Burning Violet

by Watson, A. P.

  “Hi there, Vi,” he said, bracing his hands on my desk.

  “Good evening, Mr. Lyle.”

  “How about you let me take you to dinner.” His finger slowly traced the length of my arm as he waited for my answer. The smell of alcohol overpowered my senses.

  Just how much scotch did they consume?

  “No, thank you.”

  “You’re sure?” he asked, clearly surprised.

  If I had to guess, I’d say Brett had never been turned down by a woman before. He was exactly like the horny customers I used to bustle beverages to in Vegas, and the majority of those men were smug bastards. “I’m positive.”

  “We’ll just have to schedule it for another time then.”

  “Goodnight.”

  He waved goodbye and strutted down the hall to the elevators. Only once I was sure he’d left did I enter Hunter’s office. Walking past the multitude of windows, I spotted him in one of the armchairs across the room.

  “How much did you drink?” I asked.

  He held an empty tumbler in his hand, grinning like an idiot. “A lot.”

  I shook my head and snagged the empty glass. “What about all the work you need to get done tonight?” I set the glass on the table next to the decanter.

  “Come here.”

  “What is it?” As soon as I was close enough, Hunter grabbed my hips and pulled me into his lap. “Jesus! How drunk are you?”

  “Drunk enough.”

  His hand caressed my thigh, but I quickly pushed it away. “Stop. This isn’t you.”

  “Isn’t it though?” he asked. “Everyone in the office already thinks we’re fucking. Especially when you factor in my reputation for sleeping around my places of employment.”

  “You never slept around the office in Chicago. We both know that.”

  “Wait,” he replied slowly. “But what about all those things you said the first day we worked together?”

  “I realized I was completely wrong about you. Hunter, you have more integrity in your right hand than half the people in this building have in their whole bodies. I know you didn’t sleep with your coworker or your boss’s wife.”

  “Vi . . .”

  I kissed his forehead and pushed myself off his lap. “Grab all the files you need to work on, and I’ll drive you home.”

  “Okay.”

  Thankfully, we were able to exit the building and get in my car without anyone running into us. I called in some sushi takeout before leaving the office, and by the time I got back to the car from picking it up, Hunter was passed out in the front seat. So much for taking him home. There was no way I could carry him up the staircase in his building. Instead, I drove to my apartment. When we arrived, I was able to somewhat wake him up. We staggered inside my living room until I was able to drop him on the sofa. I made sure to lock the deadbolt and set my security alarm before covering the coffee table with takeout containers and case files.

  Hunter was sound asleep again by the time I turned around, so I headed to the bathroom to take a shower. I was in and out within a few minutes. Just as I finished changing into a pair of shorts and a T-shirt, I could hear Hunter calling out for me.

  “Vi,” he said again, his voice sounding throughout my apartment.

  “Yeah. I’m coming.”

  He sat on the couch, his head cradled between both hands. Apparently, he’d gotten warm because he had shed his shirt and tie.

  “Why did I drink so much?”

  “I was going to ask you the same thing.” I grabbed a bottle of water and some aspirin from the kitchen before returning to him. “Here, take this. It’ll keep you from getting a headache.”

  “Thanks.”

  “I know you and Brett have been friends for a long time, but he seems like a grade A douche.”

  “Yeah, I’m beginning to realize that.” He took the pills, washing them down with half the bottle of water. “All those comments he kept making . . . apparently, he believes the rumors.”

  “I’m sorry.”

  “Don’t be. Yours is the only opinion that matters.”

  “Really?”

  “Yeah. You’ve always been nice to me. You haven’t treated me differently like a lot of people I know. After everything went down in Chicago, Brett didn’t return my calls or even try to contact me for two months.”

  I sat on the couch next to him and squeezed his arm. “I know I accused you of being like Bartlett that first day at the office, but I quickly realized you couldn’t be like him even if you tried.”

  “That means more to me than you know.”

  His flesh was soft beneath my fingers, and I squeezed his arm again, not wanting to let go. “I picked us up some food.”

  “Thank fuck. I’m starving.” He picked up a set of chopsticks and handed them to me. “Shit. I forgot I needed to go through those documents tonight.”

  “They’re sitting at the end of the coffee table. I figured we could work on them together whenever you woke up.”

  “You know, your boss should really give you a raise.”

  “In that case, maybe you can put in a good word for me.”

  He nudged me with his shoulder. “I’ll see what I can do.”

  Warmth flooded from his skin to mine, making me want to lean into the touch. Instead, I stood and sat on the floor across from him. Distance was good. Especially when the person you wanted to touch happened to be your boss. Laying out all the sushi I ordered, I handed him the second set of chopsticks.

  “Eat first and then we’ll get started on the paperwork.”

  “Okay.”

  We ate in silence, slowly devouring the food.

  “Can I ask you something?”

  Hunter lifted his gaze to meet mine. “Yeah, of course.”

  “Is what you said earlier true?”

  He laughed. “I’m going to need you to be a bit more specific.”

  “Does everyone in the office really think we’re sleeping together?”

  He set down his food and began rubbing his palms together. “I’m sorry, Vi. I thought you’d already heard about that.”

  “No. No one has said anything to me about it.”

  “That’s because everyone at the office loves you.”

  “So they’ll only talk behind my back?”

  “Some of them. From what Rhonda told me, it was mostly during the first two weeks we worked together. And then she put a stop to the rumors. So that’s probably why you haven’t heard anything.”

  “Oh.”

  “I’m so sorry. I never wanted to bring you into all my shit. I never did the things they said. I never fucked Talia in my office and I sure as hell didn’t fuck her mom. But despite what I say, the evidence is pretty fucking damning.”

  “Evidence?” I asked, confused.

  He produced his phone from his pocket and quickly began searching for something. A few seconds later, he held the screen in front of me.

  “Exhibit A. The evidence.”

  I gasped at the photo in front of me. It depicted a woman bent over an armchair being fucked by someone who looked a hell of a lot like Hunter. The lighting was terrible though, and the man was glancing away from the camera, so you couldn’t really see his face. But his height, hair color, choice of suit, and body type were spot on.

  “This is Talia?” I stared at the woman in the picture. I couldn’t make out much, but from what I could see, she was gorgeous.

  “Yeah.”

  “So, you got fired, but she wasn’t affected by these pictures surfacing?”

  “Well, her father ran the firm I used to work at,” he answered. “I guess you could say she had immunity.”

  “Damn.”

  “And this is her mother.”

  Hunter swiped the screen to show another picture. This shot was as damning as the first. A woman with long dark hair had her skirt pulled up around her waist. Once again, a tall man with a muscular build and dark hair stood before her, and the woman’s legs were hiked around his hips. T
hey looked to be in an elevator. I tried to discern even the most minute details, but the man’s face was turned from the camera. It was almost as if he knew their picture would be taken.

  There was no way the man in that picture was Hunter.

  “It’s a set up!” I cried suddenly.

  “Either way, it doesn’t matter.”

  “Both times the man is purposefully looking away from the camera.”

  “Yeah.”

  “No, I’m serious. Why would he be looking away?”

  Hunter groaned and rubbed his face. “I think I’m still drunk.”

  “Stand up.”

  “What?”

  “Just do it.” I approached him and set the phone with the picture facing up. “Come here.” I gulped as I caught sight of his abdomen. Fuck it all to hell. Tattoos were my very own personal kryptonite. Especially tattoos on the bodies of gorgeous men.

  “What are we doing?”

  “I’m proving a point.” I took his right hand, wrapping it behind my back. “Okay, so pretend we’re having sex.”

  “What?” he asked, his voice filled with surprise.

  He tried to release me, but I held his hand in place. Lifting my right leg, I hooked it around his hip and moved his left hand to hold it in place. Instantly, his hand slid up my thigh. Holy hell. What was I supposed to be doing again? His hands felt so good, I momentarily lost sight of my point. “Okay,” I whispered, regaining my senses. I ran my hands up his bare chest to the back of his neck. “Where is your attention focused?”

  Hunter leaned toward me, his grasp on my thigh tightening. “My attention?”

  “Yes.” I stared at him, my heart thumping a million miles a minute. “We’re having sex, and what are you staring at? What has your sole attention?”

  He scanned my face leisurely, a slight smile tugging at his lips. “You,” he breathed.

  “Exactly. If you were having sex with a beautiful woman, why wouldn’t you be looking at her?” Reluctantly, I released him and stepped away. His chest heaved with the intake of breath, that green gaze still locked on mine. I quickly grabbed his phone to hide my blush and unlocked the screen.

  “You know the code to unlock my phone?”

  I nodded my head. “Of course I do. 777795. It’s not that hard to memorize.”

  “Are you going to tell me yours?” he asked playfully.

  “Not in a million years.” I thrust the picture back in front of him. “See what I mean? In both pictures, the man is looking away, as if he knew the camera would be there.”

  “Fuck.” He squeezed the phone in his hand. “I didn’t even notice that.”

  “This was a setup. Whoever leaked these pictures to your old office wanted you to get fired.”

  “Shit.”

  “Yeah.”

  “Fuck.”

  “I’m sorry,” I said softly, taking his hand in mine.

  “It’s not your fault.”

  “Maybe we can find out who sent it. How did you first see the pictures?”

  “They were sent through a mass email to everyone in the office. Whoever sent it covered their tracks, because we never discovered anything about them.”

  “Who looked into it?”

  “One of the IT guys at the old firm, but I don’t think he did a thorough job.”

  “Joel is practically a genius with computers. I could ask him to help us.”

  “That guy fucking hates me. He’ll never do it if he knows it’s for me.”

  “He’d do it for me.”

  “I don’t want to put you through the trouble.”

  “Forward me the email and I’ll talk to him,” I replied. “Joel would lick the ground I walk on if I told him to.”

  “Why am I not surprised by this?”

  “Work five years as a cocktail waitress in a Vegas strip club and you’ll be amazing at reading men too.”

  “A Vegas strip club?”

  I shrugged innocently. “A girl’s got to eat.”

  Chapter Twelve

  After stuffing ourselves with sushi, Vi and I worked until late in the night. I hadn’t shared the pictures that nearly cost me my career as a lawyer with anyone. I suppose I didn’t need to show a single person in Chicago, because everyone I knew in that city got to see them through their office email accounts. But I didn’t even hesitate to show them to Violet. She seemed unphased by the photos, and more importantly, she believed I was innocent.

  To top it off, she figured out the pictures were staged within a matter of minutes. I wasn’t the man who had been photographed with Talia or her mother, so I assumed the entire thing had been manipulated by someone who was a savant with photoshop. But now, I realized the jackass knew he was going to be photographed. In fact, he was counting on it. So, whoever sent the email orchestrated the entire thing. He probably seduced Talia and her mother and then used the photos to destroy my reputation.

  But the real question was who? Who would go to such lengths just to get me fired? I hadn’t made any enemies during the few years I was in Chicago. In fact, I got along well with everyone there, especially my boss. The only person who benefited from my absence was Brett. He stepped into my position the day I left.

  Fuck . . . Brett.

  “What’s wrong?” Vi asked as she handed me a blanket. I was too spent to drive back to my place, so she had kindly offered up her couch.

  “I’m such a fucking idiot.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “I know Brett can be cocky and kind of an ass, but what about him rubbed you the wrong way?”

  She considered my question for a bit, her fingers toying with her long, blond locks. “It was the way he looked at me,” she answered. “He stared me up and down like I was a slab of meat and not a human being.”

  “Anything else?”

  “He also asked me out to dinner.”

  “Jackass,” I muttered under my breath.

  “What?”

  “Doesn’t matter.” I sighed heavily.

  “Tell me.” She knelt next to the couch, her eyes filled with concern.

  “Brett was the only person who had something to gain from my dismissal. The emails made the rounds, and next thing I know, I’ve been kicked out of the firm and he’s stepping into my position within a matter of hours.”

  “Oh.”

  “I know we don’t have any evidence yet, but he is the only person I can think of who had something to gain.”

  “I’m so sorry.”

  “Don’t apologize. It wasn’t your fault.”

  “You didn’t do anything either.”

  “I’ve been a lawyer long enough to know that being innocent doesn’t mean anything sometimes.”

  “Tomorrow I’ll ask Joel to look into it. Whoever fucked you over won’t get away with it.”

  I nodded as I reached for her hand. “You’re way too smart to just be a secretary.”

  “Hardly. If I were smarter, then I would’ve figured out a way to keep—”

  She stopped mid-sentence, her eyes widening as if she were about to say something she shouldn’t.

  “Keep what?”

  “Nothing.”

  “You can trust me,” I whispered.

  “I know.”

  “I would never judge you.” My thumb traced over her knuckles as I waited for her to speak.

  “You have your own burdens weighing down on you. There’s no need for you to carry mine too.”

  “And what if I want to? We’re supposed to be a team.”

  “Can we just drop it?” she questioned softly. “Please?” I wanted to press her further, but the pain lacing her tone prevented me.

  “Whatever you want.”

  “I’m going to lay down. Make yourself at home.”

  “Thanks.” I watched her stand and step toward the hallway. Tomorrow was the day before Thanksgiving, which meant if I was going to spend the holiday with my family, I’d have one more day until I came face-to-face with my father. “He told me he never wante
d to see me again.” The words spilled from my mouth before I could even stop myself.

  “Your dad?”

  I nodded once. “He didn’t even try to give me the benefit of the doubt.”

  “That’s his mistake. Not yours.” She sat next to me this time, moving so close her arm brushed mine.

  “Try telling him that.”

  “Is that why you haven’t accepted any of your mother’s dinner invitations?”

  “Yeah. He saw the pictures and immediately called,” I answered with a sigh. “I can’t remember his exact words, but he did say ‘complete disgrace’ and ‘utter embarrassment’ a lot.”

  “I’m sorry.”

  “He said I was a stain on the Desmond name.”

  “He sounds like a major dick.”

  I laughed at her attempt to comfort me. “When he told me he never wanted to see me again, I didn’t believe him. But he wasn’t lying. Even Derek won’t return my calls. He, Alex, and I have always been close, so I guess my father got to him too.” My hands balled into fists. Rage welled inside me, and I sucked in a deep breath to quiet the storm. “I didn’t even do anything. I think that’s the part that pisses me off the most. Talia and I had a one-night stand in Boston and then I ended things before I ever started working in Chicago. I’m not an idiot. I know better than to fuck around where you work. And despite ending things with her, despite being a model employee, I still got fucked over.”

  “The people who truly know what kind of person you are would never believe the rumors about you.”

  “You would think . . .”

  “Your mom and Alex didn’t stay away.”

  “And neither did you.”

  Breath caught in my lungs as she laid her head on my shoulder. “Nope, and I’m not going anywhere either.”

  “Thanks.”

  “Why don’t you spend the holiday with Nadine and I?”

  “Are you sure?”

  “I wouldn’t have offered if I wasn’t. Besides, Nadine has been dying to meet you in person.”

  “Really?”

  “We never cook the traditional meal, but we’d love to have you.”

  “I’d like that.”

  “Good. I’ll let you get some rest.”

  I watched her walk away. With each day that passed, it became more difficult to pretend like I wasn’t absolutely crazy about this woman.