A deep frown tugs at my brow as my gaze drops to Violet. Ryan—sales, I think—slinks up behind her, the same guy who got tooclose to her at the company summit and made me want to put his head through a wall. She jolts away the moment his hands graze her shoulders.Good girl.But then she turns, her face lighting up with a wide, easy grin the second she realizes it’s him. My grip tightens around my glass as he spins her again, and she stumbles into him, laughing.
For a moment, the chatter around me fades to static. The only sound is the measured control of my breath, the hard press of my teeth as I fight to contain the impulse clawing its way up my spine.
“Youwanther?” Vanessa’s voice slips through the red mist, laced with amused surprise.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” My voice is tight, my control fraying, but I still can’t look away. And neither can Violet. The second her eyes meet mine, I feel it—shefeels it. She’s trying to ignore me, to pretend I’m not there, but it’s useless. Her gaze keeps darting back, drawn in by something neither of us can seem to fight.
Vanessa claps her hands, exhaling a quiet laugh, stepping in even closer. “Well, well. She’s unexpected.”
I say nothing.
She shifts herself toward me, lips brushing close to my ear. “Oh, but I can see the attraction,” she murmurs, the words rolling over her tongue like a slow seduction. “Those firm, perfect tits. Such a peachy ass. And those full, red lips? They’d look even better wrapped around that fat cock of yours.”
My gaze snaps to her, sharp and cutting. She smirks. She knows exactly what she’s doing. And even though I’m aware she’s baiting me, my cock swells impossibly hard at the image she’s planted.Fuck.Now I’m angry and horny—the worst possible combination.
“I don’t mind sharing,” she whispers. “If she’s as fun as she looks.”
My jaw locks. “Walk away, Vanessa, before I have you thrown out. No one will lay a damn finger on Violet except me. If anyone so much as breathes on her, I’ll rip their fucking hands off.”
Her eyes widen, her smirk faltering. “You actuallylikeher?”
But I’m not listening to Vanessa anymore. I take a step closer to the balcony when I see Violet disappearing down a hallway.
And before I even have time to think, my feet are moving.
Right towards her.
Chapter twelve
Violet
My pulse picks up at the sound of approaching footsteps. I’m not sure why. I’m not doing anything wrong. Maybe it’s because I’m enjoying the solitude, the escape from the mess of emotions I want to bury.
Champagne swirls in my veins, clouding my mind with thoughts ofhim. I like to wonder what Mom would say if she were here. I often talk to her in my head. Would she tell me to run or to dive in and live a little, consequences be damned?
I tip my head back, staring at the ceiling. “What now, Mom, huh? Why is it that someone so wrong feels so goddamn right?”
The footsteps get closer until they stop. The sound of Nicki Minaj’s Monster verse a faint echo from the dancefloor. An imperceptible shift in the air has me turning toward the door, my instincts firing off an alarm. A shadow darkens the gap at the foot of the door. The air stalls in my throat as the door handle lowers before it creaks open.
Chase materializes like a dark angel, a shadow in the dim light. He closes the door softly, locking it behind him—the sharp click seeping under my skin like pure adrenaline. My pulse stumbles, caught between wariness and... something far more dangerous. Far more thrilling.
He leans against the wall, arms folded, exuding an eerie calm, but I see through it. That barely leashed hunger. The wild beast clawing beneath the surface of his skin.
“Chase?” My voice climbs, thin with uncertainty. I clear my throat, forcing nonchalance. “Shouldn’t you be out there with yourdate?”
He tilts his head, watching me with that cool intensity. “She’s not my date, but I’m flattered you’re jealous, Violet.”
I scoff, folding my arms. “Please.”
“Adorable, even.” He smirks, his gaze flicking to my pebbled nipples—his arrogance telling him exactly what he already knows.
I take a breath that doesn’t quite steady me as he pushes off the wall, voice dropping—smooth, but with that quiet steel. “If I wanted her, why do you think I’m here with you?”
“I don’t know, Chase.” I keep my tone even, but my heart’s a hammer in my chest. “Why are you here?”
His gaze burns into mine as he stalks towards me, eating the space with slow, measured strides. My gaze flicks to the door, half-contemplating escape, the other anchored by the heat in those damn eyes. I send up another silent plea—run or stay, mom?... run or stay?—but it’s too late.
He’s already behind me.
