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Out of Control, Part 4

"He told me to leave you alone."

"What?"

"Vaughn Winner told me to leave you alone," Bobby repeated as he had his arm draped over Veronica's waist.

"When did he say that?" Veronica asked as she leaned up on her elbows and looked at him.

"Earlier today, around lunch time. He came to the Country Club and told me to back off of you," he said as he turned his head to look at her.

Her lips drew into a frown. "Why would he say that?"

"I think he has a thing for you."

"Vaughn? Hardly Bobby. He likes all the pretty girls but never gives his affections to any of them, me included."

"He gave them to Randy at one point," Bobby mentioned nonchalantly.

Veronica's brow creased. "Randy?"

"Yup, he's had his hands all over her before. I caught him kissing her one-day in the janitor's closet back at Saint Augustines. That was when I believe we were all fourteen years old."

"You sure about that? Randy always said her first kiss was Miles?" Veronica asked again, already feeling the stirrings of jealousy.

"I'm damn sure. Winner was kissing Maxwell, and she was kissing him back too," Bobby replied as he sat up, draping his arms over his knees.

"Is that so?" she muttered as she swung her legs over the side of his bed. She snatched her dress, splashed with red and violet roses up from the floor and let it slide down over her body. "Wait until I see him and give him a piece of my mind," she said under her breath, "and just wait until I get my hands on you Randy Maxwell." She found her panties on the end of the bed and pulled the red satin up in a swift tug. Her skirt fell back around her knees again and she propped her hands on her hips as she regarded her lover still in bed. "Is that all he told you?"

"Yeah, that's all he told me. He said I was bad for you," Bobby answered as he watched her walk across the room and slip on her sandals. "Leaving?"

"I have someone to see," Veronica answered tightly as she picked up her purse off of the bedside table.

Bobby smirked. "Would you think about coming back afterwards?"

"No. I can't. My dad already threw a fit last time and well he doesn't like you too much. I don't think you want to be dead anytime soon."

"Guess not with who your dad is."

"Well I'll see you later," Veronica said as she blew him a kiss and left the room.

Bobby watched her leave. He put his hands behind his head as he lay back down again. "I don't envy Winner when she gets to him. Poor bastard," he said as a pleased grin spread across his face.

Veronica stood on the front porch of Bobby's home and watched as the rain fell in dense sheets across the driveway. "I hate rain. It had to start raining as soon as I got here," she muttered as she took out her keys. She pressed the remote to unlock the doors on her bright blue Audi and ran out into the rain. She held her purse over her head as she got in. "Damn, damn, damn," she sighed as she shook her hair, sending sparkling drops of rain into the leather interior of her car. "Now off to have a little "talk" with a certain Vaughn Winner."
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The object of her thoughts was still sitting at his desk, idly twirling a pen between his fingers of his one hand as his other one typed on the keyboard of his computer. "Eleven thirty on a Thursday night being spent inside an office," he sighed as he typed in the last few words of a statement for a project that he was working on. He glanced out the window as the late night rain splattered against the panes. "Well at least I'm not out there in that." He leaned back in his chair as he switched on the radio in his office. He moved the pen in time to the music as he got up and started to sing, his voice drowning out the other singer's.

Ooh, oh yeah listen

Bright lights, fancy restaurants

Everything a man could want

I got a bank account bigger than the law should allow

Still I'm lonely now

Pretty faces from the covers of the magazines

From their covers to my covers wanna lay with me

Fame and Fortune, still I find

Just a grown man running out of time

He had an exceptional voice. Like his siblings, he was very musical, getting the ability to sing from his mother, and the ability to play from his father. He was a tenor, more suited to singing rhythm and blues rather than harder edged rock.

Even though it seems that I have everything

I don't wanna be a lonely fool

All of the women, all of the expensive cars

All of the money don't amount to you

I can make believe I have everything

But I can't pretend that I don't see

That without you girl my life is incomplete

Vaughn got up from the soft leather chair and stood. His tie had since been loosened and his dress shirt was untucked from the khakis that he was wearing. He was still holding onto his pen and using it as a microphone. He danced around his office in time to the beat of the music.

Said, without you girl, oh listen

Your perfume, your sexy lingerie

Girl I remember it just like it was on yesterday

A Thursday, you told me that you had fallen in love

I wasn't sure that I was

It's been a year-Winter, Summer, Spring, and Fall

But being without you just ain't livin at anything at all

If I could travel back in time

I'd relive the days you were mine

His back was facing the door. He didn't hear or see Veronica come in.

Veronica leaned against the door and watched him. She had called his house first to see if he was there. She had gotten Quatrina on the phone, who had promptly told her that Vaughn was still at the office. Her voice had been disdainful and disapproving as usual. The security officer had let her right in, recognizing her as a Yuy and a friend of the Winner family. Her sapphire eyes regarded Vaughn carefully as he continued to sing.

Even though it seems that I have everything

I don't wanna be a lonely fool

All of the women, all of the expensive cars

All of the money don't amount to you

I can make believe I have everything

But I can't pretend that I don't see

That without you girl my life is incomplete

Vaughn stopped in front of the window and bent his head back as he sang. His eyes were closed as he sang the lyrics. The song had some connection to him since being a Winner, made him the target of many women because of the money that he had. He actually hated those kinds of girls with a passion. He treated them with casual indifference, always polite, but never anything more. There weren't many girls that had sparked his interest. The select few that had, weren't currently available. Especially the one.

An amused smile worked its way across Veronica's face. "He was always a dramatic performer."

Oh yeah

That without you girl, oh

I just can't help lovin you

But I loved you much too late

I'd give anything (ha) and everything

To hear you say, that you'll stay

Veronica felt the jealousy return though. The mere thought of Randy having her hands on Vaughn without anyone knowing made her teeth grind. She wondered if Vaughn still carried something around for Randy even though she was with his cousin, Donavon. "But I'll be damned if she still has a hold on him. How like her to get away with this."  Her eyes concentrated on Vaughn's back.

Even though it seems that I have everything

I don't wanna be a lonely fool

All of the women, all of the expensive cars

All of the money don't amount to you

I can make believe I have everything

But I can't pretend that I don't see

That without you girl my life is incomplete

Vaughn kept his eyes closed as he spun on his heels, facing back towards his office. He was still unaware that he had an audience.

Even though it seems that I have everything

I don't wanna be a lonely fool

All of the women, all of the expensive cars

All of the money don't amount to you

I can make believe I have everything

But I can't pretend that I don't see

That without you girl my life is incomplete

"Incomplete my ass. He better not be thinking of Randy. And he better tell me the reason he told Bobby to stay away from me or else there will be hell to pay." Veronica tapped her foot impatiently.

Without you girl

Without you girl, my life

Without you girl, my life is incomplete

Without you girl, my life is incomplete, oh yeah

My life is incomplete, oh, yeah, yeah

"Very nice Winner. Didn't know you took to singing without the benefit of an audience," Veronica stated sarcastically as she pushed away from the wall.

Vaughn's eyes popped open and fell on her in the glass's reflection. "I didn't know I had to have one," he said as he went back over to his desk and sat down in the chair again. "And why are you here?"

"I needed…no, I wanted to talk to you," she said shortly as she hopped up on the edge of his desk, facing him. She leaned forwards. "I hear you talked to Bobby today."

He arched a brow at her. He could feel jealousy and anger pouring off her in waves. "Yes, I talked to him today. What of it?"

"Well I was with him earlier this evening and he just happened to mention your name."

Both of his brows shot straight up before pulling down into a sharp v. "You were with him?" "I swear I'm going to ring that guys neck. He is messing with the wrong person."

"Yes, I was with him! He's the guy I'm seeing! Where else would I be?"

"You mean the guy you're sleeping with."

Veronica's eyes narrowed marginally. "Why did you tell him to leave me alone?"

"I was doing you a favor since he's the one hurting you," Vaughn retorted as he reached up and turned off the monitor of his computer. He stared back into the glittering eyes in front of him.

"I don't need you to interfere!" she snapped.

"Well someone should!" he hissed back as he stood, bracing his hands on either side of her. "He has a big mouth and you know it! I don't know why you stay with him when all he wants from you is sex! You could do a lot better then him and you know it!"

"What are you? My keeper?"

"Damn right I am. Since you won't do what's in your best interest, someone has to! Or else do you like that name that Chris gave you because it'll only give him more reason to believe it!"

Her eyes flashed angrily. "I can take care of myself."

"You can, can you? Last time I saw you; you were about to fall apart because of what he said. I'm sorry Ver, but that doesn't prove that you can take care of yourself. If you really hate what he calls you, you wouldn't stay with the bastard that made you one!"

"So, you think that too!"

"I don't! It's Chris' opinion, but I'm sure that he's not the only one who thinks that! The only reason I told Bobby to back off is because he's not good for you!"

"He's better than nothing at all!"

"Well don't date him for the sake of having somebody! And don't screw him for the sake of being able too! You're a smart girl, you should already know this and I shouldn't have to point this out to you!" Vaughn nearly shouted at her.

Veronica's nostrils flared as she glared at him. "I know exactly what kind of guy he is so you don't have to tell me! I know exactly what I'm doing!"

"You've been doing this since we were sixteen years old! It's because you were jealous of Randy that you started this crap! You took the competition between you two and waged a war that you knew that she wouldn't participate in!" Vaughn gritted out.

"Is it my fault she wears that chastity ring? She made her choice; I wasn't about to let her have all the guys too! I wasn't going to let her take the one thing I had on her!"

"Get over Veronica! So what that she's almost a genius! So what that she excelled in sports! You're not at all stupid, you graduated fifteenth in our class and you were very good in athletics!"

Veronica continued to glare stonily into the amethyst eyes in front of her. She snapped her mouth shut, not having anything more to say at the moment. She fumed inwardly because he had hit the nail on the head. He was right and it grated on her that he was. She didn't like to be told that she was wrong. It was one of her flaws. And Vaughn being an empath knew exactly how she felt.

Vaughn didn't remove his hands from either side of her. The look she was sending him was decidedly frosty, but it didn't faze him at all. He could feel that she was still angry with him, but the jealousy part he didn't know where it was coming from. "What's making you feel jealous?"

The thought of him and Randy flashed through her mind again at the mention of that emotion. "You want to know? Well I'll tell you…you back stabbing son of a…" she was cut off when the lights flickered and went out, rendering the office pitch black.

His eyes struggled to find hers in the darkness. "You were saying?"

A malicious thought ran through her mind as she found his eyes in the darkness. "Do you like the dark Vaughn? Does it remind you of the times you spent kissing Randy in the janitor's closet at Saint Augustines?" she purred wickedly.

Vaughn now knew exactly where the jealousy was coming from. "But how does she know? I didn't tell anyone, neither did Randy."  He didn't reply.

"No glib answer Winner? Nothing to say? Did you two even talk or was your tongue too far down her throat for you to do that, hmm?"

He still didn't reply. He wasn't going to set her off by saying anything.

"Was she any good then Winner? Did you want her so bad then even though you knew she had a crush on Donavon?" Veronica continued to taunt, trying desperately to get a response out of him.

"Jealousy doesn't become you," he growled at her.

"Who says I'm jealous? I just want to know if you enjoyed kissing her."

"Because I can feel it. I know you are."

"Why did you kiss her?"

"I'm male."

"That's not an answer Vaughn. Was she a good kisser? Did she make you want her with just one kiss?"

He could feel her breath against his lips again even though he could barely make her out in the dark. "I won't answer that."

"I bet I could make you feel the same way Winner," Veronica breathed against his mouth. "Let me show you the difference between her and me. I'll show you whose better at what." She leaned forwards and captured his mouth with hers.

Vaughn was a little startled to react properly so he didn't pull away. Instead, he leaned forwards into the kiss. His eyes closed as he moved his hands from the desk, to her waist.

His acceptance of her kissing him caught her off guard. She opened her mouth and slid her tongue along the seam of his lips.

A slight growl rose in his throat as her tongue rubbed over his. He tightened his hands around her waist as he kissed her back, showing her that he wasn't going let her dominate him. But he couldn't deny the way that the kiss was firing his blood. He had wanted to really kiss her anyway.

Veronica's breath caught in her throat as she felt the kiss suddenly change. He was doing the kissing now, not her. Her blood rushed through her as deep-seated feelings began to run through her. Her nerve endings tingled and her heart pounded madly as his mouth stroked hers.

He felt her go lax under his mouth. He slowly pulled her off of his desk and wrapped his arms around her completely. His fingers traced up and down her spine.

She conformed to his body and let him kiss her. She was being kissed thoroughly and she wasn't afraid to admit that. It was the first time in along time that someone's kiss had this kind of effect on her.

It was an effective turn of the tables on her. He wasn't going to play her game and he was letting her know that right now. He had been attracted to her as well as Randy, he just never been able to get close enough to her. She had always been the little princess, constantly surrounded by boys since kindergarten all the way up through high school. Randy on the other hand hadn't had the same effect on guys yet at fourteen. She had been too much of a tomboy and her very slender "boyish" figure that had shown some promise, didn't interest the guys as much as Veronica's already lush figure. So, he had gone with the one who was the easiest to get to. He wasn't going to fight for her attention. And Randy had been a good kisser, although it was more of just both of them practicing on each other. He had liked her, but he had always known how she had felt towards his cousin and how his cousin felt towards her. He didn't care about that. He was only helping her like she was helping him. He lifted his mouth from hers and took a step back as the lights came back on. "I don't know about you, but I rather not have to go through something like that again. You didn't have to prove anything to me. You don't have to."

Veronica stared at him with throbbing lips. She was breathing hard. "You…"

"All Randy and I did was coach each other on kissing. Yes, I had a crush on her, but she had a crush on Donavon at the time as he did her. I was doing a favor for her like she was doing me. She hasn't been the only girl I've kissed. She was just the first one," he stated clearly as he formed papers into neat piles on his desk.

She lowered her eyes to the floor. "Is that all it was? Coaching?"

"Practicing. She wanted to know how to kiss a guy and I wanted to know how to kiss a girl. I wasn't going to stand in line and wait for you to kiss me."

His words cut her as she raised her eyes back to his. "You wanted to kiss me?"

"What guy didn't want to kiss you? I was one of many; I just wasn't going to be one of your lap dogs.  You had plenty of them then and you have one right now."

"I didn't know that."

"How could you have known Ver? I didn't tell anyone about Randy and I kissing. Randy didn't tell anyone either," he said as he closed his briefcase before continuing, "But how did you find out?"

"Bobby."

"How did he…" Vaughn trailed off, suddenly remembering that Bobby had opened the closet door, much for the same purpose, only to find him and Randy there. White-hot fury ran through him. "Why did he tell you?"

"I don't know," Veronica answered, feeling worse then she ever had. Her own jealousy was making her out to be a total bitch. "He just told me."

"I swear I'm going to kill him," he muttered under his breath. "The bastard is playing off of her insecurities. He knows that Veronica has harbored some jealousy towards Randy. And to get back at me, he went through her, knowing that she would confront me with it. I knew I should have used that rapier on him when we were seventeen." "Look Ver, I know you always felt that way towards Randy. Bobby was trying to get back at me because I more or less threatened him to stay away from you. I just don't want to see you get hurt by him or anyone else," he said in a gentler tone as he walked over to her. He rubbed his hands up and down her arms. "I'm looking out for you because I care about you."

She looked up at him with rueful eyes. "You care?"

"Very much," Vaughn whispered as he pulled her into a hug. "Just a lot more then you realize."

A thin smile creased her lips as she burrowed her face against his shirt. She could feel his heart beating steadily against her cheek. She closed her eyes. She had always felt safe with him. He was like Donavon in that respect. He had made her feel safe. Vaughn and his cousin treated her like a lady. Her smile grew a little more as she continued to hold onto him. "I'll break up with him. Just give me some time Vaughn."

"All right," he sighed as he pressed a kiss on the top of her golden hair. It smelled like the rain from the outdoors. He held her protectively against him. It was something that he felt compelled to do. It was more for him. And Bobby had been right about one thing, he did want her for himself, but not for what he had implied. He wanted her because he liked her for who she was when she wasn't putting on the persona of being Veronica Yuy and being just Ver. She was special and she just didn't know it. But he was going to make sure she found out, and soon.

Song "Incomplete" by Sisqo

A/N: How did you like that chapter? I bet no one expected that twist about Randy and Vaughn. But stay tuned there are more twists imminent! XOXO!!