met mine, the gray depths immediately wary even in the dim light.
I dropped a reassuring kiss on her lips before she could allow the doubt to intrude and ruin the moment. “You okay, beautiful?”
She nodded, eyes still locked on mine. “I’m… great.”
I stroked her hip bone. “Good. We should get some sleep.”
“What about…” She propped herself on an elbow and gestured toward my groin. “Aren’t you…?”
Oh, yeah. I was hard as a rock and ready to go. But I needed to earn her trust first, and I was too wound up at the moment to control myself. I shook my head and shifted her so she lay next to me. “Tonight’s all about you. Now, c’mere.”
Pulling her closer, I tucked her against my side, spoon-style, so her head rested just below my chin. I dropped a kiss on her hair and splayed my fingers possessively over her stomach. I had her right where I wanted her, and I wasn’t about to let her go.