Chapter 4

CHAPTER 4

ZANE

“ W hat were you thinking, Zane?” Deanna asks. “You married a stranger in Vegas? That doesn’t even sound like you.”

Now she cares about me and what I do? “You don’t know me that well, Deanna. And what I do shouldn’t really matter to you. Don’t you have a boyfriend you should be with right about now?”

“I was just worried about you,” she says softly. “I do want you to be happy.”

My gaze lifts involuntarily to Violet, who seems to be watching intently. I flash her a smile before turning back to Deanna.

“Then you have nothing to worry about. I’m not your concern, Deanna, and I’d appreciate it if you’d remember that.” It’s one thing to be okay that she’s with Brayden. If she’s happy, so am I. But that doesn’t mean I want to hang out with either of them. I want to be civil and nothing more. I realize now that I should have trusted my gut and the bazillion red flags, as well as Deanna’s word, instead of hoping for something different. I also should have acted differently afterward, but that’s over and done with. Even though she was honest about what she wanted and expected, it still doesn’t mean I want to hang out with her or have casual conversation.

“Deanna,” Brayden’s gruff voice interrupts us. She turns to face him. “Leave him alone and let him get back to his date.”

Deanna turns toward me with wide eyes. “She’s here?”

“Of course she’s here. Where else would she be?” I pick up the drinks I came to get us. “See you guys around.” With that, I head back to my date.

Violet eyes me as if I’ve been up to something in a back room rather than standing near the bar in plain sight. I’ll take a wild guess and say she was told exactly who I was talking to.

“Everything okay?” she asks.

“Yeah, sorry about that.” I hand her the drink and she takes a good gulp. “Let me introduce you to some of my other teammates. Excuse us, guys.”

As we step away, Violet asks, “Going to introduce me to Deanna?”

I laugh. “If you want me to, I can, but I wasn’t planning on it.”

Violet comments on how Sydney and Ian seem nice, and I introduce her to EJ, the Kessy twins, and a few others. Everyone seems to welcome her with open arms. We mingle, dance, and go through the haunted banquet hall Brayden managed to put together. Violet jumps at every little thing, clutching me tighter each time.

There’s a pumpkin carving contest, too, where the pumpkin with the most votes wins a thousand dollars to a charity of their choice. I lead Violet that way after we finish the haunted hall.

“Want to?” I ask.

She stiffens next to me as she admires the pumpkins already carved. I tuck her into my side in an effort to remind her that I’m here and she has my support, though I’m unsure for what.

“The last time I carved pumpkins was the Halloween before my grandma died,” she says softly. “We used to carve them every year as kids and my grandma kept up the tradition, even with us being teenagers.” Violet takes a deep breath as if to steady herself and then looks up at me. “I’d love to.”

We walk around the table and then take a seat in front of waiting pumpkins and next to Cal.

“Didn’t think you’d want to carve a pumpkin,” I say.

“Got a side bet going with Collin that I can get more votes than him,” he explains.

“This is stupid,” his girlfriend, Tori, complains. “What are we, nine?”

Cal completely ignores her and peers over at Violet. “You actually like him?” He scrutinizes her as if he can detect if she’s a bad apple or something.

“Enough to marry him while intoxicated, apparently.”

Cal laughs at her answer. He carries on easy conversation with her while we carve, but we both finish long before Violet. She takes her pumpkin carving seriously. We easily spend an hour and a half waiting on her to finish.

The fact that she free-hands a design instead of picking one of the various designs offered impresses me. Afterward, we grab a little something to eat as the night begins to wind down.

Brayden stands at the front of the room on a small stage. He clears his throat into a microphone and gathers everyone’s attention as the music pauses.

“Okay, everyone, it’s time to announce a couple of winners. The pumpkin carving contest is up first. The pumpkin with the most votes by a landslide is…” He peers at a piece of paper. “Violet’s pumpkin?” Violet squeezes my hand and when I look down at her, she actually seems a little horrified. His gaze scans the room. “Where’s Violet?” he asks over the applause. “Come on up.”

Violet, though, seems frozen in place.

“Babe, that’s you.”

“Right.” She stiffly walks to the front of the room where Deanna meets her to jot down the name of whatever charity she chooses. They converse for a moment before Violet hurries back to me.

“Now for the best costume,” Brayden continues. “I’ll be donating five thousand dollars to a charity of your choice.” Brayden looks at a second piece of paper and groans. “Marco,” he starts, a hoot immediately coming from Marc, “and Lizzy,” he finishes.

The crowd rustles as they make their way to the mini stage.

“What are they?” Violet whispers.

I shrug. “Couple from a TV show, I think.” Marc told me, but I can’t remember. He thought I was living under a rock because I never heard of the show, let alone the couple.

“They are very elaborate,” Violet says.

Marc begins a speech as if he just won a huge, important prize and I tune out, though he gets a few laughs. As soon as that’s over, we make our rounds to say goodbye, and head out.

“Did you have fun?” I ask as I drive her home twenty minutes later.

“Yes. Can I see your house?” When I glance over at her with surprise, she adds, “I just want to see it, know where you live, and take a peek at proof we’re married.”

I take a turn since we’re going to my house.

“Nice place,” she murmurs once I park. I jog around to open the door for her and then lead her inside.

“Look around all you’d like; I’ll grab the paperwork.” I leave her for my bedroom and snag what I need. When I return, she’s taken a seat on the couch. “Apparently, I paid for a photographer, too. About a week after, I got a package in the mail.” I hand her the marriage certificate and the photos.

She briefly looks at the document deeming us husband and wife before turning to the photos. “We look happy,” she says with a little laugh. “Can barely tell we’d been drinking.” Violet sighs after looking through all the photos. She sets them down on the coffee table and then slides the ring set off her finger. “Here,” she says, holding them out for me to take. “You spent entirely too much money. You should get some of it back.”

I shake my head and push her hand back toward her. “Keep it. No take backs. I don’t mind.” It was a good chunk of change, but it’s not like I spend that much every day. It’s fine.

She doesn’t seem to like my answer, but she slides the rings back on her finger. Violet stands and excuses herself to the restroom. It seems like quite a bit of time passes and she still hasn’t returned. Has she escaped out the back? I stand and head down the hallway.

She’s in my bedroom, holding a picture of my family that rested on my dresser.

“Everything okay?”

She swivels to face me. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to be nosy.”

I shrug. “I said you could look around.” I walk over to stand next to her. I want ask more about her family, but not tonight. “Was this just a ploy to get me in the bedroom?” I ask as I take the frame and put it back in its place. Tired of the wig, I pluck it off my head and drop it onto the dresser.

Violet laughs, but she sounds a little nervous. “I don’t need a ploy; if I remember correctly, you’re the one with the lame pickup lines.”

I grin. “They always seem to work, though. They definitely did with you.” I rest my hand on her shoulder and let my fingers slowly fall until her hand is in mine. Such a simple move yet I swear she shivers.

“Did you ever stop to think it only works because you’re kinda famous and have money?”

She’s teasing, lying even, because she didn’t know who I was. Yet her words still bite, especially when there are women who throw themselves at me for that very reason. I learned that when I had my wild streak after Deanna. I barely had to ask some of the women to come back to my room.

Something about my demeanor must change because Violet softly says, “Oh, Zane.” She rests a hand on my arm. “I’m sorry. I was teasing. It works because you’re ridiculously handsome with a killer smile. At least that’s my excuse.”

I grin. “Are you saying you find me irresistible?” I take a step closer, making us toe-to-toe.

“Hardly,” she breathes, looking up at me. The air around us shifts, electrifying. Every fiber of my body itches to devour every inch of hers. “You should probably take me home.” Her soft voice spurs me onward while her words make me hesitate.

“Should I?” Leaning down, I trail kisses from her cheek, down her jaw, to her neck and shoulder. She’s beautiful and her costume has been driving me crazy all night. I need to get her naked first at the very least.

“You’re trying to seduce me while looking like a troll?” She sounds like she’s about to laugh, but it’s cut short when I place an open-mouthed kiss on her neck. “Zane,” she exhales. I can’t tell if it’s a protest or a plea.

I lift my head, hoping her eyes will tell me more. Violet doesn’t give me a chance. Her hands grab my face and pull me back to her. Our mouths collide and all bets are off. It’s a race to remove our clothes as desire overwhelms us. I guide us over to my bed and we fall with a heap.

This?

The rush, the excitement, the anticipation.

The emotions flood my body like a drug I can’t get enough of. She’s something I can’t get enough of. It’s never been like this with anyone. Always itching to be around her, to be with her. Violet is unlike anyone I’ve ever met.

There’s this vulnerability, yet a toughness.

Skepticism, yet conviction.

Softness, yet a hardness.

She’s all the emotions wrapped in one pretty mysterious package.

“How do you keep doing this to me?” Violet asks breathlessly as she lies next to me some time later.

I turn my head toward her and laugh, both at her question and at what I see. My body paint is now smudged all over her body. Violet follows my gaze and laughs as well.

“I don’t know how you do it,” she says. “Even looking like an ugly troll, you manage to get me in bed.”

“Because I’m irresistible.”

Violet laughs. It’s nice to see her carefree and light. I don’t think she’s ever been that way. My fingers twitch to hold her as if that’s all I need to keep her here forever in her good mood.

“Want to stay?”

She raises an eyebrow at me. “At this point, I might as well. I should shower, though, if that’s okay?” Violet frowns. “I don’t have a change of clothes.”

“I can loan you a T-shirt.”

“But tomorrow…” Her voice trails off.

Right. Tomorrow she’d have to put the costume on just to leave.

“I mean, I’ve got a robe if you’re okay wearing it in the car and the short distance out of my house and into yours?”

She raises an eyebrow again. “You have a robe?”

“Is that weird?”

“Surprising.” Violet looks at me for a long moment and then smiles. “Might as well. You should probably shower, too, though.” She stands and heads toward the bathroom. Midway there, she glances over her shoulder. “Coming?”

She doesn’t have to ask me twice.

“Violet,” I whisper after placing a kiss to her bare shoulder. We never did make it to where she borrowed my T-shirt. All the chemistry that exploded in Vegas is still very much alive and thriving. I just want to bury my nose in her body and stay lost in her forever.

An irritated groan rumbles up her throat and makes me smile.

“Time to wake up already?” she grumbles.

“Yeah.”

“I don’t wanna.” She buries her face into the pillow, causing me to chuckle.

“Okay,” I answer easily. “Stay here then. I’ll catch a ride to the facility. You can drive my car to your house if you’d like and I’ll just get dropped off over there.”

Violet rolls to face me and peeks at me with one eye, the other hidden due to the pillow. “Really?”

“Yeah, if that’s what you want to do.”

“I can stay here for a bit?”

“Of course.”

She leans forward to kiss me. “Thank you. I’ve got a bit of a headache and I want to sleep it off before it gets worse, if I can.”

“Do whatever.” I hesitate for a moment and then add, “Ian wants me to stop by for dinner after they go trick-or-treating and I’ll probably bring some candy for the kids. Want to go with me?”

“Might as well.”

I tilt my head. “Is that your answer to everything? Might as well?”

She smiles. “Zane, I married you on a whim. Whether or not I go somewhere with you doesn’t seem like a decision that merits much thought. Might as well seems like the most logical answer.”

“You’d do anything I ask then?”

She laughs. “Don’t get carried away.” Violet pulls the blankets up to her chin and snuggles back into her pillow. When I make no move to get out of bed, she peeks at me again. “Yes, Zane?”

I’m a little amazed after last night and distracted that she’s still here, in my bed, and completely naked. This could be my life every day. The force of just how badly I want it roots me in place. It makes me want to cover her body with mine and fuck her until she is too delirious and satisfied to think of going anywhere else.

“Don’t you have somewhere to go?” she asks when I say nothing.

“I have a little bit of time.”

Her laugh makes me smile. I slip my hand beneath the blankets, find her hip, and travel upward. I just need to be with her one more time before I go.

“Ask me,” she says.

“Do you want to fool around before I leave?”

“Might as well.”

My grin and laugh can’t be helped. This girl is something else. I can only hope to have more mornings like this. Violet may be hoping for a family, which I want to give her, but I’m hoping to find someone to love and someone who will love me back. I don’t know why I have this craving to have someone in my life, but it’s there and it’s loud. Despite having teammates who very much feel like family, life is still lonely. There’s no one to come home to, no one outside of the team to spend my free time with, and more often than not, they have their own families.

Violet gives me hope that maybe someday soon I’ll have someone all to myself in my life.