Ransom's Redemption Read online

  “Bathroom is over there.” Ransom pointed. “I laid out some clothes for you to wear. There is also some new toiletries I keep for visitors. I’ll be in the kitchen when you’re ready to come out.” She retreated from the bedroom, closing the door behind her to give Victoria some privacy.

  ***

  Ransom had a lot to think about while her guest cleaned up. Last night, Victoria had made it clear she was going to go home with someone, anyone…and Ransom couldn’t get her to tell her why she was so adamant about it. She also couldn’t figure out why the thought of Victoria going home with anyone else was so damn unacceptable. She could have walked out or walked away at any time. She could have put Victoria in a cab and hoped she didn’t turn back around and head back to the bar. There was a lot of things she could have done, but didn’t, including sleeping with Victoria last night.

  Victoria hadn’t made it easy for her, either. The minute the door was closed, and they were alone together, she had crawled onto Ransom’s lap, demanding a kiss and taking it from her forcefully. Ransom could feel her arousal ignite, hot and pulsing against her stomach, sending her past reason long enough for both of them to lose their clothes, tossed on the floor in a crumpled mess in their rush to discover each other.

  “Christ,” Ransom whispered, her mouth going dry at just the memory. She pulled out a bottle of water from the fridge and finished half of it before pressing the cold bottle against her forehead.

  On Monday, she would leave and do her duty to her country and to the ideas of freedom it held. This weekend she wanted to take everything she could—as eagerly and selfishly as she could. Her body thrummed with that need, demanding her attention and making her weak when she needed to be strong.

  She spun on her heel at a small sound behind her. Victoria stood in the doorway of the kitchen. She was wearing Ransom’s bathrobe, her face freshly scrubbed and glowing, without a drop of makeup to hide her natural beauty. Her hair was damp, pulled away from her face and revealing high cheekbones that led Ransom’s eyes straight towards a pair of plump lips that she swore she could still taste.

  “Oh, God, you look so good,” Ransom groaned, backing up until her back was pressed against the counter. She understood now why war brought so many people together. The need to connect with another human being, to feel their life pulsing beneath your fingertips, knowing that you have someone safe at home while you head into danger…it was a powerful force that demanded its own sacrifice. Hunger flared inside her, deep and low in her belly, her pulse pounded in response to the intensity of her need and echoed between her thighs.

  Victoria walked up to her, slowly bringing her hands up to run tentative fingers through her hair. Ransom closed her eyes, memorizing the feel of it and shivering into the delicate touch.

  “Victoria, stop.” Regret stabbed through her, gripping her heart in a vice like grip. “I can’t.”

  “Why not?” Victoria asked, nibbling along Ransom’s jawline and making it hard for her to think, to remember why this was a bad idea.

  “Last night…” she said, the words strangled and hoarse before losing both her voice and her breath when Victoria captured her lip with her teeth. She lost her balance and fell into Ransom’s arms, her breasts pressing against Ransom with only the thin fabric of the robe between them. Ransom clenched her teeth together, trying to keep her wits about her, but all she could think about was how easy it would be to untie the belt around Victoria’s waist and explore what lay beneath. She took a deep breath and gently grasped Victoria’s hands, pulling her arms away from her and giving her some much needed breathing room.

  “Wait, wait. Last night…you have to tell me. Why were you so upset?” Ransom asked. That was one of the reasons for her sleepless night. After leaving Victoria alone in her bed, backing away at the last minute before she violated her own rules…she had sat on the couch and listened to the unmistakable sound of a woman crying and trying to hide it.

  Victoria gazed up at her with an intensity that made her want to take back her question. Her pupils were blown, a sure sign of her own excitement, and those dark depths glittered with the same hunger and passion riding Ransom’s soul. “I have to know, because those tears tell me you might not be ready for this. I don’t want to come between anyone.”

  “You are quite the chivalrous one, aren’t you?” Victoria asked, her inviting smile somehow making her all the more a fool for it.

  “Yeah, a veritable knight in shining armor,” Ransom responded bitterly, almost wishing she was a different sort of person. That person wouldn’t be talking right now, they would be heading for the bedroom, with no concern past the need coursing through her body.

  “No, there isn’t anyone to worry about,” Victoria said.

  “Then why the tears?” Ransom asked, confusion etching her brow.

  “I…It’s been so long since I felt anything for anyone. I thought, if I went out, it wouldn’t matter who I found…I just needed to feel something. When we kissed, I felt alive again. It was overwhelming. I hadn’t even realized what I had been missing, until that moment.” Victoria stopped then, shyly looking away from Ransom, “I know that sounds silly, but…”

  “No, it doesn’t,” Ransom answered, she understood that feeling quite well. “Wait a minute. I thought you were too drunk to remember all of that. You practically threatened to go home with anyone if I didn’t take you with me.”

  Victoria laughed then, an almost devious sound if it hadn’t been colored by something a bit naughtier. “Ah, as to that. I wasn’t quite that drunk, but you seemed to need a little encouragement to take me home. I had noticed you the minute I walked in, trying so hard to not be like the others.”

  Ransom’s shock must have registered on her face, because Victoria laughed again, this time the gentle sound washed over her skin like a caress. “You are such a gentlewoman. I wholeheartedly regret overplaying my hand last night, but it did prove one thing…I didn’t choose badly. Besides, I think I like this better. Nothing between us, and no excuses for our behavior.” Victoria reached down and undid her robes tie, letting the soft fabric fall open between them.

  Ransom swallowed, hard. Her eyes traveled down, taking in the thin vertical line of naked flesh peeking out from beneath the open robe. The slight swell and curve of Victoria’s breasts teased her, taking her breath away before even letting her vision slip along the length of flat stomach. “You know, I should be angry,” Ransom said.

  “Should I apologize?” Victoria asked, stepping away from her and holding out her hand for Ransom to take. The movement left no room for Ransom’s imagination, the robe shifting and exposing more of Victoria’s body for her inspection. “Or should we make up for lost time?”

  Ransom shook her head, it didn’t matter. She took Victoria’s hand and let her take the lead, returning to the bedroom she had so chivalrously left to her last night. Surprisingly, Victoria’s bold behavior ended when they reached the bed. She turned away from her, suddenly shy even though she hadn’t given up ownership of Ransom’s hand. It was perfect.

  Ransom stepped up close behind the shorter woman, nuzzling her lips against Victoria’s neckline before reaching up and sliding the robe from her shoulder. Her lips followed the line of exposed skin while her other hand found the soft skin of Victoria’s flat stomach. Victoria relaxed into her, leaning back with a soft sigh that encouraged her to find a reason to recreate that delectable sound. Ransom let her hands wander, mapping out the planes and swells of Victoria’s body with her fingertips until she reached the curve of her breast. Caressing that uniquely feminine attribute of soft swell against firm body, Ransom moaned in delight. She cupped the slight weight, running the pad of her thumb across the firm nipple.

  Victoria cried out when Ransom’s circling fingertips found the soft curls resting at the apex of her thighs. The open robe had teased her, offering her just a sliver of a view that made it all the more enticing, but that hadn’t prepared her for how it felt to slide her fingers along that soft
nest of hair, nor for the rush of arousal that arched her spine when her fingertips grazed along bare lips that had so obviously been freshly shaved.

  “Christ, Victoria, that’s hot,” Ransom moaned, slipping her fingers between silken folds that were already slick and wet in anticipation. Victoria’s hips jerked in response to the intimate touch. Ransom held her close, stroking along the wet folds carefully, avoiding the sensitive bundle of nerves as much as possible. Victoria rocked in her arms, swaying in time to her internal orchestra as Ransom played her body. Victoria’s clit swelled and hardened beneath her touch, and Ransom found joy in teasing her until she moaned and thrust against her hand. She grasped at Ransom’s forearm, digging into her skin with blunt nails as she struggled to stay upright. Ransom’s other hand was busy at her breast, pinching and rolling the swollen nipple in time with the firm strokes along Victoria’s clit. Ransom pressed her lips along the side of Victoria’s neck, sucking at the sensitive skin there before nipping gently. A low keening noise reverberated through Victoria’s throat, and she came gasping and shuddering within Ransom’s embrace.

  “Ransom…Ah, God.” Victoria’s gasped words scorched across Ransom’s brain, sending her own arousal into overload mode. “Ransom, please? I need to lie down before I fall.”

  Ransom chuckled.

  “Of course, but this has got to go.” Ransom slid the robe the rest of the way down her shoulders. Victoria shrugged out of the offending fabric and slid onto the bed, turning on her side and looking up at Ransom. She didn’t have to ask, the look on her face told her everything she needed to know. Ransom pulled her shirt up over her head, completely aware that Victoria was watching every move, noting every line and curve on her body as she stripped in front of her. Ransom watched in silence as Victoria’s expression changed, the speculative look in her eyes becoming hazy and heavy lidded as her gaze focused on what Ransom was doing. When Ransom ran her fingers along the waist band of her boxers, Victoria wet her lips with her tongue. When she drew the cotton fabric down over her hips, Victoria drew in a deep breath and held it. When she stepped forward, leaving the boxers behind her on the floor, Victoria sat up and met her at the edge of the bed.

  Victoria drew her close, pressing full lips against her abdomen before rolling her eyes up along her body until they locked gazes. She ran her hands along Ransom’s flanks, massaging along the muscles there until she reached her breasts. Victoria’s palms grazed across her nipples and she threw her head back, arching into the overly delicate touch. Ransom shivered when she felt hot breath skim across her skin, close enough to her overheated sex to send tendrils of electricity racing up her spine. She felt muscles clench deep inside her when Victoria suddenly changed ploys, running her nails lightly along the side of her breasts and trailing back down along her stomach and inner thighs. Victoria grinned up at her.

  “Got your attention, do I?” Victoria accentuated her question with another swipe along her inner thighs, avoiding the spots that screamed for her touch. She smiled up at her, oh so sweetly, then blew gently across her swollen lips. Ransom had never been so sensitized to needing someone’s touch. Just the promise of Victoria’s lips and tongue between her thighs was enough to make her want to come. The promise became a reality when she felt Victoria’s tongue slip between her lips. She shifted, spreading her legs a bit for balance and in turn, giving Victoria better access to her. She threaded her fingers through the thick brunette hair and lost herself to the feel and sight of Victoria going down on her.

  “Christ woman, I’m not going to last like this.” Ransom wasn’t lying, the familiar tightening prior to release coiled deep within her, keyed to the touch of Victoria’s tongue curling along her swollen clit. When Victoria latched onto her clit with her lips, sucking the hard bundle of nerves into her mouth, Ransom cried out at the sudden and intense orgasm that rolled over and through her.

  They tumbled onto the bed together, both breathing hard and trying to recover. Ransom moved first, pushing Victoria’s legs apart with her thigh while claiming her lips again. She wasn’t surprised to find Victoria still ready for her. She ran eager fingers along the slick folds, circling her core gently before stilling her movements.

  “I want to…can I?” Hoarse, still breathless from her orgasm a few moments ago, she failed to make any sense.

  “Yesss,” Victoria growled, bucking her hips against her. She was pulled down for another kiss, surprised at the ferocity of Victoria’s tongue as it dueled with her own. Ransom moaned as her fingers slipped deeper inside Victoria’s core. She was tight, the slick muscles grasping at her as she pushed in and out, matching her rhythm to Victoria’s hips. She was delighted to find out that Victoria wasn’t shy about asking for what she wanted, what she needed from a lover. When she asked for more, Ransom gladly obliged her. When she threw her head back and begged for her to go faster and harder, that she was close to coming, Ransom reared back so she could watch her face as ecstasy took her. The webbing on her fingers ached as she matched Victoria stroke for stroke, thrust for thrust, until strong muscles clamped down on her and trapped her there. She stared in awe as the woman in her arms shamelessly rode her orgasm, claiming her right to the wanton abandon Ransom was a witness to.

  “You are so beautiful,” she whispered, kissing Victoria’s brow gently.

  The next morning, Ransom rolled over in the bed and stared at the alarm clock sitting on the table. It was already set for 0400 Monday morning. The red lettering stared back at her, daring her to count the time between now and when she would have to leave. It was just before dawn, and that meant she had less than twenty-four hours left. A warm hand stroked along her bicep. Her movement must have awoken Victoria. That she was still here was a source of both happiness and sorrow. They had spent the entire day together, then returned home to continue what they had started that morning. Their passion hadn’t subsided after that first encounter, and Ransom found herself at a loss. She hadn’t been able to tell Victoria she was leaving on Monday.

  “When are you leaving?” Victoria’s voice, soft and blurry with sleep, interrupted her thoughts.

  “What?” Ransom sat straight up in bed.

  “When are you leaving?” Victoria propped herself up on her elbow. She took Ransom’s hand and squeezed it. “I saw the sea bags. I know what they mean. I saw it often enough when my father was in the Navy.”

  “Monday,” Ransom answered glumly.

  “Well then, we still have today. Let’s make it count.” Victoria caressed Ransom’s jaw, turning her face towards her. “Kiss me. Kiss me until the sun comes up, and only then, maybe…we’ll stop and find some breakfast.”

  Ransom couldn’t resist the offer. Sometimes feeding the body isn’t as important as feeding the soul, she thought, greedily taking every bit of passion Victoria was offering her.

  Chapter Two

  Three years later.

  “Victoria, we need to talk.”

  Victoria Carrillo looked up to find Samuel Johnson, the practice’s owner and her close friend, standing in her doorway. He looked upset and agitated, which was highly unusual for the usually calm and self-controlled older man.

  “This can’t continue any longer.”

  “Whatever are you talking about, Samuel?”

  “We found these this morning. No delivery notice, nothing to show where they came from, yet here they are. Why didn’t you tell me this was still going on?”

  A plain manila envelope landed on Victoria’s desk with an angry smack, spilling the offending photos out onto her desk. Victoria hesitated before reaching out, rubbing her palms together before spreading the photos out, using a single fingertip to move them about the surface of her desk. Touching the slick surface of the 8 x 10’s made her feel dirty, violated by the intrusion into her privacy. She scrubbed her hands again, hard enough to generate heat, but that did nothing to rid herself of the sensation.

  “I thought it would stop if I ignored it,” Victoria admitted, shaking herself to get rid of the cree
ping feeling running down her spine. Samuel was right, this was escalating seriously. First it was just the odd phone call that hung up when she answered, and then there were the bouquets of flowers from some unknown “admirer” who left rambling and downright alarming promises on the enclosed card.

  The phone rang, interrupting their conversation.

  “Hold on, let me get this.” Victoria practically lunged for her phone.

  “No. We need to talk about this now.” Samuel took the phone from her and slammed it back down in its cradle. An irritated frown warned her not to pick the phone back up while he leaned out the office door.

  “Bridget, please hold all of Ms. Carrillo’s phone calls.” The hold light on her phone blinked out a second later.

  “This whole thing is getting out of hand,” Victoria grumbled under her breath, clenching her hands hard enough to leave marks on her palms. This asshole would not keep her from seeing her clients.

  “I couldn’t agree with you more, Victoria.” Samuel stepped back into Victoria’s office, closing the door behind him before sitting down. “The question is, what do we do about it?”

  Samuel spread the photos out, forcing her to look at them again. This new development was more than disturbing, photographs sent to her with no explanation, just a plain manila envelope sent to her home, and now to her office. For all intents and purposes, the photo’s themselves were innocuous. They reminded her of surveillance shots, the kind you would get from a PI. There was only one problem. She was the sole subject of the black and white glossies. The photographer, whoever he was, had captured her leaving her house, going shopping, and even coming out of the gym.

  She stopped at one particular shot and inhaled sharply. A spike of fear ran through her as she realized that not only did this person know where she lived and worked, but they also had an overly familiar knowledge of her routines and driving patterns. She was in her running gear, jogging along the trail that cut through the wooded park near her house. It was a secluded area, and the route was one she enjoyed because it was green and quiet and not filled with dozens of women pushing their strollers along with total disregard for anyone else. The spot was secluded and far from any parking areas. Whoever took the shot had to have hiked it in to catch her there.