She wasn’t sure she was making sense. She could barely talk.
“Yeah?” He took hold of her wrists one at a time and stretched her arms over her head, pinning her to the bed, using just enough strength to make it feel real. “Does my sweet Vicki like a little domination?”
A dark thrill ran through her to feel herself restrained by him. “Yes.”
There was no need for words after that, as he drove into her hard, pleasure carrying both of them away.
* * *
Eric held her afterward. “We have to talk about it sooner or later.”
For a moment, she said nothing, her fingers tracing lines across his chest.
“I don’t want to leave you, but I have to go back. I need to think it all through. I love you, Eric, and I’m happier with you than I’ve ever been. But we’ve only really known each other for a couple of weeks, and moving here would be a huge change. If I’m going to do this, I have to do it the right way. I can’t just uproot my life and my career based on emotions. I have to make sure it’s what we both really want.”
He understood why she was saying this, but part of him wanted to object. Of course it was what he wanted, but that wasn’t really the issue. She was having trouble trusting herself to make a decision, and that was a problem she had to resolve.
He kissed her temple. “You have to do what’s right for you. I understand that. When you’re ready, I’ll be here.”
All he could do now was wait and hope.
Chapter 22
Eight weeks later
Vic walked backto her office, set her files on her desk, and sank into her chair, relieved that the presentation was over. She’d worked tirelessly on this campaign since getting home two months ago. It was wonderful to have it behind her.
The executives from Merced Capital had been impressed and pleased with her work, particularly her situational analysis, which had dared to challenge their view of their niche as a company. Vic had suggested nothing less than an audacious rebranding. Abigail had been nervous about that, afraid they would reject the idea. But she’d left the conference room beaming and was now on her way to lunch with Merced’s CEO.
Vic didn’t care that she hadn’t been invited. She didn’t feel much like schmoozing. She booted up her computer and typed in her password, hoping to catch up on work emails before lunch, her fingers drawn to the diamond pendant Eric had given her on their last morning together. A half-carat princess cut diamond set in white gold, it was the most precious thing she owned because it had come from him.
“It’s nothing fancy, but I hope you’ll like it.”
“Oh, Eric! It’s beautiful. I love it.”
There’d been such vulnerability in his eyes when he’d handed her the small wrapped box. She’d had to fight not to cry.
It had been only two months, but it felt like a hundred years since they’d stood there together in DIA and said goodbye.
She willed herself to focus on answering her email, setting aside for the moment the persistent unanswered question of what to do with her life. She had almost finished when her cell phone buzzed, making her pulse skip. She drew it out of her purse.
A text from Eric.
She opened it, smiled to herself, warmth blossoming in her chest. It was a selfie of him with a sexy smile on his face and a blue Post-It note stuck to his forehead that read, “I love you.”
The Post-It was one of about a hundred Vic had scribbled on and hidden all around his cabin that last Friday when he’d been toned out on an EMS call. It had been her way of leaving a bit of herself with him. Every time he found one, he let her know, and she could see that it made him happy.
He sent another message, this one just text.
FOUND THIS ONE IN MY UNDERWEAR DRAWER. YOU SAW MY UNDERWEAR! LOVE YOU TOO.
That made her laugh.
She studied the photo, saw that his hair was sweaty and he was wearing his Scarlet Springs Fire Department T-shirt. He must have just finished a shift. She could almost smell him—the salt of his skin, the spice of his shaving cream.
How was she possibly going to make it to December?
She planned to spend the holidays with him and had already bought her plane tickets. But Christmas was four whole months away.