Page 61 of I Love You, I Hate You
“I guess? Everyone else I knew was pretty wealthy, and I knew we had more money than them, but I never really thought much about it.”
“That must be nice,” she said, only slightly bitter. She had started keeping specific, itemized budgets in sixth grade, not because her mother was irresponsible but because it helped Victoria to feel more in control. Even now, she rarely bought anything that wasn’t the generic brand in the grocery store, and her splurges were always meticulously planned. She could tell Owen down to the cent how much she had in each account at this exact moment, and she would bet he only had the roughest idea how much he was worth.
“Believe me, I understand how lucky I am,” he said, and when she met his gaze she knew he was serious. “That’s why I’m trying to do some good with what I’ve got. I know not everyone can take on my sort of clients without significant financial risk, so I’m doing what I can.”
“So it’s not just to piss off the old man?”
“That’s just the icing on the cake.”
She turned back to the view and tossed her slowly drying hair over her shoulder. “You know that’s why I’m at Smorgasbord, right? I need the money?”
“I know, and Vee—I get it. I’m sorry if I was a dick to you before I knew you. I thought you were like me, and that’s—that’s not an excuse. I was an asshole.”
“You were, yeah. But so was I,” she agreed. “I think we can safely call all of that water under the bridge.” She set her glass down on a narrow bookshelf to her left and tugged him closer by the belt of his robe. “Bygones?” she said, once again stepping close enough to him that she could feel his heat.
He sighed, carding her hair back from her face. “There’s . . . one more thing you should know.”
“I know,” she said, hating that she felt awkward about this, like she owed him something. She didn’t want to feel that way and she didn’t want him to feel like there were secrets between them. “I figured out it was you a while ago.”
He blinked rapidly and stepped back. “You—you did?”
“You were the only person who made sense,” she shrugged, pulling him back toward her. “We don’t have to get into it,” she added, but when she kissed him, he didn’t respond right away.
“Wait, you—you knew?” he stammered. “Since when?”
“The internet is a really useful tool, you know. You can find out all sorts of things there,” she said drily and this time, his mouth opened to hers.
“You knew,” he said, breathless and a little too shocked for her liking.
It’s just a damn job offer, she wanted to say, but the moment was spiraling away from that anyway. “Yeah, I know,” she agreed. She plucked at the belt on his robe until it fell open, and his jaw went slack when she curled her hand around his cock.
She drew his earlobe between her teeth and slowly jacked him, enjoying the way he seemed to harden further with each twist of her wrist.
He blew out a breath that turned into a groan. “Wait, the—” he gestured helplessly at the windows even as she shrugged out of her own robe.
“We’re pretty high up,” she said, still stroking him. A bead of pre-come pearled at his slit. She brushed her thumb across it and a tendon popped out on his neck with the strain of staying still. “Do you really think anyone can see us?”
“. . . Drones, maybe?” he said in a strangled, amused voice, and she laughed.
“Yes, sounds like we should be very concerned about that,” she teased, but nevertheless she stilled her hand. “Did you want me to stop?”
“Fuck no,” he growled, cuffing his hand around the back of her neck. This kiss was bruising for them both, clashing teeth and sloppy, messy angles, and his hips thrust forward with each stroke of her palm.
He broke away from her and pressed his forehead to her shoulder, panting. “I’d fuck you against that window right now but I don’t have any condoms with me,” he rasped. “And I am not about to raid my dad and stepmom’s stash.”
“There’s one in my pocket,” she said, giving his dick one more stroke and nodding towards her robe.
“What are you, a witch?”
“Just prepared,” she said, kissing the corner of his mouth. “I grabbed it on our way up here—I had a bunch in my purse.”
“God, you’re amazing,” he said, so devoutly she had to laugh.
“Any other objections?”
His hand palmed her ass and he smirked. “None whatsoever.”
He was delirious with happiness, and it wasn’t just because Victoria’s hand was working his shaft.She knew.He didn’t know how, exactly, or when, or why she didn’t justtellhim she knew he was Luke, but she knew. The burden was off him, and anything he had left to apologize for—like standing her up that day at the coffee shop—could come later. He was so happy he couldn’t stop kissing her. They could enjoy themselves without the veil of secrets between them, and he was so goddamn relieved he wanted to jump for joy.