her style. She’d be miserable doing nothing so she was in the process of opening up a spa in Ann Arbor. She still kept in touch with some of “her girls,” as she called them, making sure that they were okay, that they were all walking the straight and narrow. She couldn’t help them all, and I know it still haunted her at times; it hurt her that some of them chose to stay in that lifestyle when she was more than prepared to offer them a way out.
That was the real Victoria—a woman who would do just about anything to help and protect the people that she cared about. It was one of the things that we had in common; it was what I loved about her the most. I was not saying that everything was perfect from the start because it wasn’t. And our families played a part in that. Jennifer and Victoria didn’t get off on the best foot, and it took time for them to warm up to each other. In fact, it took some time for my parents to warm up to her, too. All they knew about her was that her past was shady at best and an argument with her was the cause of me being out on the road the night I had my accident.
Needless to say, they were pretty stunned when we walked downstairs hand in hand into the kitchen the morning Victoria came to Michigan. Though they pretended to be cordial, it was obvious to see that she wasn’t their first choice for me. Over time, they too came around and learned to accept her and even love her. Once they were made aware of some of the details of her past, it wasn’t hard for them to understand why she had acted the way that she did. Of course, I wasn’t totally without blame. I didn’t exactly make the best first impression on her father either, and it took me quite a while to get in his good graces. It didn’t help that I was taking his only child away from him and moving her halfway across the country. I think that after careful consideration, he came to the conclusion that a life out of the big city would be a nice change for his daughter. Really, I think he just wanted me to keep her out of trouble.
Once my parents moved out of the house and into their new place, Victoria made her final move to Michigan so that we could settle into our home together. A home that she insisted on helping me pay for seeing as though she was going to be living there too and had every intention of redecorating as soon as possible. I said no to her offer of helping me pay for the house at first, insisting that I would be able to cover it without any problems but reconsidered after I realized that for her it was much more about showing me her commitment to us than it was about home ownership.
As for everything that had happened in New York—once the investigation on Victoria heeded no results, I was questioned a few more times regarding my conduct during the investigation. There was no proof of any wrongdoing on my part, and the captain knew that, so no internal investigation was done. I quit the force shortly after because I honestly believed that Victoria would be my end game, and I was never going to be free to be with her if I had remained a detective. There’s very little I miss about my job at this point, which tells me that I made the right decision.
I grunt with a thud as Victoria plops down next to me in the hammock I’m currently occupying.
“I’m not sure these things are made for two,” I joke, wrapping my arm around her waist and pulling her closer.
“They wouldn’t be all over a couples resort if they weren’t meant for two.” Her lips on the side of my mouth have me imagining all sorts of things we could do on this thing.
“How are you feeling?” I ask her out of genuine concern but mostly just in an effort to get my mind off her tits pressed up against me.
“Good. No morning sickness at all today.”
“That’s good,” I tell her, happy that her morning sickness has finally started to recede. Pregnancy wasn’t something that we talked about in the early stages of our relationship, but after being together for about a year, we both decided that we wanted to have a family.
“What did you buy?” I ask, spying the plastic bag on the ground below.
“Just some cute trinkets.” She disappeared over an hour ago, walking the shops along the beach where we’re currently honeymooning in St. Thomas. We considered canceling our trip when we found out that she was pregnant but decided to go ahead with it once her doctor assured us that at twelve weeks along, she would be safe to fly.
“We’re going to need another suitcase for all of your trinkets.”
“Or we can just stay here forever.”
“We’ve been married all of three days, and you’re trying to move already?”
“Yeah. We can set up a hut and we can sell all of the trinkets I just bought. That’ll take at least a year.”
I chuckle as I bury my face in her neck and playfully smack her ass.
“You’re a real smartass, you know that?”
“You’re the idiot who married me. You knew what you were getting.”
“You keep this up, baby, and I’m going to take you up to our room and spank you.”
A sharp inhale of breath on her part lets me know that she’s not at all put off by my suggestion.
“Baby?” she questions, her hands clutching my shoulders now.
“Hmm?”
“Remember a few weeks ago, when you used your handcuffs on me? When you put me over your knee and spanked me? When you fucked me hard afterward?”
Just like that, she gets me hard as a rock. One thing we’ve discovered about each other over the past eighteen months is that we both enjoy exploring each other’s boundaries in the bedroom. Not much is off-limits, and it has everything to do with how much we’ve come to trust each other.
“Yeah baby, I remember…”
“I packed your handcuffs in my luggage.”
“You did?” I arch my brow, suddenly very intrigued by her last statement.
“Yeah.”
“You want me to do that to you again, Tori?”
“Yes, Eric.” I grin because I know exactly what she wants, and I have no problems giving it to her. Eric is what she calls me when she wants the cop to come out and play. It’s the only time she uses my first name, and it’s the only time I like to hear it from her lips.
“Why don’t you go upstairs?” I suggest, fingering the string on her bikini then giving it a gentle tug. “Get out of this, then set the cuffs out and position yourself on the bed for me, yeah? With your wrists together on the mattress, your head down, and your ass up while you wait for me. Can you do that?” I ask, watching as her cheeks flush with heat.
“I can do that,” she says, and stares at me, before she takes off to do what I’ve asked, with a look that makes my chest swell. It’s a look of pure love; I recognize it, because I look at her exactly the same way. It’s a love that’s stronger than just about anything I’ve ever felt. So strong it leaves me breathless at times, with a physical ache in my chest when she’s gone from my side. It’s exactly what I used to say I’d never be… So completely owned by a woman, by this woman, but fuck, if she isn’t worth it. One look from her and I know I’d do it all again, I’d do my time in jail if I had to, to make sure that she was okay. I’d crash and nearly die all over again if it meant her coming to be by my side. I regret nothing where she’s concerned, and yeah, she owns me, she really does. And if that makes me a lesser man, then so be it.
But I get the satisfaction of knowing that for as much as she owns me—I own her, too.