“Sooo… I’ve decided to quit my job,” she announced.
“What?” he asked with a furrowed brow as if he couldn’t believe what she was telling him. “Why are you quitting your job?”
Taylor frowned at the question. His reaction to her news was unexcepted. She, for sure, thought he’d be more pleased.
“I thought you wanted me to stop working?”
Victor straightened and clutched her shoulders. “I do. But I don’t want you to quit for me. Honestly, I truly just want you to be happy and safe.”
Taylor smiled up at him. He never ceased to amaze. He was so thoughtful that he would put his needs and wants aside just to make her happy.
“This is not about you. It’s not even about me witnessing such a traumatic event. I mean…I’m rich. It’s just stupid to keep doing a job that could get me killed when I don’t even need to work.”
Victor studied her for seconds before speaking. “Are you sure?”
“Hell, yeah!” Taylor confirmed. “This police shit is for the birds.”
The corners of his eyes crinkled as his smile spread. Victor couldn’t hide his happiness if he tried.
“Okay, well, that’s great, honey. Now, go and get dressed.”
“Get dressed?”
“Yep. We’re going out.”
For the first time, Taylor noticed his attire. He was wearing jeans and a Nickelback t-shirt. Taylorlovedhim in jeans and a t-shirt. When she looked down at his black boots, she instantly knew where they were going. For the first time since the shooting, she was excited to leave the house.
* * *
Two and a half hours later, Taylor and Victor were sitting on a rocky bank in Peru, Illinois, fishing for Silver Bass. It was more peaceful than usual. There were no boats disrupting the water, no disruptive jet skiers, and strangely, no other fishermen. Even though it seemed as if they were alone, she knew better. When they left the apartment, she was pleasantly surprised when Victor opened the passenger door for her and hopped in the front seat. She was trying to remember if she’d ever been in a car that Victor was driving.
For the entire ride, it had been just the two of them; no assistants, no driver, no Gregor. Even on the bank, it appeared that they were alone. But there was no way Victor would be out in the open, near a large body of water, without security.
The weather was perfect, the water was still, and the fish were biting. Taylor looked over at her man, loving the way his big body was putting a strain on his t-shirt. A gust of wind pushed his silky, dark hair away from his face, gifting Taylor with an unobstructed view of his beautiful profile. When he grabbed a beer from the cooler, she watched with lustful anticipation as he lifted the bottle and pressed his sexy mouth to the lip of the bottle.
Victor turned, catching her mid ogle. “Stop eye-fucking me, Lady. I am not a piece of meat,” he joked with a mischievous glint in his stunning green eyes.
“A big, thick piece of meat,” Taylor rebutted through laughter.
“Naaaaw, baby. You know what’s big and thick?” he asked, jumping to his feet.
Taylor’s gaze roamed his muscular chest, down his lean abs, then to the outline of his package in his jeans.
“What’s that, sexy?” she asked in her best, “Gimme that dick” voice.
“This whopper on my hook,baby!”
He yanked his pole, winded his reel, and pulled in a giant, fighting Asian carp.
“Shit!” Victor barked.
The disappointed look on his face was hilarious. Taylor almost fell out of her chair laughing at him. He’d done all that celebrating only to catch the worst invasive species. A fish often referred to as pests.
“Throw that shit back in there!” Taylor teased. “You done wasted a damn worm on that water roach!”
“Shut up, woman!”
Taylor was hunched over, roaring with laughter. With the cutest pout, Victor pried the swimming predator off his hook and tossed it toward the trees.
