Page 17

Violet

This man.

This dangerous, shattered, wonderful man.

I felt him shudder around me when I kissed him.

His arms tightened briefly, then he seemed to make an effort to relax.

As for me? My world burst into a million pieces.

Some of those pieces were emotions and emotional restraints I needed rid of, but some of them were so dangerous I was completely and utterly terrified.

I pulled back, trembling at the intensity of feelings this simple kiss had unleashed.

How was it possible to feel so much for someone I barely knew?

I’d spent my entire adult life in a marriage devoid of genuine affection, where every touch held the potential for pain rather than pleasure.

Yet here I was, melting into the arms of an ex-convict I’d known for less than a day.

“Violet,” Riot whispered, his voice rough with emotion. His eyes searched mine, looking for any sign of regret or hesitation. He held me securely, but I didn’t feel trapped. One big hand moved in a comforting slide up and down my back, gentling me like he might a nervous filly.

“I shouldn’t have done that,” I said, but made no move to leave his lap. “I’m still married. And you’re --”

“I’m what?” he asked softly when I didn’t continue.

“You’re too good to be true,” I confessed. “Men like you don’t exist in my world. Men who protect instead of harm. Men who ask instead of take.”

He laughed, a short, humorless sound. “Honey, I’m nobody’s idea of a good man. I’ve got blood on my hands and sixteen years of prison behind me to prove it.”

“And yet you’ve shown me more respect in one day than Doug has in our entire marriage.” I touched his face again, marveling at how he leaned into my touch like a man starved for affection. Maybe he was. “I don’t know what this is between us, but I know I don’t want it to stop.”

“It won’t,” he promised, his eyes sparked with fervent promise. “Not unless you decide you don’t want me.”

His words wrapped around me like a vow, and I found myself believing him despite all the warnings in my head. I’d been lied to for so long that I should have been immune to pretty words and promises, but something about Riot’s blunt honesty cut through my defenses.

“I’ve got a man with some power in this city after me, Riot.

Are you sure you want to put yourself in his crosshairs like this?

The very last thing in this world I want is for you to get hurt or get your parole revoked or whatever.

” I let my fingers tunnel through his short beard, the rough, bristle-like strands a soothing sensation against my palm.

I looked up at him and more of those vile tears slid down my cheeks.

“You’re too good a person to go back to prison, Riot.

You didn’t deserve to be there to begin with. ”

“I absolutely deserved to be there, Violet. Don’t ever doubt that. I killed that motherfucker. Then I pissed on him for good measure since I knew I wouldn’t be there to piss on his grave.”

His declaration should have scared me, and maybe in a way it did.

But there was a part of me -- a larger part than I was comfortable admitting -- that took great pleasure in imagining something similar happening with Doug.

Just not with Riot or Caleb. I wanted to be the one to kill Doug.

God knew I’d earned the right to end that monster.

“I’m married, Riot. I have a husband who’s not going to let me go willingly simply because, in his mind, he owns me.”

“No, he doesn’t.” His simple declaration was said in a rough voice filled with sorrow and anger.

There were times this man was an open book.

Other times, like at the court hearing, I couldn’t read him at all.

“No matter what happens, there is no scenario where you go back to him if you don’t want to.

Even if you wanted to, I’d have to be sure you knew Caleb was safe and not in danger because I know you’d walk back to him willingly if he threatened your son. ”

I smiled up at him. “Seems you already know me.”

“I do.”

“Thank you,” I whispered, resting my head against his chest. His heartbeat was strong and steady beneath my ear, and I found myself matching my breathing to the rise and fall of his chest.

“For what?” His voice rumbled through me like a giant cat purring.

“For jumping into this situation the way you did. You didn’t need this complication in your life. I’m sure it brings up bad memories.”

“Honey, my whole life has been about those bad memories. Every fuckin’ day in prison, I thought about what I’d done.

What I could have done differently. Everything I lost. Thing is” -- he looked over my shoulder, his brows knitting together --”I never regretted a single Goddamned thing I did.

Not the first time I got the shit beat out of me in prison by a guy twice my fuckin’ size, just because he could.

Not when the guards saw me as an easy target to work out their anger issues on.

Not the first time another guy twice my size tried to rape me.

Not once.” Then he met my gaze and the intensity I found there took my breath. “Not until I met you and Caleb.”

“Riot.”

He shook his head. “You can always call me Riot. That’s kind of who I am now, I guess.

But my name is Quinn Devereaux. You need to know that, because I want to claim you.

” I opened my mouth, but Riot lay his fingers over my mouth gently.

“Shh.” He leaned in and rubbed my nose with his and my heart pounded.

Oh, God, what was he doing to me? “I want to claim you so that my club will be honor bound to protect you. That ain’t the only reason, but that’s the reason I’m gonna give Caleb. ”

“What’s the other reason?” I was terrified of his answer. I knew in my heart there was no way I could resist this man.

For several moments, I didn’t think he was going to answer. Then he closed his eyes for a moment, letting out a pent-up breath. It was almost like he was getting ready to confess his worst sin and knew I’d condemn him for it.

“The other reason is because I want what you and Caleb have. I want that.” His gaze shifted away, his features hard.

I thought I saw what he wanted to hide. That fear of rejection.

Longing for something you wanted with every breath in your body, afraid it was right in front of you only to have someone snatch it away.

“I want… a family. And I want that family to be you and Caleb.”

“Quinn,” I whispered, testing his real name on my tongue. His eyes darkened at the sound, and I felt a thrill run through me at the power of that simple intimacy. “I want that too. I want to have something real. Not the facade I’ve lived for the last thirteen years.”

His arms tightened around me, and I could feel the tremor that ran through his powerful body. “Good. Then it’s settled. I’m claiming you and Caleb. You’ll be under my protection, and by extension the club’s. Once we get your divorce fixed or whatever, we’ll make it official.”

I waited for the panic to hit me. Waited for the doubt and fear of putting Caleb into a worse situation than we were already in. There was none. I took a long breath, staring into his face. Then I exhaled. When I did, a smile tugged at my lips, and I found I wanted to laugh. Was that relief I felt?

I nodded. “Yeah. I think we will.”

The smile on this man’s face… There was that same look of relief on his face that I was sure had been on mine moments before. And he was so freaking gorgeous when he smiled!

Once again, I leaned up and brushed my lips over his. Riot didn’t need further encouragement. He gripped the back of my neck and held me steady as he licked the seam of my lips, daring me to open to him. I did, surrendering to him with a grateful sigh.

His tongue swept into my mouth, hot and demanding yet gentle.

A rush of heat blew through me and I gasped.

Moaning softly against his mouth, I welcomed the thrust of his tongue.

I curled my fingers in the fabric of his shirt as I clung to him.

His scent, a heady mix of gasoline and beebalms, soothed me like nothing ever had.

This kiss was nothing like the first one. Riot’s kiss was possessive, a claiming. A physical manifestation of the promises we’d just made to each other. His hand at my neck kept me anchored to him while his other arm tightened around my waist, pulling my form firmly against him.

I’d never been kissed like this before, like I was precious and desired. Doug might have wanted to fuck me, but he’d never wanted me. Not in any meaningful way. Riot kissed me like a man with something to prove.

When he finally pulled back, we were both breathing hard. His gray eyes reminded me of storm clouds, intense, dangerous, but paralyzingly lovely. I had no hope of breaking his stare, no hope of resisting him. And I wasn’t broken up about it.

“Christ, Violet,” he murmured, his voice a rough rasp that sent shivers down my spine. “You’re gonna be the death of me.”

I couldn’t help the small laugh that escaped me. “That would be counterproductive to your promise to protect me and Caleb.”

His answering smile was slow and devastatingly sexy. “True enough.” He brushed a strand of hair from my face, his touch feather-light. “You should get some sleep. Tomorrow’s gonna be a long day.”

“Have you talked to Lana?”

“I have but only briefly. I gave her what she knew was the bare minimum of information.” He shrugged. “At the end of the day, Lana Thompson is still an honorable officer of the court. Unlike some of her colleagues, she does her best to work for justice and still adhere to the law.”

He helped me to stand, then followed, leading me to the bed and urging me into it. When I’d crawled between the sheets, he pulled the covers over me and sat on the edge. With gentle fingers, he brushed my hair off my forehead and out of my eyes.

“You’re beautiful, Violet. The most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen. I understand why Harrington would want to keep you, but he can’t have you. Not anymore.”

“I don’t want to go back to him. Not ever.”

“You won’t.” He kissed me once more, this time lingering only a moment with a soft kiss. “You good by yourself, or do you want me to stay?” He waved at the couch. “It’s pretty comfortable. I can get a pillow and a blanket.”

I took a deep breath and smiled. “Why not sleep next to me? Get a quilt and sleep on top of the covers.”

The wonder on Riot’s face was heartbreaking. “You’d let me sleep with you?” Sweet God, this man was breaking my heart!

“Yes. I think I’d like that. If I have a nightmare, you can wake me before I disturb Caleb.” Then I felt the familiar burn of tears behind my eyes, and I gave Riot a watery smile. “Maybe, with you next to me, protecting me, I won’t have any nightmares.”

Riot swallowed, nodding several times. I smiled and scooted over in the bed.

He snagged a blanket from the back of the couch and lay on top of the covers next to me.

The blanket covered him from the waist down.

He was dressed in gym shorts and a T-shirt because he’d been asleep before he’d come to rescue me from my nightmare.

That curiously comforting scent of gasoline and beebalms surrounded me.

I had time to register how warm Riot was at my back. Then his arm dropped over my waist. Somehow, his other arm ended up under my head, pillowing my head.

I sighed…

And surrendered to sleep.