Austin
I was not expecting this when I knocked on the door.
The only thing between me and the woman before me is a plush, white robe.
She pulls her hair out of the twisted towel and lets it fall to her shoulders.
Raking a hand through it, she tries to comb it out as best she can.
The front of the robe loosens with the movement, drawing my attention to where the opening exposes the swell of her breasts.
I clear my throat, forcing my eyes back to her face. “You’ve been avoiding me.”
Viv scoffs. “And what have you been doing all day?”
“What you wanted. Keeping my distance. But I thought we’d at least pretend to get along for Maddie and Drew’s sake.”
“I refuse to let this ruin their weekend, Austin.” Her lips pull into a firm line, and she plants her hand securely on the door. “Just stick to your side of the aisle, and when this is all over, we never have to speak again.”
Gripping the door’s edge, I stop her from closing it. She takes two steps back when I push inside, closing the door behind me. “Would you just listen to me for a second?”
I pace across the short hallway, wringing my hands together, trying to think of the best way to say this.
When I look at her, I expect to see impatience written across her features, but it’s not there.
She’s moved to the edge of the bed, her legs crossed, and she watches me try and find the courage to do what I came here to do.
To be honest with her and tell her how I feel.
How I’ve felt. I should just say it, right?
Just put it all out there…Lay it all out on the table and whatever happens, happens.
“I know…I know what I said two years ago. I know I told you I couldn’t give you more, that we couldn’t be more, but Vee…
that’s not true. It’s not…That’s not what I want.
I don’t want some casual fling. I want you.
I’ve wanted you, all of you, and I wanted to tell you that last year, but I never got the chance. ”
It’s quiet for a few heartbeats, and with each passing breath, her eyes narrow until she’s glaring through me. “Are you fucking kidding?”
Not exactly what I wanted to hear, but I’m not surprised, either.
“Fuck you, Austin Murray.” Viviana steps off the bed, walking toward me like a lion stalking its wounded prey. “Fuck you and your bullshit excuses. Did you really think you could—”
Without thinking, I kiss her, halting whatever insult she’s about to hurl at me.
An insult that I probably (definitely) deserve, but all I could think about was feeling her lips against mine.
So, I kiss her. Her hands land on my chest, a feeble attempt to push me away, before her fingers twist the fabric of my button-down.
I sweep my tongue along her bottom lip and kiss her deeply, my tongue searching her mouth when she opens to me.
Viv moans softly when I suck her lower lip between my teeth, parting from the kiss.
Her eyes have grown dark, and her breaths come out in soft pants. Part of me expects her to slap me for that, but I’m pleasantly surprised when she doesn’t.
“No,” I breathe. “No, it wasn’t my plan to come here and try to make you feel bad or guilty or to act like the victim…
because I’m not, Vee. I know I’m not. Neither are you.
We’re both at fault and we’ve hurt each other, but fuck, I love you, Viviana Grace Ridley.
” I take her face in my hands and kiss her again.
“I love you so much and it scares the shit out of me—”
“Austin, I—I’ve waited for this. To hear you say those words, but how do I know when the next ring rat or the next new girl tries to—”
“I haven’t touched anyone since you,” I say, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. “Sure, we said that it was okay, but it felt wrong, Vee. Like I was betraying your trust.”
“Why didn’t you just tell me you felt this way?”
“Why didn’t you?” My question takes her aback, and she swallows back whatever quip she is about to unload. “Neither one of us is blameless here, Vee. Not to mention, you moved on pretty quickly to Drake.”
“Drake?”
“Armageddon. Harper told Wolf you were seeing each other.”
Viviana laughs. “I was not dating Drake. We were supposed to begin a storyline together the next week. His only interest in me that night was to see if I could still walk well enough to wrestle.”
“Asshole,” I say under my breath.
“I wish it had been you…helping me, standing by my side before they rolled me into surgery…But I was trying to move on, trying to forget you. I-I couldn’t do it anymore, Austin.
You said we couldn’t have more, that we couldn’t be more.
I didn’t want to be the girl you called just because you felt lonely. I wanted you. All of you.”
“I wanted that, too.”
Viviana scoffs, biting down on her lip. “Why didn’t you just say that?”
“I tried to! You wouldn’t listen, and you kept interrupting me…and I-I snapped. Then you sent me that text and…I-I should’ve just said what I had to say, but I was hurt. I thought I didn’t mean as much to you as you meant to me…Who breaks up with someone over a text?”
Viv sighs, poking her tongue out to wet her lips and lowering her gaze. “Can I ask you something?” she asks, and I nod. “What if I never come back…to EWE?”
“Come back, don’t come back…I don’t care.
Whatever makes you happy makes me happy.
I love you, Viviana.” Finally saying those words lifts a weight off my chest. I step forward, closing the space between us and taking her hands in mine.
“Fuck the agreement we made. I want more with you. I want the ups and downs, the wins and losses, I want it all because I love you.”
A warm glaze covers her eyes, staring at the carpet beneath our feet as she mulls over my words. My heart races, both from my confession and her lack of a response. What if I just fucked this up even more? But this is what she wanted…Isn’t it?
Pulling my bottom lip between my teeth, I drop her hands and step back, stuffing my hands in my pockets. “Now would be a really good time to say it back.”
Viviana laughs softly, finally looking up, her doe-eyed gaze full of tears. She steps forward, cupping my face, swipes her thumb over the stubble on my cheeks, and whispers, “This is all I wanted, Austin…I love you, too.”
I don’t waste another moment, stooping down to capture her lips in a hard kiss.
Her body fits against mine like we were made for each other, two missing puzzle pieces finally put together.
She drapes her arms over my shoulders, and a soft hum rumbles deep in my throat when her hands glide up my shoulders and around my neck.
Her nails coast through the hairs at my nape, sending a shiver down my spine and reaching out to every one of my nerve endings.
The kiss turns soft and leisurely, exploring and getting reacquainted with each other.
I play with the tie of her bathrobe, undoing the knot, and a soft gasp falls from her lips when cool air rushes across her burning skin as the front of the robe falls open.
The sound mixed with the sight before me sends all the blood rushing to my dick.
Holy fuck. My tongue sweeps across my top lip.
“You gonna do something or just stand there and stare?” Vee challenges, and it’s enough to lift my gaze from her body to her eyes.
I take her face in my hands, infiltrating her space a little more, and the pads of my fingers skim across her bottom lip. “This isn’t a dream, right?”
“If it is, you’d better make it a damn good one.” There’s a twinkle in those brown eyes that plunges a syringe of pure adrenaline straight into my heart.
I slide my hands down her sides, grazing the sides of her breasts and trailing down her curves before I squeeze her hips affectionately, tugging her forward into a tight embrace.
We remain in the stillness for about ten heartbeats, and her fingers draw invisible circles on my back through my starched white dress shirt.
I lace one of my hands through hers, bringing her fingers to my lips to kiss each one before holding our embraced hands against my chest. With my other hand, I push a strand of chestnut brown hair behind her ear and kiss her.
“Let’s get married,” I whisper against her lips.
“What?” Vee stares at me like I suddenly grew four heads. After a moment, she laughs, but stops when I don’t join her. “Austin, you can’t be serious.”
“Why not? We’re in Vegas! They do weddings until midnight or one around here…Let’s do it.”
She shoves a hand through her damp hair. “This is Maddie and Drew’s wedding! We can’t—”
I grab her hand, pulling her back into my embrace. “So, we don’t tell them. We wait until after their wedding—hell, after the honeymoon, and then tell them.”
“You’re serious about this?”
“Serious as sin.”
Vee laughs, and it’s the most beautiful sound I’ve ever heard. She shakes her head in disbelief. “I can’t believe I’m gonna say this, but okay.”