Owning Violet (The Fowler Sisters #1)(104)

“Not if you kill me first,” I mutter, caressing her ass until she starts wiggling against me. “Stop squirming, or I’ll spank you.”

“Ooh, promise?” Her gaze meets mine and I see the arousal and amusement lit within her gaze.

“You’d like it if I did, wouldn’t you?”

“Maybe.” She wiggles against me again and I grab hold of her ass, gripping it tight.

“Stop.” I smooth my hand over one cheek, then give it a solid slap. She jolts, her legs going wide, and just like that my cock is hard.

Yet again.

“I’m hungry,” she whispers into my ear, her stomach growling as if punctuating her statement, and we both laugh.

That we can take it from outrageous orgasms to me spanking her ass to the both of us laughing because we’re hungry …

I don’t even know what to call what’s happening between Violet and me anymore. All I know is that it scares the hell out of me because it can’t last, but I want it to. We shouldn’t make sense together. She’s sweet and good and I’m mean and awful. She cares too much and I have zero f*cks to give. A woman like Violet deserves to be worshipped and loved. She’s powerful and smart and gorgeous and sexy and …

Fuck. I want to be the one who worships her and loves her and tells her just how smart and sexy she is every day. For the rest of her life.

The thought terrifies me.

Much later, after we’ve had Thai food delivered and we’ve taken a shower together—where I f*cked her from behind, her breasts pressed against the cold tile with the warm water raining down on us—we fall into bed, wrapped all around each other, her ass nestled against my dick, my arm tight across her breasts. Her breathing is evening out and so is mine. I’m ready to fall asleep. Beyond ready. We still have to go to work tomorrow …

When her phone buzzes, indicating she has a text.

Violet reaches over and grabs the phone off the bedside table. She looks at the screen, the light from it casting her face in shadow and letting me see the frown on her pretty face. “It’s Pilar.” She glances up, her angry gaze meeting mine. “Asking if you’ve told me the truth yet.”

My heart sinks to my f*cking toes and I hold out my hand, needing that damn phone now. “Let me see it.”

“No.” She holds her hand away from me, the phone out of my reach. “What is she talking about?”

“It’s nothing. I swear.” How do I get out of this? Fucking Pilar, does she know Violet is with me? How could she know?

“It certainly sounds like something. Her message says, ‘Has Ryder told you the truth about us?’” She stares at me, her gaze cold, the screen going dark. “What’s the truth, Ryder?”

I’m quiet, my mind scrambling to come up with something, anything. More lies? That would be stupid. I need to be honest.

For once in my f*cking no-good life, I need to tell someone I care about the honest-to-God truth.

“The night I saw you and Zachary at dinner. When I was with Pilar …” I clear my throat, wondering how I’m going to be able to see the pain cross her face when I tell her. She’s going to hate my guts.

“Yes?” she prompts me, sounding irritated.

“I told Pilar I wanted to seduce you. That I wanted … everything Lawrence had. His job, his promotion, and …”

“Me.” She takes a deep, shaky breath. “You wanted to take me away from Zachary.”

“Yeah. I decided right then that I was going to f*ck you, and I was hell-bent on making it happen. You were such an easy mark.” It sounds worse than I thought. Fuck.

“An easy mark.” Her voice is flat.

“That’s … yeah. That’s how it started.” I run my hands through my hair and clutch the back of my head, watching as she carefully deposits her cell on the bedside table and then crawls out of my bed without a word, refusing to look at me. Beautiful and naked, her creamy skin flushed with anger. I know she’s leaving me and I deserve it. “Where are you going?” I ask dumbly.

“I can’t stay here with you.” She flicks on the lamp and I wince against the harsh light. She’s standing there naked and beautiful and so heartbreakingly vulnerable. I see the pain in her eyes, etched across her face, and I feel like a complete *.

But maybe this is better, her knowing the truth. Knowing what she’s dealing with. I’m reminded yet again that I don’t deserve her.

I still want a chance, though.

“It all changed for me.” I lean forward, watching as she grabs at her clothes and starts pulling them on, her back turned to me. “The more I got to know you, the more I liked you.”

“Liked me.” She snorts, a sound I never thought I’d hear come out of Violet Fowler. “How sweet, that you liked me.”

“You’re right. I screwed up. I thought by getting close to you, it would help me advance at Fleur. I’ll admit it. Hell, it worked for Lawrence, so I assumed it could work for me, too.” I climb out of bed and go toward her as she slips on her dress, taking advantage of her not seeing me. The second she tugs the dress over her head, she turns to glare at me and takes a step back. “Instead, getting close to you made me realize how much I care for you, Violet. I can’t let you walk out of my life like this, baby.”