by Alexa Riley
She’s warm and smells delicious as fuck. I’m completely addicted to her. My dick lurches when it rubs against her smooth side. I can’t help my greedy fingers. They want to touch her all over. I settle with running soft circles around her peaked nipple. My nostrils flare with every breath she takes. I want to inhale her deep inside of me and never release her.
Sweet Violet…you’ll never have to worry about men like Sean, or whoever messed with you at the office, because I’ll always take care of you. I’m going to embed myself so far under your skin, you’ll die if you ever try to cut me out.
Sleep steals me away but not before I press a kiss to her temple.
Goodnight, lovely.
I WAKE WITH A START. Early dawn is peeking in through the windows, and I let out a yawn. A smile tugs at my lips to find Violet wrapped around my naked body. She’s still sleeping but she clutches onto me like a lifeline.
Soon.
Soon every night will be like this, and she’ll want this as much as I do.
I don’t want to leave her side, but having her wake up like this would be bad for our budding relationship. With the patience of a saint, I slip out of her grip and off the bed. She rolls over onto her side with her back to me. I’m just about to walk over to the other side of the room to grab my clothes when her alarm starts buzzing.
I freeze when she leans forward to turn it off. I’m standing there, staring at her, buck-ass naked when she slips out of the bed and hobbles toward the bathroom. Quickly, I drop to my belly and slide under the bed. I can hear her peeing in the bathroom. I’m hard just imagining her squatting on the toilet. I bet her hair is messy and her face is scrunched up with sleep. One day, I’m going to fuck her mouth while she pees. I’m grinning like a fucking idiot when the toilet flushes, and I hear the sink. But something catches my eye. My boxers are sitting on the floor beside her bed.
Panic seizes my chest, and I scoot toward the edge. I snag the boxers, yanking them under the bed with me just as she exits the bathroom.
“Oh, God,” she groans. “It’s too early for this shit.”
I roll onto my back and am thankful when the springs squeak as she settles back on the bed. My heart is thundering in my ears and I wish it would quiet down, so I could hear her better. She fidgets and squirms.
“Gray,” she murmurs. “What have you done to me?”
I freeze and it takes a moment to realize she’s talking to herself. Then, I hear her bedside drawer open. When a buzzing sound fills the room, I grin up at the mattress. She’s masturbating...to the thought of me. The thought elates me. Soon, she won’t have to. I’ll give her every orgasm she never knew she wanted.
“Mmmm,” she whines.
I stroke my now rock-hard cock as I imagine her naked squirming body beneath mine. Her scent clings to me, which makes the visual even better.
“I want you inside me.” The setting on the vibrator increases, and the entire bed seems to rattle. “I bet you’re bigger than this.” Even though she is talking to herself, I pretend she’s talking to me. I stroke my cock harder and faster but am still careful not to be too noisy. The sound of a cap being popped open has me biting back a groan. I’ve snooped around in that drawer. I know she has several vibrators and a bottle of lube. My sweet Violet was correct—I’m much bigger than anything she owns in that drawer.
“Oh, God, yes,” she chokes out. A slurping sound indicates she’s fucking herself with one of her toys. I’m jealous of the damn thing and wish it were my dick instead. But my envious thoughts are snuffed out when she utters my name again. Her breathing grows heavier and ragged. Every time she moans, I swear I’m going to moan with her and give myself away. Eventually, though, she puts us both out of our misery when she comes hard. “Gray!”
A small grunt escapes me as my cum jets up across my toned stomach. She’s still moaning and writhing as she milks another orgasm from her inadequate vibrator so she doesn’t notice my sounds. After a moment, she stills and the room goes silent.
“I need to get laid,” she says with a chuckle and slips back off the bed. Soon, the shower is running, and I can hear her humming inside.
Quickly, I slip out from under the bed. I throw on my clothes but then take a moment to grab her vibrator off the bed. It still glistens with her juices. With a wolfish grin, I snag it up and suck on the rubber. It still tastes of the lube, but mostly it’s her. She tastes fucking delicious, and I can’t wait until I can tongue her essence straight from her cunt myself. I lick off all of her taste before dropping the dildo back on the bed.
I don’t want to leave her but I know I must. With silent steps, I sneak the bathroom door open and prowl inside. I’m playing a dangerous game but I can’t help myself with her. I need to see her. From the sliver of an opening between the shower curtain and the wall, I can see her eyes are closed as she washes her hair. Her tits are soapy and look hot as hell. I allow myself one second longer to look at her before slipping out undetected.
With a quick sweep, I check to make sure I haven’t left any clues. I make it to the door and slip on my shoes. Then, I exit her apartment. With practiced efficiency, I engage all of the locks in seconds.
I want my girl to be safe.
There are all kinds of freaks in this world who would die to be inside this apartment with her.
Lucky for her, she has me to protect her.
There’s only room for one freak in her world.
And I take up a lot of space.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
VIOLET
I’D SET my alarm for Sunday morning just like I do every Sunday morning. I call it my reset day. The day when I try to calm myself a bit before subjecting myself to a week of frustration at work. Normally, I pull on some yoga pants and head off for some Pilates before wasting my time at Starbucks for a couple of hours, planning vacations I’ll never take.
But today…
Today feels different.
I feel different.
Last night, I dreamed about Grayson Maxwell. Fantasized that we were intimate. Thought about him warming my bed. It felt safe. For once in a very long time, I wasn’t absolutely terrified of being close to a man. I’d woken up with his scent still stuck in my nose from seeing him the night before, and I masturbated to him. For once, it wasn’t Vaughn—that sick bastard—that I thought about while I got off. Perhaps I’m not as broken as I thought.
The thought thrills me. I almost bet if I were to thaw a bit, Gray and I could have that delicious rumble in the sheets. But I’d already friend-zoned him.
A girl can still dream about her sexy-as-sin boss who she’d like to fuck if this were another life and she wasn’t herself.
“Excuse me,” an irritated woman utters, dragging me from my daydream. “Is that seat taken?”
I’d been so lost in my thoughts, I’d forgotten that I skipped Pilates altogether and went straight to Starbucks after a long shower where I ended up using the showerhead to ease another ache. They seem to keep coming. Literally.
“Oh, uh—” I start but a masculine voice interrupts.
“The seat is taken.”
I jerk my gaze over and find myself staring into Gray’s ice blue eyes. His hair is wet, as if he just showered, and his chest is heaving as if he ran all the way here. The woman waddles off when he drops into the seat across from me.
“Fancy seeing you here,” he says with a laugh as he sips on his coffee.
I can’t help but beam at him. “Are you stalking me?”
His eyes flicker with amusement. “I wish my story was as glamorous as that. I was actually in the neighborhood on my way to this market I recently found out about. Thought I’d grab a coffee first. You’ll never believe the hottie I ran into.”
With a snort, I shake my head at him. “You’re relentless. Were you really in the neighborhood?”
He flashes me a shy grin. “I was, but in all honesty, I was coming to see you. You were upset last night, and I wanted to make sure you were okay.” His cheeks turn s
lightly pink. The boyish gesture has me thawing.
I chew on my bottom lip as I take in his appearance. He’s slightly disheveled. It makes me wonder if he was in a hurry to come see me. The thought is a warm one. How is it that this guy was cold and in his own world Friday, but by Sunday he’s someone I don’t mind spending time with? “I’m fine. That’s sweet of you to check up on me. Although,” I say with a slight shake of my head. “You’re a far cry from the prick I handed my notice in to on Friday.”
His smirk has the room feeling as though the temperature has risen. “Let’s just say someone pointed out my flaws. Now I’m trying my damnedest to make her realize I’m not a complete asshole.”
Even though we’re surrounded by a ton of people on this busy Sunday morning, I feel as though we’re all alone. Lost in our own little world.
“This whole having friends thing is weird,” I admit with a chuckle.
His long leg brushes against mine under the table and a spark of electricity darts its way to my core. I try not to shudder in pleasure.
Friends.
We’re just friends.
“I want to get to know you, Violet,” he murmurs, his hand boldly covering mine on the table. I stiffen but then relax when he adds. “As friends.”
A smile plays at my lips. “Okay. I don’t see the harm in that, I guess.”
“Come with me to the resort on Wednesday,” he murmurs and leans closer, his leg once again brushing up against mine.
My cheeks blaze crimson as I recall my dreams last night. Dreams where he touched me and held me. Dreams where we were naked and tangled together. “I, uh…”
He chuckles. “Down girl. I meant as colleagues. I’ve needed to travel out to the property now that I’ve acquired it from Mr. Collins. There’s some business stuff I need to take care of. I’ll require the aid of my hardworking assistant.”
Embarrassment floods through me. Of course he wants to look at the property. I assumed he meant he wanted to take me away for a romantic weekend. God, I’m such a flake around him. If he wasn’t so damn good-looking, I wouldn’t get so tongue tied. This whole friends thing will take some practice. I’d guess that most friends aren’t as severely attracted to the other, like I am to him.
“Yes, I’ll go. I knew what you meant,” I tell him firmly, despite the burning heat still lingering on my cheeks and throat.
He flashes me a crooked grin. “Come on. Grab your coffee to go.”
Once we’re outside in the cold drizzle, he pops open an umbrella and holds it above us. It’s small, so I have to lean into his side to keep from getting wet. Together, we start walking down the busy sidewalk.
“Gwen and I watch football on Sunday nights. She likes to cook. Spends hours making all this finger food, even though we’re the only ones there to eat it,” he says with a chuckle. “You should come over tonight and watch the game. As friends of course.”
My gut instinct is to tell him no but then I remember I’m attempting to try new things here. Friendship is one. And I’d be lying if I said I didn’t want to try and get to know Gwen a little better.
“Okay,” I concede. “What should I bring?”
He guides me over to his white Range Rover. “Yourself. That’s all I want.” The husky way in which he says it has me frowning at him.
“Gray…”
Pulling open the car door, he laughs. “Stop reading so much into everything. We both want you there.” I slip into his vehicle, that smells just like him, and ponder what I’m even doing right now. This was not a part of my Sunday plan.
“Where are we going?” I question once he slides into the driver’s seat.
He shrugs as he zips down the road. “I need to do a little shopping. You up for a quick visit to the mall?”
Considering we’re now going in the opposite direction of my home, I can’t help but agree. It would be rude to make him turn around to take me home. “Yeah, the mall sounds fun.”
The seat warmers in his car have me feeling relaxed as ever. I’m enjoying the passing sights and the music that’s playing and the comfortable quiet between us. So much so that it isn’t until a song that Vaughn used to play when we were fucking comes on the radio, that I feel ice begin to creep into my bones. I hadn’t realized how little I think about him when I’m with Gray until now.
“Can you change it?” I ask, my voice breathless.
My eyes close and I can almost feel the weight of Vaughn as he pins me to the mattress. The way he’d wedge his knee between my thighs until his cock was settled against me. How he’d hold me down and fuck me slowly at first. I’d get lost in his gentle touch until he’d turn dark on me. Until he’d hit me or choke me unconscious or do something equally brutal.
“Violet, babe, you’re scaring the hell out of me right now,” a voice growls.
I snap my eyes open to see Gray glaring at me at a stoplight. My hand shakes as I swipe a lock of hair away from my face. Not meeting his gaze, I say, “Nothing. I was just daydreaming.”
The song has long since been changed and the light has turned green. This time, the silence inside the car is thick and heavy. I can sense him brooding about what just happened. Sickness roils in my belly.
“You can talk to me, you know,” he says gruffly. “That’s what friends do.”
Not about this.
I can’t ever talk to anyone about this.
“Maybe one day,” I lie as I twist my fingers in my lap.
He reaches over and covers my hands with his much larger one. His pinky innocently grazes against my clit through my yoga pants, causing me to jolt. I sneak a glance at him. His jaw clenches as he maneuvers the road with ease, his attention ahead of him. My nipples harden, and I know my panties are now damp.
What is wrong with me?
I’m a pervert.
He’s trying to comfort me, and all I can focus on is how his pinky rests against the seam of my sex. My breathing is heavy. I try desperately to calm it. His thumb rubs over the back of my hand in a comforting manner. I wish it were his other finger, though, doing all the moving.
“I need help picking out a chair,” he tells me as we pull into the mall parking lot. “They have one of those ergonomic office stores here. Ever been?”
I shake my head because I can’t manage words with his finger on my pussy. He gives my hands a squeeze which makes a thrill shoot straight to my core from where his finger innocently rubs against me again.
“There’s a spot,” I choke out, pointing to an empty parking space. I jerk my other hand out from under his and run my fingers through my hair. Instead of pulling his hand away, he settles it back on my thigh. That naughty pinky of his seems to fit right up against me as if it belongs there.
He pulls into the spot and tugs his hand away to put the car into park. I let out a long breath I’d been holding. His full lips curl into a lopsided grin when he regards me. My entire body buzzes with electricity that seems to be linked to him.
“Ready?”
I bolt from the car and stalk toward the mall. Soon, he catches up to me and places his palm on my lower back. The rain has stopped, but it looks like the bad weather will continue throughout the day.
“Your ass looks nice in those pants, little quitter,” he says with a grin.
I huff and glare at him. “Boss. Boundaries.”
He snorts and gives my ass a swat. “Friends get to say these things.”
I’m pretty sure friends aren’t this touchy-feely, but what do I know. What I do know is that it is fucking with my head. Gray is too hot for him to be playfully touching me all the time. One of these days he’s going to get me so worked up that I pounce on him.
We spend the next hour trying out office chairs. He says he needs a new one and insists I try them all out to tell him which is the most comfortable. When I sit a little longer than necessary in one of them and close my eyes, he snaps his fingers.
“I want this one,” he tells a salesclerk.
I turn my attention to s
ee him watching me with his muscular arms folded over his solid chest. He looks good today. No surprise there. He looks good every day. But now that his focus is on me, he seems especially handsome. His eyes seem to never leave mine. The way his gaze follows me everywhere reminds me of Vaughn. But with Vaughn, I’d always felt like a mouse caught in a trap—and he was the cat about to eat me.
Gray stares at me as if he’s trying to memorize every freckle and expression.
He watches me with a hunger that promises so much more than friendship.
“Stay there,” he tells me. “I’m going to go pay for this.”
When he disappears, I let my mind wander. I remember shopping with Vaughn early on in our relationship. Back when he’d only started becoming possessive. At the time, I thought it was sexy.
“TRY THIS ONE ON,” he says with a wolfish grin. He holds up a skimpy dress fit for going to a club.
I frown because he’d promised he’d take me to buy more jeans. After growing up in a household where my mom scrimped and saved so we’d scrape by okay, it is nice having a boyfriend with money and who wanted to splurge on you. Problem is, I don’t ever feel right to ask him for what I need. I just let him buy what he wants.
And today, he wants a red dress two sizes too small.
He flashes me a smoldering grin that has me tugging the fabric from his fingers. I walk to the dressing room with a frown playing at my lips. Sometimes Vaughn is everything I ever wanted in a boyfriend.
Other times, he’s intense.
Too intense.
With each passing day, his like for me turns into something borderline obsessive. And while I think it’s hot when he glares at other guys for looking at me, I don’t always think it’s hot when he lashes out at me for it.