Page 108 of Outlier

“Right, come on, love,” I muttered, steering Vicky away from the crazies that made up our family and friends.

I’d anticipated at least a small amount of resistance from Vicky as I led her out to my Land Rover, but if anything, she melted further into me.

When we got to the passenger door, I turned her towards me, so I could search her face. She looked a little dazed, but to my relief, there was definitely no blankness in her expression.

“You okay, sweetheart?” I asked softly.

“D-did you mean what you said in there?” she asked. “I’m not like Lottie. I can’t tell if people are lying.”

“I will never lie to you, Vicky,” I told her. “Ever.”

Her voice dropped so low that I had to strain to hear her next words. “You really think all those things… about me?”

“We all do, love.”

“You really love me?” she whispered, and my chest clenched painfully at the hope and longing I could hear in her voice.

“I love you so much I can’t breathe when you’re not there,” I said, pulling her into me. “I haven’t been able to take a full breath for over a month.”

Her small hands were resting on my chest as she stared up at me, searching my face. Whatever she saw there must have done something, because to my shock, she went up on her tiptoes and kissed me.

It took me a moment to recover, but once I did, I wasn’t wasting any time. One of my hands went into her hair, and the other lifted her up against me.

“Good girl,” I muttered against her mouth as she wrapped her legs around my hips and let out one of those small moans I loved so much.

“I missed you,” she whispered in between kisses. “I love you.”

I groaned. The sound of the pub door swinging open brought me back to the present, and I stopped kissing her to rest my forehead on hers.

“You’re coming home with me,” I growled.

“Yes,” she breathed, nodding her head with enthusiasm at that proposition. “Yes, Mike. Take me home.”

But when we were in the truck, and I was driving towards my workshop, Vicky shook her head.

“No,” she said firmly. “Take mehome.”

I frowned over at her. “Vics, I live above the workshop at Moonreach now, love. Didn’t Margot tell you? I sold the cabin, so I could pay back her investment.”

“Why did you do that?” Vicky asked in a soft voice.

“You must know why I did it,” I said tightly. “I needed to prove to you that I only wanted you for you. I fucked up by not telling you about Margot’s investment. I’m sorry I hurt you, love. It was never about the money. You know that, right?”

“I know,” she said simply, and I let out a relieved sigh. “Take me to the cabin.”

“Vicky, don’t you understand? I sold it, love.” I felt the familiar ache of loss as I spoke the words but then I shook my head to clear it.

Yes, I built the cabin with my bare hands. Yes, it had been my dream since I was a child, but it was just a building.

It didn’t matter.

Having Vicky’s trust was all that mattered. And anyway, there was no dream without her.

“Take me there,” she said in a stubborn voice, and I sighed. Maybe she needed to see the cabin occupied by someone else to let the reality of it sink in.

“Okay, love,” I said in a resigned voice. “We can go and look at it, I guess.”

But I didn’twantto see the cabin with someone else there. I wanted to go there and openmyfucking front door thatIcarved myself. I wanted to take Vicky up to the mezzanine and fuck her on the bedImade.