There was something comforting about the sound of Victor's breathing. It drove away the demons the dwelled within Delylah's heart. It silenced her worries about Jax and Tara, and more importantly, it felt like home. They lay together in Delylah's room. It felt so strange having him sleep in her queen size bed, the bed that saw her grow into adulthood, but it also felt wonderful to be with him.
Bare chested and deeply sleeping, Victor made a stunning picture as his belly rose and fell with his breath. It was this moment that Delylah allowed herself the luxuries of curiosity and vulnerability. She had a desperate need to reach out and let her fingertips graze his skin, but she feared waking him. She also feared rejection.
She stood and put distance between them. As she walked over to her windows, questions slammed into her mind. Why don't you want me? It'd been almost a week since he'd come to the house, almost a week since her parents went to California, and Victor hadn't tried anything more than an embrace or a chaste kiss. The kisses were nothing compared to those first ones. Those kisses told me you wanted me. What changed? Her fingertips found her mouth. As they traced the fragile skin of her lips, memories of the vineyard floored her, leaving her breathless. Did I do something wrong? Was I not good enough?
Crossing her arms beneath her breasts, her eyes focused on the darkness outside. She knew it was hot; she could tell in the way the thin film of dew that formed on the glass. July nights in North Carolina could be as brutal as the daytime. Where the sun was absent, the humidity thrived and threatened to choke the life out of anything that dared to survive. The trees were still, so Delylah knew there wasn't even a breeze to relieve the heat. Grateful for central air, she wrapped her arms around herself and stared at the starless sky.
"What are doing up?" Victor's sleep stained voice broke the silence.
"I just couldn't sleep," Delylah lied smoothly as she looked ahead. I can't get you out of my mind, she thought. I wonder what I've done to turn you off.
"Liar," Victor mumbled as he stood. Delylah heard his feet pad across the hardwood floors. Soon, he was behind her. She could feel the electricity jump from his body to hers, and her heart began to race. How do you do this to me? You don't even have to touch me, and I'm already wanting you—again. She sighed audibly. How long are you going to torture me, Victor?
"What are you doing up?" he repeated. She shrugged. It was his turn to sigh as he gently gripped her shoulder. She now faced him, and the dim glow of the streetlight illuminated her features. He saw her full lips set in a firm, hard line. He saw her blue eyes flash in anger. She didn't speak, nor did she allow his good looks to melt her heart. She was upset, confused.
Madness reigned supreme around her. In the time since Jax and Tara's departure, the Teller kids had meandered their way through a daily routine, still lost in the murky waters of the truth. Abel, still known as Adam to the citizens of Silver Spring, ran the body shop, stating that their father had surprised their mother with an impromptu surprise vacation. Abel and Hannah carefully crafted the lie: Jax and Tara were out in California, soaking up the west coast sun, while Abel juggled the shop and his job as a technical writer. It made perfect sense, since Abel worked from home anyway.
Abel and Hannah insisted they knew the plan all along and postponed their own honeymoon until Jax and Tara's return. No one in the sleepy little town knew the truth. Delylah, Ophelia, and Lucius backed up the lies, and Victor's arrival was cleverly disguised as a visit to his newlywed sister and brother-in-law. It was strange to live the lie, but as long as people bought it, that's all that mattered.
"I'm fine," Delylah tried to deceive him, to evade the truth. Jax and Tara worried her, but they were more than capable of taking care of themselves What hurt more than anything was that her heart was tearing at the seams from his lack of interest. She tried to push past him, but he stood firm. She looked down, but he carefully tucked his index finger beneath her chin. Lifting her face to where her beautiful eyes met his, it was all Delylah could do to not kiss him.
"You're not fine," Victor whispered. "You're far from fine. I can feel you shaking, even now. What's wrong? Is it your parents?"
"If I tell you yes, will you let me go back to bed?" Delylah fired with more annoyance than she intended. She watched as Victor's eyes widened, then narrowed. She saw his jaw clench with exasperation, but he held his temper.
"If it wasn't a lie, I might," he returned. "But I know you well enough now to know when you're trying to hide something."
"You think you know me?" Delylah felt her frustration build.
"You're not that hard to read," Victor said. "Most girls your age are fairly easy to understand."
Delylah pushed him away and stalked towards the bed. "You don't know a damned thing."
"I know more than you think I do," Victor replied with infuriating calm. He didn't follow her. Delylah abruptly stopped and spun around. He was a breathtaking sight: his smooth tan skin was illuminated in the pale greenish-white light. His pajama pants hung loosely on his narrow hips. His arms were crossed across his chest, and his stare was almost mocking as he looked at her.
"Please enlighten me," Delylah challenged. "Please tell me what you think you know."
"I think you're scared," he responded without missing a beat. "I think you're scared of losing your parents. I think you're scared of losing the security and comfort you've grown up in. I think you have no idea how to feel or what to think or how to react to anything. I think your world has been ripped out from underneath you, and you don't know what the fuck to do."
Delylah laughed. It was a harsh, cold sound.
"You don't know me at all," Delylah stated. "I am worried about my parents, but I worry more about Op than I do them. She's falling apart, not me." It was true. Without the comfort of the life she once knew, Ophelia was a hot fucking mess of a girl. Gone was the straight A, go-getter student. All confidence had disappeared, and in her place was a fearful, worried, questioning girl. Opie relied on Lucius more than ever, and while it worried Delylah, she was also grateful for her sister's boyfriend. He was the only thing keeping her twin sane.
"You're not fine," Victor bit back. "You can't sleep. You barely eat. You spend your days taking care of Ophelia or Hannah or Abel or—"
"Or you?" Delylah pointedly asked. "You haven't been in the best shape either since you saw your mama."
It happened the day after they'd arrived in Silver Spring. They'd gone along with Hannah and Abel to the local grocery to buy food for the house. They didn't expect Sarah Sinclair to be there, in all her doctor's wife glory. Dressed in a simple white sundress and big sunglasses, Hannah saw Sarah long before Sarah saw her.
"Hannah, no," Victor said low, but it was too late. His little sister, who wasn't nearly as well versed in their parents' hateful spirits, walked over to her mother. Victor watched as the agony unfolded. Sarah stood in the midst of the produce section, surrounded by oranges and bananas and pears, stared at Hannah as if she were a stranger. Sarah's eyes, covered by her large, dark sunglasses, seemed to look past her daughter. It was as if Hannah didn't even exist. There wasn't the slightest bit of recognition in the elder Sinclair's eyes as she strode past.
"That was Hannah, not me," Victor's aggravation echoed Delylah's. "It broke my heart to see Sarah treat her that way. I'm used to that shit; she's not." In fact, the younger Sinclair was still brokenhearted from her mother's icy reception. She'd cried on and off for the last few days, and no matter what any of them did to try and help, Hannah was still shattered.
"It doesn't hurt you that she disowns you and your sister?" Delylah questioned. "It would bother the fuck outta me if my mama didn't even acknowledge my presence. Like you said, you're used to it, but I don't buy that. Not for one goddamned minute."
Victor whistled low. "Damn, Delylah, that was harsh. Even for you." He walked towards her, but he skimmed past. He went to the bed and tore at the blankets.
"What are you doing?" Delylah asked, even though she already knew the answer.
"Sleeping downstairs," he replied casually. "I'd rather be ignored than lied to."
"Lied to?" Delylah's voice rose. She gritted her teeth. Don't wake the house, her brain warned. Fuck the house, her heart argued back.
"Yeah, lied to," Victor spit. "Whatever is eating at you is making you lash out. I just asked for the truth, and you turn it around on me."
"That's because it's your fault," Delylah explained. "This whole thing is your fucking fault."
Victor stopped moving. Delylah smiled. Ah, now I have his attention, she thought.
"How in the hell is this my fault?" Victor growled. He turned to face Delylah once more. Fire lit his eyes as he stared at her. Delylah licked her lips. Part of her feared his anger, and the sicker, crazier part of her enjoyed it. She stalked towards him. Her eyes locked with his, and there were mere centimeters separating her from him. Delylah's heart hammered against her sternum and a hot blush stained her cheeks. Anger poured over as she glared at him.
"You haven't touched me. Not once since we left the vineyard," she stated. "You've given me a peck here and there, hugged me like I'm goddamned Hannah."
Victor crossed his arms across his broad chest. He said nothing. Delylah continued.
"You sleep next to me every night. You've held me, but not like that first night. What do you want from me?" She stepped back, and without waiting for his answer, she pulled her tank top over her head and tossed it on the floor. Now clad in a black sports bra and loose black sweatpants, she ran a hand across her flat abdomen before reaching up and undoing her long dark hair. It fell in waves over her shoulders. Her eyes were furious and seductive—all at the same time. Victor wanted nothing more than to grab her and fully possess her.
"You want me," Delylah whispered. Her head cocked to the side as she gazed at him. "Don't you?"
The last two words were sad and vulnerable. Victor's anger was hot in his belly, but as she saw the fear in her eyes, he knew that, beneath the bravado and the fury, was a fragile, scared girl that just wanted approval.
"How could a man not want you?" Victor countered as he stepped closer to her. His chest grazed hers. "You are fucking beautiful. You don't need me to tell you that. You know it's true." She looked down.
"No, baby, don't look down. Look at me. Please."
Her blue eyes were teary as she looked up at him. "If you want me, then why don't you-"
Before Delylah could finish, Victor's lips crushed hers. Her hands flew to his face as her tongue darted into his mouth. Their mouths were still passionately locked as he pulled her closer. His calloused hands roamed her curves as hers gripped the back of his head. When he tore away from her, breathless, his eyes seemed to drink in her soul.
"Is that what you want, Delylah?" he questioned. "You want me to just fuck you?"
"I'd be lying if I said I didn't," Delylah answered. "I've been waiting for you to fuck me."
"What made you think that I'd fuck you?" Victor asked.
"Because I—I mean—You and I -At the vineyard-" she stammered. What the hell kind of question is that? "Are you telling me that you don't want me?"
"I didn't say that," Victor murmured. "I do want you. I want you like I've never wanted any other woman in my life."
"Then what the hell—You're confusing me to no end, Victor." Tears edged her voice as she stared at the man before her. No one had ever kissed her like that. The boys she'd indulged in over the years were simple: they wanted her, she wanted them. They fucked. Sometimes they stayed. Sometimes they didn't, and sometimes she made them go. But never once did they make her body shake like Victor did. Never once did her heart feel like it would explode within her chest. "Tell me what you want, Victor."
"Just listen to me, Delylah" Victor requested. "I want you. I wanted you the minute I saw you at Hannah and Abel's wedding. I wanted you when I found you in the hallway—when I laid next to you—God, I wanted nothing more than to make love to you then and there."
"Then why didn't you?" Delylah asked, heartbroken. "Why didn't you just—fuck me? I was willing. Completely willing."
"You're not hearing what I said to you," Victor answered. "The way I feel about you—it's new to me. In the years I've been away—I've seen things and done things that will haunt me forever. I never open myself to anyone—because, like you said, my own mother doesn't even want to know me—"
"Victor, I'm sorry, I just said that because-
"You were hurting," Victor finished. "You think I'm rejecting you. You think that, just because I don't press you against the wall and just fucking take you that I don't want you. It couldn't be further from the truth." He took her face in his hands and kissed her gently. Taken aback, she didn't move. Her lips responded to his kisses, but the rest of her didn't want to touch him. She was spellbound.
Wordlessly, he broke from her, and without warning, he picked her up and cradled her in his arms, just he had on the first night. He walked over to the bed and carefully laid her down. He crawled into bed beside her. She rolled to face him, and his hand reached up and gently grazed her cheek. The tenderness of the move startled her, but she welcomed the shivers racing down her spine.
"I want you," Victor said. "But I don't want to fuck you. I want to be more than just another notch in your bedpost. Your body is beautiful. You are beautiful. But you are more than a bangin' body and a pretty face." He kissed her lips carefully, then his lips moved down her throat, and as they moved downward, he spoke. "You're funny. You're fiery and brilliant and brave. And I love everything about you."
Delylah was lost in the words, in the kisses, in the sensations she'd waited for. Her back arched as his mouth moved to her belly. His body covered hers as he rained kisses on her face.
"I don't want to fuck you, Delylah," Victor whispered. "I love you too much to treat you like some whore." Delylah placed her hands on his face, stopping his sweet assault.
"What?" Shock diffused through Delylah's body as she looked into his eyes.
"That's why I haven't touched you. This is why I haven't tried to bang you every single night, no matter how much I wanted to. At first, I thought it was your age that threw me off. Then, I thought it was pure lust. But when I held you that first night—I fucking knew I was lost to you. The age difference doesn't matter—I fell hard. I love you, and even though you may not love me yet, I hope you will one day."
Delylah sat up on her elbows, and her lips grazed his.
"You know that's why I was so mad at you," she quietly explained. "I thought you didn't want me—that I was more like a friend or little sister than someone you-you-loved. It took me until now to realize why it hurt me so much—I wanted you to love me. I've just been so confused between love and desire that I didn't even realize what I wanted."
Victor lowered himself to where part of his weight was on her. Instinctively, she wrapped her legs around him and was amazed at how well their bodies melded together.
"What exactly do you want, Delylah Teller?" Victor's dark eyes were brilliant as he stared into hers. Delylah chewed on her bottom lip as she returned his gaze.
"I want you, Victor," she replied. "I want you to love me."
"It's too late for that, little girl," Victor murmured. "I loved you the minute I saw you again." Delylah smiled and laid back on her pillows.
"I guess that makes two of us then," Delylah said. "Because I loved you the minute you held me as I slept."
A disarming smile played on Victor's lips as he lowered himself onto her. As he sank into her lips, all feelings of tension melted away, and their small fight was forgotten. The world could have collapsed around them, and they wouldn't care.
God, that was close. The thought plagued the man's mind as he moved from his hiding place behind the trees. The girl almost saw me. Everything he'd been working towards could have very easily been destroyed had it not been for the massive man that all back dragged her away from his sightline. If I can't see them, they can't see me, he reasoned as moved from the shadows. Slowly, he walked away from the house and carefully navigated the path towards the main road. His car was parked there, so there would be no alert or speculation.
As he walked, his hand dug in his pocket. He grabbed his phone and dialed a familiar number. It barely had a chance to ring before someone picked it up.
"Speak," the voice on the other crackled.
"It's me," the mysterious man grumbled into the phone. "I thought you'd be glad to know that I found the Teller house. Everything we discussed should easily fall into place within the next twenty-four hours."
A satisfied hum flowed through the phone.
"Good," the other voice practically purred on the other end. "That's good news."
"Yeah," was the response. "By this time tomorrow, Jax and Tara will finally get what's coming to them." As the phone clicked off, a satisfied grin crossed the man's face as he walked to his faraway car. You have no idea what's coming to you, but you will. I can promise you that. Delylah and Victor were far too involved in their lover's dance to notice anything out of the ordinary. Locked in an impassioned embrace, they hurtled towards blissful oblivion. They cared about nothing else, even though danger which they'd never experienced awaited just outside their front door.