The sad smile pulling at her lips burned my insides. I wanted to find that doll, take her to see Santa, and give her whatever she needed to get that glossy sheen out of her eyes. I didn’t know too many people who were inherently good without malice. She deserved the best of everything and never should have had to settle.
Like she’d be doing with me.
“It’s stupid.” She exhaled with a groan. “I shouldn’t be this haunted by things people said so many years ago. My stepdad wanted me to take off today and go see Santa with all of them and…I just couldn’t. I’m just a little raw today. Seeing that idiot is getting under my skin more than it should. So dumb.” She rubbed her temples and shook her head.
“It’s not dumb. The mighty Victoria is allowed to feel sad about what she missed out on and want to pummel the jerk who tortured her in elementary school. You’re still human, Falco.”
“The mighty Victoria?” An adorable snicker escaped her. “I never told that story to anyone. My family always worries about me, and I try not to tell them anything else to make it worse. Even now, I put on a big smile and pretend, but this Christmas, for some reason, it’s harder to keep up the act.” Her shoulders slumped as she breathed out a long sigh. “I’m sorry for unloading on you like that.”
“Hey,” I tapped her wrist. “You can tell me anything. No apologies needed.”
When she looked up, her gorgeous eyes held mine for a long minute. I spied the same longing I’d been fighting all this time, but I couldn’t give in.
This was exactly what I didn’t want to happen, yet I couldn’t stop it.
“Well, I need a cookie from behind the counter so I can be mighty enough for invoices this afternoon. Want one?”
“No, thanks. But lunch is on me, okay? Think of it as your consulting fee.”
“I enjoy consulting with you.” She sank her teeth into her full, lush bottom lip. “Payment isn’t necessary, but thanks.” She winked and stood.
I strode to the register, shaking my head as if I could shake it all off. But the feelings I had were too ingrained to simply brush away.
After I paid the bill, I noticed Ryan trying to chat up Victoria as she waited for the other waitress to put the cookie into the bag. She was cordial but her body stiffened as she turned away. Unfortunately, he wasn’t taking the hint. They’d only been kids, but once an asshole, always an asshole as far as I was concerned. Now that Victoria grew up beautiful, it didn’t dawn on him that maybe she wouldn’t want to speak to the douche who picked on her for all those years.
“So hey, if you go to NYU maybe we can meet up one day. I’m in the city, too.”
“I’m pretty busy, but thanks.” When she turned to leave, he grabbed her arm.
“You aren’t still mad about puke eyes, are you?” He chuckled, and I couldn’t take it anymore.
Before I realized what I was doing, I came next to Victoria and slid a possessive arm around her waist.
“Ready, sweetheart?” I kissed her cheek and breathed her in. She smelled like vanilla and cinnamon and everything sweet in the world. She relaxed and leaned into me, flicking her gaze to mine with a lopsided grin.
“Oh, I’m sorry, I didn’t realize,” Ryan stammered under what I hoped was my most menacing glare.
“No worries at all,” I told him with a tight smile. “Friend of yours?” I asked Victoria and jerked my head in Ryan’s direction.
“Nope.” Victoria slid her palm against mine and pulled me out of the diner.
She burst out laughing as we made our way across the street.
“I loved that look on his face. It’s not every day you can make an old bully almost piss himself. That was amazing.”
My own chest shook when Victoria laughed harder.
“I think it was that smoldering look and the neck tattoos. Anthony Diaz is kind of a badass,” she raised her eyebrows, “who knew?”
“I don’t know about badass—”
“Oh, I think so, sweetheart.” She batted her eyelashes at me.
“It,” I stammered, my cheeks heating up. “It just came out. I was in the moment, you know?” I cracked a joke, trying to distract her from another slip of mine.
“I didn’t hate it,” she whispered before I reached for the handle on the shopfront door. I looked down at our still joined hands and quickly dropped them.
“Thank you. For lunch, and for…that.”
“Victoria,” I started, lost as to how to finish.
She leaned in and kissed my cheek, her lips on my skin sending a jolt down my neck.
“So, back to billing.” She smiled, shifting back toward the door. “We can talk more about what you think is missing later if it’s still bothering you.”
I allowed myself a minute to watch her head back to her desk before I made my way to the garage.
Muses were supposed to inspire, to help form the stories in your head—not taunt you for everything you wanted in real life and couldn’t have.
6
Victoria
“What are you doing here so early again, Sweets?”
I laughed at the concern etched on my father’s brow as I let the shopfront door close behind me.
“It’s a busy time. I’m here to help you.”
Which was true. Mostly.
I plopped into the chair at my desk and stifled a yawn, my eyes heavier than I wanted to admit.
“We have some orders from last night and some callbacks to make. Since you’re here, if you could get through those for me it would be a huge help. And I think you and Bri are shopping this afternoon, right?”
“Tomorrow,” I answered my father as I sifted through the new folder of paperwork on the desk. Most of our orders were done online and entered into the system, but Uncle Billy, the main owner of this Falco Custom Bikes and the one in South Carolina, still liked a paper trail.
“That’s right. She told me all about girls’ day and how she couldn’t wait.” His lips stretched into a smile. Brianna was my stepmother, but like Drew, was much more than that. She was a mix of a second mother and a best friend, and after I’d spent time with her, I always felt a little lighter. Not that I couldn’t talk to my mother, but Brianna always managed to hold in that trace of worry my mother could never hide, especially if I dared to mention boys.
“All right. Let’s get a move on so we can close up at a decent time.” He came over to me and planted a kiss to the top of my head. When Dad shut his office door, I noticed a new text on my phone screen.
Anthony: Pumpkin spice latte today, or are you over that shit yet?
I smiled as a familiar rush ran through me. It was a mix of adrenaline, anticipation, and warmth that every morning he always bought me coffee.
I groaned and rubbed my tired eyes. I’d tossed and turned every night, since Anthony’s little game of pretend at the diner last week stirred up all these feelings I didn’t know what to do with. I never wanted to be with someone so much yet was so terrified to admit it.
The one night I did manage to fall asleep, I’d had a vivid dream of Anthony really touching me. His lips and his hands were everywhere, the memory of the scratch of his stubble against my cheek resonating all over my body, and all I’d wanted was more. A relentless ache between my legs woke me up, and I sat up in bed in a cold sweat with a racing, troubled heart.