Delayed Call
Page 86
Looking over his shoulder at her, he glared. “Are you done?”
She shook her head. “No, Legend, I’m just getting started.”
“You’re lucky you give the best head ever.”
“I know, right?” she teased as he unlocked the building and pulled the door open, letting her in first before smacking her ass. She grinned up at him, and he bent down, crashing his mouth to hers as she held on to him, her heart beating happily in her chest. Pulling away slightly, she smiled. “You do have a legendary-sized cock.”
“How do you think I got the nickname? I was the doing the owner’s wife.”
She cried in shock, her mouth dropping open. “You did not!”
“I know, I just need something to shut you up.”
That had them both laughing as he locked the door and threw his arm around her, leading her toward a hall that was apparently dedicated to “The Legend.” She snorted to herself but smiled in interest when he shot her a death glare. The walls, though, were a masterpiece. Even as a kid, he had been giving. He had held skate-a-thons for kids with Down syndrome. He did fundraisers to sponsor nights for special-needs kids so their caregivers wouldn’t have to pay. Framed article after article was about how generous and determined Vaughn was to help children and adults with special needs. As she walked away, a picture of him, Nathan, and an older man caught her eye. Underneath, it identified that it was Vaughn’s father, and then in big bold letters, it read, “Vaughn Johansson has a heart of gold and a drive that will change the world.”
Smiling, she looked over at him. “Where is your dad?”
He glanced up from where he was looking at something, and his smile dropped. “I don’t talk to him.”
“Oh, ’cause of everything?”
“Yeah, we got into a really nasty fight, and we didn’t talk for a couple years. When I tried to reach out while I built NateWay One, he told me we were better off just staying away from each other. He remarried, and from what I’ve heard, he has taken on her kids as his.”
Her face changed as she looked back at the picture. “What a jerk.”
“I’m okay with it. After all we went through, it’s hard.”
“Yeah.”
“Where is your dad?”
She shrugged. “Never knew my real dad, and my stepdad died when Rodney was one. He was in a construction accident, and I don’t really know what happened. My mom never told me. He was a good man, a good dad for the four years I had him.”
Vaughn came up beside her and let out a breath. “Life. A big dick sometimes.”
“Yup,” she agreed, but then she grinned up at him. “This is so incredible. I love it all.”
“It’s my childhood.”
“Every article talks about how giving and kind you are,” she said, her voice dropping a few octaves. “Why was it okay then, but not now? For people to know about you?”
“Because now, people assume celebrities do it for the fame. I do it because I care and love the people. I don’t need recognition. I didn’t need it then either, and I sure as hell don’t need it now.”
Her heart soared as she cuddled against him, her arms squeezing his. When he looked down at her, she puckered her lips, to which he came down to her for a sweet kiss. Before he could stand back up, though, she gripped him by the back of the head, stopping him. “Do you know how amazing I think you are?”
“No, tell me. I need a good stroking of my ego after you tore down my nickname.”
She snorted but covered it with a cough when he glared. “Yes, well, I think you are pretty fucking incredible, you legend you, and I’m proud to call you mine.”
He didn’t miss the dig at his nickname, but he grinned all the same. “Yeah?”
“Yeah. You’re hot too,” she added, smacking his ass as her heart swelled so big in her chest.
“Oh, good, I’m glad you noticed.”
Kissing her nose, he pulled her along. “So this was my home. I was in this rink more than I was home. Oh! Come here, I’ll show you where Nathan stood.”
Taking her hand, he pulled her toward the rink, and she couldn’t stop smiling. He was excited, happy, and after seeing Nathan and his mom’s real burial site earlier that morning, she was glad he was so upbeat. It had been hard watching him clean their little plots, making them pristine as he held back his tears. While he was a hard-ass, he had a lot of emotion in that big ole body of his, and she was truly amazed by him. It was like she saw a different layer of him daily, and she swore she was falling for each one. She couldn’t stop herself if she tried.
When he pushed open the doors to the rink, she was surprised that the lights were on and the ice was surfaced. Before she could ask why, they stopped in front of a chair. On it, though, there was a sign indicating not to sit on it, that it was saved for Nathan. Her heart ached as she looked up at Vaughn, her eyes clouding with tears. “That is the sweetest thing I have ever seen.”
“He sat there every day. As long as I was out there, he was sitting or standing. He was my biggest fan.”
He smiled grimly, and she held on to him, kissing his bicep. “You know you were amazing to him, right?”
“Yeah, I know,” he said quietly, cupping her face. “Thanks, though.”
As they stood there, the sounds of the rink and the coolness of the air swirling around them, she wanted to make him smile. She wanted him to be happy. Though, she knew this part of him never would be. Kissing him once more, she leaned her chin on his bicep, which made him look down as she whispered, “Is the spot open?”
His brows pulled together. “What spot?”
“The spot for your biggest fan?” Her voice was still a whisper as his lip pulled up at the side. “Or is one of your many whores occupying it right now?”
“Nope, no whores. But the spot is taken.”
Her heart stopped. “Oh?”
“Yeah, by my babe,” he said, tapping her nose. “Only you can wear number forty.”
“Oh, good, I was worried.”
“No, I mean, if you’re dating me, then you’re basically my biggest fan.”
She shot him a dull look. “I was trying to be sweet.”
He nuzzled her nose and smiled. “I know, but you made fun of my nickname.” She beamed as he kissed her softly before taking her hand. “Come on.”
She shook her head. “No, Legend, I’m just getting started.”
“You’re lucky you give the best head ever.”
“I know, right?” she teased as he unlocked the building and pulled the door open, letting her in first before smacking her ass. She grinned up at him, and he bent down, crashing his mouth to hers as she held on to him, her heart beating happily in her chest. Pulling away slightly, she smiled. “You do have a legendary-sized cock.”
“How do you think I got the nickname? I was the doing the owner’s wife.”
She cried in shock, her mouth dropping open. “You did not!”
“I know, I just need something to shut you up.”
That had them both laughing as he locked the door and threw his arm around her, leading her toward a hall that was apparently dedicated to “The Legend.” She snorted to herself but smiled in interest when he shot her a death glare. The walls, though, were a masterpiece. Even as a kid, he had been giving. He had held skate-a-thons for kids with Down syndrome. He did fundraisers to sponsor nights for special-needs kids so their caregivers wouldn’t have to pay. Framed article after article was about how generous and determined Vaughn was to help children and adults with special needs. As she walked away, a picture of him, Nathan, and an older man caught her eye. Underneath, it identified that it was Vaughn’s father, and then in big bold letters, it read, “Vaughn Johansson has a heart of gold and a drive that will change the world.”
Smiling, she looked over at him. “Where is your dad?”
He glanced up from where he was looking at something, and his smile dropped. “I don’t talk to him.”
“Oh, ’cause of everything?”
“Yeah, we got into a really nasty fight, and we didn’t talk for a couple years. When I tried to reach out while I built NateWay One, he told me we were better off just staying away from each other. He remarried, and from what I’ve heard, he has taken on her kids as his.”
Her face changed as she looked back at the picture. “What a jerk.”
“I’m okay with it. After all we went through, it’s hard.”
“Yeah.”
“Where is your dad?”
She shrugged. “Never knew my real dad, and my stepdad died when Rodney was one. He was in a construction accident, and I don’t really know what happened. My mom never told me. He was a good man, a good dad for the four years I had him.”
Vaughn came up beside her and let out a breath. “Life. A big dick sometimes.”
“Yup,” she agreed, but then she grinned up at him. “This is so incredible. I love it all.”
“It’s my childhood.”
“Every article talks about how giving and kind you are,” she said, her voice dropping a few octaves. “Why was it okay then, but not now? For people to know about you?”
“Because now, people assume celebrities do it for the fame. I do it because I care and love the people. I don’t need recognition. I didn’t need it then either, and I sure as hell don’t need it now.”
Her heart soared as she cuddled against him, her arms squeezing his. When he looked down at her, she puckered her lips, to which he came down to her for a sweet kiss. Before he could stand back up, though, she gripped him by the back of the head, stopping him. “Do you know how amazing I think you are?”
“No, tell me. I need a good stroking of my ego after you tore down my nickname.”
She snorted but covered it with a cough when he glared. “Yes, well, I think you are pretty fucking incredible, you legend you, and I’m proud to call you mine.”
He didn’t miss the dig at his nickname, but he grinned all the same. “Yeah?”
“Yeah. You’re hot too,” she added, smacking his ass as her heart swelled so big in her chest.
“Oh, good, I’m glad you noticed.”
Kissing her nose, he pulled her along. “So this was my home. I was in this rink more than I was home. Oh! Come here, I’ll show you where Nathan stood.”
Taking her hand, he pulled her toward the rink, and she couldn’t stop smiling. He was excited, happy, and after seeing Nathan and his mom’s real burial site earlier that morning, she was glad he was so upbeat. It had been hard watching him clean their little plots, making them pristine as he held back his tears. While he was a hard-ass, he had a lot of emotion in that big ole body of his, and she was truly amazed by him. It was like she saw a different layer of him daily, and she swore she was falling for each one. She couldn’t stop herself if she tried.
When he pushed open the doors to the rink, she was surprised that the lights were on and the ice was surfaced. Before she could ask why, they stopped in front of a chair. On it, though, there was a sign indicating not to sit on it, that it was saved for Nathan. Her heart ached as she looked up at Vaughn, her eyes clouding with tears. “That is the sweetest thing I have ever seen.”
“He sat there every day. As long as I was out there, he was sitting or standing. He was my biggest fan.”
He smiled grimly, and she held on to him, kissing his bicep. “You know you were amazing to him, right?”
“Yeah, I know,” he said quietly, cupping her face. “Thanks, though.”
As they stood there, the sounds of the rink and the coolness of the air swirling around them, she wanted to make him smile. She wanted him to be happy. Though, she knew this part of him never would be. Kissing him once more, she leaned her chin on his bicep, which made him look down as she whispered, “Is the spot open?”
His brows pulled together. “What spot?”
“The spot for your biggest fan?” Her voice was still a whisper as his lip pulled up at the side. “Or is one of your many whores occupying it right now?”
“Nope, no whores. But the spot is taken.”
Her heart stopped. “Oh?”
“Yeah, by my babe,” he said, tapping her nose. “Only you can wear number forty.”
“Oh, good, I was worried.”
“No, I mean, if you’re dating me, then you’re basically my biggest fan.”
She shot him a dull look. “I was trying to be sweet.”
He nuzzled her nose and smiled. “I know, but you made fun of my nickname.” She beamed as he kissed her softly before taking her hand. “Come on.”
