"Exactly." She pressed a hand to his chest, as if triumphant. "That's the deal we made, remember? All week, we stayed alone. The weekends are— different." He was more annoyed than he should have been. "Well, we can have sex on weekends." He said that to annoy her. He said that because he was angry, and he hated himself for it because dealing with his feelings was clearly the last thing she needed.But man, she pushed him away when he tried to comfort her, and Victor wasn't one to be told what to do and where to go. She needs him. She needs reassurance. Or, as she said, does she need space? "Yes," she agreed without looking him in the eye. "B-beautiful. But now I want to go to my room and take a shower and go to bed," she admits, her voice trembling so that all the anger, and frustration he’s felt evaporates in a puff of worry."Okay," he said after a pause, surprising himself with his resignation. But Amy was telling him what she needed; he'd be a fool if he wouldn't listen. "That
He walks on, though she doesn't answer. "He's going to try to unravel the secrets of your marriage—and the lies," she interjects vehemently. "Yes," he admitted. "As long as he's doing it there's business value. But people who know you won't give a damn. He's offering bawdy gossip, it's not true—" "And I'm at the heart of it," she moaned, lightly shaking his head slightly."It's frustrating," he agrees quickly because the last thing she needs is to invalidate her feelings. "But you're a much better person than he is. Every lie he tells, every story he sells, the ones that hit the bottom tabloids, and every day you keep silent says a lot about his character— —and your character. You have great integrity, Amelia, but I doubt he even knows how to spell that word."She blinked slowly, then focused on a point behind his shoulder. He didn't understand her. "You married me for two reasons. One was to drown out his stories with your own news. The other was for your family." Her eyes met
"Yes, sir, of course." Despite the late hour, his assistant connected him immediately, and John answered the phone on the third ring. There is the clink of glasses and laughter in the background. "Are you busy?" Victor asked. "I have friends for dinner, but it doesn't matter," John answered. Victor leaned back in his chair. He doesn't like to interfere in the private lives of employees, but his salary is well above average."I have time, sir. What's the matter?" The door clicked, and then the voice fade away. "It won't take long." Victor put aside his doubts about the timing of the call. He had to know that this matter was dealt with. "I need you to do one thing for me. Delegate if necessary, but deal with it." He went on to outline his list: Threatening TV networks with defamation lawsuits,Threatened Dominic's attorneys in the same way, regardless of whether he was in the "Big Sister Celebrity Home" complex and isolated from the outside world, and promised more detailed litiga
There was danger in that emotion—the opposite of how she should feel—but there was something about Victor that made her want to stop time and devour him. Knowing him completely—everything about him—even if she knew him instinctively, beyond explanation. The jet ski was great, but when they got home, Victor said he had work to do, then suddenly disappeared, leaving her alone.She told herself that she was happy, that their time together had to be carefully balanced or there would be too much danger. She read for a while, then went into her studio, imagined how she would arrange the furniture, and then, when the sunlight started to almost become too much, she undressed and stood on the edge of the bath. In the pool, toes curled up on top, eyes chasing the ripples of the water.She counted to three, took a deep breath, and dived, cracked just below the surface, dashed into the water, held her breath until she reached the opposite bank, and pulled herself up, resting her arms on the edg
Victor rejected her four years ago, and even though they only spent one night together, it has broken her down. His words broke her in two. She married Dominic and foolishly hoped she could be normal again, but she failed because Victor was always there, in her head, in her memory, in her studio, and in her heart.She instinctively shies away from any deeper self-analysis because it would be disastrous if she started thinking that she did something stupid and fell in love with him. Even the thought made her stiffen and break free, creating space between them, physically, she hoped, emotionally. It's one of her favorite things about being on the island with Victor.Walking aimlessly and directionlessly along his private beach, the sand warm under his toes, the sea lapping on his feet, the sun half-hidden on the horizon, throwing them a blanket of gold, so it looks like There was something magical in the air there. As they walked, easily conversing, or just silent, side by side, his
Her throat worked overtime, swallowing hard, trying to get rid of the bitter taste. "I'm sorry for what you've been through. I feel sorry for your mother." "I want to save her, Amelia. I want to do it so badly, but I'm too young and her needs are hard to grasp. I don't know how— Dad should have understood her mote but—" he growled, his frustration palpable. Amy was full of sympathy, but also understanding."So you saved me instead," she whispered, guilt tightening her chest. Because she unknowingly brought him a situation he could never refuse. She came to him as a troubled woman, a woman who suffered in her marriage, a woman who was emotionally manipulated and abused to the point that she forgot who she was and definitely lost the way to her inner strength.But Victor wasn't ready for history to repeat itself, so he stepped in and saved the world of her. He is no longer a child, but an adult, fully capable of being a savior. It all made sense, and his behavior was no less honorable
Something tightened inside of her, but she refused to let it disturb her. Over lunch, Amy described Paraiso to them, and whenever she missed any detail, Victor was there to fill in the blanks, answering questions about the history of the island house, so she listened to him with rapt attention. But then, whenever he could leave things to Amy, he would do so, defer to her, and let her charm her parents with beautiful stories of the sanctuary.When they sat down to enjoy their coffee, Amy was too full to eat anymore, and Victor brought it up. "I can find a way to allay your concerns, but, of course, this is a big decision that you should weigh carefully." He went on to outline his proposal for how much he would be willing to pay for a controlling stake in the company. The corporation is a dizzying figure, and how he juggles his responsibilities in three large multinational corporations."My father's company and my own run like well-oiled machines. When I take on Robles Manufacturing,
It was obvious that he liked her and respected her. He went out of his way to make her happy. But that doesn't mean he loves her, or that he will, for one simple reason: he doesn't want to. Victor is not one to feel what he does not welcome. She was appalled by the sarcasm about wearing a seat belt. It protects her from danger, but what about the danger that comes with loving Victor as strongly as she does?What choice does she have? Amy's pulse quickened a little, and doubts began to hit from the inside out. If she loves him so much and he doesn't feel the same, how on earth is she going to keep the marriage going? Why didn't she see this possibility as possible? She came into this marriage so absolutely sure she could control it. What a fool she is!There was tension in the air as he drove home and parked his car expertly, walking around her door before she opened it herself. After entering, he turned to face her again, his expression was hard to read. Both were silent for a few s