Violet peered up at him. “You really want there to be a next time?”
“I do,” he told her honestly. “Although you should know, this date is far from over.”
Heat swarmed in her big brown eyes. “Are you a glutton for punishment?”
Simon chuckled, shifting their joined hands behind her back as he leaned in and pressed his lips to hers. “I’m glad you brought that up.”
“Brought what up?” she asked when he gestured toward the front door.
“Punishment,” he said softly. “We’ve yet to talk about yours.”
“Oh, you sweet talker, you,” she teased.
Violet tugged her keys out of her pocket and unlocked the door. There were a few lights on inside, enough for the cats not to feel as though they were home alone, probably.
Simon followed her inside, closing and locking the door behind him.
“Hey, guys,” Violet greeted the cats, pure adoration threaded in her tone. “Are you hungry?”
Simon took a seat on the couch while she went to the kitchen to take care of the giant cats. He looked around the living room as though taking it in for the first time. Last night and this morning, he’d been far too distracted to do more than notice where he was walking.
Violet’s house was what he would consider modern minimalist. She had just enough furniture pieces for guests but not too much to overwhelm the small room. There was a rug onthe hardwood, probably for comfort more so than design. There was no fireplace, only a stand that held a decent-sized television. On the shelf at the bottom of the stand were pictures. There were a couple of her, Elana, and Spencer, but the rest looked to be her sisters and mother. There were none of her father but based on the man’s track record in her life, Simon wasn’t surprised.
“Would you like somethin’ to drink?”
“Water,” he said, getting to his feet when Violet stepped into the room.
She turned back to the kitchen. He joined her as she was closing the refrigerator, a bottle of water in her hand.
“Thank you,” he said when she passed it to him. “We’ll both need it in a little while.”
Her expression was hopeful. “We will?”
Taking her hand, he gestured toward the cats with the other. “They good for a while?”
Violet nodded.
“Good.”
Simon led the way to her bedroom, closing the door behind them. He set the water bottle on the nightstand before continuing into the en suite bathroom. Like the rest of the house, it was clean. Almost immaculately so.
“I really am sorry about my cousins,” she said as he released her hand to turn on the claw-foot tub, which was also the shower.
“There’s nothing to apologize for.” He pulled the knob to shift to the showerhead and slid the fabric curtain closed to keepit from spraying the rest of the room. “They’re your family. They mean well.”
“Yeah? Well, well-meaning feels more like oppression and suffocation most of the time.”
He smiled, brushing her hair back. “I can see that. But right now, those well-meaning, insufferable people aren’t here. It’s just you and me.” He brushed a hand over her hair. “And we, sweet girl, have some things to discuss.”
“We do?”
Simon nodded, reaching for the hem of her T-shirt, lifting slowly. Violet raised her arms, allowing him to remove it.
He took his time undressing them both while the bathroom filled with steam from the heat of the water. He led her into the tub and closed the curtain around them, ensuring she was beneath the spray first. Sliding his hand under her hair, he cupped her head and fused his lips to hers. Every muscle in his body tensed with anticipation when she touched him, her soft, cool fingers sliding over his back as she leaned into him.
They remained just like that for long minutes, tongues and hands exploring. No matter how much time passed, Simon knew he would never get enough of this woman. Throughout the day, he’d longed to see her again, to hear her sultry laugh and those sassy remarks. It was a wonder he could do anything because his thoughts were filled with her.
“I could kiss you all night,” he told her. “But if I did that, we’d get nothing accomplished.”
