by Dawn Brower
Tori stared up into his eyes. They appeared conflicted. Maybe he didn’t know what to make of what was happening between them either.
“I have things to do.” She didn’t want to have this discussion in the middle of the street. She couldn’t think when he was this close. “Let me go.”
“I’m not sure I can.”
Wes’s leaned down and pressed his lips to hers. A feather-light kiss that barely registered. He lifted his head and studied her. What he searched for she had no idea, but the indecision seemed to pierce her soul. He had to quit yanking her through this turmoil. Either he wanted her or he didn’t.
“Make up your damned mind,” she replied in a seething, urgent tone.
Her words were enough for him to wrap his arms around her and roll his lips over hers again. The kiss heated her, and desire pooled in the bottom of her stomach. She ran her fingers through his long hair and pulled him closer to her. She wanted to brand him to her and vice versa. If she could make him see past his beliefs, the hatred, to who she really was maybe they’d have a chance.
Wes jerked away from her and took a step back.
“Fuck.” He shook his head and turned his back to her. “We can’t keep doing this.”
“Then maybe you should stop groping me at every opportunity.” Tori shook her head. “Don’t come looking for me again.”
Before he could stop her, she jumped into the rental and locked the doors. She started the engine and pulled out of her parking spot. She could see him in the rear view mirror, glaring back at her. Maybe he believed this, too, was somehow her fault.
Stupid man.
Why couldn’t she forget about him?
Because she was just as idiotic—Wes was as imprinted on her as she seemed to be on him. They were combustible around each other. That fine line between hate and well, in their case, lust.
Tori couldn’t deal with the emotions rolling through her. She had stuff to do. People to see and business that needed attending. Whatever was going on between her and Wes would keep. They could deal with it at a later date. Speaking of which, she had a date with a handsome man who didn’t cause such tumultuous feelings rolling through her. She’d deal with her agenda and push Wes out of her mind.
Sometime in the future—much, much later, when she could think more clearly, she’d handle Wes.
Tori needed to wrap up things with the realtor so she could go to the ranch and spend more quality time with Ginnifer. It would ease some of the ache festering inside of her. Her solution was to drive directly to the realtor and find out what the holdup was in viewing apartments. She parked her vehicle in front of the offices, got out, and walked into the building. The receptionist greeted her as soon as she strolled inside
“Hello, can I help you?”
“Yes is Miss Dearborn available?”
The receptionist shook her head. “No. I’m sorry, she is out on an appointment. Is there anything I can do to assist you?”
Vitoria frowned when she delivered the news. It was not something she wanted to hear. She needed to talk to Miss Dearborn and start apartment hunting. It didn’t sit well with her she would have to wait. Perhaps the receptionist knew something and could assist her. It wouldn’t hurt to ask. With a decision made, she nodded her head. “Do you happen to have any news on when I can look at the apartments I asked to see?”
“Give me a minute to get your file, Miss Miene. I will see what is going on with them.”
The receptionist got up and went into another room. Vitoria tapped her toe on the carpet wishing she had some tile to hear the click-click of her stiletto. She found the noise her heels made oddly comforting. A few minutes passed by as she waited for the woman to come back. She rifled through her purse and pulled out her cell phone. It vibrated in her hand as a few emails popped through. Vitoria clicked the mail icon and checked to see if any of them were important. Nothing required immediate attention.
“Sorry about that—I didn’t think it would take this long to find it.”
“It’s fine. When I can view the apartments?”
“Yes. I have some bad news. The apartments you wanted to view are no longer available. Is there perhaps something else you would like to look at?”
“No, none of the other options worked for what I wanted.”
What was she going to do? She needed an apartment as soon as possible. Where else was she going to have Alison send her belongings too? Maybe she should seek out a different realtor—this one was clearly messing up. Miss Dearborn should have contacted her immediately when she realized the apartments were no longer an option.
“What about a condo? Or even a townhouse? Are you dead set on an apartment?”
Vitoria considered her choices. She wanted a place to live as soon as possible, which meant she needed to be open to other possibilities. “I guess I’m open to anything at this point. After doing some extensive research, I narrowed down the neighborhoods I’d like to live in. Either Capitol Hill or Queen Anne will work for me. Do you have anything that might work in either of those areas?
“There are two condos available in Capitol Hill on Melrose Avenue. A two bedroom and a three bedroom. They're not for rent though—only for sale. Would you perhaps like to look at those?” she asked.
She hadn't considered buying. Her preference was to rent and scout the area before making a more permanent position. She wasn't opposed to it though so she'd consider the two condos if they worked for her.
“Are both units in the same building?”
“No, they are two separate locations, but located on the same street.”
“Is it possible to look at them today?”
“I’m not certain. I might be able to show them to you, but I need to get Miss Dearborn’s permission. I’d have to leave the office unattended to go there with you. If you give me a moment, I will call her to see if it’s all right.”
Vitoria waved her hand, motioning her to pick up the phone with the sweep of her wrist. “Yes, please do call her. I’d like to get this settled as soon as possible.”
The receptionist picked up the office phone and dialed Miss Dearborn’s phone number. She held the receiver to her ear. After several seconds passed by she began to talk into the phone.
“Hello, Miss Dearborn, it’s Trish. Miss Miene is in here and she would like to look at the two condos on Melrose Avenue. I want to know if it’s okay for me to lock up the office and take her over to look at them. Could you please give me a call back as soon as you have a free minute? Thanks.” She placed the phone back down and stared up at Vitoria. “I’m sorry she didn’t answer. After she calls me back, I can let you know what she said.”
“All right, thanks for your help. If you need to get a hold of me, call my cell. I’m going to be out and about for a good portion of the day. I need to go get a look at my new office space and determine what’s needed to begin setting things up.”
“All right. Maybe she will get back to me before the end of the day. If she doesn’t, I can always meet you later this evening to show them to you once I lock up the office for the night.”
“That’s a wonderful idea. Why don’t we plan on doing that anyway? I can meet you at the condos when you’re free.”
Vitoria could feel butterflies floating through her stomach doing a dance of happiness. She was glad she stopped into the realtor’s office. The receptionist, Trish, had been very helpful.
“I lock up the office at five. I can meet you at the first condo a half hour after that. Let me write down the address for each condo. I will put a star next to the one I’d like you to meet me.”
“Thank you so much. You’ve been very helpful.”
“No problem. I know you’re anxious to get settled in. I hope one of these units meet your requirements.” Trish handed her a piece of paper with the information scrawled on it.
Vitoria put the paper in her purse and waved goodbye to her. “I’ll see you later.”
She walked out of the office and got back into her vehicle. What sho
uld she do until she met with Trish? One of the items on her agenda was to pay Colt Lewis a visit. She needed to handle some last minute details with him stemming from the paternity issue he had several months ago.
Missy Claybourn claimed he was the father of her unborn child. A paternity test revealed he wasn’t, which didn’t surprise anyone. Vitoria had no idea who was the child’s father, but all that mattered to her was it wasn’t her client. Time to give him a call and set up a meeting, she pulled her phone out of her purse and clicked on his name in her contact list.
After several rings he answered, “Hello.”
“Hey Colt, it’s Tori. How’s everything going?”
“I have such a thing as caller ID, and I knew it was you calling me. It’s why I even bothered answering the phone.”
“Aww, I feel special now. I’m one of the few people you’re talking to.” Vitoria’s tone was full of sugary sweetness oozing out with each word.
“If you could see me, you’d know I’m rolling my eyes.” Colt’s laugh floated in her ears. “Why are you calling?”
“I need to set up a meeting with you to discuss the final details concerning Missy.”
She could hear him growl on the other end. Missy was not one of his favorite topics, not that she could blame him any. The woman disrupted his life in a lot of damaging ways. He lost the love of his life—Wes and Dallas’s baby sister, Emma—after the scandal hit the news. Emma had lost faith in him and ran home to nurse her broken heart. Vitoria had hoped she would forgive him once she knew he did not father Missy’s baby, but they were still very much estranged. Emma wouldn’t even look at him, let alone speak with him.
“I can’t wait to wipe my hands once and for all of that woman. I feel sorry for the baby. It’s got a lot to deal with having her as a mother.”
“I understand your feelings. I wish this could have ended sooner.” She tapped her fingers on the steering wheel as she talked. “Have you had any luck with Emma?”
“Well, Missy had to drag it out as long as possible. Get her kicks in while she could.” Colt let out a long drawn out sigh. “Emma’s still refusing to talk to me. I wish I could get her to sit down long enough to show her the proof. She never lets me get a word in. Either she refuses my phone calls outright or walks in the other direction as soon as she notices me. Part of me wants to give up.”
“Don’t give up yet. I’ll try and talk to her again when I go to the ranch next week.” Vitoria frowned. Damn Emma, she had to see reason at some point.
“In the meantime we have a court date to have the judge dismiss the paternity case in a couple of weeks. Missy had the baby a couple of months ago. We’ve been waiting for the results to push forward. Her attorney kept postponing the hearing, but he’s all out of chances. The judge refused his last one. I need to go over everything with you before we have to go to court. What is a good day you can meet with me?”
“I’m free now,” he replied.
She needed some time to decompress. She had a date with Miguel later. On top of all of her business needs, she needed to also locate a salon to get her nails repainted. She kept playing with the chip on her nail, and it grew each time she tapped at it. “I’m not though. Can you meet me next week?”
“Sure, what day?”
Vitoria put the phone on speaker and pulled up her calendar. Her schedule was tight for the next several days. “Monday would probably be best. I’ll e-mail you with the details—location and such, in a few days. In the meantime, stay out of trouble. I don’t have a lot of time to deal with any hiccups.”
“Sounds good,” he agreed. “I’ll see you next week.”
Vitoria clicked End on her phone and put it back in her purse. That was one detail she managed to get checked off her list. She needed to find an appropriate meeting place to discuss the case with Colt. It needed to be private enough that no one would overhear them.
Comfort while they talked would be an added bonus—she needed to scout the area. Maybe she could furnish her new office space enough for them to have a discussion. Some of the office furniture from her old office would be shipped over. She liked her desk and didn’t really want a new one. Nails first though, because she didn’t know how much time she’d have to get ready for her date after she left her office.
Chapter Twelve
Vitoria ran her fingers through her hair and sighed. She had a lot to do and so very little time to accomplish it all. The first thing on her agenda was to scout out furniture for her office and get it delivered. She'd finished going through her office again. One more look to access again what items she needed to fill the rooms. She sat in the driver side of her rental car. Her key ring rattled in her hand as she pressed the start button on the remote.
Her phone began to vibrate in her purse so she pulled it out to see the realtor’s number on her caller ID.
“Hello”
“Ms. Miene, it’s Trish.”
Finally, maybe she would have some good news. “Yes, have you heard back from Miss. Dearborn?”
“I have. She gave me the go ahead to show you the property. Can you still meet me this evening after I get off work?”
She was scheduled to meet Miguel at seven for dinner. So it should in theory give her time to look at a couple of condos and then get back to her hotel to get ready for her date. “Yes. I’ll meet you at the first location.”
“Good, you still have the address I wrote down. I will see you later on.” She paused to take a breath. “If you like one of them, I can draw up the paperwork tomorrow. Once it is completed, you can come by and sign.”
“Well, I certainly hope one of them works. I’d like to get settle in as soon as possible.” Vitoria laughed. “It would help if I had an actual address to send my personal belongings to.”
“I can see how it would,” Trish agreed.
“Thanks for all your assistance I’ll see you in a few hours.” Vitoria hit End on her phone and placed it back into her purse.
Vitoria picked a point of destination on her GPS and programmed the directions for the nearest furniture store. She drove to the store and parked on the street in front of it, and then got out of her vehicle to go inside.
Vitoria pulled the door opened and entered the furniture store. She looked over the store to get a feel for the place.
“Can I help you?” A sales representative came up next to her. He had on a black suit accented by a bright red tie.
“Yes. I need to purchase a few items for my office. I will need them delivered by Monday morning. Can you accommodate the fast delivery?”
He nodded. “Indeed, for a small fee we can make the delivery by the day you require. What items are you looking to get for your office?”
“Some seating for the main area, a table, and perhaps a throw rug.”
She picked out a deep-brown leather sectional and a round center table that matched the accents of the couch. The only thing left on her list was a table and chairs for her office. For that little addition she decided on a coffee-brown round table and two matching chairs with soft cushions. She placed her order and expedited the shipping, making arrangements to have them delivered on Monday morning.
Vitoria exited the furniture store and spotted an art gallery. She had always liked art, and something about the small gallery called to her. The outside was red and white brick stucco with white trim around the doors and windows.
In the display she could see a couple of paintings depicting all the colors of leaves in the fall. One had wicked gray skies and swirling gray clouds overhead.
She found the pieces even more captivating up close. Vitoria had to purchase them. They would look awesome in her office.
“Can I help you?”
Vitoria glanced up and saw her own eyes staring back at her. Her twin sister stood less than ten feet in front of her. Blonde hair styled in a short bob, crimson highlighted strips framed her face. They were much more visible than they had been earlier in the day as Vitoria watched her get in a cab.
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“How did you find me?” Vivian’s face was devoid of color and fear flowed out of her eyes.
Her sister truly didn’t want Vitoria to find her. Why would she hide from her? Yes, they didn’t talk much, but they didn’t have any reason to hide from each other. “I wasn’t actually looking.”
Vivian bit her lip and asked, “You didn’t come here looking for me?”
“I hate to tell you this Viv, but my world doesn’t revolve around you.” Vitoria strolled around the gallery to look at all the paintings, acting as nonchalant as possible. She stopped at a painting with waves crashing on a sandy beach, turned to her sister, and shrugged. “It never has.”
“So you came in here to look at the art?” An expression of disbelief spread across her heart-shaped face. She tucked one of the bright-red strands behind her ear and tilted her head. “Why?”
“I saw a couple of pieces through the window. They appealed to me, and I thought they might look good in my office.”
Viv was acting awfully suspicious. Vitoria didn’t get it. She studied her twin for several seconds. “Is it a crime to want to purchase art? I didn’t realize I’d get the third degree for wanting to acquire a few pieces.”
“Of course not.” Vivian shook her head. She walked over to a counter, a sculpture of a Greek statue on one side, and picked up an order pad. A pen in hand, she wrote down a few things before she looked up. “Which ones do you want? I can have them sent to your office for you.”
“I like those two pieces in the front. I love the bright fall colors. The accents will look nice in the waiting room.” Vitoria got lost in thought as she stared at the paintings. The darkness of them spoke to her. She could almost feel the wind blowing around her as she gazed at the cloudy skies depicted in the painting. “How soon can they be sent?”
“Whenever you want.”
“Good, can you have them delivered by Monday morning?”
Vivian pushed away from the counter and made her way over to Vitoria’s side. She handed Vitoria the pad of paper. “I need an address. If you could fill out this order form, I can start the process.”