“Then allow me to show you. We can still be together. Nothing is stopping us—”
“But the producers of a multi-million-dollar television show of which you’re the face and your new girlfriend is your co-star.” Her heartache is palpable, and I don’t blame her. I don’t expect her to be okay with this, because if the tables were turned, I would most certainly not be all right with her and another man locking lips. And right now, it’s the last thing I want. Because all I need is her.
I reach for her, my hand hovering in the air for a short moment before she slips her fingers over my palm, and I pull her into my lap. She shakes her head. “You can’t fix everything with sex, Colton.”
“Let me show you. Let me make you feel good because you are mine.” My words are husky as I trail a path down her body and between her spread legs. I shift the hemline of her dress up and find the apex of her thighs, my thumb teasing lazy circles over her panties, right on the bundle of nerves that earns me a whimper. “This is mine,” I claim.
“Colton.” Violet moans my name, causing my dick to jerk against my zipper. I continue my ministrations, teasing her until a wet patch forms on her panties, and I lock my gaze on her apple-shaped face as pleasure takes over the pain I saw there when I first walked in.
She rides out the storm, the way my thumb teases and taunts her, and she takes her pleasure. Her hands land on my shoulders, and I’m in awe of how her body moves, taking and taking, until suddenly, she starts trembling in my arms.
“Shit,” Violet whispers, dropping her head on my shoulder, her lips tickling my neck as she presses her lips to me gently, small, quick kisses, but they only seem to fuel the fire she’s already stoked.
“You’re mine,” I command. “It may be too soon to say that, but I need you to know. I’m not going anywhere, and if you believe the shit in the papers, I’ll walk away from this show. No questions asked.”
We stay like that for a while. Silence hangs heavily in the living room, and I allow it to hold us hostage. I’ve said all I can say; it’s time for her to make the decision.
I won’t force her to be with me, but I need her to know that I care for her, and this isn’t over. I may have to keep up appearances as per the contract, but my personal life is my own.
“I don’t like how you make me feel,” Violet whispers. “That power you have over my emotions is scary.” Her admission is murmured in the crook of my neck, but she doesn’t move to meet my gaze. Perhaps this is easier for her to admit like this, so I settle back, my arms wrapped around her.
“I know how you feel because I’m afraid too,” I confess. “It’s not every day I find a woman who challenges me the way you do, who makes me work for it rather than chases me for a moment of my time.” After my voice falls silent, she doesn’t respond.
The quiet is only broken by the ticking of the clock Violet has hanging on the wall above her television cabinet. I take a look around her apartment, noticing how her purse and clothes are thrown haphazardly about the room. She most probably came home angry and upset. There’s also a shopping bag which has been tipped over, and inside, I notice the flowing black material that is probably the dress she told me about via text message earlier.
Finally, Violet looks up. “I don’t want to hurt,” she admits. “I don’t want my heart broken, at all.” The pain in her words stabs at my chest.
“I know. And I’m not going to hurt you.”
“No, you’re not because I think until this show is over,” she starts, her voice lowering, and her bottom lip trembling. “I think it’s best to put distance between us.”
“What?” No. She can’t want this.
“Please, Colton, respect my wishes. I can’t go through this every time I see you with her, even if it’s on-screen, and I know for a fact it’s fake.” Her words do more than pierce my mind. They attack my heart with violent agony that makes it difficult to breathe.
“Violet—”
“Please.” Her plea is clear. She’s adamant about this. How can I make her see that I care about her and her only? When I lock my gaze on hers, I see the determination in her expression. I can’t change her mind, not yet.
Slowly, I nod. “Okay.” And that’s the end of it. Violet scoots off my lap, leaving me cold. Barren. Once again, I’ve lost someone who’s become so much more than just passing phase.