“Moi?” He lifted an eyebrow. “Surely I would not dream of such a thing.”
She narrowed her eyes at him; he blew her a kiss.
Perhaps Tamsyn’s presence wouldn’t be as much of a hindrance as he initially believed. Violet was obviously very protective of her, which meant she was focused more on guarding the pixie than herself, giving him an opportunity to sneak through whatever chinks she left undefended.
She was good at such things, yes, but he was a master at circumventing them.
Violet
Things went smoothly after the semi-awkward meal, or as smoothly as one could hope when Boudreaux was thrown in the mix. He played the part of gracious host effortlessly, taking care of cleaning up and doing the dishes even though there was a perfectly good dishwasher in the kitchen.
Violet couldn’t fault him on that score.
He practically oozed Southern charm from his pores like pheromones; if Tamsyn wasn’t loyally, rigidly, desperately in love with Merrick, she might have fallen prey to that astounding charisma and the devil’s voice. His manners were impeccable,his queries friendly and unintrusive despite the fact Violet knew damn well he harbored suspicions about the diminutive sub.
They watched a few movies, and Violet continued to send thanks heavenward that Tamsyn was not a Little. She’d had the dubious pleasure of minding Callie and Sierra on occasion, and that… well, after several hours of cartoons and children’s shows, she’d decided having a root canal or two would be less taxing on her senses.
When it got dark outside and the temperature began to drop, Boudreaux acted like a gentleman, standing quietly to draw the thick, floor-length curtains closed and light the fire in the oversized stone hearth. Instead of coffee, water, and the soda Tamsyn loved, he made hot cocoa with tiny ghost-shaped marshmallows, just right for upcoming Halloween.
By the time the doorbell rang at just after ten, Tamsyn thought he hung the moon and danced on the stars. Under any other circumstances, Violet might have believed the same, but whenever she got too comfortable with the pretense he was putting on now, she was reminded of the look on his face when he snapped her heart into pieces, threw them at her feet, and dismissed her from his world.
He slid his gaze over to her. “Would that be Tamsyn’s Dom?”
They both glanced over to the corner of the couch, where Tamsyn curled in a ball, fast asleep with her head pillowed in her hand. Faint movement beneath her eyelids and the twitching muscles around her mouth indicated she was in deep, well beyond being woken by the bell.
“It will be Merrick, yes.”
Dutifully, Boudreaux set his empty mug aside and rose to answer the door. It was hard not to watch his ass in those sweats, or to ignore the muscles flexing down his back as he walked, but Violet was proud to claim victory over the temptation.
She barely had time to set her own mug down before a cold breeze drafted in, then Merrick loomed in the doorway, flanked by Reaux. The Dom looked exhausted, hints of sweat still dampening his temples. “Merrick. Long day?”
“Could say that.” He glanced over his shoulder. “New sub?”
“Could say that,” she mimicked.
He grunted, a tired smirk kissing his mouth as Boudreaux padded past him to retake his seat. “Never known you to bring work past the front door, Vi.”
“Not all of us fall for the first mute we find hiding in a supply closet,” she replied sweetly. “Lady Luck likes you, Merrick. She likes Tamsyn more.”
“Of course she does.” Tired green eyes landed on the adorable lump on the couch and immediately softened with love. “Appreciate you taking her on for the afternoon. She enjoys spending time with Callie in short bursts, otherwise it takes her hours to decompress.”
“And we’re surprised by this?”
He chuckled. “No. That woman runs on a completely different wavelength. I know it’s past time I loosen the reins and remember Tamsyn is a grown woman, capable of looking after herself while I’m at work, but…”
“She won’t wander into another orgy, Merrick.” Even as she said it, she saw Boudreaux’s attention sharpen. “It will take a while for your protective instincts to calm. That was a scary night for you both. Add in what happened with her father, may he rot in everlasting hell, and it’s no surprise you’re reluctant to relax. She’s welcome here whenever she wants.”
“She’ll take full advantage of that, I’m sure. You know, she still has trouble expressing herself when it comes to emotions, but I don’t think I’m overstepping any lines if I tell you she loves you, Vi.” Merrick’s expression was serious, his eyes boring into her. “We all do. I hope you realize just how much you’re loved here.”
Did he know she was planning on leaving? Violet almost snorted—of course he did; housekeeping was efficient, but when it came to gossip, they were like monkeys sitting in the treetops exchanging juicy segments of fruit for attention. Their NDAs prevented them from talking to anyone outside of Serenity, not those also under the NDA umbrella.
In all likelihood, the majority of Serenity knew her business by now.
God help her.
She was sorely tempted to kick Boudreaux’s ass back to his own cabin before housekeeping got hold of that little tidbit too, but Evander would only stick his misplaced, matchmaker nose into things and return him to her, probably with the excuse that there were no spare cabins left—which would be the biggest pile of horseshit that gigantic jackass ever left in his wake.
“I do, Merrick. It is… reciprocated.”
