Blueprint for Love (19 page)

“
One night, when she was
fifteen, a man tried to rape her at a party. Andrea managed to kick
him in the nuts and escape. She came home bloodied and bruised, but
she managed to tell me what happened. We called the police. That
was our first mistake. It turned out the dude who tried to rape
her, Sam Beckley, had connections. His brother was a cop. Sam had
been accepted into the police academy, too. So, it was Andrea’s
word against his. And since there was no rape, there was no
evidence to back up her story.”

“
That’s
horrible!”

“
What’s worse is the
son-of-a-bitch bragged about it on Facebook, accusing Andrea of
coming onto him and then trying to get revenge when he rejected
her. He threatened her online, saying how she’d better watch out
the next time she went out by herself. Andrea was terrified to go
anywhere. We had to change schools. The girls in her class bullied
her. Can you believe that?”

“
Unfortunately, yes. Sad
things like that happen. Some kids commit suicide to escape
bullies.”

“
I wasn’t about to let my
sister become a statistic, So, I took matters into my own hands. I
found out where the asshole hung out. I waited for him to leave a
bar one night. I slammed his ass on the ground. Then, I punched
him, and I kept on punching. Once I got started, I couldn’t stop.
All the rage and fury and frustration I felt for my sister came
pouring out. I pummeled the guy senseless. I was gonna teach him
not to screw with Andrea or any other female. By the time I was
done, there was blood everywhere. His face was a battered mass of
unrecognizable flesh. I didn’t stop to think—”

He stopped in mid-sentence.

Ronnie felt so bad for him. He had a haunted
look in his eyes as though he were reliving the incident. “Allen
said you were an amateur boxer.”

He nodded. “Yeah, the party was for me, in
fact. It was held at the gym where I trained. This guy, Sam showed
up with some thugs I didn’t know. I was no saint before the
incident, but when it came time for sentencing, the fact that I had
a reputation as a tough boxer sealed the deal for me.” Vic let out
a long breath. “Now you know why I spent five years in the pen. I
let my anger get the best of me.”

“
You were protecting your
sister.”

“
I should have handled it
better.”

“
You did the only thing
you knew to do.”

He shook his head. “I was twenty-four. Old
enough to know better. That’s why I walked away from your house
that day the cops came. I was so enraged. I didn’t want to do or
say something to Allen that I would regret later.”

Ronnie didn’t think now was the time to
bring up what had happened with Allen last week. If Vic knew he’d
tried to kiss her, he probably would have handled him like he
handled that mugger!

“
Thank you for sharing
your story with me, Vic. I know it took a lot. And I’m sorry for
jumping to conclusions about you.”

“
Are you sorry you hired
me?”

“
Never.” She played with
the soft hairs at the nape of his neck. “Hiring you was the best
decision I ever made.”

His green eyes held her captive with his
hungry stare. “You mean that?”

“
Yes,” she admitted. “I’ve
missed you, Vic.”

“
Not as much as I’ve
missed you.”

He dug his fingers into her hips. She felt the heat
of his hands through the denim of her skirt. Only he had the power
to melt her resolve, turn her insides to mush. She lost control
whenever he touched her. And she loved it.

“
Tell me you want me,” he
whispered.

“
You know I do.”

“
I want to hear it from your
lips.”

“
I want you, Vic
Romano.”

Vic pulled her into his embrace and she melded her
body against his. Her senses were overwhelmed as she felt the
velvety texture of his tongue sensually exploring hers. She felt
the kiss deep to her core. A rush of warmth blossomed between her
legs and flowed like lava through her. She was caught up in the
moment, riding a wave of euphoria.

His hands were everywhere, erotically fondling her
skin and branding her with heat from his fingers. She returned the
favor, boldly exploring the hard lines of his physique. His body
was sculpted and toned. She couldn’t get enough of touching him.
The low groan in his throat told her he liked what she was doing,
so she didn’t stop.

Then, without warning, he switched positions and
hoisted her onto her desk. Her stapler and office phone clattered
to the side. Ronnie was too caught up in the moment to worry about
it. The hem of her short skirt climbed toward her hips, and she
instantly felt the cool wood of the desk against the backs of her
thighs. Vic spread her dangling legs apart and inserted his body
snugly against hers. She gripped his firm buttocks and she grinded
her clit against his rock-hard erection. More jolts of electricity
coursed through her as his palms caressed her breasts. When he
expertly pinched the nipples before lowering his head to suckle on
each one, she gasped with desire. With one hand she dug her fingers
into the depths of his thick hair. The other served as a human
kickstand, steadying her body on the edge of the desk.

Vic’s tongue probed through the cottony fabric of
her shirt, instantly wetting the material in his attempts to
slather each nipple with affection. The heat of his breath forced
the hard buds to pucker in his mouth.

At the same time he pulled his shirttail from his
pants, Ronnie shifted positions and moved forward, reaching for his
belt buckle. She tugged frantically at the leather strap. Vic
pushed his pants and boxers down in one fluid motion. His rock-hard
erection sprang from the confines of his trousers. Practically
salivating in anticipation, Ronnie gently grasped it in an erotic
caress. Her slender fingers barely met her thumb as her hand
encircled the thick, hard flesh in her loose fist. As she slowly
pumped it, her fingers felt each hard ridge of his long penis.
Vic’s guttural groan came from somewhere deep in the back of his
throat.

His fingers traced a path lower, past the
tight curls between her legs. He slipped one of his long fingers
inside her, instantly bringing out a creamy wetness. Ronnie moaned
with pleasure, grinding her pelvis against his hand as he fingered
her. She undulated her hips to the rhythm, her body screaming for
more. As if sensing her eagerness, Vic hastily grabbed his wallet
from his back pocket and before Ronnie could blink, he was sheathed
and ready.

“
Damn,” she
murmured.

Vic leaned her back on the desk and hovered
over her. “I told you I’ll never be unprepared with you again,
woman.”

He confidently pushed his way inside her and
settled in like a lover who knew his place. She crossed her legs
around him, pulling him deeper, grinding against him. She wanted
him closer, until she couldn’t tell her flesh from his.

Their lovemaking was deep, satisfying, and hungry,
each trying to give the other the ultimate pleasure. Ronnie
slow-grinded her hips against Vic’s, tightly holding him to her,
anxious for release, but wanting to delay her orgasm just to feel
him inside her for a few moments longer. They made love slowly,
erotically, to the beat of their own sensual music. Then, finally,
Ronnie couldn’t hold back the floodgates. A white-hot explosion
catapulted her toward an orgasm. Her screams of ecstasy were
muffled when Vic captured her lips with a penetrating kiss that
rocked her with the force of its intensity. He followed seconds
later, with a release that she felt with every fiber of her being.
Vic pumped relentlessly, clutching her hips as he poured every
ounce of himself into her.

“
Ronnie,” he rasped into her
ear.

Afterward, she clung to him, not wanting to let go.
It was only when she felt a binder clip digging into her back that
she remembered she was in her office.

“
Oh, God,” she muttered. “I can’t
believe we just did that.”

Vic grinned. “Yeah, that was damn incredible. Even
better than the first time.”

She couldn’t argue with that. No matter what their
differences, she had to admit, they were kindred spirits in the
bedroom. Or in this case, the office.

Vic discarded the condom, and they both fixed their
clothing. As Ronnie pulled her skirt down and tried to retrieve her
sandals, which had slipped off her feet somewhere between his first
kiss and his last thrust, Vic pulled her against his chest.

“
Woman, you light a fire inside
me. I can’t keep my hands off you.”

She gave him a naughty smile. “Who says you have
to?”

They’d just had amazing sex on her desk, yet Vic was
devouring her with his gaze. Incredibly, she felt her second set of
lips pulsating again. She was ashamed to admit, she was ready for
round two. Vic was like a drug, and she was having withdrawal
symptoms big time!

She traced her tongue along the bottom edge of his
full lips. She nibbled his mouth, surprised by her boldness. He
brought out the freak in her. He wrapped his arms around her waist
and cradled her in his embrace. He deepened the kiss, his tongue
quickly becoming the aggressor, seducing hers into submission.

Ronnie heard a series of clicking noises.
Startled, she pulled away from Vic. She was embarrassed to see his
sister standing in the doorway holding a digital camera.

Andrea smiled and said something in sign
language.

“
What did she say?” Ronnie
asked Vic.

“
She said she can’t leave
the room for a minute without us putting our hands all over each
other.”

“
Goodness,” Ronnie
replied. Even though it had been more than twenty minutes, it was
true. Keeping her and Vic separated was like pulling apart two dogs
in heat.

When Andrea signed again, Vic’s deep chuckle
filled the air. Then, he picked up a paperclip from Ronnie’s desk
and threw it at Andrea. To her credit, she adroitly dodged it.

“
Vic!” Ronnie chastised.
“Why’d you do that?”

“
She asked if the two of
us wanted to make an X-rated movie for her photography
class.”

Ronnie laughed. “If only she’d been here
five minutes ago, she would have really gotten an eyeful.”

Andrea signed again, and
once more Vic translated. “She said I almost blinded her with that
paperclip. If she would’ve come home
blind
and deaf, Maria would have
kicked my ass.”

Ronnie giggled. “Tell her the more I watch
you two interact, the easier it is to see that you guys are
related.”

Vic signed to Andrea, who cracked up
laughing. Then, she motioned for them to come look at the photo
she’d taken in her camera’s display window.

When Ronnie saw the image of her and Vic
folded in each other’s embrace, lips pressed together, her heart
skipped a beat. She studied their body language. It was easy to see
the caring in Vic’s embrace. The way he held her. The possessive
position of his hands on her hips. Anyone looking would think they
were a couple in love.

Andrea picked up the pen and paper again and
wrote a message to Ronnie. When Ronnie read it, she couldn’t stop
the smile from spreading across her face.

THIS PIC IS BEAUTIFUL! I’M GOING TO CALL IT
BLUEPRINT FOR LOVE.

Ronnie’s heart soared. Was it possible for
her to love again? She gazed into Vic’s eyes. They were brimming
with emotion. With him, she’d felt more desired, more wanted with
one glance than she’d felt in her entire marriage with Frank. Could
this truly be the blueprint for love? One thing was sure—it wasn’t
impossible.

Ronnie pecked away on her computer in her
office. She had a few more figures to enter on her monthly report,
and then she’d be done for the evening. This late on a Friday, the
office was empty. So, she took advantage of the quiet to get some
work done. Olivia had left over an hour ago, only after Ronnie
promised she would soon follow.

Ronnie’s cell phone chimed, interrupting her
flow. She knew from the ringtone it was Candace. “Hey, Sis,” she
answered, with eyes still glued to the computer monitor.

“
Are you still at work?”
Candace demanded.

“
Yeah, just finishing up
some stuff. What time is it?”

“
Half past quitting
time.”

Ronnie laughed. “Good one.”

“
I’m serious. Even the Man
in the Moon is asleep by now. Get your butt home.”

“
Jovan is staying at a
friend’s house tonight. There’s no rush.”

“
Don’t you have to do
something with Vic tonight?”

“
Uh, excuse you, Miss
Nosey. Don’t you have to do something with your man,
too?”

Candace giggled. “No, I didn’t mean it like
that. Didn’t you tell me today’s your five month anniversary or
something like that?”

“
Oops! You’re right. I
totally forgot I’m supposed to have dinner with him—” She looked at
her watch—“In twenty minutes.”

“
Usually, it’s the man who
forgets this kind of stuff. You suck as a girlfriend.”

“
Ah, shut up. I’m a great
girlfriend.”

“
Well, prove it. You’d
better get your rear in gear, girl.”

Ronnie couldn’t believe she was anybody’s
girlfriend. After Frank’s death, she never envisioned herself
cozied up with any guy. Frank’s lack of affection had made her
apprehensive about being in another long-term relationship. She
rationalized that she had her work, and she had Jovan. Both were
good enough for her. She didn’t need to go looking for love. Yet,
ironically, the man of her dreams had arrived on her doorstep. She
and Vic had officially been a couple for almost half a year.