Fixing Justice (32 page)

Tori was a mess. She’d been so shocked at her cry-baby reaction to what happened that she hadn’t been able to turn off the waterworks. Luckily she hadn’t encountered anyone else after she fled Alex’s office making her way swiftly to the privacy of her apartment. Half a box of tissues later, she almost started bawling like a baby again when she caught sight of herself in the bathroom mirror. Red, unhappy looking eyes above a nose rubbed raw, her hair in shambles, she looked like someone who had weathered a terrible emotional storm. Her full lips were hideously swollen and puffy after chewing on them trying to get control of herself. In short – she looked like bloody hell.

Seeing Draegyn again had unleashed a metric fuck-ton of emotions, good and bad. His imperious tone and attitude when he’d accused her of breaking a promise she hadn’t actually made pushed every one of her buttons. It was he who demanded she never dress like a bag lady again. She hadn’t promised him anything but the simple fact that she’d been ass up on his lap as he smacked her backside while he issued that particular demand probably constituted her agreement.

She’d gotten snarky with him out of habit and also because she wanted to protect herself from the growing realization that she was, quite impossibly, falling in love with him. The admission sat in her belly like a lump of burning coal, making her emotionally fragile in a way she’d never experienced.

Tori always imagined that if or when she truly fell in love, it would be all hearts and flowers and involve someone much like herself, a tad on the nerd side and fairly down-to-earth. Never in her wildest dreams had she ever fancied being attracted to a man like Draegyn St. John. Someone sophisticated and drop-dead sexy, worldly with enough notches on his bedpost to be considered a legend. That sort of scenario only happened in the romance books she read. It didn’t actually happen in real life to simple girls like her. Knowing he didn’t feel the same wasn’t helping things. When he’d accidentally jostled her as he and Alex started growling at each other, it had been the last straw. Running from the room like a hysterical teenager as the tears broke free, knocking furniture over in her rush to get away from the situation, made her feel like an idiot.

Was that her phone buzzing? She seriously hoped it wasn’t her mother calling because she doubted her ability to keep it together through a conversation. Her mom would know within seconds that she was upset – parents were like that, but she wasn’t ready to share what was going on with anyone.

Making a beeline for the table by the front door where she’d tossed the phone, she saw immediately that it wasn’t a phone call coming through at all. No, it was a text. A text from Draegyn.
We need to talk.

Worrying her swollen bottom lip with her teeth, Tori hesitated and then tapped out a short reply.
You’ve said enough, thanks.

Several minutes ticked by in heavy silence. She supposed he was considering what to say next. Glancing up quickly, she made sure she’d put the latch on the door, suddenly fearful that he might actually show up to start round two.

Your choice Victoria. Either you come here or I’m coming to your place. This isn’t negotiable. My door is open. If you’re not here in the next half hour expect me to come knocking and if you don’t open up I’ll simply break the door down.

She let a good, long minute creep by before answering.
You made me cry. Nobody makes me cry. Why would I want to ever speak to you again?

He instantly replied.
I’m sorry. Please. We really need to talk.

Wow. Sorry? That couldn’t have been easy for him.
Okay. I’ll be there within the hour.

Thank you.

A flight of butterflies opened up inside her. Remembering how god-awful she looked Tori made for the bathroom to try and repair the damage before she faced him. It was foolish to avoid talking to him, after all they had some pretty serious issues to discuss, but she’d be damned before appearing on his doorstep looking like hell.

Drae was pacing in the foyer of his home. More than half an hour had passed since their last text message, and he knew she’d be arriving on his doorstep at any moment. At least he hoped she would. Nervous, he kept checking the phone clutched in his hand to keep track of time and assure himself that she hadn’t changed her mind and texted him a
fuck you
message.

After their ugly confrontation, he’d video chatted with his lawyer before texting her. It wouldn’t do much good to talk without all the necessary information. He wondered how she’d react to what he was about to tell her. Not only was an annulment out of the question, he’d found out that details of their union had been officially filed and were available for prying eyes. Any resourceful reporter would have no problem finding out they were married with very little digging.

He wasn’t quite sure how he felt about that. Besides the fact that being married wasn’t on his life-agenda, wanting to protect Victoria from gossip and innuendo was also a factor. It took Ted reminding him that his parents would freak the fuck out if they heard about it to bring the situation into focus. Frankly, he didn’t want them and their plastic, fake caring anywhere near him. He much preferred things just as they were with them and their society-fueled meddling ways far away from his life. It was better for everyone involved.

His sister on the other hand was another matter entirely. He adored Desirée and didn’t want her to find out something so private and personal about him from the wrong source. There was also Victoria’s mother. Alex considered the widowed Stephanie Bennett to be a friend. Not only that, Victoria was her only child. He wasn’t a complete ass, he only acted like one where his wife was concerned, and he didn’t want to inadvertently cause the woman any distress over her daughter’s well-being. Not after the European fiasco. There certainly was a lot to consider.

Practicalities aside, Drae stumbled as he paced when the nagging reality of the intense desire he felt for Victoria shredded his nerves. He might not want to be married but he was and the truth of the matter was that he hadn’t had his fill of the delicate waif. Not by a long shot. Her sassy mouth, and the way she flew at him when he acted like a dick, only made him want her more.

And then there was the unprotected sex issue. It didn’t help to wonder what the fuck he’d been thinking because he hadn’t been. Thinking, that was. Not with the head on his shoulders, anyway. Definitely with his other head though. As long as he lived he’d never forget the sight she made that morning in the tiny crop top and the workout pants that molded to her like skin. He couldn’t get inside her fast enough. The way she’d responded set them on a course neither had intended.

A motion-sensor light flickered on at the end of the drive alerting him to Victoria’s imminent arrival. No longer needing the phone, he chucked it aside and headed for the door as his heart thumped heavily in his chest. Drae stepped out onto the wide deck and watched her as she slowly came to him.
Oh my dear sweet God
, he thought. How was he going to keep his hands off her when she looked the way she did?

Dusk was at hand and in the dimming light she looked ethereal and almost dream-like as she approached. Wearing a simple white t-shirt and a pair of jeans that hugged her modest curves, she’d left her hair loose and falling against her shoulders. He never considered himself much of a blue jeans kind of a guy, but there was something about the way her slim hips swayed in the tight denim that made his mouth go dry. Stopping at the foot of the front steps, she shoved her hands into her back pockets, making the t-shirt stretch and highlighting the shape of her breasts. He tried to swallow but there wasn’t enough saliva in his mouth to lick a stamp.

“Hey,” she said.

Clearing his throat as best he could, he muttered a hoarse, “Hi”. For a long moment they just stood there and eyed each other; she warily, and Drae with a hunger that wiped rational thought and the real purpose for this visit from his brain.

An uncomfortable surge of emotion cleared his vision fast when she glanced over her shoulder as if reconsidering being there. Turning back toward him, he noticed the tension bracketing her mouth and dark shadows under her eyes. Drae suddenly felt like a swine, ogling her tiny figure like a ravenous beast on the prey while she showed obvious signs of not having had an easy time of it the last few days.

“Why didn’t you grab a cart and drive down here?” He growled, thinking of her making her way in the setting sun the quarter of a mile down the lane behind the villa in a groin-tightening pair of strappy sandals. Dammit. She could have stumbled or fallen, and he wouldn’t have known she needed help. Good grief. When had he become some kind of frustrated hero, grinding away with concern for a woman’s safety?

She lifted her shoulders in a half shrug that said more than words could. “I didn’t want everyone and their brother to know where I was going,” she sighed. The pained look that swept across her features reminded Drae how unusual their situation really was.

Holding out his hand to her he said, “C’mon inside. Have you eaten dinner? If you’re hungry there’s a humongous pot of chili in the oven that Ria sent over. I thought we’d sit out back and relax.” He was babbling like a fucking teenage boy on his first date.

She worried her bottom lip but didn’t move to take his hand. For a second he thought she might bolt but she finally came toward him and hesitantly reached out. When her small hand clasped his, he relaxed for the first time in days. There was no conversation as she let him lead her inside and while her silence scared the hell out of him, she didn’t shy away from his touch. At least he hadn’t destroyed that with his irrational behavior and stupid words. Why that should matter to him was something he’d have to examine later.

Once inside, he shut the front door and looked closely at her face. She was motionless, her eyes darting everywhere, taking in the house he’d built from his own design. The huge, contemporary home featured a heavy-timbered ceiling in an open concept with walls of windows that captured the changing light throughout the day. The second floor featured a distinctive walkway that looked down into the main living area. Everywhere you looked there was wood and handcrafted elements that brought a very cool wow factor.

He couldn’t help but smile and feel pride at the approval he saw in her gaze. He wanted to take her on a tour and talk her ear off about every nail and cross-beam, and he especially wanted to show her his master bedroom with its custom designed platform bed underneath a soaring wood canopy that reminded him of a tree house he once saw in his travels. But all that had to wait. Right now he needed to stay focused on the matter at hand.

“Your home is, well- it’s magnificent Draegyn. Truly. Did you design this yourself?” The astonishment and praise in her voice warmed a spot in his chest that seemed suspiciously centered around his heart. When she squeezed his hand, he smiled down into her upturned face.

“Yeah,” he shrugged like it was no big deal. Now that the ice had more or less been broken, some of the tension eased from his body.

“Here, c’mon,” he said, pulling her along. “Let me show you the back deck. We can relax out there and talk, okay?”

Leading her through the main living space and the ginormous gourmet kitchen, he felt like the king of the fucking world. What was it about someone else’s approval that made such a difference? Was it the actual expression of delight or the person giving it? In this case it was both. Drae was proud of his home, how it had been built and the attention to detail that showed in the exquisite craftsmanship. Seeing it anew through her astonished eyes was a powerful thing.

“Mmmm. That chili smells delicious,” she murmured at the exact same moment her stomach growled. Taking that as a cue he reluctantly released her hand and motioned to the wide, open doorway that led to the deck.

“Grab a seat outside, and I’ll bring us some. I’m a beer man when a bowl of chili is on the menu, but I have wine cooling if you’d prefer that.”

She smiled and chuckled softly. “Wine? With Ria’s chili? I think not. Sounds a little like sacrilege! Beer is fine for me, thanks.”

They sat quietly after that, under a huge umbrella strung with tiny white lights over a long wood table, cradling stoneware bowls filled with steaming homemade chili. She was being cautious, he understood that, but he couldn’t help but think that sitting with her just felt so right. Maybe they actually could salvage the budding friendship that had been developing before the shit hit the fan. Out of nowhere he looked at her and said, “I’m thinking about getting a dog. Alex has Zeus and Brody’s been after me for the last year to take one of his Labs.”

“Really? A dog would fit you nicely, I think. Is Brody the guy who trains the agency’s dogs? I’ve heard his name mentioned but haven’t met him yet.”

“
Mmm hmm
. He’s a Veteran, like most everyone who works for the agency. He goes back east for a couple of months every year. That’s where he is now. He’s got another life away from here. Usually, he turns up in early summer and sticks around till the winter holidays.” He laughed and grinned at her. “Wait till you get a load of the animals he works with. Hope you don’t mind barking!”