Unexpected Interruptions (16 page)

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Authors: Trice Hickman

BOOK: Unexpected Interruptions
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“And what mode are you in now . . . professional or personal?” Victoria purred.
“I'll let you decide.”
When his mouth met hers, Victoria thought she would melt. Parker kissed her gently, easing her body down into the sofa. His tongue searched for hers and found it. She ran her fingers across his scalp and he moaned, enjoying the feel of her delicate forefingers on his skin. She sucked his tongue into her mouth, then kissed him gently, slightly biting his lower lip before moving on to his neck. Parker tilted his pelvis and began to grind against her as they moved their bodies in synchronized motion. His hand searched beneath her skirt and cupped her firm, round behind. She gently sucked his tongue again, then tickled it with her own. Parker felt shock waves run through his body, and his erection rubbed hard against her leg.
Victoria could feel herself losing control. “We need to stop,” she panted, not wanting to
really
stop, but knowing she needed to.
Slowly, Parker withdrew from their embrace, lifting himself up while Victoria pulled her skirt down, hoping he hadn't felt the wet spot in the seat of her panties. He shifted in his place beside her on the sofa, trying to regain his composure. Victoria glanced down at the huge lump bulging at the seat of his wool trousers.
Damn!
she thought to herself.
“I'm sorry. I got carried away,” Parker apologized.
“You weren't bumpin' and grindin' by yourself,” she smiled, giving Parker a little relief. “I guess we need to slow things down.”
“But why? Victoria, you feel the same thing I feel. I know you do. Why don't we just do what comes natural.”
“For one thing, this is only our third date. It's too soon. Besides, sex has a way of clouding the issues.”
“What issues?”
“My point exactly. Whatever issues we might have remain to be seen. We're still getting to know each other. When you introduce sex into the picture, it can cause you to overlook obvious flaws, and make excuses for certain behavior because the physical rewards are used as compensation.”
Parker raised a brow. “Sounds like you're speaking from experience.”
“I am.”
He ran his hand across his slick scalp, then looked straight into Victoria's eyes as he spoke. “I'm already falling in love with you.”
“What? . . . ”
“I said I'm falling in love with you,” he repeated.
There was silence
Victoria fidgeted.
What do I say? What do I do?
She felt a strong connection, but was it love . . . so soon?
“I don't expect a response . . . at least not tonight,” Parker winked. “I know this seems sudden, and believe me, I'm surprised myself. But this is right, Victoria. I know it.”
He cleared his throat and waited for a moment to pass. He hoped she would say something, anything. But she didn't. “Listen,” he started again. “I don't want to scare you off, I'm just trying to be honest with you. I'll always be honest with you, Victoria.”
She knew she had to say something. She couldn't let him confess his feelings and not respond. “Parker, everything is happening so fast. You're what I've been praying for, and that's why I want to take it slow . . . I don't want to mess things up. I want to enjoy discovering new things about you, and I want you to accept my quirky ways and crazy habits. I want to know that I can
really
trust you, and the only way I'll find out is with time.”
“If taking it slow is what you want, then that's what we'll do.” Parker lifted Victoria's hand to his mouth and kissed it gently, letting his tongue graze her skin. He felt her tremble and looked into her eyes. “You can't blame a brother for tryin'.”
They shared a laugh before falling back into the sofa, cuddling in each other's arms.
Preferential Treatment...
Three weeks after Victoria's report had been submitted, the big SME meeting caused a ruckus so explosive it could've been mistaken for a Fourth of July fireworks display. Midway through the meeting, Patricia spilled over with anger. She was upset because Bob Hoffman, the VP of HR, had used one of the failing evaluations as an example of how
not
to manage a team. No one except Victoria knew the identity of the person in question until Patricia went ballistic and removed all doubt that she was the culprit.
She jumped out of her seat and started yelling like a mad woman. She accused Victoria of setting her up. “You're jealous of me,” Patricia scowled across the table in Victoria's direction. “I know what you're up to. You're trying to make me look bad. You're trying to get rid of me. I know you're the reason I wasn't nominated for EMP.”
Bob tried to calm her down, but it was to no avail.
“I've watched you, cozying up to certain people so you'll get assigned to the best projects. I see right through your little act,” Patricia raged, pounding her fists on the conference table. “You have everyone around here fooled, except me. You're a fake, and pretty soon people are going to find out all about you. I'll see to it!”
Bob quickly adjourned the meeting within a matter of minutes. After that, Patricia left for the day and her erratic behavior became the talk of the office. Bob let tempers calm before he called Victoria into his office a few hours later. He apologized for Patricia's outburst and made assurances that he'd talk to her.
But the real blow came when Victoria learned that Patricia would be joining her on an upcoming project in New York. And to her surprise and outrage, it was at Ted's request.
“Ted copied me on an email he sent to Patricia earlier this morning,” Bob said. “He wants her to help the strategy team that you're working with to evaluate the New York office and the situation that's brewing up there.”
Victoria was upset, but realized there was little she could do. An hour later, she and Denise went out for a late afternoon lunch. “I can't believe Patricia!” Victoria said with anger, crunching on her vegetable spring roll. “I don't know if I can work with her on the New York project.”
“Well, you've gotta try.”
“She said that I cozy up to certain people to get preferential treatment.”
Denise rolled her eyes. “You know why she said that, don't you?”
“Yes. I know she was referring to Ted. And I'm not crazy, I know that people are talking.”
“She's jealous, just like all the other heifers around there. They wish they were spending time with Ted and getting his attention instead of you.”
“But all we do is work, work, work! SuperNet is a huge project, plus I've got my regular work to deal with,” Victoria huffed. “And how I got dragged into the New York situation is still a damn mystery to me. If I'm receiving preferential treatment, why wasn't I able to get out of that assignment?”
Denise took a sip of her ginger tea. “Yeah, but you're missing the point. People are jealous because you're getting face time with the top dog.”
Victoria shook her head. “If they want to trade places with me, they can have at it. Then maybe I'd be able to spend more time with Parker. He's always having to wait on me because I'm running late.”
“Listen, girlfriend. I hear you, but people are watching. Every time that you and Ted go out to lunch or have late afternoon meetings, people are keeping tabs on it. Jen told me so. And it doesn't matter what kind of projects you're working on.”
“This is truly unbelievable! Patricia has fucked nearly the entire executive team, and people are questioning my ethics?” Victoria was so mad she had to sit back and take a deep breath. “Denise, what happened today really pissed me off. Patricia gets away with entirely too much shit, and the only reason they haven't fired her is because they're afraid of a lawsuit,” Victoria huffed.
Denise raised her brow. “Why do you think Bob lets her do as she pleases?”
Victoria shook her head with disbelief. “Tell me you're joking.”
“He's tappin' that. He's got to protect his interest.”
“That's trifling,” Victoria said with disgust. If it hadn't been for the fact that she was looking forward to SuperNet next summer, she would've handed in her resignation after the meeting. But she had to focus on the bigger picture. She'd made a commitment to herself, and she'd be damned if she was going to let Patricia foul up her plans.
Lips Met Lips...
A week after the disastrous SME meeting, Victoria sat across from Ted at the conference table in his office. She was disappointed that he had yet to mention a word about the big blowout she'd had with Patricia, but more than that, she was ready to leave. It was Friday night and they were working late—again. She looked at her watch and saw that it was eight-thirty. She should have been at Parker's an hour ago because they had plans to attend Phil and Gayle's big Halloween costume party.
Even though work had been hectic over the last several weeks, Victoria's love life made everything seem like a breeze. She and Parker quickly fell into a routine like they'd been together for years. They saw each other at every opportunity their busy schedules would allow. They shared long romantic kisses, but were mindful not to let things go too far. She was amazed by Parker's self-control. Some nights she wanted him to rip off her clothes and ravage her body, but when he felt his urges grow too intense, he would withdraw and kiss her on the palm of her hand.
She was finishing her review of the updated schematics and booth design for the SuperNet show when she looked at her watch again.
After I finish this page I'm outta here
, she said to herself.
Tired from poring over the tedious documents, Victoria stood to stretch. Ted studied her, and she caught him. They stared at each other for a few silent moments before he rose and walked over to where she stood. He reached for her, slowly pulling her into his arms. She embraced the sudden shock and thrill of what was happening.
Lips met lips. Hands met flesh. Her blouse came off, then his shirt. Within seconds they were both partially nude. With one sweep of his hand, Ted pushed the pile of documents and folders from the conference table to the floor, laying Victoria across the hard cherry wood surface. He rested his body on top of hers, kissing and licking until she moaned. He felt her wetness, smelled her hunger, and plunged into the comfort he'd been longing for. When he entered her, they both cried out a breathless
“Yes”.
She moved under his body as she moaned with delight.
“Ted, I'm finished here. You can review this to see if it meets your approval,” Victoria said, handing Ted a folder. “Ted? Ted, can you hear me?” she asked.
Victoria's voice shocked him back to reality. Ted pulled off his reading glasses and rubbed his eyes. His fantasies were getting out of control. “I trust your opinion. Go for it.”
“Are you okay?”
“Uh, yes. I'm fine.”
“Okay, I'm outta here.”
Ted didn't want her to leave. His attempts to keep Victoria busy with SuperNet and the New York project weren't working. She was still finding time to see Parker.
But as Victoria's romance with Parker was growing, so was the intensity of her friendship with Ted. They worked long hours together, laughed at each other's jokes, and talked in more intimate detail about their personal lives. Victoria had even confided in him about the night her relationship with Steven had ended.
“You're leaving so soon?” Ted asked.
“Yes, I'm already late.”
“For what?” he asked, putting down his pen. He knew that whatever her plans, they almost certainly involved Parker.
“Parker and I are going to a Halloween costume party tonight,” Victoria smiled slyly. “I'm going as Catwoman.”
Chapter Twelve
I Got It Off The Internet. . .
Parker buzzed Victoria into his building, then returned to the sofa. He'd left the door ajar so she could enter on her own. He was pissed! Her job was starting to wear thin on him—more specifically, her demanding CEO. Whenever they planned to meet, go somewhere, or do anything, it seemed that Ted Thornton always had a project that required Victoria's immediate attention. They'd begun to have small arguments about it. Parker hadn't met Ted, but already he didn't like the man.
“Victoria, he's the company's top executive, with a large staff at his disposal. Can't he find someone else to do some of the projects he's assigning to you?” Parker had asked.
“There are a lot of complicated situations the company is dealing with right now,” she responded.
“You said that you're leaving next June to run your business full-time, so just phase out the work to someone else. Or better yet, tell him no.”
“That's not my style. I wouldn't do that, just like I wouldn't expect you to walk out on a patient who needed your help.”
“That's different. You're talking about someone's life.”
“I might not be saving lives, but my job is just as important to me as yours is to you. I never complain when your beeper goes off and you have to leave, or work late. I adjust my schedule around yours without complaint. Why can't you do the same for me?”
He knew that Victoria was right. “I'm sorry,” he'd acquiesced, but still didn't like the imposition her work forced on their time together.
Victoria noticed that Parker's front door was open. She pushed through slowly and found him sitting on the sofa. He was dressed as a Greek Olympian in full regalia. His short, sexy toga made her want to devour him on sight. She walked over to him and dropped her duffel bag to the floor. “I love your costume,” she smiled.
“You're late . . . again.”
“Parker, I called and told you that I'd be late. I'm sorry, but I had some important documents to review before I leave for New York this Sunday.”
“Victoria, why does this guy have you working on so many assignments?”
“I've explained this to you before. Most of the projects I'm working on are leading up to SuperNet, which is a great opportunity for me. Why can't you be supportive?” Victoria asked, looking dejected.
“I'm sorry, baby. I guess I just want you all to myself,” Parker said, standing to his feet, pulling Victoria close to him. “I want to spend as much time with you as I can.”
“We have plenty of time, there's no rush. I'm not going anywhere, are you?”
Parker quickly evaded her question. “You got your costume?”
“Yep, it's in my bag.”
“Then let's hurry and get you changed.”
They walked down the hallway and into Parker's bedroom. He stood in the doorway with his back turned as Victoria undressed. “I don't want you to think that I'm not being supportive,” he said over his shoulder. “I'm glad that your new CEO is looking out for you. But I think that this Ted Thornton guy is being totally unreasonable, and he's taking advantage of your time.”
“Asking me to work on SuperNet after I turned down his EMP nomination was something he didn't have to do,” Victoria countered.
“Well, all I know is that he's cutting into our time together. But listen, let's not argue about your job tonight. Let's just concentrate on having a good time.”
“Fine with me.” Victoria was glad to end the conversation. She finished putting on her costume. “So, tell me what you think?”
Parker turned around and smiled approvingly. Victoria's shiny, black bodysuit hugged every curve of her body, and her three-inch black patent leather Dolce & Gabanna knee-high boots gave the outfit sizzle. She adjusted the pointy cat ears perched atop her head and did a quick once-over in the mirror before they headed out the door.
When Victoria and Parker arrived, Gayle welcomed them with a big smile. “Hey, come on in. We were wondering if you two were going to make it.” She was dressed as Alice in Wonderland, the café au lait version. She kissed Parker on the cheek. Victoria extended her hand, but Gayle drew her in for what felt to Victoria like a genuine hug. “I'm Gayle. It's nice to meet you, Victoria. I've heard so many wonderful things about you.”
“Likewise, and it's nice to meet you too.”
Phil came up from the back, giving Parker a customary brothahman dap. “Your late ass finally showed up,” he yelled over the music. He was dressed as a Boy Scout, badges and all.
Parker introduced Victoria, and Phil gave her a light kiss on the cheek. “It's good to see you again, and formally meet you this time” he smiled, making everyone laugh.
“You have a lovely home,” Victoria said, looking from Gayle to Phil. Parker had told her that the two had purchased their house six months ago, and planned to marry sometime next year.
“Thanks, why don't I give you a quick tour,” Gayle offered.
As the two women headed off, Phil and Parker made a beeline to the poker game underway in the den.
Gayle and Victoria walked around the first floor, going in and out of neatly decorated rooms packed with party-goers. They ended their tour with the master bedroom upstairs. “Victoria,” Gayle started slowly. “I thought you should know . . . Sheila's here tonight.”
“Oh, really? I didn't see her downstairs,” Victoria said, feeling a little uneasy.
“She's down there somewhere. I'm just telling you because I don't want there to be any awkward surprises. I already told her that you and Parker would be here too.”
“You say it like I should be concerned.” Now Victoria was beginning to wonder if Parker's relationship with this woman had been more involved than he'd led her to believe.
“No, there's no need to be concerned. Parker and Sheila only went out on that one date. I just know it was awkward that night at the restaurant because Parker was so obviously taken by you. Sheila's my cousin, but hey, I just wanted you to know.”
Parker had said that Phil was crazy about Gayle, and now Victoria could see why. Gayle possessed a realness that made her trustworthy. “Thanks, and I appreciate you sharing that with me, but your cousin isn't going to do anything crazy, is she?”
“Girl, please! I just didn't want anyone to be caught off-guard. She knows I don't tolerate drama,” Gayle said, hands on her hips.
Victoria was glad that Gayle had warned her, and wondered if Parker was aware that Sheila was on the scene.
Gayle smiled. “Victoria, I have to tell you, you're workin' the hell outta that cat suit.”
“Thanks, girl. I got it off the Internet.”
Back downstairs, Sade crooned out “Sweetest Taboo,” while the crowd of young black professionals swayed to the beat, chit-chatting, mingling, and checking out the night's sampling of available potentials. The house was packed with people who'd arrived solo but didn't plan on leaving that way.
Victoria didn't know if it was the two glasses of wine she'd drunk, or the beat of the music surging through the room, but she was having a good time.
A few hours and another glass of wine later, she and Parker decided to head home. “I'll grab our coats from upstairs,” she said. She moved slowly, trying not to let her wine buzz get the best of her. But on her way back downstairs, she stopped cold at the second landing when she saw something that gave her an instant chill. Parker was standing in the middle of the living room, talking to Sheila.
The vixen was stunningly dressed as Cleopatra. Parker's back was turned toward Victoria, while Sheila faced in her direction. Her hand was resting on Parker's elbow, and they were laughing as if they were the best of friends. Victoria quickly sobered up, eyeing them as she descended the staircase. Sheila spotted Victoria and decided to give her a little show. She leaned into Parker, put her hand on his chest, and whispered into his ear. He laughed at whatever she'd said and nodded his head, as if in agreement.
Victoria walked up to them. “Here's your coat.” She tossed the suede jacket to Parker like a pitcher on the mound, stepping past them, barely slowing down or breaking her stride. “I'll be waiting at the door while you two catch up,” she snapped.
Parker moved away from Sheila like she had leprosy and hightailed it in Victoria's direction. He knew that she was upset. During the drive back home she only gave one-word answers to his questions, so he prepared himself for what would be their first big argument once they got back to his place.
Right Here. Right Now. Today...
Parker threw his keys on the coffee table. “Okay, what's wrong?”
“You know what's wrong.”
“Victoria, it was nothing. She just came over to say hello.”
“Oh, really? Since when does a casual hello involve touching and rubbing? I saw you two laughing like you were at a Chris Rock concert.”
“You're overreacting.”
“Parker, she was openly flirting with you, and you let her.”
“No she wasn't.”
“Yes, she was. She was touching you like you two were together.”
Parker walked over to Victoria and led her to the couch. “She came up to me to say hello, but there was no flirting going on, just conversation. She put her hand on my chest when she told me a joke, and I laughed because what she said was funny. It was an innocent gesture. I even told her that you and I were there together.”
Victoria looked at him closely, trying to determine if she should believe him. She wondered how Parker could exercise such strong self-control during their heavy petting sessions, yet couldn't manage to remove Sheila's hand from his chest tonight, or disengage her obvious flirtation. Victoria's head began to throb.
Over the last month she had come to realize that Parker was one of the most decent men she'd ever met, but she also knew that he was, or at least had been, a ladies' man. In the back of her mind, she replayed the pictures of the women in his photo album. She wanted to trust him, but how could she believe a self-professed Casanova? And then there was Pamela, the one who had moved to Atlanta to be near him. Victoria had questioned Parker about her, but he'd insisted that his relationship with the woman was a thing of the past.
What Victoria didn't know was that Pamela was still very interested in him, and had only stopped calling two months ago after their last sexual rendezvous. Parker had realized that sleeping with her had been a big mistake, so he decided that it was time to cut all ties with her and put a permanent end to their on-again-off-again relationship.
Victoria couldn't shake the fact that a part of her felt insecure even knowing that Pamela lived somewhere near. All those thoughts, combined with the scene tonight, were feeding into her insecurities. She didn't want things with Parker to end up as they had with Steven. No repeats!
“How would you have felt if you walked up to me and I was canoodling with someone you'd seen me with in the past?”
Parker shook his head. “I wasn't
canoodling
. I don't even know what that means.” He looked at Victoria and felt her distrust. “Baby, I have absolutely no interest in Sheila.”
“You know my history, and you know what happened to me in my last relationship. I have to know that I can trust you in order for this to work. Letting Sheila fawn over you like that, touching you, letting her whisper in your ear . . . that doesn't instill trust.”
As soon as Sheila approached Parker, he'd felt uneasy. He was on his way out to meet Victoria when she stopped him. His first reaction was to say hello and keep going, but she smiled and said it was good to see him again. She said she had no hard feelings about what happened on their blind date; she even wished him and Victoria the best. She rested her hand on his elbow to steady herself as she shifted her weight from one foot to the other, then touched his chest lightly, making a joke about how her high heels were killing her feet. “Cleopatra never wore Prada,” she laughed, and he followed.
“Victoria, I'm nothing like that asshole you dated before we met. I love you too much to ever hurt you like that. The only thing I'm guilty of is not thinking about how things may have looked to you, seeing me with Sheila.”
“The next time, please think about how I feel.”
“There won't be a next time. Baby, I don't want you to lose trust in me because of this. I want what we have to grow. You're like no other woman I've ever been with.”
Over the past few weeks, Parker had repeated that phrase several times, and now those words were making Victoria's temples throb to the point of anger. “What kind of game are you playing?” she asked.
“What?”
“Is this some kind of experiment?”
Parker looked confused. “I told you from the beginning, I'm not playing games. Just because this is happening so fast, it doesn't mean it's not genuine, or that you can't trust what I'm saying. I love you.”
“Oh, so now that you've walked on the dark side you think you love me?” Victoria snapped, letting the alcohol give her boldness.
“What're you talking about?” Parker knew she'd had too much to drink at the party, so he tried to be patient.
“You're always saying that I'm so different from any of the women you've ever dated, that I'm like no other woman you've ever been with.”
“It's true.”
“Is it because I'm dark?”
Parker looked stunned. “Baby, why would you say something like that?”
“Because all the women in your photo album look the same, just like your family.”
“I can't believe you're serious.”
Victoria stared at him, waiting for his response. “Well?”
“Well, what? Baby, I told you those pictures are old. I've dated a lot of women over the years. But why are we even talking about this? Let's focus on our relationship, and this trust thing.”
“You say that I can trust you?”
“Absolutely. I've been honest with you about everything that happened tonight.”
“Okay, since you're being so honest, tell me, have you ever dated a dark skinned woman other than me?”
“Why?” Parker asked with growing irritation. “Where's this coming from? Just because you saw a few pictures in my photo album?”
“Have you?”
“Yes, I have. But what does that have to do with what happened tonight?”
“As dark as me?”
“Baby, come on. This is ridiculous.”
“Parker, look at the evidence. The women you've dated, your family, and even your friends. They all look alike. And that makes me think that it's a conscious effort. This kind of stuff doesn't happen by accident.”
Victoria was spent from the alcohol and the night's events. These were feelings and emotions she hadn't thought about in years. “Parker, I want to tell you about something that happened to me a long time ago,” she said quietly. She began to tell him about her family history, and the painful truth she discovered one night when she was seven years old. The night she'd been carrying with her every day of her life
...
“Mommy, we always visit Daddy's family, and Aunt Phyllis and Uncle Billy come to see us and send me birthday gifts and Christmas presents. How come Granny Grace doesn't come to see me? Or Uncle Charles or Aunt Jean? Only Uncle Maxx comes. And why don't we go to see them, Mommy?” Victoria asked. She was an inquisitive child and she wanted to know.
Elizabeth looked at her daughter with loving eyes and told Victoria a half-truth. “Well, sweetheart, my family and our family see things differently. We think one way, and they think another.”
“Mommy, I don't understand,” Victoria said. “Do they think wrong, or do we think wrong?”
Elizabeth looked at John with eyes that reflected a tortured heart.
“Listen, Queen,” John's deep baritone eased into the air, “no one's right or wrong, we're just different. You don't understand now because you're much too young to know about these grown-up things, but just remember that Mommy and Daddy love you very much, and so does all your other family, whether you see them or not.”
Elizabeth took John's hand in hers and mouthed a silent, “I love you.”
Later that night when Victoria got up to use the bathroom, she heard her mother crying, her voice laced with tears. She grabbed her teddy bear and walked down the long hallway. She crept to the edge of their big spiral staircase, her small feet curled under her as she knelt at the banister to see why her mother was so upset.
“It's going to be all right, Elizabeth,” John tried to soothe his wife.
“But, John, how do I tell my precious little girl that her own flesh and blood won't have anything to do with her because her skin's not light enough. That she's too dark for their taste.” Elizabeth let out another sob. “Never mind that she's beautiful and smart, and happy and well behaved. That means nothing to them if her skin isn't light. It breaks my heart John, she's just a baby.”
Victoria sat on the edge of the stairs, paralyzed with pain. She listened as her parents talked about the day the Sanders family came to visit the week after she'd been born. She heard the hurt in Elizabeth's voice that she still carried, and the anger John still held from that day. Small tears formed in the corners of Victoria's big brown eyes. She held her teddy bear tight, walked back to her room and crawled back into bed. She cried a stream of quiet tears until she fell asleep. The next morning she told her mother she didn't feel well enough to go to school. She never mentioned what she heard that night. The only person she'd ever shared that night with was Tyler. Now, she was telling Parker. She hadn't intended to, but she couldn't hold on to the hurt any longer.
They sat in silence after Victoria finished her story. “Tell me what you're thinking,” she asked.
“I'm thinking, it's the twenty-first century, and we're still dealing with this skin color shit,” he said with a heavy sigh. “I admit that back in the day some of my relatives were caught up in that messed up way of thinking. I'm a fourth generation Washingtonian from a prominent black family.” Parker paused, shaking his head. “And my family . . . well . . . they are who they are, and I love them nonetheless. But that was then. Things are different now, and I definitely don't think that way. You know that, don't you?”
Victoria needed to hear him say those words. She believed him. Parker had been honest with her about his feelings since their first date, and his truthful admissions were beginning to slowly tear down the wall she'd been trying to hold up.
“Parker, I've been on the receiving end of other people's hang-ups about my skin. So you see, that's why I had to ask. When I saw your family pictures it brought back those painful memories. I thought I was over it, that I'd buried it long ago. But sometimes the hurt still manages to sneak up and bite.”
Parker moved in close, wrapping Victoria in his arms. “I wish I could take back the pain you went through, but I can't. All I can do is tell you that I love you. Right here, right now, today. I love everything about you,” he whispered in between soft kisses to her lips, “and I think your deep brown skin is absolutely beautiful.”

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