by Nelson, Cara
“You feel good,” she muttered.
“You feel perfect,” he said.
Pulling back, she stared into his eyes. “Don’t stop.”
“Don’t plan to.” He bent down and kissed her skin, his lips brushing over her, his hands warm and strong.
She savored each kiss and every caress. He removed the rest of her clothes, and she fumbled to get his jeans off him. When she had him naked, she rolled with him until he lay under her. He scooted down so he could lick her stiff nipples. He sucked on one, sending tingles of need through her. She threw her head back. He cupped her breast and squeezed ever so gently.
She let out a moan. “Oh…”
“Too much?” he asked.
She looked down at him. “I’ll tell you when.”
Grinning, he turned, sliding her back underneath him. He pushed her arms up and captured her legs with his. She bucked under him and spread her legs wide.
“Now…please,” she muttered.
He pushed in. A moan of ecstasy escaped her lips. Groaning, she wrapped her legs around him. She needed to be as close to him as possible—it overtook all her senses. He stroked in and out, and she matched him, her rhythm in tune with his. The momentum built slowly, and she climbed higher and higher with each move until she teetered on the edge of infinity. The yearning for a release started in her gut, curled its way up, until she was only a trembling mass. She wanted—no, needed—that wave of pure pleasure that would free her.
Freeing her hands, she put them on his shoulders and gripped hard, urging him on. She dug her nails into his flesh, demanding more. When he captured her lips again, she kissed back with the passion of a starved woman. His hot breath brushed against her mouth, and he seemed as greedy for more as she was. The storm crashed through her, cresting and falling. She screamed his name as the orgasm rippled through her. Her toes curled and she gasped for breath.
“Tori!” he whispered her name and filled her with heat. She thought she heard him say something more, but she couldn’t catch the words—her mind had gone blank. He collapsed on her, a welcome weight and she held him there, her fingers splayed wide across his broad, warm back.
“That…that was exceptional.”
He gave a chuckle. “Amazing? Significant?”
“Okay, don’t overdo it.”
“Admit it—I’m not just an accomplished lover, but I am the best.”
“I’ll bet you say that to all the girls.”
He lifted up and stared down at her, his expression serious. “No. I don’t.”
She touched his cheek. “It’s not like this with every woman you’ve ever been with.”
“How could it be—you’re special.”
Throat tight, she longed to ask him if that really mean something. But she was worried he’d become flippant—good old Trent again. He rolled off her and pulled her close, his eyes closing and his breath evening out and deepening. He had to be exhausted. Turning, she rested her head on his shoulders.
Her questions could wait. They both needed some well-deserved rest. And no matter what happened, she’d gone into this with her eyes wide open. She’d wanted this. She’d deal with whatever came next—and she’d fight to keep his friendship, no matter what.
Somehow she slept. She woke to find Trent gone and most of the day gone as well. Glancing at the clock she saw she’d slept until almost eleven. Had Trent gone back to the hospital or to the office? She wandered into the kitchen and found a note on the coffee pot.
Off to office. Called the hospital. Tom’s doing well. Missing you already, Trent.
Clutching the note to her chest, she did a quick dance. Last night had been wonderful. Sure, they had a few issues to sort out. But Trent could raise a baby without being in a relationship with the mom. She would support him in every way that she possibly could. And if she…
Her brain stalled.
How could she think about having a relationship when she wasn’t even able to find a job right now? Trent might love her—and she might love him, but what would happen if she couldn’t find work? Would she become bitter? Would they fight over money? She bit her lip. She had to stop that—Trent would say take it one day at a time. Live for the moment.
She’d wasted so many years battling her feelings, she was not going to keep doing that.
Trent was hers. And she would make this relationship work. As she ate breakfast, Victoria made plans for their future. She kept trying to stop it, but it was a hard habit to break. She figured that after a few months, she might ask him to move in with her. They knew each other pretty well, so the dating phase didn’t have to last long.
But would Trent be willing to move at such a fast speed?
Of course, she didn’t want to push him. Clutching her head, she muttered, “Stop it. Stop!”
Her cell phone rang, and she grabbed it, hoping it was Trent.
Instead, Peter, her ex-boss’ gruff voice came over the line. “Victoria, it’s Peter. Can you come into office at one today?”
“Sure. I’ll be there. What’s this about?”
“We need to talk.” He hung up before she could ask anything else. She stared at the phone. Why would he call her in? Was he going to apologize? If Trent was at work that must mean he’d managed to clear her name. Definitely the best thing to happen to her in a long time! Second best, actually. And if she’d never gone through this, she might never have gotten together with Trent.
Perhaps this was destined.
She changed, taking special care to dress in her best, red power suit. After applying makeup, she tied her hair in a neat chignon, picked up her purse, and marched out of the door. She’d get her job back and she could stop worrying about the future.
She couldn’t wait to find out who really had been stealing the files. She wasn’t sure she’d ever be able to confront them, but if she did get that chance, she was going to verbally tear that person apart. As she rode the subway, she rehearsed her speech for Peter. Magnanimously, she would forgive him for doubting her. Dignified and respectful, she would not accept her old job, but would ask for the company to recognize her contributions with a promotion. They’d have no choice but to take her back or face a wrongful termination lawsuit—she’d hint at that. She would show she could be strong and subtle. Peter would be impressed.
When she entered the office, the silence that fell lifted the hairs on the back of her neck. She could feel the stares follow her into Peter’s office, but she kept her chin up and her eyes straight ahead. Soon everyone would know she’d been cleared and the real culprit had been caught.
Stopping at Peter’s door, one glance at his face made her pause. He glanced up, his mouth set, his jaw tight, and his eyes hard. Terror iced her hands and face. That wasn’t the face of someone about to deliver an apology. The look in his eyes clearly said he was ready to drop the ax on someone. That someone was her.
Chapter Nine
With her heart pounding, she took a seat opposite Peter. Sweat dampened her palms. She clutched her purse as if it was a lifesaver. All the plans she’d made on the way here evaporated.
What now? She could only pray that it wasn’t as bad as it looked.
Peter didn’t say anything for a long time. She couldn’t bear the suspense. “You called me in?”
Picking up a paper—what is it with him and papers!—he dropped it in front of her. It fluttered back to his desk. “This is a copy of an email that Rose and her team unearthed this morning. It was buried in the deleted files but Rose brought in an expert who managed to retrieve it.”
She glanced at the paper. Words swam in front of her eyes. She couldn’t read it. “What is it?” She croaked out the words.
“You should know. You wrote it. To Soma. And told them your fees for the files you’d stolen from TerraDyn.”
Her hands trembled as she picked up the paper. Victoria read the words but they made no sense. The digital signature was hers as was the email address. But she hadn’t written this. Why couldn’t they
see that someone was deliberately framing her? She looked at her former boss. Stomach churning, she shook her head. “I never did anything like this, Peter. You have to believe me. You have the wrong person!”
He curled his upper lip. “This new evidence means TerraDyn is going to press charges.”
She stood up. “What—you want me to admit to a crime that I didn’t commit? Beg you for mercy. Well, forget that. I’m going to fight. And when I’m done, you’re going to be the ones begging me to forgive you!”
His lips lifted in a sardonic smile. “If that is how you want to play it, that’s how we’ll do this. You can expect the police to show up at your door later today.”
“No!” The word tore out of her. “No!”
She leaned her fists on his desk. “I’ve been framed.”
He steepled his fingers together. “Really? By whom?”
Tears sprang to her eyes. “I don’t know.”
Peter stood up and buttoned his suit coat. “In that case, there’s nothing much left to say.”
She pressed her lips tight. She couldn’t think of anything to say that would sway him. Picking up the copy of the email, she left. Tears burned hot in the back of her eyes and threatened to slip out, but she held her chin high and kept going. When she neared Trent’s office, she slowed. Did she dare talk to him about this now? If Peter found out that Trent was helping her, he’d probably fire Trent, too. But Trent needed to see this new email.
Before she could decide, Jason strolled over. He glanced over his shoulder and then said. “He’s out.”
She nodded. “Tell him I dropped by. I’ll call him.”
“Sure. But, uh, I think he went to meet his ex.” He made a face. “Not cool, hun, but that girl is a looker. I can see how she keeps Trent coming back for more. My advice—don’t expect too much from Trent.”
Her skin chilled, but Victoria clenched her fists and kept a tight control on her emotions as she strode out of the office. It was only after she emerged from the building that she allowed the tears to slide down her cheeks. She walked without any idea where she was going. Finally, she stopped at an outdoor café and sat down.
Why hadn’t he told her he was meeting Cynthia? He could have texted or called. Was there more to his relationship with Cynthia than she knew? Was it possible that he was juggling her and another woman? But Trent had always been a one-woman guy—sure there’d been a lot of them, but he’d never had more than one girlfriend at a time. And last night—no, he hadn’t faked that.
Of course, it was possible that Jason was just trying to get reaction out of her—or he was getting back at Trent for telling her that Jason was married. Angry, she shoved the papers in the purse, dug out her phone, and called Trent. He didn’t pick up so she left a stumbling message for him to call her.
Pulling out the email, she read it again. Whoever had sent it was good. If she’d been given this evidence and had it point against someone else, she would have accepted it at face value, too. There was nothing to indicate that this wasn’t the real deal.
But what about when this had been sent—and if she could get the original email, she could expand the information to see if this had been sent from her laptop or another computer.
The waiter came over and asked for her order.
She realized she couldn’t eat, and didn’t want a drink. She pulled out a tip, left it, and walked out of the café.
When she reached her apartment, she saw Bob lounging near the front door. A small shock rippled through her. She’d completely forgotten about their dinner date. But that was supposed to be tonight, and she was meeting him. What was he doing here in the afternoon?
In no mood to entertain him, she snapped, “What do you want?”
“I was in the vicinity and dropped over to give you this.” He pulled out a bouquet of roses from behind his back. “And to be honest, I couldn’t wait to see you.”
Victoria glanced at the vivid red buds. She couldn’t smell any scent from them and some of the petals seemed touched with brown wilt. She shivered. She couldn't go through with this date, not after the news she’d received and certainly not when she’d just slept with another man. “Bob, I am sorry but I have to cancel.”
He scowled, and then smiled. “Oh, come on, babe. Headache?”
“You wouldn’t believe how big a one. There is a lot going on in my life right now and I can’t deal with anything else for the moment.”
He put an arm around her shoulders, but she shook it off. Eyes narrowing, he stared at her. “What problems? Tell me everything. I’ll handle it.”
As if! He couldn’t do anything about her current situation, and she certainly didn’t want to discuss it with him. Suddenly, she couldn’t go through with this charade. She couldn’t pretend to like Bob when their relationship was long dead.
Digging into her purse, she took out her apartment key. “It’s got nothing to do with you, Bob.”
“If it has to do with you, it has something to do with me.”
She faced off with him. Since he wasn’t taking subtle hints, she would have to spell it out. “We don’t have a future together, Bob. There is no you and me. There’s nothing. That’s what I tried to tell you last time, but you just don’t want to understand anything.”
“What’s gotten into you all of a sudden?”
She shook her head. “Listen, Bob. There’s someone else in my life right now.”
He folded his arms, tucking the roses under one arm. “I don’t believe you.”
“Excuse me?” She raised an eyebrow. “This is not about you believing anything, and what—do you think no other man would have me?” She raised a hand. “You choose to believe whatever you want. Let me just lay it straight out—I don’t want to go out with you today, tomorrow, or any day of my life. We are over. End. Period. Done.”
He banged a hand on her door, making her jump. “You don’t mean that.”
“I do.” Scared as she was of his temper, she stood her ground. It was time to make her intentions clear. She wasn’t tolerating his anymore, and she wasn’t a child he could intimidate and force to do his bidding.
Leaning in, he spat out the words. “I am going to make myself very clear. You belong with me. And any man who comes in between us is going to get the beating of his life. You got that?”
Mrs. Anderson’s door opened. “What’s going on out here? Do I need to call the police?”
Bob threw the roses down on the hall carpet and ground a heel on the petals, scattering them like splattered blood. “I’ll be back. For dinner. So you get dressed and get your head straight. We’re not done.”
Turning he headed for the elevator. Mrs. Anderson poked her head out. “Should I call the police?”
“Thank you, but I don’t think that’s necessary.” She watched Bob leave, and unlocked her apartment with shaking hands. She wouldn’t put it past Bob to try and beat up Trent if he found out she was dating him. But she’d get to that problem when the time came. For now, she had other worries—like when would the cops come to arrest her for corporate espionage. Was that even a crime?
She dumped her purse and keys on the kitchen counter, walked over to the couch and sat down. Her life couldn’t be in a worse state. Her five year plan was a disaster. She didn’t have a baby or a job. The guy she liked was missing in action. Remembering Tom, she placed a call to the hospital. They wouldn’t tell her anything—she wasn’t family and the nurse she tried to talk to got huffy and hung up on her.
Changing into her yoga clothes, she lost herself in exercise. At least she’d look good in her mug shot, and it almost kept her mind off her problems. It also let her vent her physical frustrations.
Ever since she could remember, she’d lived her life according to a set plan. Now, she didn’t have one. She didn’t want to flit from moment to moment like Trent, but it was clear that her scheme to organize her life wasn’t working anymore. Her old ideas had taken a beating, and she needed a new approach to put her life back togethe
r.
As she changed from one yoga pose to another, her mind cleared and new thoughts began to appear. She grabbed a shower, changed into jeans and a casual shirt, and picked up her cell phone. It was time to call Cynthia.
-----
Trent sat opposite Cynthia in the small café where she’d insisted he had to meet her. When he’d gotten the call from her, he hadn’t wanted to put her off, despite the fact that he couldn’t be more swamped. He didn’t want to delay this discussion. Last night with Victoria had really opened his eyes. He knew in a way he never had before just what he wanted.
Cynthia turned her cup of coffee in its saucer. “Sorry, I’ve been so busy. It’s been hectic. I changed apartments, and then there was all this decorating, and you know.” She waved a hand. Her dark hair gleamed as she pushed it back from her face.
Once he would have found the move enticing. Now a jab of annoyance tugged at him. “Can we just get to the point?”
She fluttered her eyelashes. “I hope you’ve given some thought to our situation.”
“Well, of course. And I want to be an involved father. That means being there for the birth, the feedings, pick and drop from school, park visits—everything.”
A smile bloomed. She put her hand on his. “That’s wonderful, Trent. I am so glad we’re on the same page. I want this child to grow up with two parents. And I know we’ll make an amazing team.”
“Whoa—slow down there, Tonto. Team?”
“Well, how else can you raise a child?”
He pulled his hand out from under hers. Something wasn’t right here. He glanced at her coffee and then leaned his elbows on the table. “Have you told your parents?”
She flushed and looked away. Twirling a strand of hair around her finger, she shook her head “No, actually. Not yet. There’s so many things that can go wrong early, you know.”
A little surprised, Trent leaned back. Cynthia belonged to an extremely close knit family—he’d met them. Her parents lived in the city and her brother worked in the Stock Exchange. It was hard to believe she wouldn’t have gone running to them first. He knew her father had never approved of her dating Trent—dad had made that more than clear the two times they’d met. This wouldn’t come as a happy surprise to anyone of them, so maybe that was why she was wary.
