Chapter 23
Twenty-Three
Enzo
I shouldn’t have watched Asher get Violet off in the bath, but when she’d locked eyes with me, I hadn’t been able to move. I was frozen in place, growing harder by the second as I watched her unravel against his touch.
I made my way into the kitchen, looking for something to eat, when Asher joined me a few minutes later.
I wanted to ask him about what happened but couldn’t think of the words to say.
I grabbed a box of crackers from the cabinet, then scrunched my face as I put them back.
I wasn’t a big snacker, but I was craving something sweet and salty, which was hard given that we rarely kept that kind of stuff in the house.
I turned to face him, noting the look of pure happiness on his face.
His eyes met mine and it was as if he could see the unspoken questions lingering on my lips.
“Yes. Whatever you’re thinking, the answer is yes,” he said.
I nodded, knowing that for now, it would have to be enough.
He gripped the edge of the counter, and I could tell that he was trying to keep himself in line because neither of us wanted to do anything that would jeopardize our chances of having something real with Violet.
It was never just about sex for us with her.
The second we brought her into our house and started to get to know her, we both knew this would be different.
Violet wasn’t just some girl we wanted to fuck.
She was someone we could both see ourselves falling for.
Shit, I had already started, and there didn’t seem to be anything that would stop me at this rate.
Asher grabbed a bag of chips and headed to the couch when Violet walked in. She stopped in her tracks as if surprised to see us. I offered her a smile as I noted the cute—but flimsy—pajamas she had on and grinned harder when I noticed the pink eye mask on top of her head.
“Sorry. I didn’t realize anyone was out here,” she apologized, looking down at the floor.
“You never need to be sorry,” I said, grabbing a bottle of water from the fridge and watching her. “This is your house too.”
“I guess everyone was in a snacky kind of mood,” she observed, looking at the crackers sitting on the counter before glancing at Asher. “I thought it was just me.”
“Want me to make you something to eat?” I offered, suddenly feeling the need to do something—anything—to keep me occupied so I didn’t obsess over wanting to touch her.
“I actually came to sneak a few cookies,” she said with a giggle as she walked into the kitchen and opened the pantry. “I had a sudden craving for something sweet.”
“That’s funny. Me too,” I mused, noticing the way her skin flushed at my words.
While I hadn’t technically meant her when I said it, I also wouldn’t deny it.
“Come join me on the couch,” Asher said, patting the spot beside him.
She smiled and nodded for me to follow before she sat down.
There was plenty of room in the living room, so it didn’t slip past me that we were all three squished together on the sofa.
“Want some chips?” Asher asked both of us, extending the bag.
Violet grinned bigger as if this were the best thing ever as she took a handful and popped one in her mouth.
I reached past her, my arm grazing hers as I reached into the bag and took a few.
I noticed the look on Asher’s face and tried to convince myself that I was imagining the chemistry that seemed to flow so perfectly between the three of us right now.
We all ate quietly as Asher turned on the TV, so it wasn’t awkward. A late-night comedy show was on, and Violet turned to watch it as her face lit up before she laughed at something they said. I felt the twist in my gut when I knew that I hadn’t just been worried about starting to fall for her.
I was already in over my head, teetering over the edge of being full-on in love with her.