My Sister's Shoes (Little Black Box, Book 1) (12 page)

Clasping his hand, she smiled and put her other hand over his. She whispered, “I love you … Victor.”

To her delight, he pulled away and slowly unbuttoned his shirt as he studied her. “You nervous?”

“Yes, I’m nervous.”

He placed his hands flat against the wall on either side of her body, trapping her. “Why?”

“I’ve been thinking about it for a while now,” she admitted. Wanting to move out of his reach, she attempted to duck under his arm when he grabbed her waist, pulling her back. He dipped his head until his lips grazed her ear. “Allie. Just. Breathe. Because we’re done talking.”

Her heart fluttered when she realized this was the moment of truth. He gently pushed her back against the wall and widened his stance, bringing them face to face. She anxiously licked her lips as he pressed the bare part of his chest against her body, giving her less room to move.

He tipped up her chin, “Any man who is lucky enough to kiss you, even once, ought to be content for the rest of his days.” When their lips touched, the long, agonizing denial came to an end, blazing a path of passion through her body until she clawed at him. He pinned her against the wall, taking her kiss until she was breathless. Out of patience, her hands glided inside his shirt over his taut, smooth skin, bringing her deeper into blistering desire. His kiss dissolved her body into a mass of overly sensitized nerves as lust seared her erogenous zones. A mere brush of his hand could bring her to her knees as she fought for a conscious breath.

He abruptly stopped and stood back. Gulping at the slap of his retreat, she held his gaze. His heavy-lidded expression reassured her, lifting her anxiety. He removed his shirt, freeing his dark, rich hair to brush over his defined deltoid muscles. Throwing the garment to the floor, he remained still. “Are you sure about this?” he whispered.

Allie’s eyes stung with the onslaught of emotional pain at the thought of stopping. Wanting no barriers between them, she pushed off the wall and untied the belt of her robe, allowing it to fall open. She rolled her shoulders, making the garment slide over her arms. She wore only her panties. When their eyes locked, Allie used her thumbs to tug her panties over her hips, never looking away from his eyes. She tried not to think about anything except stripping until there was nothing left to hide. She stood before him, free of clothing and indecision.

She watched him open the front of his jeans. His thumbs slipped inside the waistband and tugged them down. She quirked her mouth when she noticed he went commando.
So typical.
His physique was astonishing. She ran her eyes over every part of his body, coming to rest on his cock.

Victor closed the gap between them. He brushed her cheek with the back of his hand.

“You are beautiful.” As his lips closed over hers, his hand traced the outside of her breast, turning the sweetness of their kiss into an all-consuming need. Allie reached up with both hands, tangling her fingers in his hair. He pulled her body away from the wall to run his fingers over her buttocks. His impatient moan fueled her arousal as she was lifted off her feet. Wrapping her legs around his waist, she felt him carry her across the room. Her lips ran down the side of his neck and back up to his ear. Running her tongue over his ear lobe, she played with the tiny hoop she once thought so telling. She loved it now; everything about him, she loved.

“I love you.” It felt freeing to say it with such certainty.

“Me too, sugar.”

Sitting her down on the edge of the bed, he offered her a smile. She ran her hands up his legs and over his muscular thighs. Leaning forward, she kissed his stomach. Running her tongue around his navel, she teased him as she went lower and lower. As she closed her hand over his thickness, he grabbed her wrist. “Take my cock in your mouth.”

Without giving it a thought, Allie took his penis in her mouth, slowly inserting his length into her throat as far as she could go. In and out, running her tongue around the head, his hips bucked as he met her rhythm. His muffled moans signified his pleasure as Victor’s control waned. He held her shoulders and gently nudged her back. “Stop, Allie.”

Kneeling in front of her, he pushed her legs open and tucked his arms under her knees. Pulling her against his waist, Allie fell back on the bed. She felt the heat rush to her face as her pussy rubbed against his bare skin, leaving a trail of wetness along his stomach. His smirk told her he was aware of her excitement. He dipped his head, lathing at her nipple, giving her exquisite pleasure as he moved from one to the other. Biting down, he gently applied pressure until Allie squeaked from the pinch.

He held her legs open as her wetness seeped from her swollen lips, causing the cool air to further stimulate her already aching pussy. Victor left a trail of hot, wet kisses along her skin as his head moved lower, coming to rest between her legs. Without warning, his hot mouth closed over her vagina, making Allie moan with satisfaction. Going slowly, exploring every fold with agonizing patience, he teased and titillated her without mercy. She trembled as the heat in her belly spread out, scorching her insides. Tighter and faster and farther she climbed until her breaths came in little gasps. As Victor’s finger slid inside her, he sucked her clit until her climax had her screaming his name.

Allie took time to compose herself as Victor made himself comfortable beside her. His head rested on his elbow while he drew circles on her belly with his free hand. “I like hearing you scream my name.”

“I like that you make me scream.”

Leaning over her, he ran his tongue down her neck. “I don’t think I’ve ever been this hard in my life.”

“Hmm. Lucky for me.”

He rolled on top of her. “Yeah? You think you’re lucky?”

“So, so lucky.” When he kissed her, the heat rushed to her groin. She’d never wanted anyone this much before, and she found herself questioning what would happen to them. She forced herself not to focus on the unknown but on the joy of their newfound love. As he pressed his cock against her entrance, he gently kissed her lips. “Look at me, Allie. I want to see you.”

Their eyes met, and for a moment the world, with all its problems, fell away. Victor’s cock pushed into her in a frenzied movement, making her gasp. Trying to accommodate his largeness, Allie thrust her hips up in time to meet his as she firmly held his butt in place. Victor stopped and reached for her hands. Bringing her arms up above her head, he held her wrists in a tight grip. Taking complete control, he slowly pulled his cock out and pushed back in. In quickly, out slowly, until each invasion built the pressure inside and Allie squirmed under his dominant hand.

His pace quickened as his thrusts became wildly savage. Allie’s control was all but lost as she flailed beneath his grip. His intense pounding pushed her over, and she cried out as the intense flow of endorphins flooded her body. Victor took her mouth as her body jolted from pure pleasure. With his tongue seeking hers, he came as he groaned into her mouth. It was a sound of ecstasy Allie had never heard before.

* * * *

Lying next to Victor, Allie felt safe. But the knowledge of their circumstance invaded her thoughts. There was no way to avoid the inevitable or the conversation she had to have with him. She curled into him, resting her head on his shoulder. “So, how does this work?”

She felt him breathe deep. Letting it out, he pressed his lips to her head. “All I know is I’m between worlds right now. I was given an assignment. You. I was told you needed to learn about yourself so you could be happy.”

“I don’t understand. You were sent to me to help me find happiness. And I’ve found it with you. Now you’ll leave? Where can I find you? How is this fair to us?”

“It isn’t. But happiness doesn’t always fall into your lap. You must pursue it by being true to yourself first. If you believe you are deserving of love, it will appear when you least expect it. No more feeding into the expectation of misery, you hear me? Otherwise, it’s misery you will achieve.”

“Tell me where you are and I will come to you.”

“I’m not sure where I am. I don’t even know what happened to me before all this. There are things I’m sketchy about. But I was told I—” He sat up. Resting his arms on his knees, he ran his fingers through his hair.

Allie sat up, holding the sheet to her bare skin. She ran her hand over his shoulder, “What? Please tell me the truth.”

“I won’t have a memory of this experience.” He looked over his shoulder at her. “Of you.”

His eyes showed the hurt she felt run through her. She touched his cheek, and he leaned into her touch. “So you won’t remember me at all? Any of it?”

Tears welled in her eyes as he shook his head no. “Allie, I do believe when we meet again, my heart will know yours.”

“What if we don’t meet again?”

“A love like this happens only once in a lifetime. I don’t believe we came together only to be torn apart.”

As her hand dropped away, she questioned him. “So you’ll be alive? Somewhere in the United States?”

He shrugged his shoulders. “I’m hoping so, now that you’ve found your happiness.”

“But without you I lose it.”

“No. I’m not your happiness, Allie. Another person can’t make you happy. You must make yourself happy.”

“But I’ll lose you. It’s just another tragedy in my life!”

He turned and grabbed her shoulders. Looking into her eyes, he scolded her. “Stop it. One of my favorite quotes is ‘Tragedy should be utilized as a source of strength, and no matter what sort of difficulties, how painful an experience is, if we lose our hope, that is the real tragedy.’” She was silent. His hands ran down her back, caressing her. “What else have you learned from all this?”

“At first, I thought the lesson in all of this was how I fell in love with someone I least expected. Given the chance, you and I would have never even dated in the real world. I was too closed off to consider it. And deep down I think I knew I was falling for you the night you held me in your arms for the first time. What I wasn’t prepared for, and what I thought about all last night as I stared out the window, was my feelings for Adrienne. I remember a lot of times when she tried to get close to me and I wasn’t very nice to her. When you told me all those things about her past and the only father she ever knew rejecting her, I somehow understood her. She’s a lot like me, I suppose. I never would’ve seen it. And the offer to stay in the apartment? It was Trudy who jumped at the suggestion that I earn my keep until I took the boards. I remember how uncomfortable Adrienne was about it. It’s so clear to me now. Her anger toward me is based out of yet another rejection. I wonder if I were kinder to her, things would be different.”

“There’s only one way to find out.”

“So the way to my happiness is—”

“Forgiveness. Not only to receive it but to offer it as well. Once you accept the things you cannot change and never give up trying to achieve what your heart desires, happiness follows.”

“It sounds like such a cliché.”

“I learned from experience. I think.”

“So you think we’ll meet again?”

“Absolutely. I have hope because I know deep down,” he picked up her hand and placed it over his heart, “we are destined.”

“That’s beautiful, but I need some insurance. Where are you? Exactly.”

He laughed. “I don’t know. I want to say a hospital, but I’m really not sure.”

“What do you remember?”

“I don’t. All I know is you, Allie. You’ve been my constant and my reason to push through and hang on. I’m in love with you, and I prayed you’d love me too.”

“And I-I do love you. I’m just not ready to say good-bye.”

“We’ll never be ready, sugar. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to love you. You’ve helped me find my happiness too.”

“I know you will live. You will live because you changed me. You’ve made me a better woman, and for that I will never forget you.” Her tears did not stop her from kissing him. As he slowly pushed her down on the bed, she ran her hands up his back. His skin was smooth and silky to the touch, and she wanted nothing more than to hold on to this moment in time as long as she could. But somewhere in her subconscious, she knew when she slept, she would wake up alone.

Allie woke up smiling. She felt loved, and she was finally content. The last twenty-four hours were the happiest she’d ever been. Reaching over to stroke Victor’s arm, she was unable to wait for his lips to find hers. Dreamily, she searched the bed for him as the birds could be heard rejoicing the arrival of a beautiful spring morning. As the grogginess of sleep lifted, Allie opened her eyes. She quickly sat straight up and looked around the empty room. Swallowing hard, she pulled the covers back and slowly blinked her eyes.

Her feet felt like lead as she swung her legs over the side of the bed. Held in the grip of fear, her lip trembled as she fought back the tears. She called out, “Victor, should I order breakfast?” She cleared her throat and grabbed the room service menu from where she left it the night before. With her voice shaking, she spoke aloud. “They have a really lovely fruit dish, and I heard the omelets are even better. What can I order for you? I know I’m getting tea for starters because I can’t do without my tea.” She listened for movement, silently praying an answer would come.

Pursing her lips, Allie closed her eyes tight and took a deep breath. When she opened them, she stood up on shaky legs and walked to the bathroom door. It was ajar. She knocked lightly at first. “Hey you? Did you hear me? Omelets or fruit tart?” When no answer came, Allie pushed the door open to the bathroom. The fear of finding it empty was realized.

Turning around, she searched the room. There was no clothing, no shoes. There was no evidence of Victor anywhere. Allie fell back against the wall, the same wall she leaned against when she professed her love to him, and slid down to the floor in a heap. Her dreams in ruins, her life in tatters, she was once again left alone to pick up the pieces of a shattered heart.

Allie crawled along the floor until she reached the bed. Pulling herself up with the help of the blankets, she reached for his pillow. Grabbing it, she clutched it in her arms. She pressed her face in its softness, smelling for his scent. How could such a beautiful morning so full of promise make her feel so desperately empty? Allie cradled Victor’s pillow in her arms and curled up in a fetal position on the floor of her room—their room—at the beautiful Plaza Hotel, and prayed for her happiness to return.