The Man Who Has No Heart - Victoria Quinn Page 0,70
know, the kind of relationship where you can say nothing for a really long time, and it doesn’t feel weird. Valerie used to get pissed off at me because I didn’t communicate enough, dragged me to therapy because I needed to change, because I was the problem. Being with Cleo proves that I was never the problem, that even though she’s not like me, she accepts me exactly as I am. And that feels…” I couldn’t find the right words to describe it. “Indescribable.”
Tucker’s eyes softened.
“The emotional connection between us has always been there. When we first met, I was a dick to her—like I always am. But she saw the good in me when other people didn’t, and she tried to help me, because that’s the kind of person she is. She saw past all my problems and saw me for who I really was. I found myself staring at her because her beautiful face hypnotized all the neurons in my brain. I found myself missing her when I didn’t see her. I found myself…a best friend. It’s real, it’s true, it’s…rare.” I stared at the table. “I’ve always been attracted to her. I’ve always thought she was beautiful. But this was the only relationship I’ve ever had that’s evolved backward, where we got to know each other first before we slept together. I didn’t know what our physical relationship would be like, if it wouldn’t be as strong as our emotional connection.” I remembered our first kiss, the way it made me feel, the way it made me burn white-hot. “But it’s just as strong…”
When I was finished, Tucker smiled. “That’s beautiful, man.”
“Might be stronger, actually…” I’d wanted to be with her regardless of how the sex was. If she wasn’t a good lay, I wouldn’t have cared. I would have taught her how to be better. And if it never got better, that would have been okay too. Because our relationship fulfilled me so much that I didn’t want to be with anyone else. Even if the sex wasn’t exactly to my liking., it wouldn’t matter. But that wasn’t a problem for us. She loved to be on top of me, loved to rock her hips and grind in the sexiest ways. She loved to grab my ass and pull me deep inside, like she could never get enough of my dick, no matter how much I gave it to her. And when she was on her hands and knees, she arched her back so deep and bounced her ass back at me, shaking her cheeks in the sexiest way I’d ever seen.
She was the best lay I’d ever had. But I didn’t tell him that, of course.
He nodded. “That’s great. And Derek already loves her…it’s perfect.”
I’d never given it much thought before, because I didn’t intend to bring a woman into my life again. Cleo got to know Derek as my friend, and it was a happy coincidence. But she did have such a connection with my son that it was obvious she cared for him on her own, that it had nothing to do with her feelings for me. They spent a lot of time together on those long flights, coloring, talking. They just clicked. “It is perfect.”
“Mom is gonna be happy,” he said with a chuckle.
She would start planning the wedding now.
“How does Valerie feel about it?”
I wanted to picture a future where she wasn’t mentioned, where she was so far in the past that we simply forgot about her. But the truth was, as long as Derek was under eighteen, I would always have to deal with her. She would never go away. “About what?”
“You and Cleo.”
I released a heavy sigh.
“That doesn’t sound good…”
“Valerie is a bitch. I’ll just leave it at that.”
“Well, you can’t just leave it at that.”
“I guess Derek talks about Cleo a lot, and that pissed off Valerie and made her ask questions.”
“She’s worried Cleo might replace her as Derek’s mother.”
“No, she’s worried Cleo will replace her.” But yes, that would probably become a problem too. “She started asking me if I was sleeping with her…”
“Wow.”
“I said no and hung up.”
“You lied?” he asked in surprise.
“It was the truth at the time.”
“Ah…” He nodded slightly.
“She continues to control my life. She continues to keep her leash around my neck. Cleo is going to talk her into coming for a visit, to show how nice it would be to live close…and I have to lie about Cleo.”