I lean back in the seat, the tension in my shoulders easing. “Well, at least I can console myself. You don’t go home in that uniform.” I say, relieved I don’t have to suffer through how my body reacts to it.
“Please. I’m not that dumb. Like I’d willingly walk around in public looking like I’m headed to a tennis match at the Playboy Mansion.” She scoffs, shaking her head. “Besides, you do realizeI survived twenty-five years without you, right? I can take care of myself.”
I fold my arms. “Then why do you even need this job? You have a perfectly good day job.”
“It’s not enough to sustain my lifestyle.” She shrugs, biting her nails.
“What do you have a raging cocaine addiction I should be worried about?”
“I have some debts I need to pay off,” she says, glancing out the window, clearly uncomfortable with the direction of the conversation. I keep quiet, opting to choose my battles. It’s enough she got in the car tonight.
Albert slows to a stop outside an aged apartment block, its brick exterior showing its age but well-kept enough.
“Here we are, miss,” Albert says, jumping out to open the door. Violet grips the handle, ready to hop out, but I reach out for her arm, stopping her. “Wait, Violet.”
She turns, an eyebrow quirked as if to saywhat now.
“I’ll walk you up. It’s dark.” I frown as I observe the entrance cloaked in darkness. Just a narrow corridor swallowed in shadows.
At least she doesn’t argue as I follow her to the stairwell and up to the third floor.
“So, do you live by yourself?” I keep my tone casual, though my mind is already running through the implications. If she has a partner, it’s for the best. Relationships with staff members are a hard no for me—too messy and prone to lawsuits. I’ve never once entertained the idea, but Violet has a way of testing all my limits, rewriting rules I thought were ironclad.
“I live with my sister, Gracie,” she says, fiddling with her key in the lock. “But she’s going to college in the fall, so not for much longer.” Her lips curve into a small, fond smile, dimples deepening. It’s impossible not to notice how her face softenswhen she talks about her sister. I have to glance away before my thoughts wander somewhere they shouldn’t.
“Well, this is me. Thank you, Chase. I think I’ll be okay from here.” For the first time tonight, there’s a softness and vulnerability in her eyes that makes me take a step closer. Without thinking, I finger a stray lock of hair, my fingertips brushing her cheek as I sweep it away, her skin so silky I’m itching for a taste. A strange tension hums between us, and for a moment, I can’t seem to let go.
What the hell am I doing?Maybe it’s the whiskey dulling my sense of boundaries. But I need to leave. Now. Before I cross a line, I can’t uncross.
Violet stumbles, and I jump back in surprise when the door is flung wide open.
“Jeez, Gracie, you scared me,” Violet exclaims, her cheeks flushing as a teenage girl appears in the doorway, blinking at me with wide, curious eyes.
“Why are you still up? It’s late,” Violet scolds, ushering her away.
“D’uh. It’s Friday night. No high school tomorrow,” Gracie shoots back, rolling her eyes.
High school? Why the hell is she living with Violet and not the parents?
She looks back at me, a shit-eating grin filling her face as Violet practically bundles her into the other room. “Who’s the hot dude? Did you finally find a match on Tinder?”
“Gracie!” Violet hisses, grabbing her sister by the arm and steering her firmly away. “Keep your voice down.”
When she reappears, her face is a deep shade of red. “Sorry about her,” she says, her words tumbling over each other. “She doesn’t have an off switch.”
I smirk, but before I can reply, Violet steps into the doorway, her hand already on the side of the door. “Well, goodnight,” she says, her voice rushed as she looks anywhere but at me.
I open my mouth to say something—anything—but she’s already nudging the door closed. It almost slams in my face before she catches herself, peeking out one last time with a cute smile. “Thanks again, Chase.”
For a moment, I stand there, staring at the closed door, the warmth of her skin still lingering on my fingertips. But then reality slices through the haze.
This isn’t me.Cold. Calculating. Ruthless control—traits that got me to where I am. But tonight, she’s made me weak. Too many times to count. I almost fumbled an opportunity with Monarch because of her.
Thisneedsto stop.
Starting now.
Chapter seven
