by Shaw, LK
Estelle jumped to her feet and took off. I followed right behind her.
“Where are—”
“Selfish—”
I whirled on her parents, the rage burning a fire through my veins. “Both of you need to shut your mouths,” I hissed. “I don’t know who the fuck you think you are, but neither of you are fit to call yourselves parents.”
Not even waiting for a reply, I spun around. Estelle was gone. Fuck. I raced to the front door and outside. Panic set in when I didn’t see her.
“Estelle?” I yelled.
I twirled a one-eighty, my heart in my throat. A shadow shifted near the building. She stepped out from her hiding spot. I sagged in relief and breathed out her name on a whisper. Her face was awash with tears that sparkled under the street lighting shining down on her. Slowly, I approached like she was a wounded animal ready to spook at the slightest movement. I stopped toe to toe with her. I reached up to wipe the wetness off her red, cold cheeks.
She flinched and avoided my gaze. “Take me home. Please.” Her voice cracked on the last.
“Este—”
“Now,” she barked out.
Goddamn her parents. I nodded. “Okay.”
I tried holding her hand, but she jerked it away. Her stride was rigid like a soldier marching in formation. The ride home was tense and silent. I wanted to talk about this but didn’t want to push. Not after what just went down back there. I’d give her time to cool off. Tomorrow was soon enough to discuss this.
Estelle dove out of the car the minute I shifted into park. Dread was heavy inside me. Tonight wasn’t supposed to go like this. She was hurting. I felt helpless, because she wouldn’t let me try and ease her pain. Instead she was shutting me out.
“You two are home…” My father’s voice trailed off when he spotted us. I shook my head.
What scared me the most was how quietly she closed the bedroom door behind her. I knocked, but she didn’t open it.
“Fuck,” I cursed under my breath. Torn with indecision, I stood outside her room for another minute. She wasn’t going to come out.
I pressed my cheek against the wood, desperate to get through to her. “We need to talk. I’ll be here when you’re ready.”
Chapter 19
I’d been staring, dry and gritty-eyed, at the cork board that decorated Ines’ bedroom wall for the past thirty minutes. Pictures of the two of us from kindergarten through college decorated it. My eyes landed on one photo in particular. It was one of Ines and me, but standing on my other side was Victor. The three of us were in our bathing suits, soaking wet, on the beach in front of the lake. The sky was the perfect shade of blue with not a cloud in sight. The sun shone so bright the water behind us sparkled like a million diamonds.
We had our arms thrown over each other’s shoulders, and we were all laughing. Like the full on belly laugh that ends with tears flowing down your cheeks. Ines and I couldn’t have been more than nine, which would have put Victor around eleven. It was so long ago, I couldn’t even remember what made us laugh that hard. But I remember everything else about that day. It was the one where my parents told me they were getting divorced. Or rather Pauline screamed at George that she was divorcing him, threw several vases across the room, and then stormed out of the house, most likely to head to the closest bar. That was the day I stopped believing in love.
Dinner had been an epic clusterfuck. I didn’t think my parents could hurt me any more than they already had, but tonight showed me otherwise. I was used to being their pawn. Their way to punish the other. But for Victor to witness it? It had been too much. I couldn’t do it anymore. It was time to end it.
Decision made, I crawled out of bed and headed down the hall. I didn’t hesitate this time. My knock on Victor’s door sounded loud in the quiet of the night. It only took seconds before the barrier between us opened. I hurtled past him, not waiting for an invitation.
“I’m done.”
“Estelle—”
“No!“ I whipped around to face him. “Let me finish.”
I needed to get this all out before I lost my courage.
He stood rigidly. “Fine.”
“For twenty-seven years I’ve lived with two people who made each other miserable. I couldn’t tell you when they started hating one another. Did it happen right after the wedding? Maybe right after I was born? I don’t know. But their hatred is all I’ve ever known. I don’t have any memories of being happy with them.”
That was the one thing that had stuck out at me while I’d stared at the cork board of pictures. In every photo, I was happy. Being around this family made me happy. They made me feel loved.
“I knew, I knew tonight was going to be awful, but I agreed to go anyway. Do you know why?”
“No.” Victor filled the silence.
“Because no matter how many times they use me, no matter how many times they hurt me, there’s still that tiny part that thinks maybe this time will be different. Maybe this time it isn’t about their hate for the other. For once in their fucking lives, maybe they’ve started to love me.” My voice cracked, but I didn’t break.
“Estelle,” Victor whispered, wrapping his arms around me. I didn’t fight it. Instead, I clutched him tight.
“They don’t love me. I don’t even think they love themselves.”
Victor was quiet. What could he say?
“It’s time to accept that nothing is going to change. So, I’m done. Completely and utterly. There aren’t going to be any more dinners. If either of them call, I won’t answer. If either drops by my house unexpectedly, I’m not home. I don’t need the constant reminder of their hatred in my life.”
I needed to look him in the eyes no matter how hard this was for me to say. Mostly because I was terrified. But I wanted to re-capture that feeling from those photos. I wanted to be happy. To be loved. Victor released me when I pulled away. I didn’t go far. The heat of his body still penetrated mine. His musky scent surrounded me. I tipped my head back to meet his gaze.
“I’m done pushing you away. I want us to work. It’s not going to be easy for me, but I’m prepared to fight for you. Even if it’s myself I’m fighting against. I care about you, and I really want to believe in love. I’m not saying we’re going to fall in love with each other, but I’m hoping you can teach me that it could be possible.”
I leaned into Victor’s caress. His hand was strong and warm against my cheek. My eyelids fluttered close. The touch of his lips feathered across mine before he deepened the kiss. I opened for him, and he swept his tongue inside. It was a kiss full of unspoken promises, but I could taste each one.
“It’s definitely possible,” he murmured against my lips. “More than possible actually.”
A kernel of hope grew in my chest. One I wanted to nurture. I breathed in his scent, getting drunk on the aroma. My body cried out for more. I slid my hands under his shirt to feel his skin against mine. Victor groaned against my mouth and his kiss turned more ferocious. I sucked in a breath at the tightening of his grip against my hips, pulling me roughly against him. His erection was hard against my belly.
I lost track of all space and time until the back of my knees hit the bed, and I toppled backwards with Victor following me. A rush of air escaped, but he swallowed it down. I couldn’t get enough of touching him. I needed more. Tugging on his shirt, I slid it up and he broke our kiss only long enough for me to slip it over his head and toss it to the side. Then he was back, biting and nibbling at my mouth.
My legs separated and Victor settled himself between my thighs rocking his pelvis against me and generating a heated friction. I dug my heels into his ass and ground myself up against him desperate for release. I blinked up at the pitch-black eyes that stared down at me. His arms caged my head, and he brushed my hair off my face.
“You’re so fucking beautiful. I remember it hitting me. You were sixteen. I looked at you, and the entire world spun off its axis. I’d seen you day in and day out for years, but on that
afternoon your radiance couldn’t be denied any longer. You knocked me off my feet, and I’ve never been the same since.”
Victor’s words settled over me like a warm, soft blanket. With us lying here like this, I felt beautiful. And powerful. I played with the ridges and valleys of his back, memorizing the feel of each muscle beneath my fingertips. The way they flexed and danced.
“Kiss me again.”
He didn’t waste a single second. Victor crashed his lips against mine and the fuse was lit. The only way tonight was going to end was with an explosion. I couldn’t wait to go up in flames. He pulled my shirt up and we separated only long enough for it to go over my head. Then he took my mouth again. Our hands couldn’t move fast enough. Clothing flew off until finally we were nothing but heated flesh against heated flesh.
Our sweat-slicked skin glided against each other. Victor’s mouth covered my breast, engulfing it with hot wetness. His hair was soft between my fingers as I pulled him closer. Lips trailed a path across my chest, and he paid homage to my other breast, showing it the same loving treatment he had the other. I wanted to touch him everywhere, but he had other plans.
Our eyes locked as he kissed his way down my body. My body trembled with each touch of his lips across my lower belly, close to where I needed him the most, but not close enough. I needed more. He knew it, because he merely smiled and nibbled every inch of my inner thighs from one to the other, but skipping over the center.
“Please,” I choked out. Sparks from the fuse danced just on the edge of dynamite.
“Please, what?” Victor’s breath whispered across my pussy. He only needed to lower his head a fraction of an inch, but instead, he waited for my answer. Torturing me as the ache inside me grew.
“I’m so close. Touch me. Kiss me. Make me explode.”
And he did. He devoured me. Lapped up the wetness that soaked me. His tongue dipped inside, drawing more liquid from my body. His teeth latched onto my clit, and I saw stars while he nibbled on the swollen nub, then soothed the sting with his tongue. Victor savored me like I was his favorite dessert.
The spark he’d ignited reached its destination, and the sonic boom of my orgasm ricocheted from my body. Spasms of pleasure ripped through me, obliterating me entirely.
Chapter 20
I couldn’t stop staring at the woman wrapped in my arms. Watching Estelle coming apart last night had been more than I’d ever dreamed. My cock twitched in remembrance of the way her mouth had closed over it. She’d wanted to return the favor. I’d come harder than I ever had before. Then she’d fallen asleep curled against my chest.
Blaring music echoed around the room. I untangled her limbs from around me and grabbed my phone off the nightstand. I shut it off and turned back around to face her. Blonde hair was mussed and tangled around her face. She had a red pillow crease line across her cheek. Neither of those mattered. She was still beautiful.
“Morning.”
“Hey.” Her voice was husky with sleep. I could wake up like this every morning for the rest of my life and I’d be happy. The sheet Estelle was using to try and keep herself covered dipped. She snatched it back up, but I’d still caught a flash of pink nipple. It was the color of cotton candy and just as sweet. My cock twitched.
“I should probably go back to my room. I need to get ready for work.”
It bothered me that she wouldn’t look me in the eye. I palmed her cheek and gently turned her head toward me. “Talk to me. What’s going on inside that head of yours? Are you having regrets this morning?”
My gut clenched at the thought. I really thought we’d reached a turning point last night. Was Estelle having second thoughts now that reality had shown up?
“No, I don’t regret it at all.”
I sagged in relief. That was all I cared about. The rest we could work out. “So, why won’t you look at me?”
Her lids closed for a flash before her gaze locked on mine again. “I’ve just never woken up in bed with a man before. They always left before morning. It was…weird. Not in a bad way. Just different. I wasn’t sure how to act.”
Red flashed behind my eyes at the thought of any man in Estelle’s bed. Touching her. Kissing her. Inside her. She was mine. No one else was going to touch her. Ever. She’d figure it out soon enough.
“This is me. You don’t ever have to be anyone but yourself. It doesn’t matter if you’re knocking me down a few pegs with your strength and attitude or I’m balls deep inside you.”
Her entire chest and face flushed. Still, she smiled. “Wow, you sure know how to romance a lady.”
I shot her my cheekiest grin. “I do my best work naked.”
Her gaze traveled down my body. The sheet covering my lower half shifted. Her eyes met mine again. “That you do.”
Needing to taste her one more time, I grasped her neck and pulled her to me. My mouth fastened to hers and we kissed until both of us were breathless. I dropped a final peck on her lips before patting her hip.
“Come on, we got to get up and get you to work.”
Without regard to my nakedness, I climbed out of bed. I heard her moving around while I grabbed clean clothes from my closet and slid on a pair of boxer briefs. I happened a glance over my shoulder and chuckled at her gathering up the clothes I tore off her last night with her naked body wrapped in a sheet. Apparently, Bubbles was modest. It was cute. With her clothes in her arms, I walked her to the door planting one more kiss before opening it. Neither of us had taken two steps before coming to an abrupt halt.
“Oh god,” Estelle choked out on a whisper.
“Buenos días, Victor. Estelle.” My father focused everywhere but on the half-naked woman next to me. “I was just coming up to make sure you were okay after last night. You came home distressed and didn’t eat dinner. I made you breakfast whenever you’re ready.”
He quickly pivoted and bolted back down the stairs. His expression was best described as horrified. I couldn’t help laughing, because Estelle’s matched his perfectly.
“Stop laughing, asshole. I’m not going downstairs ever again. I’m locking myself in Ines’ room and never coming out. How am I expected to ever look at Ernesto again?”
I swiped a tear from my eye. “You should have seen both of your faces.”
My arm stung where she slapped me. I rubbed the pain out as she huffed and strode angrily away. The fact that her ass was on full display where the sheet gaped open in the back was one I kept to myself. She wouldn’t appreciate the humor. Which was confirmed by the door slamming behind her. I loved her fire. My mind stuttered over the L-word.
Tabling the thought, I quickly washed up in the bathroom before throwing on my clothes and heading downstairs. It was going to be fun to watch my dad squirm when Estelle walked in. He wasn’t necessarily old fashioned, but he preferred to not know about his children’s sex lives.
“Morning, papá.”
His eyes darted to the empty space behind me. He let down his guard. “Estelle is still upstairs?”
My stomach rumbled at the sight of the food I piled on my plate. “Yes, sir. She’s getting ready for work. I’m not sure if she’ll be down to eat. My guess is she’s going to hightail it straight out to the car when it’s time to leave.”
“If I had known where Estelle spent the night, I most definitely would not have stepped foot upstairs. I’m sorry I embarrassed her.”
The whole episode was a new experience for us all. He’d never caught a woman leaving my room before. I wasn’t sure if the awkwardness was in general or if it was because it was Estelle specifically. Either way, eventually it would all smooth over.
“I’ll talk to her. We’ll all just ignore it and never speak of it again.”
He nodded. “That’s probably for the best.”
It didn’t surprise me to see Estelle come into the kitchen no matter how much she protested she wouldn’t. Her courage knew no limits. She straightened her spine and pasted a smile on her face.
“Good morning.
”
She made straight for the plates and fixed herself one.
“Morning, mi burbujita.”
Estelle relaxed at the nickname. Her fingertips loosened their grip on the plate she carried. Based on how hard she’d been clutching it, I was surprised it hadn’t shattered. Her stride slowed as she walked to the table to sit down. She should have known that nothing could make my father treat her any differently than he always had. He loved her like his own daughter.
Once we’d all finished eating, we followed our same routine. I gave her a ride to work and then spent the entire day thinking about her until it was time to pick her up again.
Chapter 21
“Happy birthday, beautiful.”
The kiss to the nape of my neck startled me for a second before I leaned back into Victor's embrace. The feelings this man gave me. They were like nothing else. He made me feel protected. Safe. Cherished. Like we could conquer the world together. Then my brain processed his words. I spun in his arms. “Wait, how’d you know it was today?”
The dinner from hell was supposed to have allegedly celebrated it, but I had no idea Victor knew the exact date. He pulled me close, and his musky scent enveloped us.
“I’ll admit I cheated and pulled up your information at work.”
I should be pissed, or at least weirded out, that he used his position with the police to look me up. Instead warmth spread through me that he actually cared enough to find out in order to make me feel special. Another crack began in the wall I’d built around my heart. Each day that passed only further deconstructed this belief system I’d been hanging on to the last eighteen years. The one that said love only caused pain and heartache. Love only lead people down a path of destruction.
With each gesture, Victor was forging a new path for me to travel. I was still treading lightly in this unknown territory. Every day though, my footsteps grew more confident in the direction they were taking me. I could only continue moving forward, hoping I wasn’t led astray.
