“No, I’m not doing anything for Christmas, Rhonda,” she said in an annoyed tone. “Yes, I’m sure.” She sighed heavily and propped her chin in her left palm. “Rhonda, I’m not crashing your couples cruise with your husband! It’s one day out of the year, I’ll be fine.” This time, Vi let out a groan. “You’re the one being ridiculous, you old wench! No, I think he’s going to spend the holiday with his family.” Another groan escaped her lips. “Well, if you’re so curious about Hunter’s Christmas plans, why don’t you call and ask him?” Suddenly, she slammed down the receiver, hanging up the phone.
“Hey,” I said, stepping around the side of her desk.
She cradled her head in both of her hands. “How much of that did you hear?”
“All of it.”
“God, that woman pisses me off sometimes.”
“If it makes you feel any better, my mother just called and interrogated me about my own plans for the holiday.”
“You can’t avoid your family forever,” she replied, sighing.
“I know.”
“And having you at home would be the best gift for your mom.”
“She told you that, didn’t she?” I asked.
“Only about five times.”
“I’ll have to face them sooner or later.”
At my words, Vi perked up a bit. “So, you’re going to see them?”
“Actually, we’re going to see them.”
“What are you talking about?”
“The only way I’m going to see my family is if you’re there with me. I know my dad and I will get into a screaming match at some point, and I don’t want to ruin the holiday for everyone. Besides, you’re the only person who will be able to calm me down.”
“I can’t intrude on your family’s Christmas!”
“You can, and you will.”
“I will not!”
Whipping out my cell phone, I dialed my mother’s number before Vi could stop me.
“Hunter?”
“Hey, Mom.”
“Have you decided on your plans already?” Even though only a few minutes had passed since we last spoke, the hope and excitement lacing my mother’s voice was unmistakable.
“I have actually. Is there any way you can get the guest bedroom ready? Violet and I are both coming for Christmas.”
“I’ll start preparing the room right now!” she cried. “This is the best Christmas surprise I could ask for, and I can’t wait to meet her in person!”
“Thanks, Mom. We’ll be in tomorrow afternoon if that’s okay.”
“That will be perfect, sweetheart.”
“Well, I better get back to work.”
“Okay, have a good rest of the day. I love you.”
“I love you too.”
As soon as I hung up the phone, Violet began jerking on my arm. “What the hell was all that?”
“We’re going to my parents’ house for Christmas. I clearly remember telling you that already.”
“You’re such an asshole.”
“Technically, I’m an asshole who’s spending the holiday with a beautiful woman.”
“Flattery will not get you out of this.”
“What about some cupcakes from Vito’s?”
She smacked my arm playfully. “You can’t exploit my weaknesses!”
“Why not?” I asked, leaning toward her. “You exploit mine every time you show up to work wearing a tight skirt.”
Her features softened as she tried to keep herself from smiling. “Is that so?”
My hand gripped her waist and I pulled her forward until her chest brushed mine. “What do you think?”
“I think you should show me exactly how I exploit your weaknesses.”
She latched onto my tie and drew my face toward hers with a simple tug. There were numerous reasons why we needed to stay away from one another, but for the life of me, I couldn’t recall a single one. At the moment, all those reasons were nothing more than excuses, postponing the inevitable.
The connection we shared was unavoidable. Vi and I had been lying to ourselves since the night we met. We pretended friendship was enough for us, but it wasn’t and it never would be. My desire to touch her, to taste her, intensified with each passing day. An internal battle raged within me. Truth be told, I was nothing more than a prisoner to my feelings for her, and if I didn’t give in . . . I’d eventually drown.
“Hunter?” she asked softly.
“Yeah?”
“What’s wrong?”
“Nothing.”
Fuck. I was tired of lying, of pretending this wasn’t exactly what I wanted.
“You’re lying. I can tell—”
My lips cut off the rest of her reply as I eliminated the remaining distance between us. Wrapping my arms around her waist, I lifted her off the ground and carried her back to my office. She moaned as I tasted the inside of her mouth, massaging her tongue with mine. She tasted like strawberries dipped in sugar, and I kissed her again, desperate for more. My body pinned hers against the wall while her hands trailed the length of my chest. Hiking up her skirt, she hooked her leg around my hip. Instantly, my hand slid up her thigh, exploring the newly exposed flesh. When I reached the edge of her panties, my finger curled around the delicate lace, slowly dragging the garment downward.
“What can you tell?” I asked in a hushed voice.
“I . . .”
Another moan escaped her lips, the sound a beautiful mixture of breath and desire.
“Can you tell how much I want you?”
“Yes.” Unfastening my tie, she dropped it to the floor and stared at me. “But I want you to keep showing me.”
In another second, her blouse was lying next to my discarded tie. My mouth left hers to connect with the side of her neck. I took my time licking and nipping her flesh all the way down to her breasts. When she reached for my belt, I gripped her panties even tighter. Just as I was about to rip through the delicate lace, a voice called out her name.
“Violet?”
Terror saturated her blue irises. In half a breath, we separated from one another and rushed to readjust our clothes. My hands shot to my partially undone belt while Vi frantically reached for her blouse. Sliding her arms through the sleeves, she fastened the buttons at a rapid pace.
“Coming,” Vi called out as she grabbed some papers off my desk. She shuffled through the stack and glanced at me over her shoulder one last time before exiting the office. “Oh, hi, Joel.”
“Is everything okay?” he questioned.
“Yeah. I dropped a huge stack of papers and had to clean everything up. But what can I do for you?”
“You look incredible today.”
My fists clenched painfully at his compliment. Picking up my tie, I tossed it on my desk and began to pace.
What the actual fuck was wrong with me? I told Vi I wasn’t going to act on my feelings for her, and in less than a month, I broke that promise. She’d endured so much pain at the hands of her family. I wanted to ease her suffering, wanted to make all her problems dissipate. Instead, the only thing I managed to do is add to her list. Guilt gnawed a hole through my stomach. Sucking in a steadying breath, I walked out to her desk. My presence seemed to irritate the fuck out of Joel, so with any luck, he’d leave.
“Thank you so much for bringing this by today,” Vi stated. “After talking to you last week, I wasn’t expecting anything until after the holiday.”
“Well, consider it an early Christmas present,” Joel replied. He set his hand against her back and leaned forward. His face was so close to hers, their cheeks almost brushed against one another.
Anger welled inside me. If he touched her again, I’d break more than one bone in his body. Wanting to end their close proximity, I cleared my throat loudly.
Immediately, Joel turned to look at me. “Hunter.”
“Joel,” I bit out, returning his glare.
The IT douchebag was quick to return his attention to Vi. “I really had a wonderful tim
e at dinner the other week.”
“I had fun too.”
“I can’t wait to take you out again,” he added.
Irritation simmered in the pit of my stomach at his words, bubbling like acid. After everything that had just transpired in my office, the last thing I wanted to think about was another man trying to steal her away. From what Vi told me, Joel spent the majority of their date staring at her breasts. He didn’t deserve to be in the same room as her, let alone take her to dinner again.
I exhaled heavily and decided to walk back to my office. If I didn’t get away from Joel soon, I was going to punch him in the face. And I was pretty sure that breaking your coworker’s jaw was against company policy.
“If you need anything, Ms. Vaughn, I’ll be in my office.”
Vi’s gaze met mine briefly. “Thank you.”
I wanted to protect Vi, to shield her from anyone who would do her harm. But in a split second, my longing almost compromised everything she’s worked for. I couldn’t allow my weaknesses to jeopardize her reputation again. Unfortunately, rumors tend to linger wherever you run. Vi deserved every happiness this world had to offer, and I would make sure she knew it.
There was so much more I wanted to say to her, so much I wanted to apologize for, but like a coward, I left without another word.
Chapter Nineteen
As far as I was concerned, Joel could go to hell. Was I thankful he stopped by to give me the information of the person who set up Hunter? Absolutely. But was I glad he screwed me out of getting screwed by the only man I’d been able to think about for the past few months? Hell no. I needed to be more appreciative of Joel, but Hunter finally acted on his feelings for me. He kissed me, touched me, and in that moment, nothing else mattered.
The fact Joel almost caught us in the act was enough to turn my blood to ice. I was scared of being discovered, but the way I felt about Hunter was stronger than any of my fears. The connection we shared was inescapable. He didn’t think I was dirty, or damaged beyond repair. Hunter believed the pain I’d overcome added to my beauty. And when he looked at me, the depths of his eyes glowed with admiration, with compassion, and if I didn’t know any better, with love.
Our reasons to stay away from one another were about to be cut in half. The rumors circulating around Hunter would come to an end. Joel had come through with a name after all. Brett Lyle. That asshole was the one who fucked Hunter over. He’d used a fake identity to create a new email address. From there, he circulated the incriminating photos to everyone he could get his hands on. But for all his treachery, Brett had his vices. His inflated ego would be his own downfall. He never expected anyone to uncover the identity of the person who sent the photos, so he didn’t think twice about linking the false email address to his personal cloud account.
It didn’t take more than a few sweet words to convince Joel to hack Brett’s cloud account. And as soon as I had access, I found the pictures he sent, along with a few that clearly showed Brett as the man fucking Talia and her mother.
Hunter was glued to a mountain of paperwork when I stepped inside his office. Knocking on the door, I waited for him to shift his attention to me, but he never did.
“Yeah?” he asked.
“Do you have a minute? I have the best news!”
Still no eye contact. “Not really.”
I circled around to the other side of his desk. Hunter bent over a stack of papers, his eyes scanning each line. I could practically see the tension coiling around his spine. Approaching him quietly, I placed my fingers at the base of his neck and began rubbing his skin.
He jumped at the touch, brushing my hand away.
“What’s wrong?”
“We were careless earlier. And I think while we’re in this office, we need to focus on being more professional.”
“I understand your concerns, but none of that matters anymore. Wait until you see what I have to show you!” I placed my phone on his desk and pulled up the screenshots I’d taken of Brett’s photos.
“It certainly does matter,” he spat. “I promised to protect your reputation, and like a complete asshole, I broke my word.”
“Hunter, listen to me.”
“Close the door on your way out. I have a lot of work to finish before I leave this evening.” His tone indicated annoyance.
I took a step in his direction, but his gaze remained locked on the floor. “Fine.” Snatching up my phone, I turned to leave.
“I’ll pick you up from your apartment at three tomorrow afternoon.”
“Whatever.”
I slammed the door to his office behind me and moved to gather up my belongings. Powering down my computer, I threw on my coat and decided to leave early. I needed to do some last minute Christmas shopping, and Hunter probably wouldn’t notice I was gone. Either way, he could answer the damn phone on his own.
I stopped at several different stores before I had presents for Hunter’s brothers, mother, father, sister-in-law, and nephew. When I got back to my apartment, I decided to wrap all the gifts, including the one I bought for Hunter a few weeks ago. The fact I would be spending Christmas with his family was slightly unnerving. I hadn’t really celebrated Christmas since I was a kid. Nadine and I usually got a small tree and drank a bunch of wine. But Hunter was from a different world. His family probably decorated the entire house, exchanged presents, and shared an extravagant dinner together like something out of a Norman Rockwell painting.
I was grateful Hunter invited me to his parents’ home. Truth be told, he was the one person I wanted to spend Christmas with. I knew he was trying to do what he believed was best for me, but his reaction to the kiss we shared had been disheartening. I wanted nothing more than to be with him. It was obvious he wanted the same thing, and could I really fault him for selflessly placing my needs above his own?
Hunter deserved to know a so-called friend betrayed him. His entire career was jeopardized by the jealousy of one man. He already suspected Brett was the person behind his dismissal from the firm in Chicago. And now, it was time to confirm those suspicions. I typed out a quick message to Hunter and attached the pictures of Brett.
Me: Hey, I know you’re busy, but I figured you would want to see these. Joel was able to track down the email address that circulated the photos of you in Chicago. The fake email address belongs to Brett. He also linked that email address to his personal cloud account. I sweet-talked Joel into hacking the account and that’s where I found these pictures. Now, everyone will know you aren’t the one who was fucking Talia and her mother.
Hunter: I know I had my suspicions about Brett, but we’ve been friends so long . . . it’s hard to believe he’d do something like that.
Me: I’m sorry. I know how much it hurts to be betrayed by people you care about.
Hunter: Don’t be sorry. Brett is a piece of shit, and he’ll get what’s coming to him.
Me: What will you do?
Hunter: I’m going to send these pictures to my old boss at the firm in Chicago. Hopefully, Galterio will give Brett the same treatment I received.
Me: I hope he’s fired and another firm never hires him again.
Hunter: Thank you for this. You’ve done so much to help me, and I’ll be forever grateful.
Me: You’ve done the same for me.
Hunter: See you tomorrow?
Me: Of course.
Tonight was the first one I’d spent without Hunter in weeks. I was so used to being around him, and the emptiness of my apartment felt strange. That’s why I decided to drink a bottle of wine while I packed my suitcase and cleaned my apartment. Eventually, I wound up passing out on the couch.
The following morning, I showered and spent at least an hour trying to decide what I should wear. I was nervous. There certainly was no mistaking the acid churning in the pit of my stomach, like a damn washing machine. I’d never had a boyfriend introduce me to his family before. Not that Hunter was my boyfriend, but with my screwed up family tree, I had no idea how to ac
t in this kind of situation. After finally deciding on a crimson sweater dress and a pair of knee-high boots, I began pacing my apartment. In a split second of uncertainty, I seriously considered taking a shot of liquor but decided against it as I heard a knock at my door.
“Hey,” Hunter said, stepping inside my apartment. “I’m really sorry about yesterday afternoon.”
I picked up my purse and slid it on my arm. “I’m not. That’s the best kiss I’ve had in a while.”
“And what about the kiss from the first night we met?”
“It wasn’t bad.”
“Wasn’t bad?” he asked incredulously.
“That’s what I said.”
“You really enjoy torturing me, don’t you?”
“Absolutely.” I laughed and moved closer. Placing my hand on his chest, I met his gaze. “All things aside, I’m sorry about yesterday too. You were trying to protect me, and in the future, I’ll be more appreciative of your intentions.”
He smiled and moved to grab my belongings. “Are you ready to head out?”
“I guess.” Locking the door to my apartment, I followed Hunter to his car.
“You guess?”
“I haven’t had a big Christmas in a really long time. Nadine doesn’t really see eye to eye with her parents, so she avoids holidays with them. Whenever we did Christmas together, we ate junk food and drank wine.”
“Well, you have nothing to worry about. My mom and Alex are crazy about you, and I promise everyone else will be too.”
“I hope so.”
Hunter loaded everything up in the trunk of his car. Then, we set off for his parents’ house in Weston. It took less than an hour to complete the trip, and before I knew it, we were pulling up a winding driveway. Although, Hunter failed to mention the home his parents lived in was less like a house and more like a mansion.
“This is where you grew up?” I asked, gaping at the sprawling estate in front of us.
“Yeah. Why?”
“Jesus Christ.”
“It’s just a house.”
Burning Violet Page 20