Chapter 10
Asimple peck of the lips sends a jolt throughout my body. Victor presses me against my truck as his handsome hazel eyes survey mine. This isn’t just a look of desire; this is a look of resolution, diminishing away any insecurities of the world. His eyes follow his fingers as they press against my lips. He opens and then closes his mouth, unable to talk.
Victor is a confident man, seeing him fumble and become speechless throws me off. At this moment, he is timid. Is this because of me?
I’ve seen him be able to say whatever he feels with the most self-assurance. Lately, things have changed. He’s been watching what he says and how he speaks to us. Thankfully, he hasn’t mentioned buying out the garage. I’ve also noticed the looks he gives me went from annoyance and confusion to appreciation. All are comical in scale like he’s trying hard to understand our way of life.
At this moment, all I see is the longing look. His eyes sparkle in the outdoor light flickering from the restaurant. I can only imagine that mine holds the same for him. A craving for more than just a look.
With a sudden confidence that I’ve never harnessed before, I decide to throw caution to the wind. Be free from my own restraints of feeling inferior.
“Follow me.” I shove him away from me. I hold a giggle as he stumbles backward on the gravel. Quickly turning away to climb into my truck, I glance out my door to see Victor’s bewildered face. It’s a little comical. “Seriously, follow me,” I say as I slam the door closed.
He nods and rushes to his rental car. A smirk plays on my lips. An Audi A-5 2.0T coupe stands out among the medley of Hondas and Fords. The parking lot is full of mostly rusted pickup trucks with missing parts. All of this sits on either side of his pristine car. I force myself to gulp back my hesitance at the contradictory aesthetic.
Victor shoots me a look over his shoulder, and any reservation that creeps up vanishes. I want this - I want him. My body moves on autopilot, putting the truck in gear and taking off toward my home.
Front porch lights from random homes pass and the hum of a ukulele on the radio keeps me from pulling this truck over and telling Victor to go home.
I’m lost in thought of where my life has come to. I don’t know what it is about Victor that has brought out this side of me. That’s a lie. I know what it is. It’s the way he looks at me, dumbstruck. It intrigues me how out of touch he is with my reality.
Or maybe it’s the way he talks to me. Struggling to understand the general concept of I’m okay with how things are in my life. Refusing to fall into some sort of rat race in the world. I’m happy with the bare minimum of this life.
Maybe it’s the unconditional love of a family and friends that became family. The bond the three of us share is indescribable. No words were ever needed as we navigated through hard times. Blips of wonderful memories come around once in a while when we are working in the garage. We gained a loyal following of locals that have been with us since I was a child. We live for each other because we had nothing else.
Perhaps it’s the way he looks at me, from head to toe. Analyzing each move I make. He watches me, seeing me for every single grease-stained piece of my skin. He hasn’t shied away or asked me to change. Victor is just sitting and watching.
Somehow, he’s become more than a pain in the ass. He’s managed to get inside my head and bring out a new aspect of my personality that I’m still struggling to grasp.
Looking into the rearview mirror, he’s still following me to my little shack in the woods. My dirt driveway will give his pretty sports car a run for its money. I can’t help but to dissolve into a fit of giggles.
“I hope he bought the insurance on the rental car. One small dip and, whoops, there’s a dent.” I say out loud to myself, along with a chuckle.
The closer we get, the truth of the matter settles my laugh. I make the last right turn into my driveway. Maneuvering past the overgrown grass and trees, and drive straight up to the side of the house. A lonely light flicker from a pole that stands between my house and the garage. If you can call it a garage. It’s a building I converted into a workspace for my truck and building my surfboards. It’s barely being held up and is missing a few pieces of siding so you can see through to the inside, but it keeps the sun off me when I’m working.
Victor pulls his car in next to mine and my eyes stray from my tiny shack of a house to the ember honey skin and hazel eyes that stare back at me. Neither of us moves an inch. We just fixate on one another. His gaze never strays even when the door to his car opens, and he steps out. His movements are slow and steady, and I’m the only one he sees. I get nervous thinking about being someone’s everything, where our problems are forgotten and we only focus on each other.
My door handle clicks with the door creaking open. A loud groan popping metal still doesn’t sway his eye. Victor holds his hand forward, palm up, waiting for me. My small, calloused fingers slide over his smooth palm as it closes over my hand, engulfing every part of my skin, up to my wrist. A gentle tug encouraging me toward him. My body moves on its own accord, to the person who causes my mind to short-circuit.
My feet hit the mixture of dirt and gravel and Victor pushes me to the side, allowing the truck door to slam shut. Still, our eyes stay locked together. My lips tremble with want. He releases my hand, but I don’t miss the physical touch for a moment before his hands glide up my jaw and into the nape of my neck. My head turns up further to him when he leans closer. His lips brush against mine. My whole body vibrates with need.
“Victor,” my needy breaths come out as a moan. Begging for something-anything to relieve this pent-up neediness. “Kiss me?”
His chest puffs out with pride, causing my lips to turn up in a wide smile. Our eyes close as he closes the distance between us and gently presses his lips to mine. The cool ocean breeze flutters against my back, inspiring me to move closer to him.
He leans back slightly, allowing me to steady myself when my resolve breaks. My arms fling around his neck and I launch myself into his arms, wrapping my legs around his waist. Victor’s hands immediately grip my ass and his body presses me against my truck. His tongue plunges in my mouth with demand and I’m drunk on his touch.
“Inside,” I gasp between breaths. My fingers dig into his shoulders with need.
His unsuspecting strength to hold me up and walk us the short distance to my front door surprises me. For a moment, I become self-conscious when he stumbles up the shaky front steps. He relaxes his hands and lets my feet hit the wooden porch. It squeaks with our hurried movements.
I turn to unlock the door while Victor presses his body against mine. He buries his face in my hair as his fingers dig into my sides. A gentle urging to move quicker. My poor hands shake with the key before it slips in, cracking the lock open.
As the old wooden door becomes ajar, Victor quickly turns me around and hoists me back up in his arms as we stumble over the threshold. My hands grasp what was once his perfectly styled hair, twisting his short locks through my fingers.
I attack his mouth causing my lips to swell from the contact, eager to feel all of him. His erection presses behind his pants as he pulls my hips down to meet his. His strained moans fill the quiet space, rousing me to press on. My tongue trails from his mouth, his cheek, and follows up his jaw to his ear lobe where my teeth gently press against the soft flesh.
A loud grunt escapes his throat. I watch his Adam’s apple bob against his smooth, hairless neck. The aroma of mint, lavender, and bergamot gives off the sweet and spicy notes that have my mind going wild with lust. It’s a light and refreshing contrast to the harsh coconut and sunblock fragrance that I’m accustomed to. I want to drown myself in every part of him.
He kicks the door shut behind him; the echo startles the both of us.