TWELVE HOURS EARLIER
Tori vomited the contents of her belly into the toilet for the next twenty minutes, then curled into a ball on her bed and sobbed, eventually crying her drunken self to sleep.
She awoke God only knows how many hours later with her head screaming at her. What were you thinking drinking that much?
The entire evening came crashing back down on her—her terrible behavior in the bar with her date, and even worse, the awful things she said to Scott on the phone. Of course, he slung his fair share of venom right back at her. Then there was the kick in the gut when she called Connor and found out he was actually a reporter, just using her all along to get his scandalous story that she’d willingly spewed through her drunken lips. Stupid. Stupid. Stupid you.
As much as she hated to admit it. Scott was right. She was reckless. Why did I get in the car with Nathaniel? Hell, why did I even sleep with him? If that was the worst decision she’d ever made in her lifetime, telling Scott goodbye for good was a close second.
She needed to call Scott, to right the wrong and plead forgiveness for every nasty thing that she said. She groped on her nightstand for her phone to figure out what time it was, but it wasn’t there. She groaned. Perfect. Now she had to do a blind search and rescue for her cell phone that was lost somewhere in the abyss.
She crawled off the bed and ran her hands across the floor and under the bed. Bathroom! Yes, she left it in the bathroom. She stumbled toward her bathroom, steadying her dizzy self on the doorframe. The alcohol had cured in her stomach, and she took deep breaths willing round two to stay in her belly.
She gagged as the smell of last night’s vomit hit her nose and groaned knowing she’d have a hell of a mess to clean up.
She moved one foot forward, and pain shot through her heel as the sickening crack of her phone shattered underfoot.
God dammit.
Tori and her neighbor, Mrs. Hearst, rounded the hallway toward her apartment, taking slow, small steps. The pace was more for Mrs. Hearst than it was for her. Honestly, her foot was fine.
After Tori smashed her phone and cleaned up the bleeding, she swallowed her pride and hobbled over to her neighbor’s house to ask for help, or at least use a phone. A few small shards of glass had embedded into her heel, and as much as Mrs. Hearst tried, her old eyes couldn’t get the tiny pieces out.
Mrs. Hurst insisted on taking her to the hospital, and honestly, that sounded better than the prospect of having to listen to Jane scold her over her drunken debauchery. The ER was packed, though, and it took hours of waiting before Tori was finally seen, glass dug out of her foot, patched up, and sent along the way. The sweet, old widow hadn’t left her side all day.
Mrs. Hearst had also insisted on driving Tori to the store. There, they waited another two hours in a long line before Tori could finally get her new phone, sync her contacts and all her apps.
Normally, Tori would need a drink after a day like this, but after last night, she may never drink again.
Tori had heard the entire story of how Mrs. Hearst met her husband. She knew all her children’s names and grandchildren’s names. She’d heard the heartbreaking tale of how he passed last year from a stroke. Tori was ashamed she never even remembered the man, or that she hadn’t taken the time to get to know her neighbors and at least send a card or flowers at his passing. She really had been such a self-centered person.
Her stomach knotted thinking again of her conversation with Scott. With her phone out of commission all day, she hadn’t had a chance to call him back, and she had no idea if he’d called her to make nice. She honestly wouldn’t blame him if he didn’t.
Mrs. Hurst stopped at her door. “Why don’t I come in and make you dinner? My kids live so far away, it would be nice to cook for more than one.”
Tori sucked in a breath. God, was this what it was like to have a grandmother? Hell if Tori actually knew, but she really wanted to just get inside and call Scott back in private. “I’m pretty tired. It’s been a long day.” Tori swiped her key fob at the door and opened it up, folded her cane, and set it on the table.
“Hey pretty lady.” A low, smooth, gravelly voice, the voice she’d been longing to hear all day, beaconed through the darkness.
Tori’s heart stopped. Scott?
Before Tori could even speak, a blood-curdling scream came from her elderly neighbor. “Get out of her house, you dirty pervert!”
Tori jolted, and she could hear the sound of Mrs. Hurst releasing unholy hell on Scott.
“It’s ok.” Smack. “I’m her friend!” Smack. “OW!”
A slow smile crept across Tori’s face.
“Tori! Can you call off UFC granny?” Scott shouted.
“Mrs. Hurst! Stop! Its ok. I know him!” Tori shouted.
“Good grief. Keith didn’t tell you that I was here?”
Tori giggled. “No.” Probably because Keith’s a stinker and wanted to scare the piss out of me. “Mrs. Hurst, this is Scott, a very good friend of mine. Scott, I believe you’ve met my neighbor, and bodyguard, Mrs. Hurst.”
“Well. young man, I’m pleased to make the acquaintance of such a fine-looking man. Sorry I whooped your ass.”
Scott’s laugh bellowed off the walls. God. that sound was like music to Tori’s ears. “Glad to know Victoria has someone looking out for her who’s not afraid to whoop some ass. Nice to meet you.”
Mrs. Hurst let out a long breath. “Well, I’ll let you two catch up. Maybe dinner another night. dear?” The next thing Tori knew, she was wrapped up in her neighbor’s arms. Tori wasn’t a hugger, but she returned the warm embrace. “I see you have dessert for tonight planned,” she whispered in Tori’s ear.
Tori chuckled. “Thank you for your company today.” Tori released the hold and saw her out.
The door shut quietly, and Tori leaned against it. She tried to speak, but her breath caught in her throat.
He came for me.
“Do you have any idea how worried I was about you?” His tone was so full of caring.
After everything I said to him, he still came for me.
“You ok, gorgeous?”
Stupid moisture filled her eyes and her lip quivered. Don’t cry, don’t cry.
Tori didn’t’ say a word. She only stood there, silent.
Tears began to stream down her cheeks. Finally, she moved forward. Her hand reached out toward him, searching.
“I’ve got you,” he said as he grabbed her wrist and pulled her in close.
She immediately buried herself into his large chest.
Her small frame shook, heaving sobs so heavy he feared she’d break. He wrapped her in tighter and stroked her hair, kissing the top of her head. He’d hold her for as long as it took for her to feel better—till the end of time.
“I stepped on my phone, broke it. Got glass in my foot. Spent all day waiting at the ER, followed by the cell phone store. All I wanted to do was call you, but I didn’t know the number. All these years, and I couldn’t remember it.” She sobbed into his chest. “How could I not memorize your number?”
She sucked in a breath and pulled back. “I’m so sorry.” She quickly wiped her face, tilting her head downward.
Scott placed his hands on her cheeks and lifted her chin. He wiped the moisture from under her eyes.
In the ten years of knowing her, he’d never seen her shed a tear. She was so beautiful, even when crying. “You have nothing to be sorry for.” He kissed her forehead and looked at her again. His heart ached for all the pain she’d endured. Watching her break ripped his heart to shreds. “Nothing. You don’t have to hide your heart from me. It’s ok to let go.”
Her blue eyes were his direction but went through him. She wilted in his embrace as the fight of holding back her pain drained from her. “I’m tired, Scott. I can’t hold my breath anymore and pretend it’s all ok, because I’m so far from ok.” Tears rolled down her cheeks, and her shoulders shook as more cries escaped her.
Scott swept her off the ground and carried her into her bedroom, laying her gently onto the soft bed. She rolled over onto her side and curled into a ball.
He lay behind her and folded his arms around her, holding her while she let the dam of emotions flood out. The loose shirt she was wearing slipped off her shoulder. He ran his hand across her smooth skin and kissed it, offering her some sort of comfort. For the first time, he realized how fragile her heart was. It was like a whole other side to her she was allowing him to see. She’d finally dropped down her big wall and let him in.
Tori sat up on the bed and stripped off her shirt and jeans, exposing her black lace bra and panties. She lay back down on the bed, facing him. He stroked her hair and kissed her sweetly. Her hands moved across his chest, tugging at his shirt, urging him to remove it.
Scott shook his head. “No, Tori. I’m not here for…” She put her fingers on his lips to quiet him then pressed her mouth against his.
“I need to feel your skin against me.” She tugged again at his shirt, and this time, he obliged, discarding it to the floor.
She rubbed her hands gently over his chest and up and around his back. He closed his eyes, soaking in her soft touch. God, she’s too damn beautiful. It was too easy for him to get lost in her.
Her lips showered kisses along his torso. “I know what I want, and I want you, Scott. I meant nothing of what I said last night.” Her pouty lips pressed against his. “Make love to me.”
Scott sucked in a breath. Those words had never been uttered from her lips to him. He’d give her what she needed. Soft. Slow. Gentle.
Scott unclasped her bra and slid the straps down her shoulder. He cupped her right breast in his hand and leaned down and kissed her pink nipple gently.
She unfastened his belt, followed by his jeans. She reached down his pants as he swelled in her grasp. He lifted his bottom as she shimmied his pants below his ass, giving it a firm squeeze as she planted her lips to his.
His veins filled with warmth tasting her sweet kiss. The love he felt for her was undeniable. He was done fighting it. Even if she didn’t love him back, his heart would still belong to her.
He wiggled his jeans down further and tugged on his aching cock, pushing it between her folds. Tori widened her legs, inviting him in. He pulled her lacy panties to the side, and with one large push, he was inside of her, the only place he ever wanted to be. Slowly he thrust, melting into her. He sucked on her bottom, pouty lip as a soft moan escaped her mouth.
She wrapped her legs snug around his torso, reached down from behind her, cupping his balls into her hand and pressing on the sensitive spot right between his sack and ass. Holy fucking shit. His eyes clamped shut as a growl rumbled in his throat. The woman knew just how to touch him.
He kissed her feverishly, and she parted her lips, inviting him to claim her mouth. He sat up and leaned back on his knee, admiring the beauty in front of him. He licked his thumb, then parted her slit, revealing her swollen clit, plump, red, warm, and ready for him. He rubbed in tiny circles. He loved watching the look on her face as her pleasure would mount. The way her lips would part, then she’d squirm as her breathing would become more labored. Her back arched, and her head tilted to the side as she grabbed her pillow to muffle her cries of pleasure. The skin on her chest reddened. That’s when he knew she was almost there, and he released her.
Right after she climaxed, he re-entered her. As much as he tried to be gentle, he failed. He was too overcome with his lust for her.
“Harder,” she whispered, as if reading his mind. He licked his finger and rubbed her sensitive bud once again.
“Scott,” she whispered his name in a breathless pant as she came a second time. He shivered as his own orgasm ripped through him. Breathless, he lay his head on her chest. She wrapped her arms around him tighter than ever before.
He lifted his eyes and stared into her beautiful face. “Tori, I…”
Just say it, say you love her.
She pressed her lips to his to silence him. “I know.”
He rolled onto his back, and she curled next to him. His fingers caressed her platinum locks and held her until she drifted off in his arms.
He gently lay her to her side and covered her with the blanket. He undressed, took off his prosthetic, and crawled under the covers, pulling her in close.
Tonight, there was no exchange of panties, no asking for payment, no sexual games. For the first time, she’d opened her tattered heart and let him in.