by Amelia Jade
“I’m sorry. Really, I am sorry. It’s just…Violet, if I ask you to do something, will you do it?”
“That’s a pretty broad question. I can’t agree to that.”
Andria waved her hands. “Right. Okay, listen. When it comes to Ivore, and you’re going to have to trust me on this, the only thing you need to worry about hurting with him is his heart. Otherwise, you don’t need to worry about his physical safety. And I’m saying that not in an attempt to convince you that you can’t hurt him, but that even if something did happen, he would be perfectly okay.”
“What the hell are you talking about?” She was confused. “Is he a robot?”
More laughter. “No. I…can’t say any more. I probably shouldn’t have said what I have. Just try to believe that, okay?”
“I…okay? I don’t know. That’s weird.”
“Yeah, I know.”
“It doesn’t matter though.” Violet wrung her fingers. “I can’t grow close to him anyway.”
“Yes you can. And you are. Should. Whatever. You can’t lie to yourself any longer, Violet. It’s obvious you like him.”
“I do not!”
Andria just stared.
“Okay fine. Maybe Ivore interests me. Intrigues me. Hell, maybe he even excites me. He’s a good kisser. A bit of a blabbermouth for telling, but that doesn’t change the fact he’s good with his mouth. But Andria, I can’t let myself grow closer to him. Even if I could, he deserves better than me.”
Andria got up, walked over to her and calmly slapped her open palm across her face.
Violet reared back, her cheek stinging from the unexpected blow. “What the fuck?!” she snapped.
“You are an amazing person, Violet. You’re strong. I know what you’ve been through, and I realize you still struggle with the guilt of what you think you did, but that does not make you unworthy of being happy. Ivore obviously sees something in you too, and you don’t get to choose what will make him happy. You’re a hell of a catch. You’re kind, caring, smart as all hell, and I wouldn’t be surprised to find out that he thinks you’re pretty darn sexy too.”
Violet looked away as she was taken to task.
“Tell me that you haven’t caught Ivore checking you out at least a half a dozen times. If you can tell me that without lying, then I might consider backing off.” Andria crossed her arms in front of her expectantly.
“Every time he thinks I’m not looking.”
Andria crowed in victory. “I knew it. He wants you.”
“Ivore’s such a good person though, Andie.” She was one of the few people that could get away with calling her friend by the diminutive form of her name. “Whether or not I think he deserves better, I’m still a wreck. That’s not fair to him. He shouldn’t have to deal with my baggage.”
“That’s also not your decision to make though,” Andria pointed out, sitting down on the couch next to her. “I bet if you told him everything that happened, all he would say is ‘How do I help?’”
Violet laughed as her friend tried to mimic the deep voice of Ivore and Cowl. “That’s just the problem though.”
“Stop trying to make their decisions for them,” Andria urged. “Please. Ivore is a grown adult. Give him all the information, and then let him make a decision. He’s a good man. Not the sort to hurt you, and definitely not the sort to hold your past against you. The only one doing that is you. Give him a chance, Violet. You won’t regret it.”
She eyed her friend, the passionate plea unusual. “You really believe in him, don’t you?”
Andria nodded. “I…want to say more, but it’s not my place. Cowl has said some things, but…well, I have to respect his confidence, you understand? Just trust me when I say he’s stronger than you think.”
“I don’t know. I need to think about it.”
Andria nodded. “Over ice cream or over wine?”
“Wait, I thought you were going to Cowl’s.”
“Not tonight. They’re having brother time with Ivore.”
“That…sounds like Ivore is in a rough way.”
Andria grinned, already halfway to the fridge. “He likes you, Violet. A lot. And you’ve done everything possible to leave him completely in the dark. Can you blame him for being a little upset and frustrated?”
“I…I guess not?”
“Good. Now, let’s eat!”
Violet let herself smile. Andria was a good friend. Her word meant a lot.
But still, how could she tell Ivore what had happened and still hope he would stick around? Any sane man would run for the hills.
Andria sat back down.
“You’re holding the entire tub,” she pointed out.
“You don’t really think that a single bowl is going to help, do you?”
Violet had to give her friend the win there. “Fine, gimme my damn spoon and stop hogging it already!”
Chapter Fourteen
Ivore
“Why are you here?”
He finished making the cut in the wood before turning around. Violet was standing there. In her hands was a tray of cupcakes. It took him a second to peel his eyes away from both that and the delicious body holding the cupcakes.
“What do you mean?” He was helping with the renovations. What else would he be doing? Although he’d never used any of the fancy power tools that workers had these days, Ivore was no slouch when it came to being handy. Everyone had contributed in his hometown; whether it was building barns or houses, every male knew how to use a hammer or saw.
He really liked the electric saw though. It made everything go laughably quickly.
“I mean why are you so invested in doing this?”
Ah. That. “Because I want to see you succeed,” he stated.
Violet shook her head. Not as if to deny his answer, but more that she was having a hard time believing it. “Ivore, I don’t understand. Why are you so good to me? I’ve been nothing but rude and distant to you, and yet you always keep treating me like gold. What is the answer? No bullshit. Just tell me.”
Ivore slapped his hands together, ridding them of sawdust as he considered his answer. She wanted the truth? The honest, unhidden truth. Fine, he could give her that.
“The answer is that you’re my mate. You’re the only one I want, and I’m going to do whatever it takes to make you mine.”
“Oh.”
It was rather obvious that she didn’t know what to make of his statement or the words he’d used.
“I…understand. I think.”
He shrugged. “Hey, you asked.” Wiping his hands on his pants to try and dry them off, the clammy sweat of being so direct with her started to get him worked up. “Why are you here?”
“Um.” She hesitated, looking around for an answer until her eyes landed on the tray grasped in one hand. “These. I promised you a tray, and I don’t want to be called a liar.”
“None of us do,” he agreed, accepting the spoils. “But that’s not what I asked. I haven’t seen you in three days. Now you show up and ask me that question. Why are you here?”
He watched her face, noting the way her eyes were more golden today than brown. There was a tightness around her eyes, and unless he was mistaken she was subtly trying to bite on her lower lip. He doubted she was even aware of it, an unconscious move she did anytime she was nervous.
Nearby contractors started up with another saw, the noise of construction all around them.
“Can we talk outside?” she asked.
Ivore nodded, following her out into the lobby. He felt dirty and out of place in his construction gear, covered in dust and grime, while Violet and the lobby were shiny, freshly cleaned. He tried not to check her out as she turned around to look outside for a moment, but he failed. She just had such a lovely ass, so full and round and big. He wanted to get his hands on it. On her.
“I haven’t been very fair to you,” she said at last. “Completely unfair, if we’re being honest.”
“Really? I think twenty percen
t is a fair deal. You didn’t force me into taking it.”
“Not that. That’s fair; you aren’t getting any more than twenty percent.”
It took him a moment to realize she was joking. A joke. A real honest-to-goodness joke.
“Okay.”
“No, I meant I’ve been unfair to you. The continual flip-flopping personality and everything.”
Ivore wasn’t sure what this conversation was costing her, but it had to be a lot. She’d tried really, really hard to avoid having it. What had changed over the past few days? Had she just needed some time away from him?
“I understand. You don’t need to apologize.”
“No, you don’t understand,” she said. “I’m trying to tell you that I’m going to give it a chance.”
“Violet, it’s fine, believe me. If this is what you want then… What did you just say?”
“I said I want to give it a chance.”
Ivore didn’t say anything, breathing in and out slowly, trying to stay calm. “You want to give what a chance, Violet?” He needed to hear her say it, to know that she meant it.
“It. Us. Whatever you want to call it.” She sighed and pushed her hair back from her face.
He liked that she was wearing it down today. It looked good on her, hanging just to her shoulders and parted on the side. The color didn’t do anything for him, though he thought it cute she’d dyed it dark purple, like her name. She was a natural brunette anyway, so it didn’t look that out of place and…
Ivore shook his head, returning to the conversation.
“You are?” He felt like a buffoon, but his wits had abandoned him, left behind when she’d appeared out of nowhere to tell him his mate wasn’t going to keep rejecting him.
“Yes. Look.” She tucked more hair back. “I haven’t done this in a long time. A really long time. I…I never thought I’d do it ever again.”
Now Ivore did understand. “We’ll take it slow. Whatever pace you need is fine with me. All I ask is that you tell me. Let me know.”
“I think I can do that.” She shook her head. “No, I can do that. I will do that.”
“Okay.”
They both fell silent.
“So, what do we do now?” she asked.
Ivore went with his gut. “I think, if you’re okay with it, that we should try hugging.”
“A hug. Yeah, I can do a hug.”
He swept her up into his arms as she came close. Fighting down the urge to sweep her off her feet and spin her in a circle he instead concentrated on how she felt. For the first time she was letting him into her space, and vice versa. Her body was pressed against him, and there was no attempt at the awkward ass-out version.
Ivore gently ran his hands up and down her back, fingers spread wide as he memorized the feel of her, trying to cover every inch as best he could. He would cherish this moment for the rest of his life. This, he knew, was the turning point. There was still a long, long way to go, but this was where it would all start.
Violet pulled back eventually, her breath sounding ragged, though it recovered quickly. He reached out and pushed some of her hair back behind her ear without thinking. Violet didn’t exactly jerk her head away, but because they were still touching he could feel her go tense. She relaxed shortly thereafter, and there was even a hint of a smile. Yes, it was going to take time with her.
“Is there anything left that I can do?” she said after a moment, looking past him at where her shop was starting to take place.
No, not her shop. Their shop. They were doing it together. Sure, he was contributing one hundred percent of the money and only getting twenty percent of the profits, but that didn’t matter. Having Violet with him was worth giving up a hundred percent ten times over.
“Yeah, definitely. Lots of work to be done.”
“Good. I’ve always wanted to use some power tools. You can show me how!”
He swallowed. Him, show her how? He was just learning himself!
“Uh, sure.”
“Sweet. I’m gonna get changed.”
He nodded, and she ran off to the lobby washrooms.
Ivore watched her go. It might be slow sailing with his mate, but at least it would hopefully be smooth sailing for a while. That was fine with him. He could be patient, even if it was the hardest thing he’d ever done. Every day the fight to restrain himself from claiming her grew harder, but that just meant it became more important for him to fight it.
That wasn’t the type of fight he imagined he’d be in when it came to his mate, but he’d do it. She was worth any cost, and he wasn’t going to let a thing stand in his way of making all her dreams come true.
Chapter Fifteen
Violet
Ivore stood behind her, helping her hold the drill up to the wall. His hands dwarfed hers, but he made sure she was doing the work. He was just guiding.
“Now pull the trigger slowly, until it starts spinning the screw and digs it into the wall a bit.”
Violet had never used a power tool before in her life. Screwdrivers and even a few times a hammer, yes. But a drill? Never. She pulled the trigger excitedly, and the drill spun rapidly. The screw bounced and flew away and the drill would have plunged into the wall if Ivore hadn’t stopped it.
He was so strong. She’d known that, and she definitely wasn’t swooning over the fact, but she’d never really realized just how strong he was. They’d been working on some drywall for the front part of her shop. The kitchen area was still under construction, but the front was a lot easier, and they were moving steadily along on it.
“Okay, now, try that again,” he teased. “But this time let’s actually pull slow.”
“Yeah. That was a little much. I just don’t know my own strength.”
He chuckled, and she could feel it in his chest as he slipped another screw into place.
This time Violet did as she’d been instructed, the screw bit, and then she slammed it home. Pulling the drill off the wall, she blew across the tip of it. “Damn, I’m good.”
“That you are. Now only a few dozen to go.” He pointed at the other pieces of drywall they had to put into place.
Violet groaned. “Why do you have to kill the mood like that? That wasn’t very nice.”
“Maybe not.” He was laughing again. “But the look on your face was worth it.”
She stuck out her tongue and snatched up another screw. “I got this.”
It took her several tries to figure out how to do everything on her own, holding the drill and the screw in place, one hand on each. But Ivore stood back and let her work, and eventually she started to get the hang of it. She would never be a professional, but it only took her about fifteen minutes to get the rest of the wall done. Well, the wall she could reach. Ivore grabbed the drill and finished it off, moving along much faster than she had.
“There. I think that’s a good accomplishment for today, don’t you?”
“Yeah!” She’d not only used the drill, but also cut some wood for the contractors, and then helped Ivore measure and cut the drywall. “Construction is messy though. I’m filthy.”
“Yeah, me too,” he agreed, brushing at his clothing, drywall dust billowing up from his pants. “I was going to ask if you wanted to go on a date tonight or something, but I think we both need to clean up.”
She nodded. “A date?” That sounded…stressful. Could she handle that?
“Yeah. You know, like go out to dinner, but this time don’t make me have to disguise it as a business meeting?”
Despite everything Violet laughed. He was funny.
“So dinner? That’s it?”
“Yeah. Maybe a walk outside if you’re up for it. It’s looking like a gorgeous night.”
She had to agree with that. It was warm out, with almost no breeze and a perfectly clear sky. It would make a wonderful evening to enjoy the leaves changing colors.
“Can we go to a pasta joint?” she asked. “That would be the best way to convince me. I love pasta.”
She leveled a finger at him. “But no judging me for how I eat it.”
He laughed loudly, grinning from ear to ear. “Done.” He stuck out a dirty hand. She took it.
“I just need to go home and shower first.”
Ivore shrugged. “You can just use the one in my place upstairs. It’s easier. Besides, I’m starving. I don’t want to wait that long.”
She hesitated. Use his shower? In his bathroom? In his apartment? “I don’t know, Ivore…”
“I promise, I’ll be good. This isn’t some sleazy ploy. It’s strictly about efficiency and getting us to food as quickly as possible. I’m not going to try anything.”
Violet’s initial reaction was still to disagree and go home. That’s what she should do. But a part of her, the part she usually ignored and shut down, was asking her where the harm in it was if he was promising not to try anything?
On top of it all, her stomach was telling her it was hungry.
“Okay. But I’m locking the door.”
He smiled and spread his hands wide. “Whatever you need to do to feel comfortable. I was just gonna use one of the other showers anyway, so I won’t be available.”
Trying to subdue the nervous twitch in her hands, she grabbed her bag with the clothes she’d worn earlier and followed him into the elevator.
“I do have to apologize. We don’t have any girly-smelling stuff at our place. So you’re probably going to smell like me.”
Violet shrugged. “As long as you mean freshly showered you, and not your current aroma, then we’ll be just fine.”
Ivore choked on his next words. He finally got himself under control. “Ouch.”
“You’ve been working those muscles all day. It’s only natural that you would work up a sweat as well.”
“I guess. But a guy never wants to be told by a cute girl that he stinks. We actually have very fragile egos, and this is one of those things that can harm them.”
She shook her head as the door opened, revealing a view directly into an apartment. A nice apartment she noted, looking at the gorgeous finishes and furnishings. Maybe she’d been wrong to question his wealth before. “Maybe if you didn’t have such a large ego, it wouldn’t get hurt so easily,” she told him, stepping out into the apartment. “Look at that view.”