Page 65 of The Penalty

Victoria gently removed herself from my embrace, tilted her head back, and shouted, “FUCK,” into the darkness. She covered her face and took several deep breaths.

Her pretty mouth twisted into a frown when she looked at me.

“I’m sorry. I don’t ever break down like this in front of people not named Killian.”

“I figured.”

“I don’t know what got into me. I was really enjoying giving you that massage. I’m sorry.”

“No apology is necessary.” I rubbed another tear away. “I’m glad you trusted me enough to break down like that.”

She winced. “Sorry I said the thing about wishing you trusted me more.”

“New rule.” I wrapped an arm around her and pulled her so we both laid back on the lounger. “No more apologizing for things you shouldn’t be apologizing for.”

“Fair enough.” She curled up closer to me, gently stroking my chest. Her fingers traced the tattoos I have near my collarbone. “Cicatrix. This means scar, right?”

“You do know more than just vulgar slang in Latin,” I teased.

“Don’t get cute.” She propped herself up on an elbow. “What do the angel wings underneath it signify?”

I held her inquisitive stare. “What do you think it signifies?”

Empathy filled her eyes. “A tribute to your mother. That’s why you have it close to your heart.”

I nodded. “They were my first tattoos.”

A wistful smile tugged at her mouth. “It’s weird how similar our lives are in regards to loss. I just…it never entered the realm of possibility when I first saw you.”

“I remember.” I swept my thumb over her lips. “You couldn’t stop undressing me with your eyes.”

“Let’s not ruin the memory with wild interpretations of what actually happened.”

“Wild interpretations?” I laughed. “I fully admit I undressed you in my mind at least a dozen times on the side of that road. And again at Black Rose. Don’t pretend you didn’t do the same.”

Victoria regained her confident, fiery composure, although a hint of vulnerability reflected in her eyes. “I plead the fifth.”

“You can’t plead the fifth when I know the truth.”

Her soft laugh warmed me from the inside out.

“I’ve started some initial work on setting up the foundation in Charlotte’s memory,” she said after a few minutes. “Tracey’s been a big help so far. Noah, too.” I tensed slightly at the mention of Noah’s name. Victoria noticed and placed her hand on my chest. “Would you be interested in throwing your celebrity status and support behind it when the time comes?”

“I’ll throw whatever status and support you need right now. Just tell me what I can do to help.”

My God, this smile. Good thing I was reclining on the lounger. It would have brought me to my knees.

“Consider yourself fully recruited.” Playfulness sparked in the emerald depths of her eyes. “I was right about the product being more than just a pretty face.”

We settled into a comfortable silence, staring at the sky for another hour. The more she relaxed next to me, the more I never wanted this night to end. I curled an arm around her. This was quickly becoming my favorite moment with Victoria.

“Xavier?”

“Yes, love.”

“Do you ever think about fixing your relationship with your dad?”

“Sometimes,” I admitted. “I guess I don’t know where to start.”

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