26. Reid
26
Reid
M y eyes skimmed over the information on the screen, but I couldn’t say what the words meant. I forced myself to focus on my work. But my ears were straining. Listening for the sound of the front door opening. Waiting for Violet to come home.
Fuck. This wasn’t her home. When had I started believing it was? A month later? A week? A day? Why was it starting to feel like she’d always been here?
I tried to force the line of thinking away, but when I wasn’t distracted by the anticipation of her return, I was remembering how sweet she’d sounded when she’d come last night. How perfect she’d looked in Connor’s arms. How good she’d tasted.
Motherfucker.
Where was my goddamn control? I pushed off the desk, sending my chair back. My head hit the leather as I stared up at the ceiling. My hand skimmed over my thigh, inches away from my hard cock.
The mere thought of her turned me on.
I should just go to Eros and find someone to fuck. Quick. Easy. Unattached.
Acid burned my throat as I pictured it. Why did something that was once so simple disgust me now? It had been the perfect arrangement. Until her.
The front door opening snapped me from my thoughts. I sat straighter in my chair. My eyes dropped to the screen, pretending like I wasn’t listening for her footsteps. My body hummed as I heard the door close and then nothing. I could feel her presence lingering outside my office.
There was a soft knock before Violet stepped inside. She’d had more than just her nails done. Her hair had been trimmed and her face glowed. I didn’t know if it was a product or something else women did to make themselves look like that. But it was impossible to glance away from her.
She was so fucking beautiful from her shiny black hair, her creamy skin; her plump pink lips to the light purple color on her nails. My gut tightened at the sight of her.
“Can I talk to you?” Her teeth sank into her bottom lip. Her fingers lingered on the doorjamb as if she was prepared to escape if I refused.
I wanted to. I wished I could send her away. Instead, I raised a hand, indicating she could come in. She grasped one of her wrists as she stood in front of me. Her thumb stroked along her arm as she took a deep inhale. The tension in her body had the same echoing in my chest.
“I think I should leave.” Her words sucked the breath from my lungs.
“Why?” I hated the crispness of my tone. A part of me knew that was best. That I shouldn’t risk getting closer to her. But another part was unwilling to let her go. Ever.
“I need to face reality. Find my brothers. Deal with my family. With… what happened. It’s not a good idea for me to stay here with all of you. Even if I want to.” Her voice wavered and god help me, I hoped it was because she felt the energy between us and not because she feared me. “It’s okay that you didn’t want to continue last night. I understand, but I have to go.”
I tilted my head to the side, finally taking in every inch of her. Her cheeks were stained pink. Her teeth had made a tiny hole in her lip. Her shoulders were rounded as if she was shielding herself. My stomach dipped as I realized how much I’d hurt her by stopping things last night.
I should let her believe it. Let her walk out. But my mouth was opening before I could do what was right.
“You know that’s not true, pretty girl.” My hands twitched to reach for her. To pull her into my lap and run my fingers along her smooth skin. Feel her pulse jump under my touch. “I want you more than I fucking should. More than is good for me.”
I imagined her palms on my chest, feeling my own heart racing. I wanted her to touch me. The idea had made my muscles tense. My skin tingle. I hadn’t desired that in a while.
I got off by watching. Preferred it. But not with her for some reason. It had taken all my control not to feel her pretty little cunt for myself last night.
“Come here.” I couldn’t take this distance between us anymore. Couldn’t be the cause of her pain.
She took a step towards me, and my blood pumped faster. My gaze focused on the swish of her dress around her thighs. As she rounded the corner of my desk, I smelt the floral scent of her body wash. Lavender. I recognized it because I’d bought it for her.
Fucking stupid. Now it would always remind me of her, even long after she was gone.
I told myself I should stop this. But again, I didn’t listen to my own advice.
She reached her hands out, and I grasped them, intertwining our fingers. Only to keep her from touching me. If she touched me, I’d lose it and things might not end well.
Now, my thoughts felt like a lie.
“Why do you really want to leave?”
Her green eyes shined with unshed tears. “I shouldn’t want you all, but I do. I’m worried that means there’s something wrong with me. That he broke me. I’m afraid.”
I gave her hands a reassuring squeeze, even as her words pierced my chest. “We’d never hurt you.”
“I didn’t think he would either.” Water pooled on her lashes. She was so vulnerable. So sweet.
She didn’t trust herself anymore. Unfortunately, that made her an easy target. Which meant if she left, she’d make bad decisions. She’d try to find her brothers and she couldn’t trust them either.
The idea of telling her the truth fluttered through my mind. I squashed it before it could form. That wouldn’t help her.
She believed something was wrong with her. But there wasn’t. Fuck, she was perfect. I wished I could make her see it.
I couldn’t let her go. And not just for her safety, but because I wanted her. Physically, yes, but I also wanted her to be happy again. To heal. And maybe we could help with that. Maybe it was the only way I’d feel better about letting her go.
“We saved you.” She nodded. “We’ve taken care of you.” Another nod. “Then let us help with this.”
Her brows furrowed as I picked my phone up off the desk and texted the guys. I could hear Mav and Connor moving around the house within moments. A second later, and my office door was bursting open. It wasn’t even enough time for her to ask questions; that’s how eager we were.
Violet flinched as we watched Maverick walk in with a cocky smile on his face. Connor had his hands buried into his pockets, but his eyes raked over Violet, a hunger burning in his gaze.
I knew it matched my own. I wondered if I had the obsessive gleam like he did. Probably.
“You need us, belladonna?” Maverick’s words dripped with suggestion as he stepped up behind Violet. He wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling her back into his chest.
My hands dropped to my sides as I watched him take her away. Her newly painted nails were a contrast to his tan skin as she grasped his forearm. I wished I could let her touch me like that.
Connor smiled as Maverick brought her closer to him. “You want us to make you feel good? Make you forget?”
“Yes.” Her breathy whispered seemed like a shout in the quiet room. The tone of it made my cock ache.
“You know it’s a package deal?” Connor circled them, coming to stand next to me, but he never looked away from her. “All three of us.”
She examined each of us. Her teeth gnawing on her bottom lip. I yearned to lick the wound clean. To have another taste of her. “I shouldn’t, but I want you all.”
She gasped as I stood suddenly. She tilted her head back as I towered over her. I watched her throat bob and fought the urge to run my tongue along that delicate neck. “You can’t handle it.”
A look of betrayal crossed her face. But this was my part today. To be the voice in her thoughts. The one that told her she was broken. So she would prove it wrong. And it worked.
After a moment, her eyes narrowed. A spark came to life inside her. The defiance in her green gaze had heat pooling low in my stomach. She jutted her chin out. “I can take it.”
“What he means is you’ve been hurt. We don’t want to hurt you more.” Connor moved next to me. Reaching out, he stroked the back of his knuckles down her cheek.
She leaned into him, but kept her stubborn eyes on me. My cock jumped. The darkness in me demanded I control that attitude. Get her to bend to my will.
“You could never hurt me. I’m already broken.”
If this was broken, it was the most beautiful thing I’d ever seen.
Still, I worried that this was a mistake. We could damage her worse. She could destroy us.
But I was weak. She’d fallen apart, and I wanted to save her.
It was sex. A chance for her to heal. For us to get our fix. Then it was done. I’d let her go.