Fire In His Eyes (Secrets & Seduction #1)(63)

His face contorted into one of pain, and anger. “But when that guy touched you, I saw red. I saw what I could lose, and the thought of any man ever having you, touching you the way I’ve touched you, I couldn’t stand it. Monica, I wanted to murder him, I mean that. If Michael hadn’t stopped me, I don’t know where we would be right now. In my heart you were mine, and only mine. I would kill any man that took what was mine. Monica, you have been mine since the day we met.”

His face was still angry. Fierce. I reached up to kiss him again, letting him know I was his. I told him, “I’m yours, Victor. There is only you.”

He nodded and then gruffly repeated, “Mine!” He shook it off, then, the anger. I saw the tension leave his body. “Mine. Baby, I love you so much.” His lips crushed mine in a soul searching kiss that bonded us together for minutes and eternity. Huskily, he rasped against my face, and told me the words I needed to hear more than anything, “I don’t need two more weeks. I need you. I choose you!” We kissed again, and it was like rapture. The passion soared between us, and we were on fire. I could feel the burn start in my veins, and I knew he felt it to, he was panting, and his arousal so evident matched my own.

Because the groups coming in to meet the racers was getting even more crowded, we were getting closed in on again, but he still had more to tell me. When the kiss ended because we had been jostled, he laughed and went on. “After Kat told me about your call this morning, it was like a light bulb had gone off. It was you. You, through your selflessness, had shown me the way. You, who had already given me your heart, your love, your passion, were willing to sacrifice your pride for mine. You were willing to sacrifice your happiness, on the chance for my daughter’s happiness, it spoke volumes. No one has loved me the way you do. Not ever, no one, and you deserved no less. I called Julianna this morning and I told her I didn’t need more counseling, she could have the divorce. I told her I met someone who I loved, who I had been pushing away for Stacey’ sake.” He shook his head. “She said she knew. I don’t know how, I didn’t ask, but she had known that my pride had kept me from agreeing to the divorce.” I smiled at him. I saw his relief.

“So next, I drove to my mother’s house and told her everything. I was worried she would be upset, angry. Her faith is so important to her, to me. But, she was happy for me. She knows how miserable I was. She knew Julianna and I had our issues, but never once spoke badly of her because she felt it wasn’t her place. I told her about you, about us. She wants to meet you. She cried and said when you talk of this Monica, you have love in your eyes again. She said go get her, and bring her to me. I must meet her, the woman that puts life and love in your eyes. She gave me this to give to you. It was hers and my father’s, he said as he reached into his pocket and pulled out a box, a small box.

I began to shake. Victor let me go, and got on one knee, right there in the parking lot, just beyond the finish line. He opened the box to show me a ring, a simple beautiful solitary ring. The crowd began to cheer around us, but we were oblivious to it all, and only had eyes for each other.

“I was a fool for so long. Please forgive me. Love me just half as much as I love you and I will be a happy man. Monica, the one I choose is you. Mi Cara, will you marry me?” he breathed.

I had been crying from the moment he had gotten on one knee. “Yes, Victor. Oh yes. I will marry you.” He pulled me to him and hugged me around the waist, his head lying flat against my belly, and then I was kneeling in front of him and we kissed, sealing our fate, and tying our future to one another forever.





Three months later . . .



It was a cool February afternoon, and Victor and I stood hand in hand on Clearwater Beach watching as Stacey ran towards us with our dog, Snoopy, running around her. Stacey had named her, and the mutt loved her like no other.

After Victor had proposed, we waited until Christmas, a full month, to tell Stacey about us, the engagement, and our plans to move in together. Victor had included me in their weekend outings so we could bond, keeping Tuesdays just with her. We had gotten closer, all of us. When we told her, she showed genuine happiness for her father and genuine happiness to have me in her family.

Since Christmas, we had found an apartment together in Palm Harbor, so we would both be close to work and to our families. I had put my small little bungalow up for sale, and it had sold quickly giving us a nice little nest egg for when we decided to marry and buy a home together. Living together and seeing each other every day drew us closer. Every day, he told me he loved me and showed me in so many ways. He sent flowers to me at work, for no reason, left chocolate on my pillow at night, put notes in my lunch bag, and sent me texts at work telling me he was thinking of me. When I asked him about it, he kissed me on the nose, and told me he should have been doing those things all along, and wanted me to know every day how precious I was to him. I loved him, and my love for him grew every day. I showed him at night how much I loved him, and told him with words and actions how much he meant to me.

Stacey had turned twelve just a few weeks ago, and Snoopy had been my gift to her. Stacey had never had a pet before, she had confided in me once, and when I asked Victor to allow me to do this for her, he readily agreed. Our apartment allowed one small animal, so we had selected a mixed breed basset hound from the animal shelter. When Stacey saw him, she ran into my arms and thanked me for giving her the best gift ever. She even kissed me on the cheek, and immediately claimed his name was Snoopy before she even knew it was, in fact, a boy.