Victoria
The savory smell wafting on the air hit me the second I stepped inside. I closed the door and flipped the lock before slipping out of my shoes. On silent feet, I padded down the hallway toward the kitchen. Blake stood at the stove, his back to me, and the sight sent a little jolt through me. What kind of man would take care of me the way he had, come into my house and make dinner like it was something we’d done for years instead of days if he was planning to leave me?
Blake turned and caught my gaze, a warm smile spreading over his face. “Hey, beautiful. Did you have a good time?”
Before I even realized I’d moved, I was across the kitchen and in his arms.
“Whoa, sweetheart. Is everything okay?”
I kissed his throat. “I need you.”
He pulled back and stared at me for a moment before nodding once. Reaching behind him, he flipped off the burner and turned off the oven, then scooped me into his arms. He paused only briefly to check the lock on the front door, then carried me upstairs. He lowered me to my feet beside the bed and settled his hands low on my hips. “You sure?”
I nodded, unable to form words. I pulled the hem of his polo from his waistband and eagerly slid my hands underneath. His skin was hot, his muscles hard, and I ached to feel every inch of him pressed against me. I shoved the material of the shirt higher and he reached behind his head to draw it up and off, then tossed it to the floor.
I laid my palms on his chest, tracing the contours of the thick muscles over his pecs and down his ribs. He shuddered slightly under my touch as I moved to his waistband and slipped the belt free of its buckle before popping the button fly on his black TDUs. Blake stood motionless—watching me, allowing me to take control—and power rushed through me. I shoved the pants down his legs and he stood gloriously naked, a wall of solid muscle.
A smile tipped up the corners of my mouth as I placed a hand in the middle of his chest and pushed him backward onto the bed. He allowed himself to fall but pulled me with him, drawing me up the length of his body. His mouth found mine and I gave in to the kiss, letting it sweep me far away from reality. Blake’s fingers delved into my hair and it tumbled around my shoulders, shrouding us like a silken curtain. I lifted my head, absorbing each tiny detail of Blake’s face and committing it to memory. Passion rocketed through me as his hands slid down my back and settled on my bottom.
The heat spreading through me was suddenly overwhelming and I jerked to a sitting position, already tugging at my clothes. I fisted my hands in the hem of my shirt and drew it over my head. Blake’s hands followed the fabric, gliding over the exposed skin of my stomach. His touch scorched me as he ventured upward and cupped my breasts in his large palms. His hands followed the band around to my back and unhooked the clasp of my bra, then drew the straps down my arms. I flung it to the side, not caring where it landed. My head fell back on a silent moan as the coarse pads of his thumbs brushed the sensitive peaks.
Banding one arm around my waist, he rolled me under him and deftly unsnapped my jeans. Hooking his fingers in the waistband, he drew them down my legs and dropped them to the floor. His eyes dropped to the tiny scrap of lace hugging my hips and a slow smile spread over his face. Dipping his head, he nipped at me, catching the fabric between his teeth and drawing it down my legs. With a soft whisper, my panties were added to the ever-growing pile of clothes beside the bed.
His gaze skated over my body before meeting my eyes again, and I grabbed his shoulders, pulling him back to me. His mouth fused to mine, the hair of his beard tickling my lips and cheeks, and I smiled against his lips. He broke the kiss to study me, his eyebrows drawing together, and I couldn’t contain the grin that spread over my face. He fell to his back when I gave him a playful shove, and I perused his body for a moment before shyly straddling his waist.
I’d wanted to do this before but hadn’t had the nerve. Though we’d made love several times over the last few nights, it had been tentative and sweet, Blake taking extra care to make sure he wasn’t hurting me. Once I’d gotten over the initial pain and soreness, I was eager to explore. Lifting up on my knees, I positioned the head of his cock at my entrance and slowly sank down. Blake grimaced as I enveloped him and I froze, caught off guard by his reaction.
Blake opened his eyes and caught my stare. He fisted one hand in my hair, and his hips surged upward, urging me to continue. I braced myself against his chest and began to move, the delicious friction igniting a fire deep within me. A searing heat swept over my body, and I came on a silent scream, speckles of light dancing before my eyes as I hurtled over the edge. His cock swelled, and he came just moments later, holding me close to his chest and letting out a ragged groan as he emptied himself deep inside me.
I nestled my nose into the crook of his neck, breathing in his masculine scent. One hand swept over my back and I snuggled closer.
Blake kissed my forehead. “You okay, sweetheart?”
“Better than okay.” My stomach rumbled and I let out a rueful laugh. “Sorry I messed up your dinner plans.”
His arms tightened around my waist, and his chin brushed my temple as he shook his head. “I’ll take this over dinner any day.”
“I’ll bet you would.” I laughed and pushed to a sitting position. “But I’ve kind of worked up an appetite now.”
I slid from the bed and tugged on my robe, tying the sash tightly around my waist. Sticky wetness coated the inside of my thighs, and my face flamed. I’d been on birth control for years to regulate my period, but this was the first time we’d made love without a condom. I knew Blake was clean—it was one of the many things we’d talked about. Ironically, we hadn’t spoken of children. The thought of carrying a child—Blake’s child—was both terrifying and exhilarating.
My gaze darted to Blake who lay reclined on the bed, hands tucked behind his head, a tiny smile on his face as he stared at me.
My cheeks burned with embarrassment. “Stop looking at me like that.”
“Like what?” His expression was the epitome of innocence, and I rolled my eyes.
“That. You examine me like some specimen under a microscope.”
He lifted one shoulder. “I like looking at you.” He rolled off the bed and moved to stand in front of me. “In fact, seeing you like this makes me hungry for a hell of a lot more than the salmon I picked up for dinner.”
I sucked in a quick breath, swaying slightly toward him, and he chuckled. “C’mon, babe. Let’s get some food first. We’ll need the energy.”
He tugged on his clothes and followed me downstairs to the kitchen. “Not sure how this is going to taste now,” he warned. “I hope it won’t be too bad reheated.”
I glanced toward the table and saw the jar candle flickering softly, surrounded by my good China. A single rose lay on my plate. “Looks like you had this all planned out. Sorry I ruined it.”
“Hey.” He closed the oven and pulled me into his arms. “No apologies. I just wanted to do something nice for you. You deserve it.”
I melted into him as he kissed me long and slow. After today’s argument with Johnathan, I needed the physical reassurance from Blake. There was no way he could be as bad as Johnathan said.
Blake released me with a wink. “I have to admit, though, I did have an ulterior motive.”
“Oh? What’s that?” A shiver of apprehension moved down my spine, and I crossed my arms over my middle.
“How would you feel about meeting my parents? I was thinking maybe we could go up there one weekend soon and you could meet them and my sisters.”
He threw a grin over his shoulder, and I forced a smile. “That sounds… nice. But isn’t it a bit soon?”
Hearing my hesitation, he turned and rested one hip against the counter. He studied me for a moment before speaking, his face unreadable. “It was just a thought.”
I wasn’t entirely sure how I felt about this turn of events. “I can see what I have going on.”
He relaxed a fraction and smiled. “I know things have been a little hectic. Once this is all over, we can focus on you and me.”
I nodded, not entirely convinced. This was the last week that he was scheduled to work security at the healthplex. What would happen when this was over?
“What do you think of the country?”
I blinked at him. “It’s fine. Why?”
He studied me. “I think I’d ultimately like to find a home with a little bit of space, a big yard for kids to run around.”
“Okay…”
Blake smiled at my obvious confusion. “It’s just something I’ve been thinking about, especially after someone broke in here. What if we moved in together?”
That was the last thing I expected. I probably should be glad he planned to stick around, since I’d been wondering just moments before what would happen between us after his contract at the healthplex was up. But this? It was all a little too much.
“I just…” I held up a hand. “Can we take a step back for a minute?”
He shook his head. “I’m sorry, I knew it was too soon. I shouldn’t have said anything.”
No, I needed to hear it. I just wasn’t entirely sure it was what I wanted to hear. “We’ve only known each other for a few weeks. Why do you want to move in together?”
“For one,” he ticked it off on his fingers, “I think you’ll be safer. And two, I like being with you. I like spending my nights with you, having dinner together, waking up with you.”
“Yeah, but… it’s too soon.”
Wasn’t it? Johnathan’s words from earlier resounded in my mind and I struggled to push them away. Blake wasn’t like that.
“Do you think so?”
I shrugged. “I don’t know. I just… Someone told me today to take things slow, make sure it was what I wanted.”
“Johnathan.”
There was no question in his tone, and I shifted uneasily, acutely aware of his intense scrutiny. “Well, I went over to his place and—”
“I thought you were going to stop encouraging him.”
Disapproval drenched his words and irritation flared within me. “I actually stopped by to tell him that I wanted to focus on my relationship with you. I never pegged you for the possessive type.”
“Only when some asshole is trying to seduce my girlfriend,” he shot back.
I hesitated, the breath stolen from my lungs. “Is that what I am?”
He speared me with a look of disbelief. “I thought we’d established that.”
“We never talked about it.”
“I assumed you felt the same way.” His eyes narrowed, his tone accusing.
“I…” It was exactly what I wanted, wasn’t it? Thoughts whirled through my mind and I fought to focus. “That really isn’t the point right now.”
“Are you fucking kidding me? Of course it is!” He threw his arms wide. “Why the hell do you think I get so pissed about this whole thing? No guy wants to see his girlfriend with another man, Victoria. I know he’s your friend, but we can’t go on like this. All he’s done since day one is try to coerce you away from me. That’s not something a friend would do. If he cared about you at all, he would want you to be happy.”
“He does want me to be happy. You’re the one who’s trying to isolate me from my friends.”
“That’s not true,” he countered, pointing a finger my way. “Just him. I don’t know what it is, but I don’t like him.”
“Please,” I huffed. “You’re just jealous and want me all to yourself. Why does it matter so much to you?”
“Because I love you, damn it!” Blake raked his fingers through his hair and turned away.
I froze, my heart constricting in my chest. Hearing him say he loved me filled me with a combination of elation and trepidation. I needed time to process everything and break it down rationally. “No, you don’t. You can’t.”
He turned to me, a sad smile on his face. “I do.” I automatically recoiled even as his voice gentled and he reached for me. “You were made for me. You feel it too, sweetheart, I know you do. We fit; we belong together. I love you and you love me.”
“You don’t love me, Blake. It’s just the stress from the past few weeks, and…” I shook my head. “We wouldn’t even be together if I hadn’t gotten that phone call.”
“Who cares how we met? All that matters is you and me. We’re here now, together. I need you, Victoria.”
I took a step backward and wrapped my arms around my waist. Maybe it was a hero complex—maybe the attachment we’d formed had been born from that alone. “I understand you think you need me, but you don’t. It’s not healthy to feel that way about someone. In a lot of traumatic experiences, people form a special bond. But it’s easy to perceive that shared empathy as love. What’s between us isn’t—”
“I know how I feel.” He cut me off, his tone firm and resolute. “Just because you refuse to acknowledge it doesn’t mean it’s not true. No amount of persuasion on your part will ever convince me that I’m not in love with you. My feelings won’t change—not ever.”
“I… I think you should go.” I pulled my arms tighter against myself, afraid that I’d fly apart if I loosened my hold even the tiniest bit.
His eyes implored me to listen. “You let him plant that seed of doubt, Victoria, don’t you see? This is exactly what he wants. He wants you to doubt me, to walk away from what we have. But you know me. And deep down you know I love you—that I will always love you. The truth is, you’re afraid. You don’t want to admit you love me, too. And that’s what scares you the most.”
“No.” I shook my head. “I don’t love you.”
He pulled one hand free where it was tucked against my chest. I half-heartedly tried to pull back but surrendered, looking away to hide the mist gathering in my eyes. He placed a kiss on my palm before releasing me.
“When you finally start listening to your heart, you’ll know the truth.”
With a sad smile, Blake turned and walked out the door.