“Hi.”
He fixed an accusing gaze on Joe. “You all knew she was on her way here and didn’t tell me?”
Joe shrugged. “Victoria wanted to surprise you, and since she’s going to be my business partner …”
Eric’s gaze snapped to Victoria. “His business partner?”
“I’m starting a deep-dish pizza business. I’ll work out of Knockers, serving pizza to Joe’s customers, but the home delivery part of the business will be mine alone. We haven’t worked out the details yet, but I’m really excited about it. I think I’ll call it ‘Victoria’s Chicago-style Deep-Dish Pizza.’ What do you think?”
“Wow. Yeah. Good.” He couldn’t seem to manage more than single syllables.
“You okay, Hawke?” Joe asked. “You look a little stunned.”
Everyone laughed.
But, hey, could you blame him? His entire world had righted itself in the past five minutes, and it was taking a moment to sink in.
He looked into Victoria’s beautiful brown eyes. “I’ve never been better.”
* * *
The ten-minutedrive to Eric’s cabin seemed to take an eternity. The kiss at Knockers had ignited a spark in Vic, and she wanted him.
“Hurry,” she said. “It’s been so long.”
“Tell me about it.”
Then she remembered. “I’m on the pill, so no more condoms.”
He moaned. “Don’t tell me that while I’m driving. We’ll end up in a ditch.”
She pressed her thighs together to ease the ache and tried to think of other topics besides how horny she was. She ended up telling him again, more slowly this time, how she’d walked out of Abigail’s dinner party. “You should have seen the look on her face. I almost feel sorry for her.”
“I don’t.” He pulled into the driveway, handed her his keys. “I’ll get your bags.”
She walked up the porch steps, slipped the key into the lock, and stepped inside on a rush of happiness, her gaze moving over the familiar space.
He walked in behind her, set her bags on the floor, and locked the door, shutting out the night. “Welcome home.”
She turned to face him. “I like the sound of that.”
And then they were on each other, kissing deep and hard. Eric’s strong body surrounded her, his erection pressing against her belly. “Vicki.”
He grasped her buttocks, lifted her off her feet, and carried her to the kitchen table, not once breaking the kiss. “I need to be inside you.”
“Yes.Now.”
He rucked up her dress to her hips, yanked off her panties, then pulled down his zipper, freeing himself. The breath left his lungs in a long exhale as he entered her, the two of them moaning together at the pleasure of it.
His eyes drifted shut, a look like pain on his face. “Jesus.God. Vicki. You feel too good. I don’t think this is going to last very long.”
She wanted to ask him what the difference was between sex with and without condoms, but the thought disappeared entirely when he began to move, his silky, sweet strokes filling her, answering that deep ache. “Eric.”
He reached down with one hand to tease her clit, stroking her inside and out now, sensation building thrust upon thrust, until orgasm carried them both away.
* * *
They lay togetherin bed afterward, Vic’s head resting on his chest, his arms around her, the sound of his heartbeat strong in her ear.