7. Violet

7

VIOLET

I'm walking down the street, but nothing looks familiar. Am I somewhere on vacation? The stores are cute, and I think to myself that I'll have to go back. Why can't I stop now?

I keep walking and stop when I get to a fancy table outside of a restaurant. It's covered in a red and white checkered tablecloth like the movies. Am I on set?

"Please sit down, ma'am." A man comes out of nowhere and points to a chair that wasn't there a second ago.

I sit, unable to do anything else. I look down at myself and I'm dressed in the outfit I wore when I played Kelli on Family Time. This is from when I was seventeen years old and doesn't fit anymore. I don't even own the outfit, how am I wearing it and why?

There's food on the table now and a candle lit in the middle. It's pumpkin pie with whipped cream on top. I hate pumpkin pie.

"I know how much you like it," a voice says, but I can't see where or who it comes from.

"Who's there?" I ask, but my voice comes out scratchy. That's when I notice the rope tying my hands together and feel the one around my throat. I scream, but nothing comes out.

I scream again and again, but no one hears me.

"Violet, wake up, gorgeous." A reassuring voice pulls me from the nightmare.

Tears fall down my face as I pull myself up and into Kane's arms. His body is warm and safe. He holds me, murmuring reassuring words I can't quite make out and runs his hands up and down my back. I curl my body into him, unwilling to face him or the darkness of my bedroom.

"You're okay." Kane pulls back a little so I can see his face. "It was a bad dream, you're safe, I promise."

I nod and put my face back into the crook of his neck. He's shirtless and his muscular body against mine feels so good.

For several minutes we sit like that, and then with a sweet kiss on the top of my head, Kane pulls away.

"Wanna talk about it?" he asks.

"There's not much to it. I was walking, then there was a fancy dinner. It was pumpkin pie. I hate pumpkin pie. Then I was tied up with rope and being strangled. I screamed, but no one heard me."

"I heard you," he says.

"You did." I feel calmer now, but I don't want to be alone. Is it weird to ask Kane to stay with me until I fall asleep? I don't care. I ask him anyway.

"Of course, I'll stay with you if that's what you need," he agrees.

He climbs into bed on top of the covers like a gentleman.

"You're going to be cold if you're not under the blanket," I murmur as I start to drift off to sleep again.

"I'll be okay, gorgeous." His voice rumbles in my ear.

"I'm glad you're here, Kane."

"Me too, Violet. Me too."

I drift off to sleep laying in the arms of the man that I could see myself losing my heart to.

The next morning, I wake up lying on top of Kane. So much for him staying under the covers, he's under them now, or maybe the covers are gone. I don't know.

Our legs are intertwined and one of his big hands holds firmly onto my ass. My head rests on his chest, and I can feel every part of his hard body against mine… every part.

I move a little bit and feel his cock jump against my hip. Holy shit, he's huge. I ache to know what it would feel like to be loved by him. I thought last night when we were on the sofa something might happen, but nothing did. There are so many reasons not to.

He's Zoe's brother and here to protect me. My whole world is upside down because of some lunatic. But Kane makes me feel safe, and when we talked last night, it was different than it is with anyone else. He didn't care that I was famous or what I could do for him. He wanted to know about me.

Should I get off him while he's asleep and pretend this didn't happen? I'm about to attempt to slide from his large frame when the hand on my butt cheek starts massaging and his other hand moves from my side up to my head.

"Are you going to let me know what you're thinking?"

"Um, I was trying to decide if I should stay or go," I say as I look up into his dark eyes full of passion.

"Do I get a vote?" He asks as he moves his lips closer to mine. "Because I vote you stay right here."

His lips gently touch mine and my body goes up in flames. What the hell? How can a simple kiss ignite every cell in my body?

He pulls back, separating us, and I cry out already addicted to him.

"Is this okay, Violet? I need to know that you want this, want me."

I move my body against his and smile as I move my hands into his hair. "I want you, Kane. I don't care what happens later, I want you right now."