Chapter Eighteen

Friday, September 16, 2022

Violet smiled into the darkness.

She'd been texting with Simon for the past hour, fighting the urge to invite him over. She wanted him there more than anything but was trying to play it cool. The wedding was tomorrow, so she would see him then. Plus, she'd already asked him to stay over after the wedding, which would have to be enough for her. Anything more and she risked getting too attached to the man who would be leaving town soon.

"Like I'm not already," she muttered, rolling her eyes. "Oh, man," she sighed. "I've got it bad, guys."

Harry and Hermione, sleeping at the foot of her bed, shifted. It was their way of telling her she was bothering them. She wasn't too worried about disturbing them. Neither of them liked to sleep in her room, much less in her bed—they were far too independent for that—but they would chill for a bit before they sauntered off. She figured they sensed her sadness and were simply trying to provide comfort.

Not that she had any reason to be sad. Despite slowing things down, things were good between her and Simon. Better than good, really.

Her phone buzzed in her hand.

Expecting a text, she was surprised when she saw it was a call coming from…

"Hello?" she answered, anxiety pitching her stomach in various directions.

"Violet, this is Sheriff Endsley."

"What happened?" she asked, praying her mother and sisters were okay. God, please let them be—

"I need you to come down to the store," he said.

She threw the blanket off and dropped her legs to the floor. "The store?"

"There's been a break-in."

Her heart pounded painfully in her chest. "I … I … uh … Okay."

"Would you like me to send a car to pick you up?"

"What?" She shook her head, although he obviously couldn't see her. "No. I'll … I just need a couple of minutes."

"All right."

The call disconnected as she hopped out of bed and grabbed the jeans she'd been wearing earlier. Clumsily, she managed to get dressed as she clutched her phone in one hand, wondering what she should tell Simon. She didn't want him to think she was ignoring him, but if he texted her back…

That was when she realized he hadn't texted her back yet. Maybe he wouldn't, and she could run down to the store, see what happened, and get back before he did.

God, she was nervous. And maybe a little freaked out. Her store was broken into? What could they possibly have wanted? It was a bookstore, for fuck's sake. It wasn't like she sold vintage or special edition copies.

Sighing, she shoved the thoughts out of her mind. Pretending she had no idea what someone would've wanted wouldn't make this any easier.

"This isn't your first rodeo," she told herself as she pulled her hair up in a messy ponytail.

It wasn't the first time someone had broken into the store. Two years ago, a bunch of kids had broken into all three businesses in her building. They'd stolen a few things from the hardware store but nothing of real value. They'd done more damage than anything, but that was what Violet had insurance for.

She slipped her feet into her shoes and grabbed her car key. She clutched it in her trembling hand and willed her nerves to quiet. She could handle this. As long as the building was still standing, it didn't matter. Whatever they took could be replaced.

So why was her heart racing like she'd just lost everything?

"Be good," she told the cats before yanking the front door open. She hit the button on the bottom lock as she pushed the screen open.

After closing the door, she turned, stopping suddenly when she saw the man who'd stopped halfway up her walkway.

"Hey," Simon greeted.

"I'm sorry. I've gotta go," she told him as she hurried down the steps. "The sheriff called. My store. It's… Someone…"

Simon was already walking back to his car, opening the passenger side door. "I know. That's why I'm here. Let me drive you."

That simple gesture caused tears to form. She tried to blink them back. "How did…?"

"We saw the red and blue lights from the B and B," he explained. "When I saw it was your store, I figured you would wanna go check it out."

"Thanks," she whispered, swallowing the thick knot of emotion lodged in her throat.

Simon guided her into the car. She let him. It was easier that way.

"Someone broke in," she explained when he was backing out of the driveway.

"Does that happen often?"

She shook her head. "Only once since I've taken over the building."

"Who was it?"

"Kids. Teenagers. Mostly just damage. They stole a few tools from the hardware store."

Violet remembered all the glass that they'd shattered. It had taken weeks before she stopped finding small pieces in the store.

"And tonight?" he prompted. "Was it kids?"

Violet shrugged, although she already suspected who it was, and if she was right, no, it wasn't kids who'd violated her space.

They sat quietly as Simon drove to town. As soon as the square came into view, she saw the flashing lights on top of the cop cars. There were a few bystanders, some in the park, others on the sidewalk by the General Store. Summer Jameson, the managing editor of the Coyote Ridge Gazette, was there, too. This would be front page news come tomorrow morning.

Simon parked in the middle of the street and turned off the car.

"I'll wait here," he told her.

Violet frowned as she reached for the door handle. "You're not comin'?"

"I figured you'd want to deal with it. If you want me to, I will."

"Yes," she blurted. "Please."

If she wasn't mistaken, that was relief she saw on his face as he got out of the car.

She hurried out, walking around the car to meet him at the front. In an effort to calm herself, she reached for his hand, linking their fingers as they walked toward the bookstore. Despite the fact her nerves were rioting, Simon made her feel safe. As though she didn't have to do this alone. Since she was used to doing most things alone—difficult or not—it was nice to know someone was there for her.

"Sheriff," she greeted when Jeff Endsley walked over.

"Violet. Simon," he said, tipping his hat. "Looks like someone threw a brick through the door, unlocked it, and walked inside."

At least they hadn't shattered the plate glass window. She knew from experience that it was expensive to replace.

"Was anything taken?" Simon asked the sheriff.

"That's what we need Violet to determine." Sheriff Endsley looked at her. "We've cleared the building, so if you wouldn't mind walkin' through. Let me know what's missin', and we'll add it to the report."

Violet nodded, then took a deep breath as she moved past Chase Jameson, a.k.a. CJ—one of Coyote Ridge's volunteer firefighters—who was sweeping up the glass. Someone had propped the door open and cleared out the broken shards already.

She ignored the crunch of glass beneath her feet when she walked inside. The lights were on—probably the sheriff's doing—so she could see everything. She skimmed the space but found nothing out of order. All the books were still safely on the shelves and the tables.

Her gaze shifted to the counter, then directly to the shelf beneath where she kept the cash box.

"You okay?" Simon asked.

Violet realized she was squeezing his hand tighter. "Sorry."

"Don't be," he said, holding her arm to keep her from pulling away.

She turned to face him as though needing a hug. She did need one, but that wasn't her reason for moving in close.

"I know who did this," she whispered.

Simon stood there, his hand on her back. "Who?"

"My dad," she said sadly.

"How do you know?"

"The cash box is missin'."

Simon's hand firmed on her back, and she realized she was grateful for his presence. Not only because the store had been broken into. Even knowing who was responsible didn't change the fact that it was a violation. But most importantly, she needed his strength because she wasn't sure how she was going to handle another betrayal by her own father.

·····

Simon didn't move. He didn't pull away , didn't ask any questions. He simply held Violet for a moment because he could tell that was what she needed from him.

"Don't tell the sheriff," she said when she finally stepped back, releasing his hand.

He wanted to ask her why not. At the very least, she needed to press charges.

Then again, she didn't seem at all surprised that the man who sired her had stolen from her.

He followed her over to the counter where the point-of-sale terminal sat. It looked untouched, the iPad still mounted to the base.

"He cut the lock," she said, her voice low as she pointed beneath the counter. "Took the whole thing."

Simon noticed the anti-theft cable dangling, a dead giveaway that something was missing.

"It's my fault," she said. "I should keep it in a safe, but it's easier there. I saw him lookin' at it the other day," she explained. "I should've taken it with me."

"It's not your fault," he said defensively.

"Yeah, it is. He asked for money and I told him no. He said it was to fix his truck, which was a lie. He drives a brand-new truck."

"What did he need it for?"

"Who knows. He's always"—she used air quotes—" borrowin' money from my mother. Never pays her back." She laughed, but there was no humor in it. "He used to do that with the child support he paid her. He'd bring it by, give it to her, then tell her he really needed it, but he would pay her back as soon as possible. When she asked for it, he would tell her he already paid it and it was her fault for loanin' it to him."

Wow. Simon wasn't sure what to say to that.

Violet exhaled heavily. "My dad's a selfish bastard. No one will dispute that. When he wants somethin', there's not much that'll stop him from gettin' it."

He hated that she sounded like she was talking about a random stranger instead of her father. Of all the people in the world, she should be able to depend on her parents not to hurt her like this.

"How much was in it?"

Violet met his gaze. "Seventy-five dollars. All small bills. I use it mostly to make change when the little kids come in to pay. Most people pay with their credit or debit card." She looked back at the empty space where the box was. "I had a feelin', so I went to the bank yesterday mornin'."

So she had expected this? No wonder she didn't trust men. Her own father, the man she would've seen as a role model growing up, didn't instill much confidence.

"What do you wanna do?" he asked when he noticed the sheriff approaching the building.

"Nothin'."

"You could press charges," he suggested, though he knew even before the words were out that she wasn't going to do that. In a way, he understood. He wasn't sure he'd press charges if he were in the same position.

"Violet?" Sheriff Endsley called as he stepped into the store. "Is anything missin'?"

"No," she said, sounding more confident than a moment ago. "They probably got spooked."

Simon was watching the sheriff, which was the only reason he saw his expression shift. He knew the cash box was missing, too. He would've seen the cut cable when he came in to clear the building.

"We have an eyewitness who said they saw a truck that looked a lot like your father's parked behind the building a short time ago."

Violet didn't say a word as she stared at the sheriff. Simon remained quiet.

"I assume you won't want to press charges?"

"No," she said quickly.

Sheriff Endsley sighed. "All right. I'm gonna write up the report. If you change your mind, just stop in and see me."

"Okay."

"CJ's gonna board up the door," the sheriff explained, his stern gaze flipping between him and Violet. "If you need anything from me, just holler."

"Thanks, Sheriff."

An hour later, Simon was pulling up to Violet's house. He'd helped to clean up some of the glass while CJ, one of the firefighters, had boarded up the door. CJ had offered to repair it tomorrow if Violet wanted him to. When she'd tried to tell him no, Simon intervened, asking him if he could take care of it since she would be attending her cousin's wedding.

"Thanks for drivin' me," Violet said, not moving to get out of the car.

"I'm sorry that happened." He didn't tell her he was as angry as he was sympathetic. He wanted to confront her father, if for no other reason than to tell him he was a piece of shit for hurting her the way he did.

Violet turned toward him. "I know I said I wanted to take things slow…"

Simon held his breath, unsure which way she was going with this.

Her eyes met his in the dark. "Would you stay tonight?"

Like he would ever tell her no.

"Of course."

Simon got out of the car and walked Violet up to the house. He held the screen door open while she unlocked it, but rather than follow her in, he hesitated for a second. As much as he wanted to stay, he knew she was dealing with an emotional upheaval. It was his job to ensure she wasn't letting her emotions steer her in a direction she didn't want to go.

"What's wrong?" she asked, turning to look at him.

"Are you sure about this?"

Violet's eyebrows angled downward, her confusion evident. "You don't want to stay?"

Simon walked in, the screen door closing behind him. He reached for Violet, pulling her in and cupping her face. "Baby, if I had my way, I'd spend every spare minute with you because there's nowhere I'd rather be."

"Then what's the problem?"

"If you want your space, I'm glad to give it to you. I'm not goin' anywhere."

"But you are," she whispered, her finger trailing over his bottom lip.

He almost told her he'd stay forever if she would have him. It was the truth, but he wasn't sure she was quite ready for an admission like that. Certainly not after what happened tonight.

"I want you here, Simon."

Using his foot, he kicked the front door closed, then picked her up, her legs wrapping around his hips. When her lips grazed his, Simon let her control the kiss as he carried her to the bedroom.

Although the urgency was still there, he felt a sense of calm.

"These are in the way," she said when he put her on her feet, her hands sliding under his T-shirt.

It was the work of a moment to get their clothes off; all the while, Simon fought to slow things down. He was just as hot and eager as she was, but he wanted this time to be different. He wanted Violet to know that it wasn't simply sex for him. It was so much more. More than he'd ever anticipated.

"Simon," Violet whispered against his mouth, pulling him down on the bed with her.

He kissed her again, caressing her with his hands as he moved over her before shifting to his side. He rested his leg across hers to keep her from moving. Knowing her, she would take matters into her own hands, and while he would've loved to see her sitting astride his cock, he wanted to make love to her this time. He wanted her beneath him, surrounding him.

"You like makin' me wait, don't you?" she asked, smiling up at him.

He smiled. "Yeah. I guess I do."

Before she could blast him with her impatience, Simon slipped his fingers between her legs, finding the slick entrance and pushing two inside.

Violet moaned, her head pressing into the pillow.

"You are so beautiful," he rasped, fingering her while she writhed and moaned. "I love to watch you. I love to hear you cry out my name when you come."

Her eyes opened, met his. "Then you should make me."

"I plan on it."

Violet's eyes glittered. "Make me come with your cock, Simon."

His dick jerked, clearly recognizing that her request involved him. But Simon didn't indulge her. He wanted to get her worked up first.

Leaning down, he sealed his lips to hers while he teased her pussy with his fingers, fucking her gently, strumming her clit, then fucking her some more.

"Don't make me wait," Violet whimpered. "Please, Simon."

Although he would've enjoyed spending the rest of the night playing with her, there was no way he could deny her. He shifted, moving over her so he could align their bodies.

He reached between them, guiding his cock to the soft, warm entrance of her body while she cupped his face and held his stare. They maintained eye contact as he pushed in slowly. Inch by inch, burying himself in the blessed warmth of her body.

The pleasure was intense. It always was because being inside Violet was unlike anything he'd ever felt. It was the sweetest ecstasy. But it was more than that. He felt her everywhere. Surrounding him, beneath him, and somehow, he felt her within him. He'd never felt quite as whole as he did when he was with her.

"Violet," he whispered as he began to pump his hips, fucking into her.

Her ankles pressed against his ass, urging him deeper. He gave her what she wanted.

"You feel so good, Simon. Yes. Oh, yes … better than good. Fuck me. Please."

Simon choked down the emotion and did as she demanded, driving them both higher until the peak loomed just out of reach. He kept them there, sliding in and out of her body as the intensity grew and grew until it couldn't be contained.

"Come for me," he growled, needing to feel her come apart beneath him. "Come for me, Violet."

Her pussy clamped down, her nails dug deep into his shoulders as he slammed into her harder, deeper.

"Yes!" Violet screamed, her back arching.

Simon didn't hesitate. He drove in several more times and let himself go.

As he did, he realized going back to Dallas was no longer an option. Not if he was expected to maintain his sanity because he knew with absolute certainty that he would never find happiness like he'd found with this woman. Never find a love quite this intense.