Chapter Six

Elijah felt as if his heart had arrested. Her words both stunned him and tore him to shreds. He'd been the biggest asshole to her, wished he could take so much of it back. Wished he could do things differently. He would if he had the power to travel back in time. That young man was so full of anger and hate, decided to take it out on someone who had lesser power than he. All so he could feel like he was in control of something.

But little did he know … he had control of nothing.

"Violet," he said and swallowed hard. "You going to let me talk now?"

She said nothing so he took that as consent and went on. He still palmed her neck, but now found himself wanting to soothe her as if she was a wild beast fighting to be set free. His thumb stroked in circles along the side. Her skin felt as soft and vulnerable as a lamb, something he could be content with touching forever.

"First, I want to say this. I was an asshole to you in high school. I can't say anything to go back and make it better but what I can say is I'm sorry for being a dick to you. I'm sorry for the shitty years I put you through."

She said nothing, so he tried again.

"I'm so sorry, Violet."

"I heard you," she said, not that he deserved her acknowledgment. But he'd find a way to make it up to her.

"Second, you're twenty-one-years-old." Not a question, a statement.

"Uh, yeah. Like you."

"How are you still a virgin?"

She tensed, and he continued the soothing roll of his thumb. "It's not like I've been trying to remain one, or not. I've just been trying to survive, Elijah. And it's been tough. Imagine having no one to fall back on. No parents, no family. No friends." She swallowed and the movement of it rolled under his hand. "I've had to do it all on my own."

"I'm—"

"Swear to God, if you say I'm sorry again, I'll scream."

He smiled, then leaned close to her ear again, kissed the shell. "Fine, then let me make my third point. I didn't mean that I didn't want to be in here with you. I'm glad it was you because I've gotten a chance to make amends with you, to talk things through. And while it's a fucked-up situation, I plan on continuing to make those amends.

"What I meant was I'd rather be in a bed or somewhere else where I could worship you properly before fucking your brains out. Not in some box where we're sure to end up with a crick in our necks or bruises from bumping against the side."

She sighed. "Oh."

He grinned and nipped at her jaw. "Yeah, oh. So what do you say we get out of here?"

Her breath hitched and she shifted. Was that because she was uncomfortable, or because she was getting excited at the idea? He hated not being able to see her face, her expressions.

"Yeah?" he asked, trailing his mouth along her jawline.

Her breath hitched again. "Yeah," she said back.

"Okay, I'm going to touch you now. And you're going to need to touch me, too."

"Okay," she whispered, her face turning to him.

He wanted to do this right, wanted to show her she could trust him. But he understood that trusting him might be a long time coming. Especially with their past. Instead of promising things he knew would go in one ear and out the other, he kissed her.

Finding her lips in the dark wasn't as hard as he thought. Her breath fluttered over his lips before he sealed his mouth to hers. She opened immediately, and he groaned at the feel of her tongue seeking his. He shifted his grip to her jaw and deepened the kiss, tangling his tongue around the hot and wetness of hers. She whimpered into his mouth, and he went hard against her leg.

His dick pulsed as if asking for attention, but he concentrated on making this good for Violet. He owed her this. Owed her so much more. And once they were out of this box, he'd tried to give it to her.

He nipped at her lips, sucked at them, then returned to his favorite part—her tongue, diving deep again. She shifted to get closer to him, her body moving as if she wanted to be closer.

Taking his hand from her jaw, he trailed it slowly down her body. Petting her along the way. Getting her used to his touch while exploring her at the same time. She wore a top that molded to her curves, so her breasts were held tight on the cotton tee. He tested their weight, curved his thumb over erect nipples. Wished he could taste her now, too. But there was no way he would reveal her body to those bastards watching outside. Instead, he kept his hands over her clothes as he discovered her and what she liked.

She arched into his touch when he raked a nail over her nipple. Gasped into his mouth as he lightly pinched it. She reacted to him as if she were made to lay with him. And the thought both jolted him with surprise and angered him because of all they'd missed out on. All because he'd been a jerk.

Pushing that thought out of his mind, he let his hand trail farther, shifted to the inside of her thigh. She froze, her mouth open under his.

"Trust me," he said, or begged. He didn't know. Two words that weren't very easy for her, he knew.

He held still as she kept her legs closed for one moment … two. Then, she opened, and he let out a breath, kissed her deeply, and shifted his hand over her panties. She was heat and wetness, her body ready for him. His dick pulsed again, but he wanted to focus on her. Needed to.

His hand shifted under her panties, found silky liquid coating her folds. Pure heaven. A perfection of feeling against him. He imagined she'd feel just as perfect wrapped around his cock. Groaned into her mouth thinking about it.

She widened her legs further, and he found her clit, engorged and begging. He spread her moisture around, memorized the feel of her, then rubbed at the bundle of nerves.

She arched her back against him, her hand encircling his wrist, and ripped her mouth from his. She didn't pull away, no. Instead, she panted into their confined cocoon and held him to her.

"Oh, God," she moaned.

"You feel so good. So hot." He tasted her neck, trailed kisses along the column. Her scent rose in the air, surrounding them as if a blanket. Sweat dotted his brow and under his shirt at his back. He wanted them in his bed. Wanted to be able to take his time with her and instead these bastards had stolen yet another moment from them.

Stole something precious from Violet.

Violet whimpered against his mouth, her hips undulating against his hand, her breath panting in his ear. His name on her lips. He rotated his hips, trying to take pressure off his cock demanding, pulsing for attention.

"Don't stop," she begged.

He clicked on the lighter, knowing she was close and wanting to refuse the bastards outside from seeing this moment. This was private.

"Never," he answered, then felt his body seize as she gripped him through his shorts. Pleasure shot up his spine, and she cried out, his name a prayer in the air. Satisfaction shot through him at the sound, at the feel of her losing control against him.

His hand grew hot, but he opened his eyes, found doe-like brown ones, almond-shaped and framed with long dark lashes staring at him in a daze.

He leaned down, holding her gaze, and kissed her softly. He dropped the lighter as their surroundings flickered back into darkness, then petted against her, bringing her down easy.

Sweeping his mouth over hers once more, he pulled slightly away, turned his face, then said, "Open the fucking box, you assholes."

A garbled shot of radio static before, "Rule is, both of you must orgasm."

Fury rode up his spine. "I fucking did."

Violet's stunned silence rose from beneath him.

"So be it," came over the speaker.

A mechanical lock sound, then light infiltrated their space, harsh and unforgiving after being trapped for so long. Fresh air came in as if it'd been waiting to rush in, but it muted Violet's scent. Something he wished he could bottle up and keep. He didn't know what the hell was going on with him, but his craving for her had only been whetted with that small taste.

And that pissed him off something fierce.