Unbridled Pursuit (Novak Springs Book 2) (11 page)

Vitoria walked into the house and deposited her suitcase next to the door. She didn’t know where Ginnifer was, but it shouldn’t take her long to find her. Generally she would be busy working on some freelance article in the late morning while her fiancé, Dallas, completed chores around the ranch. Knowing her best friend, the kitchen would probably be the best place to locate her. Ginnifer loved coffee and didn’t like to be too far away from her next fix. Vitoria pushed open the door and found her sitting at the table with an orange mug cradled in her hands. She looked up as Vitoria strolled into the room.

“I thought you’d never get here.”

“I see you’re still as impatient as ever.” Vitoria rolled her eyes. “You talked to me forty-five minutes ago.”

“Yeah, but I had to talk to you about something. I didn’t want to do it over the phone.”

“Well I’m here now, what’s on your mind?”

“Do you want something to drink?” Ginnifer asked.

“Really?” Vitoria raised her eyebrow. “You’ve been going insane waiting for me to ask if I wanted a drink?”

“No, of course not, don’t be silly.” Ginnifer waved her hand in the air. “I thought it might be better to get something to drink so we could get comfortable and talk.”

Vitoria sighed. “No, I’m good. Why don’t we discuss what is bothering you.”

“Oh nothing is bothering me.” Ginnifer pinned her with her eyes. “You on the other hand clearly have something on your mind. Do you want to talk about it?”

“No. What I think is you’re stalling.”

In truth, Vitoria was the one putting off what she didn't want to discuss. She didn’t want Ginnifer to get to the root of her issues. Wes damaged something innate inside of her with his actions. Something snapped, broke in half, when he ran away from her. Yes, she knew Wes believed she did something horrible. Still he shouldn’t have treated her so abysmally.

Ginnifer shook her head. “No, I’m not. I will get to what I want to talk about.” Ginnifer paused, picked up her mug, and took a drink. She twisted it in her hand, frowning at Vitoria. “I’m worried about you. You’re forgetting I know you. Talk to me.”

What should she tell her? How could she get her off this line of questioning? The easiest way was to give her something else to latch onto. The real issue, Wes, she could not and would not talk about.

Not until she came to peace with it herself.

It would be a little while before she could open herself up willingly to the hurt. She was too raw, an open wound still pulsating with emotional turmoil. Vitoria bit her lip and considered her options. Talking about Wes and how she felt about him—maybe there was another topic she could bring up instead. It would be enough to get Ginnifer to leave her be, give her a small reprieve. There would be plenty of time to dissect her feelings concerning Wes.

“I saw Vivian.”

“Yes, I was with you remember? After we had lunch.”

Vitoria forgot they’d both seen Vivian as they were leaving the French bistro. She’d been rushing to get in the cab and gain distance between her and Vitoria. She didn’t know the why of it—but it had been her goal. Especially considering her reaction when Vitoria walked into the gallery.

“No, I’m not talking about when we saw her get in the cab.”

Ginnifer leaned back into her chair and tilted her head. “Okay, where did you see her?”

“At a gallery.”

“You might need to explain it a little bit more. I’m not following you. Why were you in a gallery?”

The easiest thing to do was to start at the beginning. Vitoria placed her elbows on the table and rested her forehead on her hands as she recalled her reaction to finding her sister in the gallery. She had been surprised, but it also didn’t really leave much of an impression on her. Not to the extent that she planned on portraying it to Ginny.

Yes, she did want to figure out what the hell was going on with her sister, but it wasn’t as huge of a blip on her radar as her emotional upheaval concerning Wes. Vitoria looked up at her best friend and saw concern in her green eyes.

“I went into this furniture store…”

Ginnifer held up her hand halting her. “Wait a minute stop right there. Why would you even go to a furniture store? You need to back up a little bit.”

Damn, she forgot she hadn’t told Ginny about her plans to move to Seattle yet. She was right she needed to back track even further. “Shoot with everything going on, I forgot to tell you.”

“Tell me what?”

“I’m moving my office to Seattle.”

A loud squeal of surprise filled the room. “You are? When? How could you have kept this from me?”

“Now. I’m not going back to New York, and I wanted to surprise you.”

Astonishment filled Ginnifer’s face, her mouth hanging open. After several seconds, she managed to regain her composure. “Where will you stay? Didn’t you check out of the hotel?”

Vitoria nodded. “Yes I did.”

“So?”

“I purchased a condo on Melrose Avenue. I’ve signed the papers and have the keys. I’m waiting for the contents of my apartment in New York to arrive so I can move in.” Vitoria grinned. “I can’t wait for you to see it. There is this fabulous fireplace, and it has two balconies. I can see across Seattle. It’s an awesome view. Oh, that reminds me, I have a spare key for my office and my condo I want you to hold on to and use if you ever need to.”

Ginnifer clapped her hands excitedly. “Oh, how wonderful. What about your public relations firm. Are you going to lose clients by moving out here?”

“Already handled. Alison has been a blessing. She’s managing the office and is supervising. It, along with my apartment and hers, are being packed up. This is truly good for my business. I’ve picked up a lot of clients on the west coast. The ones I already have decided to maintain their contract. If needed, I’ll fly back East, but for the most part I will be here and once again close to my best friend.”

“Oh Alison is moving out here too? I’m glad, I really liked her. I’m also ecstatic to have you in the same time zone as me again. I’ve missed having you around all the time, bugging me.”

“Yes. I made it worth her while. She is the best assistant I’ve ever had.” Vitoria pulled Ginnifer into a quick hug. She sat down in her chair with a smile on her face. “I needed to do this. I was lost without you. You’re my only friend, and I couldn’t not be where you are.”

“All right, so why did you go to a furniture store?”

So far so good. Ginnifer was completely distracted. She would focus on her move and what it meant. “I needed to order a couple of things for the office.”

“And the gallery?”

“It was next to the furniture store. It had some cool paintings on display in the window so I walked inside to get a closer look at their various pieces.”

“That’s where you saw Vivian?” Ginnifer asked.

“Yes, the look on her face—she was so shocked to see me there.”

“What was she doing there?”

That was the mystery of it all. Vitoria could play it to her advantage now. Ginnifer now had two things to focus on—Vitoria’s move and her twin. “She worked there.”

Startled, Ginnifer asked, “Wait what? I thought she worked for a law firm?”

Vitoria shook her head. “So did I, but it’s not like I’ve kept in touch with her over the past couple of years. I only know what my parents throw in my face when I have the misfortune of spending time with them.”

“Did seeing her upset you?”

“Yes and no. It was clear she didn’t want to see me, but strangely, all I really could feel inside was numb. We have always had an odd relationship.”

“Did you ask her why she ran away?”

“We didn’t get into it, but here’s the thing. I couldn’t shake the feeling she wanted to get me out of the gallery as fast as possible.” Vitoria tapped her fingers on the table. “She was skittish and off putting, a lot more than normal.”

Ginnifer tilted her head a faraway expression on her face. “I’m having trouble picturing it. Granted, I don’t know your sister well, but why would she be acting so erratic?”

“I didn’t have time to deal with it. With the move and the upcoming trial with Colt, I waved it aside, but it’s bugging me. I want to find out what’s going on with her.”

Ginnifer nodded her head. “I agree. If you want, I can help, use my investigative skills to good use. I have a few contacts that might be able to shed some light on it.”

Vitoria raised her eyebrow. “Investigative skills? Ginny, you write travel articles.”

“And I’ve developed contacts on my many travels. Do you want my help or not?”

If it would give her something to focus on, yes absolutely. “Sure, knock yourself out.”

“Good. Now that we got your stuff out of the way, I have something to tell you.”

Ginnifer looked excited, her green eyes sparkled, and her butterscotch hair glowed. Vitoria hadn’t noticed how happy her best friend looked when she walked into the kitchen. Now though, she could see a radiance brightly shining around her. “What is it?”

“I’m pregnant,” she exclaimed.

“Wow! Really?” She shouldn’t be surprised, but she couldn’t help it. Ginnifer and Dallas seemed so blissfully in love, of course they’d want to start a family. “When? How? Never mind, I know how, but you know what I mean.”

Ginnifer laughed. “I found out yesterday for sure. I’m only about six weeks along.”

“I’m happy for you.” And she was; she wanted Ginnifer to be happy, but she couldn’t help feeling a little left out. “I can’t wait to meet your little peanut.”

Ginnifer patted her belly, beaming with happiness. “Me either. You’re going to be his or her godmother so be prepared. With Dallas as a father, this baby is bound to be a hell raiser.”

“I’m sure you will balance it out somehow. No matter what, I’ll be honored to be a part of this baby’s life.”

“I’m so excited, Tori. Everything is going so well, and I’ve never been happier, but I also feel like it’s almost too good to be true. I’m afraid something or someone will rip it all apart, or worse, I’ll wake up and find it’s only a dream.”

“You have nothing to be afraid of. Dallas loves you, and while I’m sure there may be some hard times—life doesn’t always run along easy street—I have faith no matter what, you two will come out of it stronger than ever.” She flashed her friend a smile. “Plus you have me on your side, what more could you ask for?”

Ginnifer wiped a tear from her eye. “Thanks, I needed my best friend. It all happened so fast it’s been surreal.”

“It’s what I’m here for.” Vitoria waved her hand. “Now I’m going to go drag my suitcase into the lovely room you are loaning me while I’m here. I need a nap. For some reason I didn’t sleep well last night.”

“Go, get some rest. I’ll wake you up in a few hours. I need to get some work done anyway.”

Vitoria smiled and turned her back to Ginnifer, walking out of the kitchen. Once there was some distance between them, she let it fade away. Her unhappiness didn’t need to slide into her friend’s wonderful life. She’d do anything to protect Ginnifer, including shielding her from Vitoria’s own pain and misery.

Grabbing her suitcase, she went into the guest bedroom and shut the door. She lay down on the bed and let the tears she’d been holding back fall down her cheeks. No matter what, all of her issues would be set aside, including Wes’s beliefs. After she managed to accomplish that particular goal, she’d be able to erase the unwanted feelings she’d begun to develop for him. Only then would she find some remnant of peace.

It was her last night on the ranch. Vitoria wanted to soak up the peace she found in the land surrounding her. Spending time on the ranch, walking along the fence rows, and gazing out into the wide-open fields—all of it spoke to her in ways Vitoria never thought it could or would. Back when Ginnifer mentioned going on a vacation to do cowgirl yoga, Vitoria thought she’d been crazy.

Why would they do something so incredibly dull?

She knew if they visited Novak Springs, they’d be bored silly the entire time, but Ginny wanted to do it, and Vitoria followed. Her friend’s happiness always a top priority for her, she’d altered her plans to accommodate her. Now as she stared up at the sky blinking with millions of stars, she knew coming to the ranch was one of the best decisions they’d ever made.

Happiness and all that came with it found her best friend on their trip to do cowgirl yoga in the little town of Dillon, Washington. Ginnifer’s wedding was a mere two weeks away, and now a baby was on the way. Vitoria couldn’t wait to spoil him or her. Her own life appeared to be in utter chaos, but one thing would always remain constant. If she needed her, Ginny would be at her side and vice versa.

“What are you doing out here?”

Vitoria startled, turned to see Wes coming toward her along the fence line. In his hand, a bottle cradled by its long neck. “I’m enjoying the night, but since you’re here, I will go back to the house and retire for the night.”

He took a swig from the bottle. “Don’t leave on my account.”

“You’re drunk.”

He lifted the bottle and stared at it. Moonlight streamed down illuminating the bottle enough so Vitoria could make it out. A fifth of whiskey whittled down to a third of a bottle.

Had he drunk the entire thing on his own?

It would be the icing on a cake already on the brink of topping over—a piss-poor drunk Wes Novak mixed with unrelenting anger.

“Sweetheart, I’m not nearly drunk enough.”

Vitoria looked at him, distaste beginning to fill her at the sight of him leaning haphazardly against a fence post. “From where I’m standing, you look about ready to topple over. Don’t let me prevent you from hitting the ground. I’m sure you will be quite comfy in the grass for the evening.”

Vitoria started to leave and let him wallow in his own misery. She didn’t owe him a damned thing. He ran away from her—believed the worst without letting her explain anything.

Why should she care if he falls face first into the nearest pile of shit?

At the rate he was going, it would be soon. A part of her hoped he did because it would be some well-deserved karmic justice. If not for him, she wouldn’t have a clue how nasty manure actually was. She’d thrown away some of her favorite clothes because she deemed them unsalvageable after that little mishap.

“Running away so soon? I thought we could have a chat,” Wes called after her.

She should ignore him, but found it impossible to do so. Vitoria grated her teeth together and looked over her shoulder at him. He’d followed her, making it far enough to lean on a fence post directly behind her—grinning wickedly as he took another swig of whiskey from the near empty bottle.

“I don’t have time for your nonsense tonight. Why don’t you go sleep it off?” An evil grin formed on her face. “I’m sure the killer headache you wake up with will have been worth drinking whole bottle of whiskey too.”

“You want to know what I think?”

Vitoria sighed and turned around to face Wes. “Not particularly, but I have a feeling you’re about to tell me.”

“You’re afraid.”

Her afraid? As if…

Apparently drinking almost an entire bottle of mind numbing liquor had also damaged his brain cells beyond comprehension.

“And you’re a delusional jackass.”

“Maybe you’re right, because I can’t get you out of my head.” He started to move toward her, Vitoria took a step back. “I want you so much, every second of every day—no matter how many times I tell myself you’re a selfish bitch.”

Wes continued to stalk forward eliminating the distance between him. He stopped in front of her and let the bottle of whiskey fall to the ground. Lifting his hand he caressed her cheek with feather-light strokes. “So fucking beautiful…why can’t you be what I need you to be?”

Vitoria began to shake. She didn’t want to need or desire him. They were both on a path of mutual destruction—craving what they could give each other. Getting further involved with Wes was a bad idea.

So incredibly stupid she should turn and run as far away from him as humanly possible.

Yet she couldn’t move, so transfixed with what his eyes were begging from her.

“Wes…”

“Why does it have to be you?”

He wrapped his arms around her as his lips claimed hers. He tasted of spice and the whiskey he’d been drowning himself in. Vitoria fell into it—a willing victim of the desire only he could ignite within her.

A slow burn traveled down her body and pooled into a searing need deep within.

Only Wes could make her feel this unending hunger. Her hands wrapped around his head as her fingers dug into his skull. She ranked her nails through his long silky hair and yanked at the ends. A moan of pleasure filled the air—Vitoria wasn’t sure if it came from her or Wes, perhaps both of them. Wes pulled back and stared down at her with lust-filled eyes.

“We should stop.” He shook his head and took a step back. “This is wrong.”

Vitoria could feel her heart begin to shatter again. Why did she keep doing this to herself?

Wes only wanted her as long as he could forget he blamed her for something she didn’t do. Damn him for making her yearn for him when he’d only turn around and stomp on her fragile ego. Yes, she could probably find someone to have sex with, but she wanted more than that.

Wes made her think it could happen with him, if only he’d open his eyes and see what stood right in front of him. She couldn’t keep doing this with him—hoping he would see past his own judgmental belief and realize how much they could be for each other.

“You’re right.” Disgust filled her voice. “This is wrong. In fact do me a favor and never touch me again.”

Anger spread through her, a wildfire burning out of control. Not at Wes, but directed where it really belonged. At the fool she allowed herself to become. Vitoria Miene didn’t settle for scraps someone unwillingly threw at her.

All or nothing—and it looked like she needed to accept she’d only get crumbs of indecision from Wes.

If he wouldn’t give himself fully to her, she’d accept zilch. Really, it was for the best. Decision made, she began the slow process of putting distance between them. One foot in front of the other, she made painstakingly small steps away from him. It hurt, but it needed to be done.

“Vitoria wait…”

She ignored him and continued on the path back to the ranch. At least it was her last night at the ranch. Her time at Novak Springs had flown by rather quickly. The time spent with Ginnifer had been soothing. She’d needed the time with her best friend, but it’d come at a high price. Tori had to get away from Wes.

In the early morning, she’d be heading back to Seattle. She expected a delivery at her office, and she needed to prepare for her meeting with Colt. Keeping in mind she didn’t want to see Miguel—knowing who and what he was—she’d made reservations at a different hotel. All of her personal belongings from her apartment in New York were scheduled to arrive in a few days and she’d be able to move into her new condo. At least she’d be able to avoid Wes fully when she had her own place.

Vitoria could hear Wes’s heavy footsteps stomping behind her. She wished he would let things go and leave her be. Apparently, he was going to continue to be hard headed. Vitoria spun around to face him—only to have him plow into her and knock her to the ground. He fell on top of her, crushing her beneath his large frame. “Ouch, you drunken idiot. Get off me.”

“I kind of like this position.”

Of course he did, Wes had her completely at his mercy. Vitoria squirmed in an attempt to get out from underneath him. In the process, her breasts rubbed against his well-defined chest. Her nipples pebbled as desire burned once again within her. She had to get away from him before she begged him to fuck her.
Wanton thy name is Vitoria
. She desperately wanted the odious man pinning her to the ground. If she gave in to Wes, she’d regret it.

“Please let me go,” Vitoria pleaded.

“No, maybe we will be able to finish a conversation now.”

“Only if you can manage to keep your hands—and other body parts to yourself,” Vitoria scoffed.

“Oh, I can manage.” His eyes seared through her, lust clouding over his eyes. “At least long enough to get some answers.”

Vitoria bucked upward in one final attempt to break free from his hold. He’d managed to pin her arms in place underneath his firm grasp, his body too heavy for her to push off her.

“Fine, what do you want to talk about, so I can go back to my room—alone.” Vitoria made sure to emphasize the last word so he would understand he wouldn’t be continuing this interrogation back at the house.

“Tell me about your twin.”

Really? Now he wanted to know about Vivian? “What do you want to know?”

“If she’s real.”

Vitoria glared at him. “Of course she’s real. People don’t make up siblings, let alone identical twins.”

“Where is she?”

“I saw her last a few days ago, in Seattle.”

Shock filled his gaze, and he eased back, rolling off her. He rocked to his knees and reached his hand across to help her up. “What’s her name?” he asked.

“Vivian.”

“Where can I find her?”

Vitoria shrugged. “I’m not sure where she calls home, but I ran into her at an art gallery. I think she runs the place.”

“You don’t keep in contact with her?” Wes’s expression was riddled with confusion as he stared at her. “Why not?”

“We don’t have…” Vitoria bit her lip. How could she put it in a way Wes might understand? “A relationship like you have with Dallas and Emma. We’ve always been estranged—even when we lived in the same house.”

“I don’t get it.”

“It’s how we were raised. It is what it is, and we accepted it a long time ago.”

“No, what that is, all it can be, is tragic.”

Wes didn’t know how right he was. They should have been close, but their parents made sure they never could be. “I can’t change it now and don’t see any reason why I should.”

“You really don’t know Eric?” he asked.

“I only know Eric or who he is because Ginny asked Dallas—which prompted me to do a little digging on my own. I’m sorry, Wes, I never met him. I understand he was—is important to you, but I had nothing to do with his death.”

Wes sighed and scrubbed his hand over his face. “You think Vivian might though.”

Vitoria raised both hands in the air and shrugged. “Maybe, I don’t know. You’ll have to ask her.”

“How do you explain your little date with Miguel Santiago?”

“A very ironic twist of fate. I met him by accident at the realtor’s office. He seemed charming and harmless.” Vitoria got to her feet and stared down at him. “If I hadn’t been distracted, maybe I’d have seen past the exterior and noticed he was far from innocuous. I had a lot on my mind though and didn’t see it until I was already out with him.”

“So you are not going to be seeing him again?”

No, she’d be doing all she could to actively avoid Miguel. If she’d known who and what he was, she’d never had gone out with him. Wes and dealing with him blinded her to everything around her. She wouldn’t be making a similar mistake again. “No, I have no desire to spend time with a criminal.”

“Good.”

“Gee, I’m glad you approve,” Vitoria said sarcastically. “I didn’t make the decision to give you any kind of pleasure. It was made solely based on my own well-being. Now if you don’t mind, I have a lot to do tomorrow to get my new office set up. I’m going to go to bed and enjoy the fact I won’t have to see you again for two weeks. After the wedding, let’s decide to avoid each other whenever possible.”

Vitoria left Wes sitting on the ground. As she made her way back to the house, she did her best to not give him a second thought. A difficult task—but she could do it. Wes Novak did not deserve her, and she needed to pound it into her brain, as well as her stubborn heart.