Blueprint for Love (17 page)

Allen glanced at his watch. “Let’s go.”

“
Cool,” Kent answered,
wincing as he slid off the bed. “We can hit the pharmacy before it
closes.”

“
No. I’m dropping you back
home. You can get your own drugs.”

Kent scowled. “That ain’t right, man. You
know I’m all busted up.”

“
I don’t have time to play
nursemaid to you, big brother. I have to pay Ronnie a
visit.”

# # #

It was well after nine p.m. when Allen
showed up on Ronnie’s doorstep. As she peered through the peephole,
her first inclination had been to ignore him, but then she thought
the better of it. Most of the lights were blazing in her house and
her car was parked out front. He knew she was home.

“
Allen, what a surprise.”
And it was. Good thing she hadn’t changed into her PJs yet. She
stood in her doorway, barefoot, but still dressed in the skirt and
blouse she’d worn to work.

Allen smiled. “I hope I’m not intruding, I
wanted to check on you.”

“
On me? Why?”

“
I have a sixth sense
about things. Something told me you could use a friend right
now.”

She scoffed. “I’ve got plenty of friends.
What I need is an Algebra tutor for my son. Do you know any?”

“
I’m afraid
not.”

A thunderclap sounded, startling her. She
didn’t realize rain was in the forecast.

“
Do you mind if I come
in?” Allen asked.

She did, but figured she couldn’t leave him
standing on her porch. “Sure. I have a few minutes. Then, I’ll need
to go up and check on Jovan.”

“
Oh, right. Make sure he’s
all tucked in?”

“
Hardly. He’s a pre-teen.
The thought of being tucked in is probably worse than getting a
case of acne the day before picture day. I just need to make sure
he’s doing his homework and he’s not chatting it up on social
media.”

Allen chuckled as Ronnie shut the door
behind him. “Nice house. You changed the décor since the last time
I was here.”

She searched her memory banks, trying to
recall when Allen had been in her home. Then, she thought back to
last year’s company Christmas party for Three Sisters. She’d held
it at her home. Allen had come.

“
Have a seat,” she said.
“Care for something to drink?”

“
No thanks.”

Something about his arrival was suspicious
to Ronnie. Quatara’s warning still burned in the back of her mind.
In dress slacks, loafers, and a button down, Allen seemed so
harmless. Ronnie sat across from him on the sofa in her living
room. For a fleeting moment, images of her and Vic making love on
this couch flashed through her conscious. She’d lain shamefully
spread-eagle beneath him as he filled her with his massive length,
pumping over and over into her. She warmed between her legs
recalling how he’d brought her to the brink of pleasure multiple
times.

Ronnie shook her head to clear away the
nasty thoughts. It was only last week, but it seemed so long ago.
She was here with Allen now.

She turned to him. “So, Allen, why are you
really here?”

He served her that innocent smile again.
“Like I said, I’m worried about you. We left on bad terms last
week.”

“
I never said we were on
bad terms.”

He shrugged. “You haven’t returned my
calls.”

She let out a long breath. “I just needed
some space from everyone. Having you and Toye there was a bit
overwhelming.”

“
And Vic too. I’m sure
learning what he did five years ago was a blow to you.”

So, that’s what this is all about? He’s
still trippin’ on Vic!

“
I wanted you to know I
had the best of intentions,” Allen continued.

“
Oh, really?”

“
Yes.” He moved to sit
beside her on the couch. She smelled his faint musk-scented
cologne. “I don’t want you to doubt me, Ronnie.”

“
If you tell me the truth,
I won’t have reason to doubt you.”

His eyes locked with hers. He pulled her
hands from her lap and clasped them in his. “The truth? The truth
is I’m crazy about you.”

Ronnie tried to slide her hands from his
grasp, but Allen held tight. “Uh, I don’t know what to say.” It was
true. She didn’t.

“
You had to have seen the
signs,” Allen implored. “I try to be where you are. I call you
constantly. I’m always available for you. I try to save you from
people like Vic Romano.” He squeezed her hands, sending a jolt of
apprehension through her.

“
Look, Allen…”

“
Hear me out,” he
interrupted. “I’ve remained silent long enough. I’m putting it all
on the table. I’m being vulnerable, something I don’t do with
everyone. I can’t stop thinking about you, Veronica. We’re kindred
spirits. Both business-minded. Both passionate about our work. I
know we could transfer that passion to each other.”

He was definitely starting to creep her out
now.

“
You have a tough
exterior,” he continued. “But I know deep inside, you need
companionship. I’m ready to be everything you need.” He stroked her
arm from palm to elbow. “Let me take care of you. I promise you
won’t regret it.”

Ronnie’s mouth dropped open, and when Allen
leaned in to kiss her, she snapped it shut.

She jumped up from the couch, putting as
much distance between them as possible. “I’ve never given you the
slightest indication that I’m interested in a relationship with
you, Allen.”

The crestfallen look on Allen’s face told
her he was totally delusional. “Are you telling me you don’t share
my affection?”

She nodded vehemently. “Yes, Allen. That’s
exactly what I’m saying.”

That should have been the end of it. He
should have slapped some sense into himself and left with his head
held high, but he didn’t.

“
What can I do to change
your mind?” he replied. “Name it. I’ll gladly comply.”

“
Nothing. In fact, it’s
getting late. You’d better leave.” She headed toward the door and
opened it.

He trailed after her. “How can you be so
cold, Ronnie? I pour my heart out to you and you have no regard for
my feelings?”

“
I told you, I don’t feel
the same about you, Allen. You’re a nice guy, and I’m sure you’ll
make some woman a great husband.”

“
But not you.”

He stood on the threshold of the open
doorway. A light rain fell outside, blurring the scenery. Ronnie
didn’t like the spooky look in his eyes. He was really making her
scared.

“
I’m sorry,” was all she
could say.

“
I thought you were
different,” he spat. “But I see you’re just like all the other
women. You don’t want a man to treat you right. You want a
criminal. Like Vic.”

“
Jeez! What is your
obsession with him?”

He pointed his index finger at her. “You two
deserve each other.”

Ronnie’s heart palpitated as she looked at
the man-turned-monster. “Out!” she ordered.

Allen’s dark eyes flashed as he left a
parting remark. “Be careful of the company you keep, Veronica.
Remember, if you hang out with cutthroats, you’re liable to get
your throat cut.”

Ronnie slammed the door in his face. The
nerve of him!

She triple checked the locks before setting
the alarm.

She was so angry, she was shaking. Allen had
crossed the line tonight. How dare he warn her about Vic? She felt
safer with Vic than Allen any day. If she wanted any man to take
care of her, it would be Vic—not Allen’s psycho ass! Vic wasn’t
dangerous. He’d rescued her on more than one occasion, including
tonight. When he punched that mugger, she’d felt a bag of mixed
emotions. She was relieved to see him. Yet, frightened by his
violent nature. She’d never seen that side of Vic. She didn’t know
how to react, so she’d said all the wrong things. Now, she realized
he was only trying to protect her the best way he knew how.

She grabbed her cell phone, poised to dial
Vic’s number. She needed to hear his reassuring voice. Then, she
paused. Vic had come to her aid. And she’d berated him for his
aggression. He probably would not want to hear from her again. He
probably wouldn’t care that she was sorry for acting so stupid.

Dejected, she climbed the stairs to check on
Jovan. He was sprawled across his bed with his ear buds in. His
eyes were glued to the screen of his cell phone. She sat on the
edge of his bed.

He looked up and flashed her a warm smile.
She could always depend on her son to cheer her up. He pressed
pause. “Hey, Mom.”

“
Hey, kiddo. What’s
up?”

“
I’m watching a baseball
tutorial on YouTube. When you let Vic teach me a few things, I’ll
be ready.”

Ronnie’s pulse quickened. She didn’t have
the heart to tell him Vic wasn’t speaking to her. Jovan would ask
questions she wasn’t ready to answer. He would want to know why she
was mad at Vic. The worst part was Ronnie didn’t even have a good
answer for her son. She wasn’t sure why she was mad anymore. All
she knew was she missed Vic more than ever. She had to make things
right somehow. She made up her mind. She would call him first thing
in the morning and tell him how she felt.

Another week dragged by, and Ronnie still
hadn’t heard from Vic. Her repeated calls to him went unanswered.
She knew he was getting the messages she’d left on his voicemail,
but for some reason, he wasn’t returning her calls. She didn’t
blame him.

If I were him, I wouldn’t want to talk to
me, either.

She’d abandoned him when he needed her most.
And now, he’d quit. He’d rather work somewhere else than deal with
her and the drama she brought along. After Allen’s visit last week,
she saw it more clearly than ever. He was right. She did want Vic.
And she wasn’t ashamed to admit it. Now, she just had to tell Vic.
And hope he accepted her apology.

She turned the corner into his neighborhood.
The last time she saw Vic at his apartment, he’d been working
outside, his bronzed torso glistening with sweat beneath the sun.
Her stomach fluttered at the memory. She’d wanted so badly for him
to kiss her that day. Now that she’d had a taste of his lips, she
had cravings all the time. Maybe that was why she’d never pressed
him about his criminal record. She didn’t want to know. But he’d
avoided her for long enough. Today, he was going to talk to her
whether he wanted to or not.

She slowed down as she neared Vic’s
apartment complex. The gate was open, so she drove through and
headed straight for his unit. As her eyes flitted over the beige
and black doors, hunting for his apartment number, her heart
dropped to her stomach.

Is that Vic?

She blinked her eyes in disbelief at the
familiar figure standing on the curb in the distance. There was no
mistaking the thick, dark mane of hair and chiseled jaw. She drank
in the sight of him dressed in dusty jeans and a muscle shirt that
showcased his biceps. His arm was draped around a long-haired
blonde woman, wearing denim shorts and a snug t-shirt.

Ronnie jammed on the brakes as she craned
her neck for a better look. Yes, it was the same girl she’d seen on
Vic’s phone the night he rescued her on the dark road. Andrea. She
watched as Vic smiled down at the young woman before kissing her on
the forehead.

“
What the hell?” Ronnie
murmured aloud.

She fought against tears that pricked the
backs of her eyelids. Vic hadn’t missed a beat. No wonder he hadn’t
returned her calls. He didn’t want anything to do with her. He had
somebody else. While she’d been agonizing and having sleepless
nights for the past two weeks, he’d been frolicking with some
blonde bimbo. To think, she’d let him fuck her senseless. Those
intimate moments had meant something to her. But apparently, she’d
just been another notch on Vic’s tool belt. He’d used her, and
she’d fallen for his sweet caresses and brutal kisses.

“
How could I have been so
stupid?”

She wiped at the tears that flowed freely
now. She threw her car in reverse and pealed out of the parking
lot. If she never heard from Vic Romano again, it would be too
soon.

Vic glanced toward a car burning rubber out of the
parking lot. With the sun in his eyes, it was hard to see, but it
looked like a black Beemer. Just like Ronnie’s car. He shook his
head. No, it couldn’t be her. Or could it? She’d been leaving
messages on his voicemail, but he’d refused to call her back. He
just needed time to think. The accusatory looks she’d given him the
last time they saw each other still cut him deep. She acted like he
was a common criminal she couldn’t stand to be in the presence of.
He would never forget how her maple eyes flashed with anger and
distrust. He’d felt lower than a snake on the ground.

Less than a man.

As though he were beneath her.

That day, he tore out of her neighborhood like a bat
out of hell in his car. He swore he’d never speak to her again.
He’d even called his P.O. and gave him some lame story about not
being a good fit for the job.

Good fit, my
ass
.

Ex-cons didn’t fit in. They put up. They did
whatever was necessary to survive.

He knew there was no way he could go back to working
for Three Sisters Construction. Not when Ronnie looked like she
hated his guts. And not with that fucker Allen out to fulfill some
personal vendetta. He couldn’t be around the guy without wanting to
smash his face in. And he couldn’t be around Ronnie without
remembering how she’d responded to his touch. Lord help him, he
couldn’t stop thinking about her. Couldn’t stop dreaming about the
kisses they’d shared. Couldn’t stop thinking about his hands on her
silky skin.