by Dawn Brower
“I have my own way of testing people. It’s part of my charm.” She pulled out a file and placed it in front of him. “Now we need to get down to business.”
“What is this?”
“It is all the information I have on Missy and her child. Inside are the test results clearly stating you are not the father.” Vitoria tapped the manila folder. “I want you to look over it and familiarize yourself with every detail. I don’t want you to be surprised by anything discussed next week in court. My primary function is to remain as your head public relations firm, but because I also have a license to practice law in several states, it makes it easier for us to handle these issues when they pop up. If you have any questions don’t be afraid to ask.”
“I thought you said it was a formality.”
“It is—I don’t see any reason why the case won’t be dismissed.” Vitoria sighed. “I have a weird feeling, and it never hurts to be over prepared.”
“You get these feelings often?” Colt asked.
“Kind of. Honestly it might not have anything to do with your case. But something is coming.” Vitoria could never pinpoint the cause of her tiny premonitions. When they came though, she always became aware of everything around her so nothing could derail her from her desired course. “I don’t want you to worry. I’m going to do everything in my power to ensure this case is dismissed.”
“I trust you know what you’re doing.”
“Good. Take this file home with you. Everything in it is a copy Alison made for your personal records.”
Colt flipped open the file. A picture of Missy was on the top page. She had obsidian hair in a cute pixie-style hair cut—recognition set in as Vitoria’s eyes flew to look over the photograph.
No wonder the woman in the French bistro had looked so familiar.
Vitoria only scanned the file Alison prepared on Missy, the picture not something fully ingrained in her mind. At least one mystery was solved. She knew exactly where to locate the woman if needed.
She only hoped it wouldn’t come to that. There shouldn’t be any reason not to have the case dismissed. If they were lucky, the judge would do it without them actually going before the court.
“I ran into her—Missy. It’s kind of crazy because I didn’t recognize her. My mind hasn’t been where it should be lately.”
Colt raised an eyebrow, questions reflecting from his eyes. “Where’d you see her?”
“Ginnifer and I were having lunch at this little French bistro not too far away from the bridal shop. I kept thinking she looked familiar, but couldn’t figure out why. Ginny actually thought she looked like Dallas’s ex-fiancée,” Vitoria explained.
“I didn’t realize Dallas had an ex-fiancée, but Missy does have an older sister. I’ve never met her, but she kept mentioning Mel. At first, I thought she had a brother the way she kept threatening to sic her on me. It wasn’t until much later I found out Mel was actually a woman.”
Vitoria tapped her chin. “Hmm, that’s interesting.”
“Why?”
“Dallas’s ex-fiancée’s name is Melody. It makes me wonder if there is more to this than we know.”
“Maybe. I don’t really know. I’m not sure we ever will.” Colt picked up the file and stared at it for several seconds. “The important thing is we are about to end all the trouble playing havoc with my life. I can’t believe it’s almost over—the cause for my relationship with Emma falling apart can be summed up by this file. Some scraps of paper explaining I never fathered a child, as I kept saying all along.”
Colt was right. Soon this would end for him, but a thread of an idea formed in her mind from the information he’d given her. When she found the time, she planned on looking into it. A feeling, small and firm filled her gut.
She knew Melody was somehow behind this whole scheme. She’d put her sister up to destroying Colt and Emma’s relationship. The why could be anything or it may have been the reason she needed to attempt to worm her way into Dallas’s life again.
It might take her a while, but she would get to the bottom of it. Colt and Emma deserved the truth. For now, Vitoria would keep her suspicions to herself. It wouldn’t do any good to share what she believed without any actual proof. Emma probably wouldn’t believe her, and it might get Colt’s hopes up. He’d be devastated if she couldn’t find the proof he needed.
“I know it’s been hard on you.” Vitoria placed her hand on top of his, attempting to reassure him. “It’s ending though, and I have faith you will find a way to get Emma to see the truth. She might be fighting it, but she still loves you. Give her time, and then remind her why she fell in love with you to begin with.”
“Maybe.” Colt looked her in the eye. “I couldn’t help overhearing Alison mention Wes. Is he still giving you a hard time?”
Vitoria’s mouth formed a grim line. “Don’t worry about Wes. I can handle him.”
“I don’t want him to give you any difficulties because of me.”
“He isn’t, and he won’t. Trust me, Wes’s issues have nothing to do with you.”
“If you’re sure…”
Vitoria interrupted him by holding up her hand. “I am. If you don’t mind, I have some other things to take care of. Go over these files, and call me if you have any questions.”
“All right.” Colt nodded, closed the file, and stood to leave. “I’ll see you in court next week.”
Vitoria watched him depart and let the smile on her face fade away. She was having a harder time finding a reason to paste one on her face. Colt needed her to be there for him, and if giving him a reassuring smile saw him through everything, she’d damn well make sure he got one. Still, life wasn’t all champagne and roses for her at the moment. It made smiles and happiness hard to fake—even more difficult to come by.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Everything on Vitoria’s to-do list had been checked off. Except for one little detail she’d been putting off until she didn’t have a choice. Vivian never delivered her paintings.
They were almost a week late, and with Ginnifer’s wedding the following week she didn’t want to wait any longer to deal with her negligent sister. Ginnifer would need Vitoria to be ready and willing to assist her with any last minute details. She needed to deal with her sister sooner rather than later—or not at all, which was her actual preference. So, Vitoria found herself outside the gallery preparing to have a face to face with her twin. Taking a deep breath, she gathered her strength of will and opened the door to the shop.
What she found inside surprised her more than when she ran into Vivian.
Wes stood on the side, away from the window, having an animated conversation with a perky brunette. Their flirtatious banter was evident to Tori from the way the girl kept easing closer to him, attempting to brush herself against his muscular frame. Vitoria gritted her teeth at the sight.
She wanted to yank the audacious bitch away from him and set her straight. Wes belonged to her—wait what the hell was she thinking?
He no more belonged to Vitoria than he did to the chick flirting with him. She needed to get that hair-brained idea out of her head. She started to close the distance between her and the two deep in conversation. When she got near them, she got snippets of what they were discussing.
“No, Vivian hasn’t been in the gallery for days.” The woman ran her hand down Wes’s arm. “She had a family emergency, but I’d be more than willing to help you with whatever you need.”
Of course she would—the brazen hussy would also help him dispose of every thread of clothing on his back too.
Not that Vitoria blamed her.
Wes was so drool worthy mere words couldn’t describe him. She’d had an up close and personal look at his gorgeous naked body. If she ever allowed herself another encounter with him, she’d take full advantage—licking every inch of him until she knew every aspect of his stunning physique.
Vitoria shook all of those unwanted thoughts out of her head. It took several seconds for h
er brain to latch on to the actual words the woman spoke. Family emergency? What kind of family emergency could her sister be having? Vitoria was her twin. Shouldn’t she be aware if something was going on in her own family? She stormed over to them and glared at both of them.
Wes turned to stare at her, a startled look in his eyes. “What are you doing here?”
Vitoria ignored him and turned her full attention to the woman at his side. “My paintings were never delivered to my office. They were supposed to be delivered on Monday. I want to know the reason for the delay.”
The woman stared at her with her mouth wide open, her eyes unblinking for several seconds. “You look a lot like Vivian.”
“Considering we are identical twins, I’d hope so. Now about my paintings…”
“Oh right, um, can you tell me what pieces you were expecting?”
Vitoria gave her the paperwork she’d brought in case they needed to track down the art. The woman scanned over the items and nodded her head. “Oh these are in the back. I’d wondered why they were no longer on display. Vivian forgot to mention they needed to be packaged and delivered. I’m so sorry about the mix-up.”
“Fine. Can you make sure they are sent to my office? I’m going to be open for business in a little over a week and want them before then.”
“Certainly.” She nodded her head. “My name is Cherry. If there are any other problems, you can contact me, and I’ll handle it. I’m not sure how long Viv—” Cherry stopped in the middle of saying her twin’s name and studied Vitoria. “Although I have to wonder why your sister didn’t tell you about any of this. Maybe she is too worried about Gabriel.”
Vitoria had no clue who Gabriel was. Perhaps Vivian’s latest boyfriend—she didn’t really care. She wanted to ensure her art would arrive at her office in a timely matter. Gabriel must be the explanation for her family emergency. Vitoria wanted to wring her sister’s neck. She could be so self-absorbed.
“Perhaps so, Gabriel probably needs her undivided attention.”
Cherry nodded her head in agreement. “He does. Gabriel is such a cute little urchin. I’m not much for kids myself, but he’s so adorable. I want to pinch his cheeks whenever I see him. As his aunt, I’m sure you feel the same. I will go take care of packaging your paintings right now. They should be at your office sometime tomorrow.”
Cherry had already turned around to walk to the back room. She hadn’t seen the stricken look on Vitoria’s face or she’d have known the little bomb of information she’d dropped on her.
Gabriel was Vivian’s son?
When or how—why didn’t she already know about him? Vitoria knew the answer to those questions. She didn’t really need to ask. Vivian didn’t tell her because they never talked. Why should she announce she was going to have a baby when she had no reason to?
Wes placed a hand on her back and rubbed it. “I take it you didn’t know?”
Vitoria gazed up into his blue-green eyes and shook her head. “No, I didn’t.”
“You two really aren’t that close are you?”
“I tried to tell you. Vivian and I have never shared the intimate details of our lives with each other. I’m much more open with Ginny than I ever have been—or will be with my twin sister.”
“I’m starting to understand, and perhaps I owe you an apology.”
Vitoria snorted. She couldn’t help herself. Perhaps? There was no question about it. He definitely owed her an apology. Unfortunately, it was far too late for an apology to do much good.
At one time, she’d have been ecstatic to watch him eat crow. Now she wanted some neutral ground and for their constant bickering to end. Nothing should put a damper on her best friend’s happiness. Ginny wanted the battle between Vitoria and Wes to stop. The stress of it and her upcoming wedding was not good for her. Especially with a baby on the way—Ginny needed a calm environment.
“Yeah, I gave up on you using logic a while ago—too little, too late.” Vitoria made a gesture toward the back room with her hand. “Since Cherry is taking care of my paintings, I have no reason to stick around here. I have other things to take care of. I’ll leave you to your own devices.”
Vitoria began to walk away from Wes, her stilettos clicking on the wood floor. She didn’t make it more than five steps when the door opened, and someone came inside the gallery. Vitoria stopped in her tracks at the sight of the man. His black hair and dimple-filled smile were all too familiar to her.
Miguel Santiago was in the gallery her sister worked at. It couldn’t be a good sign.
Vitoria stepped backward and hit a solid wall of muscle. Wes steadied her with his hands resting at her hips. Warmth and a sense of safety filled her with his presence.
Miguel strolled over to their side and greeted them. “Ms. Miene, how lovely to see you again. What a pleasant surprise to run into you here.”
Vitoria didn’t believe in coincidences. Yes, they did happen upon occasion, but not this much. Finding Wes in the shop made sense to her. She sent him looking for her sister. Miguel being in the shop she found odd and completely wrong. In light of the information she uncovered about him, she believed he was actively searching for Vivian. It would explain the hunted expression in Vivian’s eyes when she saw her last.
She pasted a false smile on her face in an attempt to steer him in another direction. “It is. What brings you to this lovely gallery?”
“I have a penchant for local art. This place specializes in some of the best.”
“Oh how nice. I purchased some wonderful pieces myself. Cherry is in the back packaging them for delivery.”
Wes stayed directly behind her during the exchange, in a proprietary stance, never once removing his hands from the base of her hips, a not so subtle claiming. When she got him alone, they’d be having a chat about his sudden domineering attitude.
Miguel glanced over her head, directly at Wes. Something flashed in his eyes, Vitoria couldn’t identify it, but it left a cold feeling in the bottom of her stomach. As quickly as the change came, it left and the smooth charming Miguel returned.
“I hoped we could spend more time together—perhaps a show next time. Do you like the theater? The musical Wicked is coming in a week.”
Not a chance in hell would Vitoria be going anywhere again with Miguel, but she didn’t want to leave the man irate with her. Who knew what he might be capable of if he decided to do her harm? From everything she had read about the man, he was very much prone to violence.
“I’m going to be pretty busy over the next several weeks. With the move and my best friend’s wedding—I won’t really have time for entertainment.”
In a commanding tone Wes said, “She’s not going anywhere with you. Leave her alone.”
Vitoria tried to pull away from him, but he had a solid grip on her hips. She wouldn’t be going anywhere until he decided to release her. Talk would be too vague of a word for what she’d be doing with him once she was free. Plastering as beguiling a smile as she could manage on her face, Vitoria turned to Miguel. She did her best to ignore Wes and the unwanted thrill that spread through her at his apparent jealousy.
“Ignore Wes, he knows how much I have to do, and distractions only slow me down. He’s right though. I don’t have time to invest in dating right now. I hope you understand.”
Miguel glanced back at Wes and down at her again. Disbelief clouded his eyes. He didn’t believe she didn’t have time for dating. Why would he? Wes clearly was staking his claim—bastard that he was. He had no right to act in such a manner.
The blasted man ran away from her, horrified he’d lowered his standards long enough to have sex with her. She didn’t think she’d ever forget the expression on his face when he realized he’d given in to his base instincts.
“I see, well if you find yourself…” He paused considering his words. “Unencumbered, you know where to find me. I’ll come back another day to browse their selection.”
Miguel spun on his heels and exited the gallery. V
itoria sighed with relief. She couldn’t help the fear he’d invoked deep inside of her. Now that she knew more about him, she saw him for what he was—evil to the core.
She needed to handle Wes. She wrenched herself away from him and turned to stare at him. “What the hell was that all about?” she demanded.
He appeared pissed. His aquamarine eyes sparked with unrestrained anger, lips a hard white line across his face. “You are not to see him ever again.”
“Who are you to dictate to me who I can or cannot spend time with?” She put her hands on her hips and tapped her foot—her own fury palpable. “No one. You’re nothing to me other than an annoyance I can’t shake. Don’t ever think you have the right dictate anything to me ever again.”
“He was in here for a reason, and I can promise you, it wasn’t a good one.”
“I don’t care.” She pointed her finger at him. “What I do know is you’re being an ass. I’m not going to let you railroad me into doing something I don’t want to do. So back off, and leave me alone. Do you understand me?”
“Absolutely, sweetheart.”
Vitoria glared at him. “Quit calling me sweetheart. How many times do I have to tell you that?”
Wes rolled his tongue across his teeth and smirked. “Probably a billion times and it still won’t sink in.” He paused with a cocky grin and said the one word guaranteed to push her over the edge. “Sweetheart.”
She stormed forward ready to slap him, her arm in midair, as she swung it at his face, he reached up and grabbing her arm in mid-swing. “I don’t think so.”
Instead he pulled her into his arms and captured her lips with his. Vitoria bit his bottom lip between her teeth and nibbled on it. He groaned and tightened his arms around her waist. Wes pushed her lips open with his tongue and traced her bottom lip. With a sigh, Vitoria gave in to the sensation, allowing him to tangle his tongue with hers.
The man knew exactly what to do to drive her insane with desire—need filled her with each stroke of his lips over hers. She had an unfathomable craving to run her fingers through his long blond hair. Seeing no reason not to give into it, she twisted her arms around his neck and yanked on the silky strands. Vitoria didn’t know how long they were wrapped around each other lost in the endless kiss—or if it would have escalated into something more—thankfully Cherry’s timing allowed for a convenient escape.