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  “Aren’t we supposed to be watching a movie?” he asked, his heart thumping in his chest.

  “Mmm,” she murmured in his ear. “We could, but doesn’t dessert sound better?”

  He took a deep breath, exhaling slowly as he watched her step away from him, her curves hypnotizing him as she lifted the shirt she wore—one of his V-neck undershirts—above the lacy edge of her panties. She then pulled the shirt over her head, revealing her voluptuous curves. Beautiful.

  Ben stood and reached for her, lifting her off the ground and bringing her over to the couch, where he carefully laid her beneath him. “Is this payback for the shower?”

  “I think so,” she said. He reveled in the gasp that followed as he caressed her mound through the fabric of her jeans.

  “We’ll see about that.”

  Bending forward, he gently nipped at the velvety soft skin below her navel as he tugged her pants down for the second time that day. His hand reached into her panties as his mouth closed over hers.

  “Ben,” she sighed, her voice a whimper. “Please.”

  “Hmm, that’s what I wanted to hear. Did you think you were going to get away with driving me crazy without getting a little of it in return?”

  Violet reached down and ran her hands over his jeans, now stretching over his erection. He chuckled and grabbed her wrists, pinning her arms above her head with one hand.

  “I know, sweetheart,” he murmured.

  His free hand trailed down her torso, between her breasts and across her belly to the cotton panties that covered her pelvis. Violet watched his hand before looking up at him with a pleading expression. This girl, he sighed to himself. So perfect. She lay perfectly still as he admired every curve of her body. She shivered as he pulled down his boxers before hovering over her again.

  “Take me,” she whispered.

  He held her wrists again, his intention being to drive her mad as he settled his hips between her legs. The only thing stopping him from entering her was the sheer fabric of her panties, and he let that barrier hold true as he continued to kiss her body. He raised goose bumps on her skin with every feathery kiss, and she moaned his name, begging for satisfaction. Once again, he found himself more than happy to oblige.

  He used his free hand to push her panties to one side and, all at once, he was inside of her again. She cried out as he filled her thoroughly, her eyes closing as he continued to drive into her deeply. Ben groaned Violet’s name as he continued to thrust, his rod pulsing as she used her abs to pull herself up and wrap her arms around his neck. They held on for dear life in that position as they rode each other to an intense climax.

  They lay naked on the couch for a while after that, bodies entwined, deliciously sated. Violet’s head rested on his chest; he selected a lock of her hair and began to twirl it around his finger while he stared up at the ceiling. If this were his last moment on Earth, he’d know he got it right.

  Violet’s hand ran lazily over his abs. “You did change the locks, right?”

  Ben chuckled. “I did. No more surprises.”

  As if on cue, there was a scraping at his door. Violet flew off of him like a frightened cat, staring at the door with wide eyes.

  “Hey, hey,” he said. “We’re okay. It’s probably just Lisa, and she can’t get in anyway.”

  He pulled on his jeans, tossing his shirt over to Violet as she kept her wary gaze on the door while the scraping noises continued. He couldn’t make heads or tails of her overreaction, but he watched bemusedly as she pulled on his v-neck.

  “Baby, just go wait in the room,” he suggested. “I’ll let Lisa in, and then you can tell me what’s going on with you right now.”

  Without a word, she nodded and disappeared from the living room. He stared down the hallway, perplexed by Violet’s reaction. She always came off as fearless, impervious. Whatever it was that sent her skittish had to be addressed. But before he could think on it further, he was dragged away from his thoughts by another series of scrapes; he looked through the peephole. As the person on the other side came into focus, he let out a groan and threw open the door.

  • • •

  Only when Violet was safely in Ben’s bedroom did she pause to pull on her panties. Heart pounding, she covered her face with her hands. She was more scared than she’d been admitting to herself. This was more than grated nerves—maybe it was time to tell Ben what was going on with Steve. Suddenly, the sound of Ben’s angry voice resonated down the hall.

  “Jesus, what do you want?”

  “We need to talk, Ben.”

  That female voice definitely wasn’t Lisa’s. She could only assume that meant it was Elena, so she leaned out of Ben’s door to get a better look. All she saw was his strong back as he faced the door half naked. Was Elena still affected by Ben’s amazing body? Violet watched as Ben’s head tilted backward in frustration.

  “Do we? Because it seems like every time we talk, you want to remind me of why I’m so happy you left.”

  “You drove me to it, Ben. I had no other choice.”

  Violet rolled her eyes; she’d already heard enough about Elena to last her a lifetime. Not only had Lisa told her the story of how his ex-wife got wasted at her own wedding and accused Ben of cheating on her, but she’d also heard all about Elena’s plans to use his mother’s sympathies to assist in her well-laid plans to personally and professionally destroy her ex-husband. Violet stepped back into his bedroom and quickly grabbed the closest thing she could find to a pair of bottoms—Ben’s boxers—before stepping back out into the hallway for a better listen.

  “I paid for your entire life, Elena. You never had to lift a finger or open your purse. You said I stifled you, so I gave you space. And you thanked me by fucking my best friend. How did I leave you no choice?”

  Elena shrieked, “You tried to make me something I wasn’t! And when I couldn’t be that girl, you tried to beat me into submission. That’s why I left you for Ethan.”

  Violet watched in concern as Ben stepped back in shock. “You’re delusional! I never tried to force you to do anything. And if I was so awful, why did you marry me?”

  Elena responded quickly, her voice uneven. “I don’t have an answer for that. The mind of a battered woman is a strange thing, Ben.”

  “Is that what you’re telling people? Elena, I … You know, Tommy warned me about the kind of case you would likely try to build, and I didn’t think it was possible. You evil, conniving little … You know what? Get the hell out of here.”

  Elena’s voice turned over; it darkened and held a hint of amusement. “We’re done when I say so, Ben. And not a second before.”

  Violet tilted her head to one side, giving heavy consideration to what she just heard. Elena had gone from distraught to threatening in a matter of seconds. It almost sounded as if she was baiting Ben into saying something she could use later. Violet shook her head and impulsively walked toward the front door. This conversation was going to end now.

  She placed a gentle hand on Ben’s back; he jumped slightly and turned. His face wore an expression of shock mixed with anger, and Violet gave his arm a quick rub as she processed the look on his face. He definitely didn’t want her to get involved.

  “I’m sorry, Ben. I can’t listen to this anymore.”

  She turned her attention to Elena. She wouldn’t mince words, wouldn’t engage in a passive-aggressive catfight. Violet stepped in front of Ben, clad in his tee shirt and boxers—a fact that apparently wasn’t lost on Elena. The petite brunette’s face turned about thirty shades of red.

  “Actually, you are done,” Violet stated matter-of-factly. “Anything you have to say to Ben from here on in can be said through his attorney.”

  Elena crossed her arms over her chest. “And are you his attorney, fatty? You’re playing it fast and loose with your utility players, aren’t you, Ben?”

  Violet smiled, absentmindedly running a hand over her flat tummy. Fatty? No, she wasn’t going to let Elena succeed in bully
ing her into backing off.

  “Let’s not play games, Elena. You know who I am.” Violet smiled. “And now, if you’ll excuse us, we’ve got plenty of movies to not watch.”

  From behind her, Ben warned, “Vi, this isn’t … ”

  Violet turned to meet his worried gaze. “No, Ben. It is. You’re allowed to let her know you’ve got people on your side, despite the fact that she seems to be doing all in her power to turn everyone against you.”

  Elena’s voice came from behind her. “And what do you know about me? What Ben told you? What his sister told you?”

  “I know what I see,” she replied as she faced Elena again. “And what I see is someone who should cut her losses and let her ex-husband get on with his life.”

  Elena gasped, her expression indignant. “How dare you—”

  “Go away, Elena,” Violet said loudly, cutting off the rant. “I don’t know why you’re doing what you’re doing, but it’s twisted. Get help.”

  Violet bumped Ben backward as she began to close the door. In one final attempt to rattle Violet, Elena stuck her foot in the doorway to stop it from closing.

  “Have you slept with him yet? Because he’s really a lousy lay.”

  Violet narrowed her eyes, smiling as she did so. “Actually, I have, and he’s the best I ever had. He probably just wasn’t trying with you.”

  Taken aback, Elena’s eyes widened, and she froze just long enough for Violet to slam the door in her face. Less than two seconds passed before Elena started banging on the door, demanding that Violet come out and say that again to her face. Feeling stronger and fiercer than ever, Violet walked away, indifferent, in the direction of Ben’s bedroom with him right behind.

  “You should call the desk and have her removed,” she suggested, crawling into his bed and stretching out. “Then call Tommy. Tell him what happened.”

  Ben lumbered over to the bed and climbed in next to her, and the knocking stopped less than five minutes after he finished calling the front desk. Violet lay in silence as Ben called Tommy and brought him up to speed.

  After ending his last call, Ben leaned back against the headboard, staring out into space for a moment or two before looking down at Violet.

  “Maybe we should talk.”

  Violet clutched the pillow as she laid her head on it. “Yeah, I think we should.”

  “This isn’t going to get any easier before the divorce is finalized,” he said flatly. “She’s only going to cause more trouble. And now that she knows you’re in my life, it’s probably going to get worse.”

  “If you’re trying to get me to regret confronting her, it won’t work,” she said firmly. “She seems to think the entire situation is in her favor, and she couldn’t be more wrong.”

  “I know,” he agreed, “but you didn’t have to get involved.”

  “Well, I wanted to. I’m on your side, and she needed to know that.”

  “She needed to know that?”

  Violet pursed her lips before acquiescing. “All right, I wanted her to know that. I’ll admit I don’t know the whole story, but she’s got ‘bully’ written all over her face.”

  “Vi, what you did … Thank you. I get what you’re saying by defending me, especially when I’m in the kind of position that keeps me from being able to defend myself. But this isn’t your battle. And that’s kind of what I wanted to talk to you about.”

  Violet’s stomach sank. Sure, the task of keeping their relationship a secret was a challenge. And she certainly had reservations about their involvement, dating back to their first night together. But she wasn’t ready to give up. “Are you breaking up with me?”

  “No,” Ben answered quickly, reaching down to trace her jaw with one finger. “I care a lot about you, Vi—enough to give you the opportunity to break up with me.”

  She watched him intensely; part of her wanted to be offended, to think that he was somehow patronizing her. But she couldn’t let go of the belief that he was just being honest with her. No guy she’d dated had ever been man enough to admit to himself—or her, for that matter—that it was going to get worse before it got better. Violet knew he was right; did she want the opportunity he was offering?

  “This is not me breaking up with you, or trying to get you to break up with me, understand? I’m just giving you an out. This situation is going to get worse before it gets better, and you don’t deserve to get yanked into it,” he added.

  Violet bit her lower lip. “How about you tell me how you feel about us before I answer that question? And I want an honest answer.”

  “An honest answer,” Ben repeated, turning to face her. “Do I want to see where we’re going? Yes.”

  Violet turned over onto her back, taking a deep breath as she stared up at the ceiling. She knew what she wanted to say but couldn’t figure out whether or not her answer was truthful or reactive to the situation. Ben leaned over and draped an arm over her, resting his head on her stomach.

  “I’m not playing games with you, Vi,” he said. “I just want you to know what you’re getting into. The out is yours if you want it.”

  “I don’t,” she answered. Her response was an acceptable one. She couldn’t possibly be any more affected by Elena than she already was by Steve. “I just want to be with you. That’s all—no more, no less.”

  In response, Ben planted a kiss on her tummy. She placed a hand on his head, grabbing a handful of his hair and squeezing before releasing him.

  “I thought you were going to punch her in the face when she called you fatty,” he remarked with a grin.

  “Fatty? Please. I know and love my body. She can’t get to me with that playground-bully nonsense.”

  He ran his hand across her tummy, caressing her well-rounded hip as he pulled her closer to him. “I happen to know and love your body, too.”

  “Is that right?”

  “Yes, ma’am. You’ve got hips worthy of worship.”

  Her body shivered in delight as she replied, “Wow, look who’s after brownie points!”

  Ben chuckled, kissing her tummy again before lifting himself up and positioning his body over her. “You’re in for a long night, sweetheart.”

  • • •

  Violet was icing a red velvet cake while she hummed one of her favorite tunes when Jay approached. Tourists outside the front window were watching the display with awed interest as she deftly spun her cake turntable, swiping mounds of fluffy white icing onto perfect red layers.

  “Wow, Vi. You’re in a good mood.”

  Jay’s observation gave Violet pause. There was a different tone to his voice. Jay had always been snarky, taking enjoyment in lightheartedly ribbing his co-workers. But this time, Violet couldn’t help but notice an edge to his remark—it was a lot less playful, laced with just a tinge of shadiness. And she did her best to ignore it.

  “Just feeling good today, Jay. How are you?”

  “Never better,” he replied with a smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes. “What’s going on with you? Has that glow ever left your face?” The laugh that followed could only be described as that of the classic mean-girl type. It reminded her of high school, when a handful of girls in her third-period home ec class decided to try to befriend Violet for the purpose of knocking her down a few pegs. She should not trust this guy at all.

  “I’m sure it has,” she answered with a neutral smile. How long would she have to stand there until she could end the conversation without starting more drama?

  “So, seriously, it’s a guy, isn’t it?”

  Violet wanted to blurt out that it was none of Jay’s business. But anything other than an answer to the question would’ve given him more fuel.

  “Hate to break it to you, hun—it really isn’t.” Violet ended her statement with a soft chuckle she hoped wouldn’t raise Jay’s hackles.

  He tilted his head to one side, flashing a toothy, know-it-all grin. “Now, come on. Your boyfriend’s been by every day this week; you must be doing something right. Loo
k, he’s across the street now.”

  Violet’s head jerked in the direction Jay was pointing. Her eyes strained to pick out individual people among the crowd of tourists walking by on the other side of the street, but she found him: Steve was perched in the very same spot in which they’d sat weeks ago, watching the store. His head was already turned away by the time she looked up, but she recognized the profile. Is he kidding? Was he waiting for her to leave? Violet’s brow knitted together, and her heart began to pound so hard it made her nauseous. She turned away from the window and began to hastily place the cake she’d just finished icing into a storage container.

  “That is not my boyfriend,” she muttered through gritted teeth as she struggled to label the container.

  Jay glanced back toward Steve. “Well then, who is he? He came in here asking for you yesterday.”

  Violet let out an involuntary groan, placing the cake below the counter. She grabbed her latte and stood. “Excuse me,” she managed to blurt out before hightailing it off the sales floor.

  Violet burst into the office feeling like the walls were closing in on her and began gathering her things. She couldn’t get through the rest of her day knowing that he was sitting across the street watching. Her anxiety began to get the best of her as she mentally mapped out a route home that wouldn’t include Steve finding or following her. She then slung her backpack over her shoulder and turned to head out of the office, smacking right into Ben. She almost screamed.

  “Hey!” he exclaimed. “Where are you going? What’s wrong?”

  She paused, seized with the desire to tell him everything and ask for help. But she shook her head, holding on to the belief that he not only had enough problems of his own, but that she was a grown woman who could handle this by herself. “I’ve got a small emergency. I got a … weird text from my mom.”