Tearing Down Walls (Love Under Construction Series Book 2) (48 page)

“What?” he asked.

“I really kissed you.” She seemed amazed.

“Yes you did. And I liked it. And I want to do it again,” he said and started all over.

Laura didn’t know what it was she was feeling, but it was heating up everything below her waist and making muscles knot up, muscles she didn’t even know she had. And she was losing her breath.
Is this what’s supposed to happen?
, she wondered,
because if it is, it’s weird, but it’s not bad.
Then she felt something pressing against her. “What’s that?” She had trouble speaking because she was so out of breath.

“Sorry, baby.” She almost laughed when his cheeks went pink. “That’s me. I’m a little excited.”

Laura’s eyes flew open. “Oh, god, I’m so sorry!” she whispered to him.

“Oh, believe me, I’m not! But I’m not going any farther than this. Not unless you want me to. And even then, I might say no. I don’t want to push you.”

“And that’s why I trust you,” Laura told him. Deep inside her, something was blooming, and she hoped it turned out to be soft and lovely. She wouldn’t trust just anyone to plant it there, only Vic.

“Let’s have some dinner. And then,” he said, pulling her up from the bed, “maybe we can go out to the den and make out like we’re fifteen. Sound good?”

“Sounds good to me!” she laughed. “But we don’t have any groceries. There’s nothing to cook.”

“Where’s my phone?”

“I think it’s in your car. But I’m sure it’s run down. I’ll bring it in and charge it,” Laura told him. “Why?”

“Just get your phone. Let’s order pizza. I haven’t had any in weeks, and I think it’s high time!”

Bedtime came around, and they lay side by side in Vic’s big king-size bed. He looked over at her and held out his arm, and she snuggled into his side, her face pressed against his chest.

Vic looked down at the woman curled against him. Her long, straight, dark hair fell across his arm like a waterfall, and it carried the scent of oranges and mint. Her skin wasn’t pale like Nikki’s, but it wasn’t dark either, just a warm shade that made her look like she lived where it was always summer. He remembered her chest, her breasts, her soft tummy covered with scars, and he wanted to touch them, to trace every one of them, to love them and commit them to memory like a roadmap into her heart. Her features were well-defined yet soft, and those big hazel eyes could look right through him, hate him, love him, make him feel like the scum of the earth or the luckiest man alive.

And god, he loved her ass. It was perfect, heart-shaped and just round enough, sloping down and curving back up to make the perfect crease where it met the back of her thigh. She and Nikki had the absolute best muscle definition in their arms and shoulders of any women he’d ever seen, except in body-building magazines, and yet both of them were soft and feminine. And those legs – sweet lord, he wanted to be between those long, gorgeous legs, and have them wrapped around him tight. When he could get her to smile, it was a dazzling one, wide and pink and sweet, and he dreamed about having those lips around his shaft. But Vic Cabrizzi was a patient man. He was sure it would happen. He wasn’t sure when, but it would.

“S
tokes?” Steve focused on Peyton in the security office during their weekly meeting.

“I’ve got my arrangements made with Tony’s pilot. I’m hoping I can get her to talk to me.”

“Good. Just keep us posted. You guys doing okay with Butler gone? I think she’ll be at Cabrizzi’s until his final release by his doctor.”

“Yeah, we’re good,” Doug replied, and the other three nodded in agreement. “If Jared will just keep his mouth shut,” he added, giving Jared a look that made the younger man wither. “So what’s going to happen with Vic? The women are driving us nuts wanting to know when he’ll be back.”

“I don’t know. I’m planning to go over there in a couple of days and ask him myself,” Steve said. “Our membership’s just about doubled in the female sector since he came on board, and I’d hate to lose that.”

“Is there or is there not something going on between him and Butler?” José asked. “That woman, I swear, I love her, but she’s so damn messed up that I can’t imagine there is.”

“I don’t know for sure, but I’ll find out,” Steve answered. “It’ll take the patience of Job to make that relationship happen, but if anyone can, it would be Vic.”

Vic made a conscious effort to touch Laura every chance he got. He never did it in a way that would make her afraid; he just tried to put a hand on her shoulder, brush her hand with his, stroke her hair, anything he could think of to get her used to being touched by someone. About half of the time he’d see her bristle, but sometimes she looked like she might even be enjoying it. It was hard to tell; she was hard to read. And if he had any hope of her being included in all things Walters, it had to happen. Everybody in the family was hugging, kissing, or otherwise touching somebody almost all of the time. She’d have to get used to that.

Being so close to Vic so much of the time was harder for Laura than she’d imagined. She was afraid of his touch and wanted it too, and it was very confusing to her. Sometimes when he wasn’t looking she stared at him, the way he moved, the shape of his body, his muscles moving under his skin. And she was becoming very curious about what was in those tight jeans. Looking at him started up something in her that felt primitive and scary, but exciting too. She wanted him, and she was afraid to want him. The conflict was downright painful.

But, to her surprise, she loved being there with him, the way he always thanked her for anything and everything she did for him, how he pulled her chair out for her, held doors for her, opened the car door for her. As she listened to him talk about how his mother and grandmother, and then the Walters, had brought him up, it was obvious that he had the utmost respect for women. He made it clear that while he loved children, he believed a woman had the ultimate right to make decisions regarding her own body, and he held that right in high regard. Everything that would make a man attractive to a woman, including a sculpted, muscled body and a breathtaking face, Vic had. She still couldn’t believe he was almost fifty-five; he looked, at the most, forty. When she looked in the mirror, she couldn’t help but think that she looked older than he did, and she was forty-two. But Tony and at least two of his brothers were the same way, and she decided it must be a genetic thing. Lucky them.

They’d been talking about Clayton and Brittany’s little Anthony and Ella Jane, and she was surprised to see how happy and animated Vic became just from talking about them, telling her how Anthony thought Vic was some kind of superhero and Ella Jane had already announced her intentions to marry him when she got old enough. From somewhere, she wasn’t sure where, she blurted out, “So you regret that you never had kids?” She was sorry the minute the words came out; it felt awkward.

“Yeah, I do,” Vic surprised her by saying. “I wanted kids, at least one, maybe a couple. But I’m old enough now, I doubt that’ll ever happen.” He stopped, then asked, “What about you?”

Laura blushed. “I’ve never thought about it. I never thought I’d ever let a man touch me again, so that just wasn’t on the table,” she said, eyes averted.

Without missing a beat, Vic said, “Well, maybe you should think about it.” And that was all he said.

That made Laura wonder: What exactly was he thinking? What did he think was going to happen between the two of them? She didn’t even know where she wanted to go with the relationship, if that’s what they had. But when she thought about kids, she had to admit that, at least for her, it all hinged on who their father would be.

And that thought made her smile.

“So, Cabrizzi, about to get your ass off the disabled list?” Steve couldn’t have sounded more sarcastic.

“Gee, McCoy, I’m doing quite well, thanks for asking,” Vic growled at him. He knew it was all an act – Tony had told him about Steve’s visit at the hospital – but sometimes the guy got under his skin.

“Oh, yeah, how are you and all that crap. Glad we got that over with.” He turned to Laura. “And you, Butler? What the hell are you doing these days?”

She was stoic and a little gruff when she answered, “I’m busy making sure he doesn’t do anything stupid and hurt himself.” She ruffled Vic’s hair as she walked past him while he and Steve sat at the table, and the big Italian smiled and watched her glide across the room.

Uh-oh,
Steve thought as he watched them.
Yeah, I thought she was trying to pay him back for saving her ass, but it looks like there’s more to it than that.
“Are you staying here?” Laura didn’t answer. “If you’re trying to keep him straight, you’ve got a full-time job,” he told Laura, and she made a face at him. He looked back at Vic. “Well, Cabrizzi, enough of the chit-chat. I’ve got a club full of hot, beautiful, sexy women wanting to know where the action’s off to. So when do you think you’ll be back to the club?” He tried to watch Vic’s face and still catch Laura’s reaction. She turned her back to him as she stood across the room at the kitchen counter, peeling something, or more like she was trying to hack it to death.
She’s pissed!
, Steve thought, trying hard not to grin.

“You know, I haven’t given that a thought. I’ll have to get back to you on it.” Vic turned to look at Laura himself, but she kept hacking at whatever it was she was supposed to be peeling.

“By the way, there are a couple of them who keep asking about you. One’s a real looker named Miranda.” Vic’s brows shot up; Steve knew he’d have to ask about that later. “The other’s a woman who’s a newer member; she keeps asking for you. I don’t know her name, but she’s a dead ringer for the new Mrs. Walters.”

“Evie.”

“Yeah! That’s her name! I knew you’d know who I was talking about. She’s a doll, looks just like Nikki. You must’ve made quite an impression on her,” Steve said.

“Yeah, one hundred and twenty of them,” Vic said, his face falling.

“Shit! That must’ve been rugged. I feel for you – and her,” Steve said, shaking his head.

Laura took all of it in. What were they talking about? One hundred and twenty what? Laura was trying to listen without looking like she was listening.

“Well, I’m sure you had some encounters that were much more mutually satisfying. I guess you wouldn’t mind getting back to that!” Steve laughed.

“I’m not sure that’s going to happen, McCoy,” Vic growled. “We’ll just have to see.” He glanced across the room again, but Laura’s back was still turned to the two men.

“You know you’re welcome back anytime. Hell, some of them would welcome you back two and three at a time, you know?” Steve laughed again. The more he talked, the angrier Vic became.

“It’s time for me to help Laura with dinner, so I think we’re done here,” Vic said. “I’m not accustomed to asking guests to leave, but I believe this conversation is finished. So if you don’t have anything else important . . .”

“I do, but it’s for Butler.” Laura turned and stared at him. “We’ve found out that the military wasn’t ignoring you; they knew what happened to you, but they were already investigating Wagner and his higher-ups, so they just kept their mouths shut. We’re trying to get to the bottom of it. I’ll let you know if and when we find out anything.”