Demons Don't Smile

Chapter Three

"You will never gain anyone's approval by begging for it. When you stand confident in your own worth, respect follows."

― Mandy Hale, The Single Woman: Life, Love, and a Dash of Sass

Caroline

"Vic! Vic! Victor where are you?!" I called out into the seemingly empty penthouse. I threw my designer bag onto the couch beside me and continued walking around the apartment searching for my missing boyfriend.

He was usually here around this time, so I found it odd that he wasn't responding to my calls; after trying for a couple more minutes, I decided to give up and just thought that something had kept him at work which was why he was late coming home.

It was so weird to think that we were living together, but at the same time it brought a warm feeling in my heart that I had someone to come home to every night, I hadn't ever felt that in my life because I was so good at closing myself away from any man getting close enough to me.

Victor and I had our ups and downs especially around the 1 and half year mark in our relationship where we had this big blow out and broke up for a while; it was rough on both of us, but in the end we found our way back to each other and were happier and stronger than ever before, I had Val and Nic to thank for that, they were always looking out for the both of us.

"Vic! Vic!" I called out one more time and when I received no other response, I assumed he wasn't in the house.

I walked into the kitchen and grabbed a bottle of water from the refrigerator, I twisted the cap, and took a long swig of the liquid. Once I put the cap down I almost spit the water out of my mouth—correction, I did.

All over Victor.

"I already took a shower, but this surprise bath is definitely something I look forward to." He laughed.

I caught my chest because my heart was beating so irregularly, I thought I might pass out.

When I finally got myself together, I realized Victor was in a pair of gray sweats that barely hung onto his waist, showing his deep "v" that led to....

Well you know where.

He was shirtless and I could see the small droplets of water that were dripping from his hair down to his solid fit chest.

I hadn't even realized that I was staring until he pointed it out.

"Like the view, Cara." Victor had wrapped his arms around my waist and placed butterfly kisses across my neck.

I instantly melted under his embrace and wrapped my arms around his body, too short to meet up with his tall frame and neck. I had to blame my partial Asian genes for that, my mother was pretty short, but my father was really tall so I averaged somewhere around the middle.

"Mhm...maybe." I replied to his comment.

He chuckled, "How was work?" He asked me curiously.

I shrugged, "Better now that I'm here." I replied to him pecking his lips lightly.

He watched me for a silent moment.

I broke our embrace and cocked my head to the side, "Where you taking a shower the entire time I was calling you?" I asked him.

He ruffled his hair letting a couple of droplets spring from his hair, down onto various parts of his body, and onto the floor, "No...I had just finished, I just didn't feel like responding back to you." He said jokingly.