Chapter 13
Ford
That session with Violet had wrecked me in the best possible way.
When she’d finally submitted and gave me what I wanted, it had been like watching fire bend into my hands.
Pure perfection. The sex had been incredible, because I’d tasted something more in her surrender, something that had nothing to do with orgasms and everything to do with trust.
And then she’d given me a little glimpse into her past. I knew there was so much more to Violet, things that had shaped her and hardened her edges.
The kind of hurt that made her defensive, that taught her to hide the softest parts of herself behind a tough attitude.
It gave me a bit of an explanation of why she clung so hard to control, and why she bratted like her life depended on it.
And yet, beneath all of that, she’d let me see the truth—how much she craved being cared for, how much she needed someone strong enough to take the fight out of her without stripping away her independence and identity.
For a moment, I considered asking Andrea what Violet’s story really was.
But that would’ve been a betrayal. Violet had shared something raw and private with me when she talked about those parts of herself, and I wasn’t about to shatter that fragile truce we’d established by digging behind her back.
If she wanted me to know more, she’d tell me herself.
Maybe that was for the best. Because the truth was, I found Violet more fascinating than I had any right to, and I’d lied when I’d shot down her “careful, Ford, you’re starting to sound like a doting boyfriend” comment.
She wasn’t just a client. She wasn’t just a woman who knew exactly how to get under my skin and I enjoyed taming.
I found her utterly captivating and she was pulling me in deeper than I’d planned.
Two days later, it was my seven-year-old nephew’s birthday party and I thought that maybe the break would be good for Violet.
A little distance might ease whatever was building between us, and the last thing I wanted was to push her too hard, too fast. She’d have a replacement guard while I spent the day with my family, and she’d be safe.
Even so, I didn’t like leaving her. My instincts screamed to stay close, to protect.
It wasn’t just the job anymore, though—it was beginning to feel personal.
I caught myself thinking about the way she curled into me during aftercare, how her walls had slipped just enough for me to see the vulnerable woman beneath all that bravado.
Those images stayed with me, and the idea of someone else watching over her, someone who wouldn’t see what I saw or handle her the way I could, grated more than I wanted to admit.
Then the call came from my boss, Sutton, that morning, just a few hours before I was supposed to leave for the party.
“Jones can’t make it,” Sutton said, gruff and abrupt, like always.
Jones, the guard who was slated to replace me for the afternoon and evening. “What do you mean, he can’t make it?”
“He’s down with the twenty-four hour bug. Only moving from the bed to the toilet.”
I huffed out a dry laugh. “You really have a way with words, Sutton. No wonder women line up for you.”
He sighed, long and heavy. “Look, everyone else is already tied up on assignments. I know you requested the day off, but you’re going to have to stay on the client.”
I pinched the bridge of my nose, frustration rolling through me.
Family was everything to me. My parents, my sisters, my nephews and nieces.
I didn’t want to be like my dad, who I loved, but who definitely left my mom in the lurch quite a bit with his military career.
She’d been alone a lot—holidays, birthdays, school plays, you name it.
She carried the weight of raising us while he was halfway across the world fighting in wars.
I respected the hell out of my dad’s service, since I’d been in the military myself. But I also could vividly remember the way my mom’s smile would falter when he missed another milestone, the way she’d swallow her disappointment and pretend it was fine for our sake.
Luckily, my parents were still married, and even though my father was retired from the Army, I swore I’d do better.
That no matter how demanding my job got, I would be there for the people who mattered.
I wasn’t going to be the kind of man who made his family feel second to duty, which was a big part of the reason why I’d never allowed myself to have a serious relationship when I was in the military.
I’d refused to make promises to any woman I knew I wouldn’t be able to keep.
“I realize this isn’t what you planned,” Sutton said, his tone leveling out. “But the client can’t be left without coverage.”
“I understand,” I replied evenly. “I’ll remain on assignment.”
I hung up the phone, disappointment tugging at me. Missing my nephew’s birthday stung, but there was no way in hell I’d leave Violet unguarded. Not with the threats against her still unresolved. Family mattered, but so did my responsibility to protect Violet.
Violet frowned at me from where she was reclining on the couch, reading a book. “What was that all about?” she asked.
All I’d told Violet was that I was taking the afternoon and evening off, no details. “The guy who was supposed to cover for me today is sick,” I said, though my frustrated tone betrayed me. “So…you’re stuck with me.”
She tilted her head, studying me for a moment. “You wouldn’t be trying to arrange coverage unless it was important. What were you going to do?”
That was the problem with letting someone close—they learned to read your moods and emotions, too.
“It’s my nephew’s birthday today,” I admitted, sitting at the opposite end of the couch from her, the only spot available since her legs were stretched out across the cushions. “I was going to be at the party.”
Her expression softened—something I was seeing more of since our night at the club and liked—but her thoughtful frown didn’t vanish.
“And now you can’t, because of me? Ford, that’s ridiculous.
Nothing has happened since my accident. I think I’ll survive one afternoon without you breathing down my neck. ”
That had hardly been the case, and her exaggeration made me smile. “I’m not about to slack on my duties.” I arched a brow at her. “Maybe nothing has happened because I’ve been here with you.”
She shook her head adamantly. “I don’t want you missing an important day with your family because of me.”
“It’s…” The word “fine” sat on the tip of my tongue, but Violet’s sharp look cut me off. Lying to her suddenly seemed like the worst move I could make. I cleared my throat and replied more honestly. “This job comes with sacrifices. That’s just part of what I signed up for.”
She closed her book and set it aside, studying me curiously. “You like your family?”
She seemed so surprised, and a small smile tugged at my mouth. “I do. We’re close. All of us.”
She looked away quickly, and I caught her subtle swallow and the way her guard crept back up.
I knew enough of her history from Chase to recognize the landmines—her dad had been crap, and her mother was gone.
All she had was Andrea, Madison, and Christopher.
A motley crew of all half siblings she clung to but never gave her the full picture of what it meant to be surrounded and supported and anchored by parental love and that family dynamic.
“Why don’t you come with me?” I asked, the words escaping before I could stop them.
Violet blinked as if she’d misheard me. “What?”
I thought about the best way to handle this, because I suddenly wanted Violet there with me, but knew she’d dig her heels in if she felt like this was just my way of trying to babysit her.
“Look, your company is paying for a bodyguard and I still need to watch you. Leaving you alone is not an option, period. But I think you’d enjoy getting out and having fun.
It’s a casual pool party, nothing complicated, and you can hang out and relax.
My sisters will love you and I promise my nieces and nephews won’t be too annoying. ”
Violet glanced around the room tentatively, as if considering the offer, and when her gaze came back to mine there was still a bit of uncertainty lingering there.
“It would be nice to get out, but isn’t your family going to resent it if you bring a client with you to the party? I mean, that’s just weird.”
I considered that. My family had always been patient about my schedule, but bringing a client home? That wasn’t exactly subtle. I hated the thought of missing the party, hated disappointing my sisters and my nephew, but my options were limited.
Unless…Violet came as something other than a client. Maybe, as a friend?
I dismissed that immediately because my sisters would never buy that. They’d spend the whole time teasing me, convinced that the two of us were something more…
A thought hit me, and the corner of my mouth curved at my brilliant idea. “You could go as my girlfriend.”
Violet stared at me like I’d lost my mind. “Did you hit your head when I wasn’t looking?”
I sat forward, clasping my hands between my spread knees, my eyes on her. “Hear me out. My sisters are always on me about letting them set me up with a nice girl. Blind dates, their friends, neighbors, co-workers.” I grimaced. “They want me to settle down.”
Her brow arched. “And you don’t want to settle down?”
“I do, actually,” I admitted. “But I want to meet a woman on my own terms, and in a natural way. Not because my sisters roped me into a dinner with a stranger because they want me to hurry up and get married and start a family like they have. That’s just fucking awkward, in my opinion.
I don’t mind waiting for the right woman to come into my life. ”
Violet’s expression shifted, and I didn’t miss the flicker of empathy in her gaze.
“I get it. Andrea’s said something similar to me, about finding a guy to set me up with, as if,” she said with a roll of her eyes.
“And honestly, even if I was into romance, which I am not,” she insisted, “blind dates sound like a nightmare. The pressure, the awkwardness…yeah, no thanks.”
I grinned. “Exactly, which is why you coming as my fake girlfriend would make the day a helluva lot easier to get through and save me from their meddling.”
She bit her bottom lip, considering my offer, while I marveled at this more amenable side to Violet. It wasn’t long ago that every word out of her mouth had been laced with defiance, every glance a challenge. That recent night at The Players Club had changed a lot of that.
Now, instead of constant barbs to test my patience, she wasn’t fighting me at every turn anymore.
There was less attitude and snark just to keep me at arm’s length.
She was more open and receptive to me and my presence, and I enjoyed the fact that we could actually indulge in real conversations and discussions without butting heads.
The tension was still there, but it was different now—less about clashing and more about what we might do with that awareness that was a constant reminder of the heat simmering just beneath the surface, ready to ignite.
The fact that Violet was sitting here, actually weighing the idea of showing up as my fake girlfriend, told me more than words ever could.
That maybe she liked me, more than she wanted to admit.
If she was willing to step into my world, even in a fake role, she wasn’t just humoring me—she was letting down that guard of hers and allowing me closer, even if she didn’t realize it.
“So, let me get this straight,” she finally said, her tone still a bit skeptical. “You want me—me—to play the devoted girlfriend? One half of a picture-perfect couple?”
“It’s just for this one party,” I said, wanting her to agree. “That’s it. Just play along long enough to get my sisters off my back and later I’ll tell them it didn’t work out.”
She crossed her arms and pursed her lips. “You’re insane.”
“Maybe, but it’ll work.” I grabbed one of her feet and massaged the arch, watching as her body relaxed from my ministrations and enjoying the way she let me touch her more freely now.
“And it’ll be fun. Free food. Sunshine. Hanging out by the pool.
” Then I brought out the heavy artillery to convince her.
“And I really don’t want to disappoint my nephew. ”
Guilt flashed across her expression, just as I’d hoped. “You’re ridiculous,” she said, though there was less reluctance in her voice now. “This whole plan is ridiculous.”
I grinned, knowing I had her. “Maybe, but admit it. It’s better than sitting here all day.”
She groaned and pushed herself off the couch. “Fine,” she said, sounding put out when I suspected she was anything but. “I’ll get changed.”
Victory surged through me, though I kept my smirk in check. “Bring a swimsuit and a good attitude,” I said as she walked past.
She arched a brow at me. “Why would I bring a good attitude when misbehaving has so many fun benefits?” she teased, winking at me before continuing on to her bedroom.
I shook my head, a smile tugging at my mouth. She thought she was doing me a favor, but the truth? I wanted her there, and not just for cover, I realized. I wanted to see Violet interact with my family, and a part of me suspected she’d fit in better than either of us expected.