“Just a little superstition. It’s nothing.”
My brows lift curiously, but I don’t press it any further. We still have a lot to learn about each other, but I want him to tell me everything on his own time. I nuzzle into him and pull the blanket up a bit.
“Vi?” he asks quietly into the night.
“Yes?”
“Thank you.” He drops a soft kiss on my head and lets out a large sigh, like he was holding his breath.
Rather than ruin the moment with a self-deprecating comment, I remain silent and close my eyes, allowing myself to drift away in the arms of this mysterious man.
NOT THE ONE
A soft giggling followed by cursing causes me to stir. My eyes crack open and I find myself alone in an enormous bed with bright daylight pouring in on me. This is definitely a first. My past experiences with women have included me ducking out before they woke up to avoid any awkward encounters.
Everything is different with Vi.
I chuckle, feeling amused at how I must look wrapped in her duvet. Honestly, who has crushed velvet anymore? I throw my legs over the edge of the bed and stretch while ruffling my hair. Fuck, I slept well. That’s quite different for me as well. I grab my jeans up off the floor and slide them on as I pad barefoot into the attached bathroom that I never even got around to seeing last night.
I’m stunned by a huge soaker tub resting smack dab in front of yet another floor-to-ceiling window. It faces north over the city, and a surge of possessiveness rushes over me as I envision Vi’s naked body covered in bubbles, bathing out in the open for all of London Bloody England to see. Surely she doesn’t use this bathroom. How the fuck does she think this is a good idea? I make a mental note to have a proper talk with her about window fixtures.
Fuck Hayden. You need to put a pin in your brooding caveman.
A large, glass, walk-in shower with two stainless steel waterfall showerheads sits on the opposite wall. Straight ahead is a modern black and white double vanity sink.
“Bloody hell,” I say, marveling a bit over all things Vi. Her style and her personality are all over this flat. Minimalist and strikingly beautiful, with an edge of surprise around every corner.
I relieve myself and head over to the sink to wash my hands. She obviously is not hard up. Truthfully, as far as money goes, we are similar. My father’s furniture distribution centre made us very comfortable growing up. My mother was able to stay home with us when we were kids, so we had a traditional English upbringing.
But Vi being raised solely by a former professional footballer turned manager had to be different. I know from news articles that her brother Gareth makes over two hundred million pounds a year. It’s not even the money that impresses me…or the fame. It’s the lifestyle. I wonder what Vi does for fun outside of her brothers’ very public lifestyles?
Now it appears she’s trying to gain some independence from her family, whereas I’m relying on mine more than ever. Last night with her was definitely…unexpected. I was trying to convince myself I had to leave her be and avoid her at all costs. But seeing her at the club with Ethan pushed me over the edge. I realised in that moment that if it isn’t Ethan, it will be somebody else. That’s when I knew just how tightly Vi has me in her grips. Possessiveness isn’t a trait I’m familiar with, but fuck I feel it when it comes to her.
Vi is just…refreshing. She’s beautiful and warm, a bit quirky, and a mess in some of the most adorable ways. But she’s so fucking charming that I can hardly stand being away from her even right now. I pop a new tip on her electric toothbrush, brush my teeth, wash my face, and then quickly head out to find her. My body actually aches to touch her again. Sleeping with her all night was oddly…calming.
I used to sleep with Reyna occasionally during our dark and twisted time together. She’d have these horrid reoccurring dreams and I was her anchor to help bring her back down to reality. I would rarely even fall asleep at her flat, because all I could do was stew about the fact that I was falling for her and could never bring myself to tell her.
And now, after only one week with Vi, I’m laying everything out on the table. Fucking therapy has ruined my alpha bloke status.
The large glass patio door in the living room is wide open and I see Vi outside, walking carefully with a large dog bowl of water. Suddenly, Bruce comes bounding toward her from the other side of the deck. She cries out for him to stop, but it’s too late. His momentum is out of control. He clobbers into her and the bowl goes flying along with Vi into a slopping heap on the ground.