6. Kane

6

KANE

Tonight has been one of the best nights I remember having in a long time. Getting to know Violet has left me wanting more and more of her. She's gorgeous, smart, and funny.

Sitting on the sofa, we trade stories about Zoe and our families. She grew up surprisingly normal even though she was exposed to Hollywood at a young age.

Every minute we spend together, I become more attracted to this woman and it becomes harder to not touch her. We started the night on opposite ends of the sofa but somehow gravitated toward each other. Our thighs now press up against each other and every once in a while, she leans her head on my shoulder when she laughs or sighs.

If I could, I'd put off this hard conversation I know we have to have next and take her into the bedroom. I'd use my body to make her forget everything, but I can't do that. I need to remember that I can't do that.

"Violet?" I say her name softly.

"I know, we have to talk about the stalker, don't we?"

"We do, gorgeous. I know you don't want to, but I need to know exactly what's happening so I can protect you." I gently turn her face so she's looking at me. "Nothing is going to happen to you. I promise."

She swallows hard and nods her head. Her mouth is so close, I could close the gap between us and taste her. She licks her lips and a moan escapes from my throat. My dick is so hard in my pants and if Violet looked down, the outline against my gym pants would give me away.

I try to scoot away from her and put space between us, but Violet moves with me. "I know that it's inappropriate, and you can say no, but can you stay close while I show you these?"

Fuck. Her voice, usually so strong and clear, is small and timid.

"Of course, gorgeous," I say as I pull her against my body. I don't care if she can tell I'm turned on. She needs comfort and I'm going to give it to her. "Whatever you need."

"Thank you, Kane."

She grabs her tablet from the sofa cushion next to her. "I have copies of all the letters here. I made notes that say when I received them, who I told, where they were, what I'd been doing that day, and if anything weird happened before the letter was delivered."

I look through the folder she's put together. It's thorough and full of good information.

"Did you share this with Adam?" I ask.

"Yes, Zoe has a copy, too."

"This is very good. I'll read through it tonight if that's okay." I don't want to make her go through it all with me and with her documentation, she doesn't need to.

"That's fine. I don't want to look at any of it again. I don't understand what I could've done to someone to make them do this to me. The notes sound like someone who loves me or thinks they do, but someone who loves me wouldn't make me so afraid."

Violet shivers as her words hang in the air. I put the tablet down and wrap my arms around her. She's right, someone who loved her, someone who feels the way I'm starting to feel about this amazing woman, wouldn't be able to hurt her in this way. I've known her for mere hours, and I'd do anything to see her smile.

"It's late and you've had a long day." I stand up, pulling her up with me. "Why don't you go to bed?"

She nods and starts heading toward the bedroom but stops and turns around halfway there. I immediately flash to a fantasy where she's asking me to come with her to bed and have to shake myself out of it, so I can hear what she's saying.

"Where's your room?" Violet asks. "It's not important, I just didn't see another bedroom and wondered where it is."

"There's only one bedroom, gorgeous," I answer with a smile. "I'm going to bunk out here in the living room."

"No, you should have the bedroom. You won't fit on that sofa and I will." She storms back and stands in front of me like a five-foot-two general.

"No way. I've slept in worse places. You're taking the bedroom. I'm a gentleman and my mom would beat me with her wooden spoon if I let a woman sleep on the sofa while I take the bed." I give her my most charming smile.

"I've met your mom, and she wouldn't beat anyone with a wooden spoon," Violet says. "I'll sleep in the bedroom tonight, but tomorrow we switch."

I nod, but it's not an agreement. I'm not going to let her sleep on the sofa at all, but that's a conversation for tomorrow. Violet walks back to the bedroom.

"Goodnight, Kane."

"Sweet dreams, gorgeous."

After Violet shuts the door, I grab a beer from the kitchen and sit at the table to look through the file she's put together on the stalker.

The first letters are basic telling her she looked pretty, that he liked her in some movie. Then they turn more specific— noting what outfit she was wearing that day or who she was with when she was out. There were gifts— flowers, stuffed animals, and food.

The thing that worries me the most is that the locations of where things were being left went from outside of public places to the last bouquet of roses being left inside her apartment.

Zoe assured me that this maniac couldn't figure out where Violet was, but he got into her home. I'm not going to take any chances. I'm going to be on high alert.

I'm throwing away the beer bottle and getting ready for my uncomfortable night on the couch when I hear noises coming from the bedroom. At first, it's faint and I think that maybe I just imagined it. The idea that the stalker could find Violet is making me a little jumpy, but as I turn off the lights, I hear a louder cry coming from the bedroom.

Something's wrong.