through school and now he’s a very successful lawyer.”
“What happened?”
“It was my fortieth birthday and I thought he was throwing me a surprise party. He was being very secretive, and I’d heard him planning a trip.” I let out a sour laugh. “I realize how stupid I was now. I decided to surprise him. So on my birthday, I closed the shop early, and took a taxi to his office, wearing nothing but a trench coat. I knew it was a fantasy of his.”
Victor stared at me, and I knew he’d figured it out.
“Yeah, he was already getting another fantasy fulfilled by his twenty-year-old secretary. I’m a cliché, aren’t I?”
“I would never classify you as that. You gave him your heart and the man stomped on it.”
“I expected him to be contrite. To run after me and apologize, but instead he asked for a divorce. You see, she was pregnant with his child.”
“Are you over him?”
I swallowed. “It took me a long time, but I am now.”
“I promise if you give yourself to me, I will never risk your trust. I will cherish you.”
It was surreal being with this beautiful man, but at the same time, I completely believed him
We stopped so Rusty could do his business. Victor handed me the leash and took the plastic baggy from me. I started to protest, but he was already picking up Rusty’s deposits. I smirked, realizing I was watching a billionaire pick up doggy doo, but then again nothing about Victor matched his persona. He was warm, compassionate and loyal. Those traits were evident even in the short time I’d known him.
“You never had children, Julianne?”
“No, I wanted to. It just didn’t happen.”
“Do you still want to?”
My jaw dropped open, but Victor held out his hand.
“I’m not saying right now. I’m just curious.”
“It’s too late.”
“I just read that a sixty-year-old woman just had a child. It’s not too late.” He squared my shoulders in his hands. “You’re a beautiful, vibrant girl, but sometimes you act as if you have one foot in the nursing home.”
I couldn’t argue with his perception.
“I walked away that night because I’m a broken, bitter woman, and I’m too scared of being hurt again to give you an opportunity to break my heart.” It was nothing I’d ever said or thought out loud, yet it was completely honest just the same.
“You taste too sweet to be bitter, and I think the only way for you to heal is to open yourself up to risks.”
“What is it you want from me, Victor?”
“Isn’t it obvious I want a relationship?”
It seemed too incredible to be true. Men like Victor didn’t just happen to women like me. “What does that mean exactly?”
He leaned into me, dropping his voice to that husky whisper that sent shivers up my spine. “It means I get to take you out to nice dinners and introduce you as my girlfriend. It means trips abroad, and nights with you tucked beside me. It means watching television until we fall asleep on the couch, and reading next to each other in bed. It means the only male I share your affection with is Rusty. It means you are mine completely. Do you need to me to be more specific than that?”
“No, I think you covered it.”
He tucked a lose piece of hair behind my ear. We were on a crowded street and I’d never been one for public displays, but in that moment, I felt too full of emotion to swallow it all down. I embraced him, holding him against me until Rusty started barking at us.
“Guess we should move on,” Victor said, putting his arm around me.
“Yes, we should move on.”
He meant it in the literal sense, but I was being completely figurative.
“Would you like to come back to my place? It’s not a suite at a luxurious hotel, but I can whip us up some spaghetti, and although my wine’s not from the Bordeaux region of France, it doesn’t have a twist off cap.”
“I’d love to,” he replied, dropping a kiss on my head.
Chapter Four
We had been dating for two months. I loved it,
“What happened?”
“It was my fortieth birthday and I thought he was throwing me a surprise party. He was being very secretive, and I’d heard him planning a trip.” I let out a sour laugh. “I realize how stupid I was now. I decided to surprise him. So on my birthday, I closed the shop early, and took a taxi to his office, wearing nothing but a trench coat. I knew it was a fantasy of his.”
Victor stared at me, and I knew he’d figured it out.
“Yeah, he was already getting another fantasy fulfilled by his twenty-year-old secretary. I’m a cliché, aren’t I?”
“I would never classify you as that. You gave him your heart and the man stomped on it.”
“I expected him to be contrite. To run after me and apologize, but instead he asked for a divorce. You see, she was pregnant with his child.”
“Are you over him?”
I swallowed. “It took me a long time, but I am now.”
“I promise if you give yourself to me, I will never risk your trust. I will cherish you.”
It was surreal being with this beautiful man, but at the same time, I completely believed him
We stopped so Rusty could do his business. Victor handed me the leash and took the plastic baggy from me. I started to protest, but he was already picking up Rusty’s deposits. I smirked, realizing I was watching a billionaire pick up doggy doo, but then again nothing about Victor matched his persona. He was warm, compassionate and loyal. Those traits were evident even in the short time I’d known him.
“You never had children, Julianne?”
“No, I wanted to. It just didn’t happen.”
“Do you still want to?”
My jaw dropped open, but Victor held out his hand.
“I’m not saying right now. I’m just curious.”
“It’s too late.”
“I just read that a sixty-year-old woman just had a child. It’s not too late.” He squared my shoulders in his hands. “You’re a beautiful, vibrant girl, but sometimes you act as if you have one foot in the nursing home.”
I couldn’t argue with his perception.
“I walked away that night because I’m a broken, bitter woman, and I’m too scared of being hurt again to give you an opportunity to break my heart.” It was nothing I’d ever said or thought out loud, yet it was completely honest just the same.
“You taste too sweet to be bitter, and I think the only way for you to heal is to open yourself up to risks.”
“What is it you want from me, Victor?”
“Isn’t it obvious I want a relationship?”
It seemed too incredible to be true. Men like Victor didn’t just happen to women like me. “What does that mean exactly?”
He leaned into me, dropping his voice to that husky whisper that sent shivers up my spine. “It means I get to take you out to nice dinners and introduce you as my girlfriend. It means trips abroad, and nights with you tucked beside me. It means watching television until we fall asleep on the couch, and reading next to each other in bed. It means the only male I share your affection with is Rusty. It means you are mine completely. Do you need to me to be more specific than that?”
“No, I think you covered it.”
He tucked a lose piece of hair behind my ear. We were on a crowded street and I’d never been one for public displays, but in that moment, I felt too full of emotion to swallow it all down. I embraced him, holding him against me until Rusty started barking at us.
“Guess we should move on,” Victor said, putting his arm around me.
“Yes, we should move on.”
He meant it in the literal sense, but I was being completely figurative.
“Would you like to come back to my place? It’s not a suite at a luxurious hotel, but I can whip us up some spaghetti, and although my wine’s not from the Bordeaux region of France, it doesn’t have a twist off cap.”
“I’d love to,” he replied, dropping a kiss on my head.
Chapter Four
We had been dating for two months. I loved it,
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