Rumors: Megan & Vinnie

by Rachael Brownell

  Yeah, he definitely knows.

  “You know what. Say it,” I persist.

  “You first.”

  Another step from each of us, the passion inside me fueled. My heart beating so loudly in my chest it’s echoing in my ears.

  “You started this.” Raising my eyebrow in challenge doesn’t faze him.

  “Me?” he says, raising his voice a few octaves and feigning innocence.

  One final step and we are standing toe to toe. Looking up, he’s still grinning at me, and when our eyes connect, it feels like I’m looking at him for the first time. I see the love he has for me. I feel it down in my soul.

  “I don’t start things,” Vinnie begins, placing a hand on either side of my face. “I know how to finish them, though.”

  “So you didn’t stalk me at the wedding. Beg me to get in your car. Convince me to let you come inside the house that night?”

  “Um…” he stutters. “Well, yeah, but that doesn’t mean I started this. You’re the one who wore that dress that had me wanting you the moment I laid eyes on you.”

  “You’re blaming my dress?”

  “Are you buying it?”

  “Nope. But if that’s your story…”

  Letting my voice trail off, I focus my attention on the way he’s looking at me. The heat between us is rising. I can feel the tension building. If one of us doesn’t break and confess soon, we’re going to end up in bed before our conversation is over.

  Shrugging his shoulders, Vinnie leans down and whispers in my ear. “It’s not the reason I fell in love with you, but it is the reason I noticed you. The way it hugged your hips, dipped low in the front, teasing me with a glimpse of cleavage. You knew what you were doing when you put on that dress.”

  Thank Fuck!

  “So, you do love me?” I reply, my voice barely above a whisper. The words scare the shit out of me. There’s only one other man I’ve ever felt this way for.

  I destroyed that. Epically.

  I don’t want to ruin this.

  “I think I’ve loved you since the first moment I saw you. The mystery woman across the room. The same woman who wanted nothing to do with me, who made me work to get her to talk to me. You had me the moment you told me about Ryder, about what happened. You were honest with me. Things were clear, transparent. It was sexy as fuck, your blatant honesty.

  “You make me a better man. You make me want things in life that I never knew I wanted before. Roots. A family. A wife. So, yes. I do love you, Megan Marie Dixon. I want to marry you someday. I want a life with you. I want everything as long as you’re standing next to me.”

  Wife.

  Marriage.

  Family.

  Roots.

  So many little words. So much meaning behind each of them. String them together and you have a future as bright as the afternoon sun shining off the lake. Blinding.

  Things I had, broke, and never thought I would get the opportunity to have again.

  And here he is, offering them all to me on a silver platter. Only a month after meeting.

  The smart, simple thing to do would be to push him away. Run. Fast and far. Let the fear take over.

  It’s too soon.

  I’m not good enough. He deserves better.

  There’s no way this can work.

  Thank God my heart is in control right now. Because as much as his words and confession scare me, the only place my heart wants to run in straight into his arms.

  People will think we’re moving too fast. Hell, I think we’re kind of crazy. At the end of the day, none of that matters. As long as we’re happy, it doesn’t matter if we’ve known each other for three years or three weeks. Love makes its own timeline.

  “I love you too, Vincent Adam Redding.”

  “Aw, really? That’s cute,” he teases before pulling me close and gently making love to my mouth.

  Soon his lips begin to travel a path they know well. Down the curve of my neck, into the tiny crevice between my breasts. That’s when he’s met with his first obstacle. My shirt.

  Making quick work of it, he pops each button, one flinging off in the process, before reaching around and unhooking my bra. The feel of his warm hands against my back causes a shiver to run up my spine as he latches onto my left breast. Leaning into his mouth, I let out a moan, causing Vinnie to work faster, and allow myself to teeter dangerously close to the edge.

  My pants are thrown over his shoulder as we make our way to the bed, our lips connected the entire way. When I fall back on the mattress, I bounce slightly, my head thumping against his as he crawls on top of me. A giggle escapes my lips before Vinnie silences it with a kiss.

  Attempting to blindly work at the buttons on his shirt, he disconnects our lips momentarily as he pulls it over his head. His belt is my next conquest, my need to be closer to him growing by the second. He has far too much clothing on to be in bed. I’m lying beneath him in nothing but my underwear, and he’s dressed from the waist down.

  We need to remedy this. Stat. Before I fall over the edge from just his touch. From the memory of the words we shared minutes ago. Knowing he loves me is one thing. Now, I want to feel it. To feel him inside me as he says it again.

  Pushing him off me, I roll on top of him and take control. His belt and pants are undone in seconds now that I can see what I’m doing. Pulling them down, I attempt to snag his boxers in the process. That’s when I notice he’s not wearing any.

  “Did you forget to put on undies this morning?” I tease as I crawl down his body, taking his pants with me.

  Vinnie props himself up on his elbows, watching my every move.

  “Nope.”

  “Going commando today?”

  “Is that a problem?”

  “Only if you get hard in the middle of the day. You’d have a difficult time hiding this,” I say as I take hold of him, eliciting a groan. “What about the way you were sexting me from the office?” One long stroke, another groan, and he still hasn’t answered me. His eyes are closed, and his head is tilted back. “Were you commando that day? Did you have to hide behind your desk?”

  “No, that’s why I don’t wear underwear anymore.”

  Stopping my movements, I crawl on top of him and grind against him. Once. Twice. Waiting for him to explain in greater detail what he means.

  “You’re killing me, Meg. Please.”

  “Why don’t you wear underwear anymore?”

  “Because I was so hard that day I had to relieve the pressure, and they were in the way.”

  Holy shit!

  He spanked it. At the office. Because of my text messages.

  I don’t know whether to take that as a compliment or not.

  Vinnie grips my hips and grinds me against him, taking control of my body. This time, when he bumps against my core, I don’t jump off him. Instead, I press against him, the tip sliding inside me, as we moan in unison.

  “I need to grab a condom before this goes any farther,” he says, reaching blindly in the drawer of the nightstand. As he slides it on, his eyes find mine, and a naughty grin begins to spread across his face. “One day, I’ll take you, but not today. Today I’m not going to be able to hold back. I need to show you how much I love you.”

  Rolling me onto my back, Vinnie makes good on his promise. He shows me exactly how much he loves me. He shouts it over and over again. So do I. I can’t stop myself. I’ve fallen over the edge I’ve been teetering on for the last year. Afraid to fly.

  But that’s what I’m doing right now.

  Flying high.

  Chapter Nineteen

  Lying in Vinnie’s bed, staring up at his ceiling, I can’t help but smile. I probably look like a goon with the enormous grin on my face, but I’m his goon. My heart belongs to Vinnie, and as hard as it was to admit that to myself, all I can feel is thankful right now.

  Thankful he stalked me. That he didn’t give up when I attempted to brush him off. That he didn’t run scared when I told him about the situa
tion with Ryder. Mostly, I’m thankful he’s strong enough to love someone as broken as I was when we first met.

  If he hadn’t been, I wouldn’t feel as whole as I do right now.

  All the pieces of my life are falling into place, and for the first time in a long time, I’m truly happy.

  “What are you thinking about right now?” Vinnie asks, kissing the top of my head.

  “How happy you make me.”

  “I like the sound of that. What about food? Are you thinking about food?”

  My stomach growls in appreciation of the thought. “I could eat.”

  “Good, because I’m starving, and for some reason, I’m craving a hot dog.”

  Rolling my eyes, I prop myself up so I’m looking down at him. “You do realize that Amara would never forgive us if we go without her again.”

  “I know. Why don’t you see if we can take her to dinner? Ryder won’t mind, will he?”

  Only one way to find out.

  ME: Hey, do you mind if we steal Amara for dinner?

  RYDER: I promised her I’d take her for hot dogs tonight.

  Vinnie reads Ryder’s text over my shoulder and starts laughing.

  “That girl has a one-track mind, doesn’t she? Don’t get me wrong, the hot dogs are good, but they’re still just hot dogs,” he says, rolling off the bed, giving me a view of his toned ass as he walks into the bathroom.

  “It’s her favorite place.”

  “Why don’t you see if we can join them,” he suggests, peeking his head out the door.

  “What? All of us have dinner together?”

  As much as things have settled down, especially after talking with Ryder today, it still feels weird to even think about having dinner with my ex-husband and his new girlfriend. Not that we all don’t know each other.

  “It can’t hurt to ask. Plus, it’s going to have to happen eventually. All of us together in one room. Might as well be in public the first time.”

  He has a valid point. My only concern is Emerson. We’re not exactly friends. She’s tried, and I’ve been a huge bitch to her. I guess this would give me the opportunity to apologize to her.

  ME: Mind if we join you? If Emerson doesn’t care.

  RYDER: Sure. Thirty minutes?

  ME: See you then.

  He said yes without hesitation. That alone surprises me. Maybe this is the start of a new beginning for us. One where the hatred is left behind and we can co-exist. I’d love to think we could be friends again one day, but that seems far-fetched. One step at a time. One day at a time.

  Although, hearing that Jen left Jared when he confessed what happened… that felt like monumental progress for us. Probably because a part of me put that mistake behind me and another part of me realized that I never would have been able to do that without Ryder’s help.

  “We’re meeting them in thirty,” I announce, popping out of bed and snagging my clothes off the floor. My very wrinkled clothes that have been tossed in every direction.

  Amara is taking a huge bite out of her hot dog when we walk in. The moment she sees me, she drops it on her plate and shoots out of her chair, running straight into my arms. I lift her, hugging her tightly to me.

  God, I missed her. One day or one hour and I miss my princess.

  “Mama!”

  “Hey, baby girl. How’s your hot dog?”

  “So good. You should get one too,” she suggests.

  “What if I want two?”

  “No, Mama. Only one.”

  “What about me? Can I get a hot dog?” Vinnie asks from behind me.

  I feel Amara nod against my shoulder before releasing me, sliding down to the floor.

  “Come on,” she says, taking Vinnie’s hand and pulling him to the counter.

  For being the middle of dinner time, the restaurant is fairly empty. Aside from us, there are only a few other people here. Fine by me. Less of a wait for our food and my stomach hasn’t stopped screaming since Vinnie mentioned he was hungry.

  Amara explains the menu to Vinnie, and he orders what she suggests along with a few other things. As we make our way to the table, Ryder stands and grabs another chair, pulling it up next to where Amara is sitting.

  Ryder and Vinnie shake hands while Emerson smiles and nods in my direction. Either she’s uncomfortable or something else is going on. Did Ryder not tell her we were coming? I specifically mentioned Emerson in my text so she wasn’t caught off guard.

  Has he even told her that we spoke earlier? That we cleared the air?

  She seemed fine after drinks last night. Like she understood what happened. Maybe she hasn’t forgiven me. Not that I need her forgiveness. Everything happened before she was even involved with Ryder. Before she even worked for him.

  Amara talks Vinnie’s ear off for a few minutes while shoving her hot dog in her mouth, telling him all about school and the new doll Ryder bought her. She has Vinnie’s full attention, and the rest of us are watching in awe as my little girl bonds with my boyfriend.

  It melts my heart. The way he laughs at her jokes even though they’re not funny. The way she shares her fries with him, insisting that he eats them even though he has some of his own.

  You would think Vinnie had kids of his own the way he is around Amara. Or maybe it’s just the fact that she captures your attention and holds on to it. She’s not demanding about it most of the time. It’s purely innocent, and she’s a sweet girl, but still, she’s only six. She shouldn’t be able to hold a conversation with an adult like she does.

  Amara starts dancing in her seat, a clear sign she needs to use the restroom. Emerson offers to take her, giving Vinnie and Ryder an opportunity to talk shop. There’s a lot of changes happening at Dixon right now. With Vinnie joining the team, Herman retiring, and Hunter taking the reins, there’s been a huge structural shift. Vinnie seems to be fitting in nicely from what he says, but he also tries not to talk about work much.

  “Did you get everything settled for the Melman account?” Ryder asks as Vinnie takes a huge bite of his hot dog.

  He nods as he chews, but Ryder’s waiting for more. As soon as he swallows, he elaborates, realizing that Ryder wants details. “Yeah. They’re happy with the proposal I put together. They should be contacting you in the next few days to discuss options for moving forward. I got the impression they wanted to go big. As big as possible. I told them they needed to get with Emerson if that was the case.”

  Emerson perks up at the mention of her name as she helps Amara back into her chair.

  “How big are we talking?” Ryder asks.

  “His exact words were ‘elaborate and grand’ as he signed the contract. I’m guessing he wants to stomp out the competition before they see him coming.”

  “Melman? Why do I know that name?” Emerson asks, sliding back into her seat. I’ve seen her moving food around on her plate, but I have yet to see her eat anything. Something’s on her mind, and I can only imagine it has to do with me.

  “What’s the first place you think of if I were to say home security?” Vinnie asks her.

  “That’s why I know that name,” she announces rather loudly.

  “Yep. Part of getting them in the office was signing on with them as a customer,” Ryder explains. “Their system is top notch, but most people are afraid to change systems because of the unknown. We need to find a way to get their name out there and show people how innovative their technology is. It surpasses any system I’ve ever used, but it’s easier to navigate. Both key factors when people consider changing.”

  Emerson chews on the inside of her cheek while Vinnie and Ryder toss around ideas as to which direction to take the campaign. I’ve heard Ryder and his brothers have this same discussion over dinner time and time again. Different clients. Different dilemmas. They always come up with a great solution and make it a slam dunk.

  I pray, with this being what sounds like Vinnie’s first secured client, it turns out the same.

  “I got it!” Emerson screams, clapping
her hands in delight like a teenager. Amara, who’s easily excited, mimics her actions and squeals. “Justine and I have been looking for the perfect client to host our next event.”

  “What did you have in mind?” Vinnie asks, leaning forward, intrigued by Emerson’s idea.

  “All we need is a place to host. It has to be somewhere they can demonstrate how the system works,” she replies, eying Ryder to gauge his reaction. We’re all looking at him, waiting for him to respond.

  “What about my place?” Vinnie suggests.

  “Your place?” Ryder and I ask in unison.

  “Well, yeah. I’ll have to ask my landlords, but I don’t see why they wouldn’t want a security system installed. It would add value to the house, and if they don’t have to foot the bill…”

  “And who do you expect to pay for it?” Ryder questions, snagging a fry off Amara’s plate.

  “Melman. Think about this. I live in a huge community. That’s a lot of potential clients for them to reach in one afternoon. Dixon can host a block party, and Melman can demonstrate the install and how the system works.”

  Ryder thinks it over for a few minutes before reaching for his phone and texting Hunter. He’s willing to put the idea out there, and as long as Hunter and Melman are on board, he’ll back the project.

  Emerson and I clear the trash from the table while the guys take a phone call from Hunter. I can feel her eyes on me as we pick up used napkins and empty baskets. As soon as Amara runs them to the trash, she finally says what’s on her mind.

  “I heard you and Ryder had a good talk today.”

  “We did.”

  “I’m glad. I was hoping you’d talk to him directly. I told him last night after we got home, but I think it was important for him to hear the truth from you.”

  The truth. I like the sound of that. Especially the part where she believes me. I’m not sure why it feels important right now, but it does.

  “Me too.” I pause, waiting for her to continue, and that’s when I notice her slight shift in demeanor. Her lack of eye contact. She keeps looking over her shoulder to where the guys are standing and talking outside the front window. Amara is running through the open door to join them, jumping into her daddy’s arms. “Is there something else, Emerson?”