Free Blueprint for Love by Chanta Jefferson Rand

relationships anytime
soon. She didn’t think a man could handle her demands anyway. She
wanted someone to pay attention to her. Lavish her with affection.
Treat her like a queen.
    She wanted a man like her sister, Candace,
had. Gabe was so attentive and giving. And to think, Candace had
almost passed him up. When they met, her sister didn’t think Gabe
was good enough for her. Ronnie had to admit, Gabe was rough on the
exterior, but he had a heart of platinum.
    Did men like Gabe even exist anymore, she
wondered? Ronnie didn’t get out of the office enough to meet
anyone. Well, no one that held her interest.
    Except Vic.
    Her stomach flip-flopped thinking about the
rugged and outspoken hunk. In many ways he reminded her of Gabe.
Tall, dark and alpha. And he’d saved her from possibly being
ravaged by some guy on a lonely dark road.
    Only so he could ravage you himself.
    When she thought about it, Vic was really
her knight in shining armor. Only his armor didn’t have that
spit-shine sparkle. It had a little rust, and some dents and nicks.
Definitely rough around the edges.
    Her thoughts wandered to the night her dress
got caught in the door of his SUV. She’d worn her new panties that
night. She wondered if he could see the new lace underwear she’d
bought on a whim the day before from a popular lingerie store. He
hadn’t mentioned the incident. Most women would have been overcome
with embarrassment. She was also, to an extent. Another part of her
was secretly thrilled. She wondered if Vic liked what he saw. Was
she sexy to him? Was she the type of woman he’d go for? The man was
pure testosterone in a bottle. She wouldn’t mind uncorking it and
having a taste.
    “ Mom!”
    Ronnie turned, feeling guilty, hoping her
son couldn’t read her thoughts. “Yes?”
    “ The pancakes are
burning.”
    Damn! She was so busy fantasizing she forgot about the flapjacks
she’d been making. She grabbed the spatula and began flipping the
batter that had fluffed up.
    “ You had that far away
look in your eyes,” Jovan said. “Like you were
daydreaming.”
    “ Yeah, um,
I…was…uh...”
    The doorbell rang, saving her from any
further explanation.
    Ronnie padded barefoot to the front door,
dressed in a pair of warm-up shorts and an oversized t-shirt. She
figured one of her sisters had dropped by for an impromptu visit.
She was shocked and strangely delighted to see Vic when she looked
through the peephole.
    “ I’m sorry,” he told her
when she opened the door. “I overreacted yesterday.”
    He looked damn good. From his mud-caked
jeans to his steel-toed boots to the day-old, dark stubble on his
chin. The man exuded sexiness.
    “ Would you like to come
in?” she asked.
    His six-foot-five frame loomed in her
doorway. “I’m dirty. Don’t want to get mud all over your floor. I
just came from the site.”
    Ronnie glanced over his broad shoulder to
see his SUV parked at the curb. A generous helping of mud coated
the tires and the fenders. She laughed. “Yeah, both you and your
truck could use a bath.”
    A rakish grin spread across his handsome
features. “I got the truck covered. You offering to take care of
the mud on me?”
    A rush of warmth spread through her like a
heat wave on a Texas summer day. Vic’s pants were as dirty as the
thoughts she was having of him. Before she could come up with a
flippant reply, she heard a voice behind her.
    “ Hi.” Jovan’s voice
interrupted her erotic conversation.
    Shame took over as Ronnie
struggled to pop back into Mom
Mode .
    But Vic didn’t miss a beat. He held his hand
out to shake Jovan’s. “I’m Vic,” he offered.
    Vic’s massive palm swallowed her son’s small
hand.
    Ronnie made the introductions. “Vic,” she
said, “this is my son Jovan. Jovan, this is Vic Romano.”
    Jovan pumped Vic’s hand. Ronnie was so proud
of him. Only twelve years old and acting like a grown-up.
    Vic chuckled. “That’s a strong grip,
partner.”
    Jovan beamed.