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“I beg your patience, Lux, and your kind heart. I will change. I literally am, albeit slowly.”
Warmth floods through my soul. At this moment, I’m not deluded by a weakness that tethers me to him. I’m confident that, with time, Victor will love me the wayIneed. Like me, Victor had buried the hurt, the pain,andthe ones he loved. But he’scapableof change.
Of love.
Each morning, we make love, passion ignited and burning brighter with every caress and kiss. Then one day, Victor introduces the sparring.
I still don’t know what he’s preparing me for, and when I ask, there’s urgency in his eyes.
Maybe he expects doom.
His childhood was stolen.
He lost his wife.
His only son.
And my threats to bolt in the past may have added to all the scars.
Now, I sit on a wicker chair on the lower deck, the sun beaming down softly as salt-misted air slicks the hairs at the nape of my neck.
“Three days in a row. I have a feeling that this is going to be the norm, like the shooting range.” I smile at Victor, lacing up my tennies.
He doesn’t reply, which increases the urgency. I want to blame Victor’s antics on the situation with Overton, but his actions stem from control.
Maybe his father gave him a doomsday complex?
I move into a wide-legged stance, ready. “Vic, I hope your twisted mind isn’t overthinking my agreement. This is merely a workout since, each time we debark, I fall madly in love with my newest favorite dish.”
“Take this seriously, Lux.”
Lips pinched musingly, I swivel my hips, powering into an uppercut.
Victor thwarts the swift punch.
With stern eye contact, Victor orders, “Give me your all.”
“I am.” Focus heightened; I plant my feet. I hear the faint sound of air zipping past with a power punch.
He swiftly blocks.
I set up a cross.
He swats my fist.
This is friggen frustrating.“Well, this was a major calorie burn, even if you don’t let me hit you.” My mouth tenses, and I wave him off. “Thanks for the workout.”
There’s a flicker in Victor’s eye. He bites his sexy lips instead of giving a sharp command that I know him for. Somehow, I sense that he is working his way up to something. While I’m usually the only one in the dark in this relationship, I feel his exigency goes deeper than that. I slink back over, squatting down somewhat. It’s not as if I can take him down to the clinch, but if he wants my all, that’s what Victor will get.
I just hope that he’ll confide in me one day and not skim over the time he had with his son, Jude.
46
Victor
After seven days abroad, we return to Arlington. Catering and event trucks are parked up and down the street of my estate when we arrive. Burt descends the stairs in seconds. He opens the passenger door for Luxury. His gander flickers toward me in a silent apology.
“Hey, next time when we vacay,youvacay.” She grins at him. “Bartholomewwould have a relaxed aura about him right about now.”
