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  “Could I…” I paused, not sure how she was going to react to my request.

  As if she already knew what I was going to ask, she winked up at me. “Shane wants you to stay the night. But if he asks… Scratch that. When he asks, you slept on the couch.”

  “I will sleep on the couch,” I tried to promise, but she lifted skeptical brows at me.

  “Luca, that girl needs you too much tonight for you to be so noble.” She patted me on the arm. “I trust you with the life of one of the most precious people in my world. I don’t see any harm in you two sleeping in the same bed for a night…or two.”

  With another wink, she walked over to where Mason and Violet were still sitting. Crouching down in front of her kids, she touched each of their cheeks. “Hey, babies. You two must be so tired after sitting here all day. Luca is going to drive you both home and stay with you tonight. Then bring you back tomorrow when Dad is feeling up to having visitors.”

  “I don’t want to go home,” Violet told her, the stubborn tilt of her chin reminding me of her dad. “Can’t we stay, and then when Dad is fully awake, we can see him?”

  “You need to go home and sleep in your own beds,” Aunt Harper told her, refusing to give an inch. “Your dad will sleep better tonight knowing you two are comfortable. Cannon took Oscar for a walk earlier, but he’s going to want to sleep with someone tonight. I bet he’s upset with Dad not there to go running with him.”

  “I’ll take him for a run in the morning,” Mason promised, getting to his feet. “And he can sleep with me tonight.”

  She beamed at him and kissed his cheek. “That’s my baby boy. Now, don’t come back until you three have eaten a full breakfast and taken care of Oscar. Take your time. Relax. Everything is fine now. There isn’t a single thing to worry about where your dad and Uncle Drake are concerned.”

  Violet just sat there. “I don’t want to go home. I want to see Dad.”

  “And you will. Tomorrow.” Her mom glanced at me imploringly, and I bent to scoop my girl into my arms.

  Pressing my lips to her ear, I whispered, “Don’t stress your mom out. She’s had just as hard of a day as you have.”

  Guilt flashed in her eyes, and her chin trembled for all of two seconds before she made her face clear. “I’m sorry,” she told Aunt Harper contritely.

  “I know you’re upset, honey. But this is better for everyone.”

  After saying our goodbyes, I drove us to their house. On the way, I stopped to get us a late dinner from a drive-thru. Aunt Emmie had had meals brought in throughout the day, but neither Mason nor Violet had eaten much at the time. Now that they knew their dad was going to be okay, their appetites had returned, and we were all starving.

  Oscar met us at the back door when we walked in through the garage, barking happily at the sight of two of his humans before coming over to greet me. I scratched his head in greeting while Violet set our food on the kitchen island then pulled drinks out of the fridge and Mason washed his hands at the sink. For a long while, we all sat and ate in silence until our food was gone.

  “Cannon fed Oscar when he took him for a walk earlier, so we’re going to head to bed.” Mason yawned and got to his feet. “Night. Love you, guys.”

  “Love you,” Violet said quietly, frowning down at her empty salad bowl.

  “Night, Mase,” I called after him.

  I waited a bit, giving Mason time to get upstairs before pulling Violet onto my lap. She gave a small squeak, then mewled softly as she rested her head on my shoulder.

  “It’s been a long day,” I murmured, kissing the top of her head. “Let’s go to bed. We can cuddle and watch TV until you fall asleep.”

  “Okay,” she said with a tiny sigh.

  Leaving the trash to clean up the next morning, I carried her up to her room. Her bed was a queen, with pink and purple pillows and a soft gray comforter. The desk by the window had her laptop sitting closed on it along with her iPad and a few textbooks for school. The door to her bathroom was ajar with the light off, but I knew what I would find in there. Her vanity would have makeup tossed everywhere, and there was probably a wet towel on the floor from that morning’s shower.

  Placing her in the middle of her bed, I kicked off my shoes and then pulled my shirt over my head. “I need a shower, babe.”

  “Okay,” she said again, laying her head on her pillow and closing her eyes, not bothering to attempt to change into sleep clothes.

  I bent and pressed my lips to her cheek. “Sleep. I won’t be long.”

  I walked to the door so I could get a pair of my shorts I kept in Mason’s room for all the times I’d spent the night there in the past, and I could already hear her snoring softly. Twenty minutes later, I climbed into bed behind my girl and pulled her close.

  She turned over, murmuring unhappily in her sleep, and pillowed her head on my bare chest. Her soft hand rubbed over my stomach, and then she was squirming against me.

  My cock went rock hard instantly, but I clenched my jaw and prayed for my hard-on to go away so I could get some sleep.

  Instead, Violet moaned and pressed her core down hard on my thigh. Shifting her hips, she rubbed herself against me.

  “Fuck,” I groaned, my fingers twisting in the sheet beneath me as I reminded myself over and over again that touching her the way I really wanted to was a felony in the state of California.

  “Luca,” she moaned, her breath coming in needy little pants. Glancing down at her, I realized her eyes were wide open now. “Please.”

  “We can’t, baby,” I told her in a voice hoarse with all the suppressed need that was burning me alive.

  Her chin began to quiver. “But I need you.”

  “Ah God, Vi.” I pressed my forehead to hers. “I know. I need you too. So fucking bad, I think I’m going to die if I don’t get to touch and taste you.”

  “No one has to know.” She kept rubbing against me, and I could feel how wet she was through her layers of clothes.

  “If I touch you now, I’ll never be able to stop. Fuck, I don’t know if I can keep myself from taking things all the way.” I kissed her brow again. “I know it hurts. I’m hurting too. But this is something that would mess up everything if we cross that line.”

  “I just want this ache to go away,” she cried, pressing her face into my chest. “I can’t make it stop. All I do is think about you…us. Together. But I can’t ease it.”

  “I talked to Lucy.” My sister was the only person I could really talk to about Violet’s problem without her judging or getting hysterical over the whole thing. I’d needed someone to help with this, and I knew Lucy wouldn’t rat me out.

  “What did she say?” Violet asked, her voice turning shy.

  “First, she told me if I ‘helped’ you with the problem, she was going to beat me senseless.” We grinned at each other for a second, but then she pressed down on my thigh again, making both of us groan. “Then she suggested you talk to her, but she knows you might not feel comfortable about that, so she mentioned…” I gulped and tried to fight the need to stroke my cock. Fuck, just talking about this was making me so hard, I felt like I was going to come in my shorts at any second. “Porn.”

  I’d left the light on in her bathroom with the door slightly closed, but that soft glow had nothing on the brightness of Violet’s face because it turned bright red. “Oh God. This is so embarrassing. Can’t you just teach me?” she asked, covering her face with one hand. “I can’t talk to your sister about this. I can’t talk to anyone but you.”

  “I wish I could, baby.” I nuzzled my nose against her cheek. “I want to teach you. So fucking bad I can’t stand it.” Closing my eyes, I breathed in deeply, but that didn’t help. Not when I was inhaling her sweet scent. It was everywhere. On her and her pillows, her blanket and her sheets. It filled the room, but it mingled with the slight subtle scent of her arousal.

  “This might seem like a stupid question because you’re a guy, bu
t have you ever watched that stuff?”

  “Would you be mad if I did?”

  She thought about it for a moment, then shook her head. “No. Actually, I think it’s kind of hot.”

  “I only watch it every once in a while,” I admitted. “When I think about something I want to do to you when we can finally be together and I need a visual to help me picture how I’ll do it.”

  Her breathing changed, and she pressed her wetness harder against my thigh. “Like what?” she panted.

  This was a bad idea, but I couldn’t deny her. “Like eating your pretty pussy. I’ll watch porn and imagine it’s me and you.”

  “And if I watch it, I’ll learn how to touch myself to make this ache go away?” She lifted her top leg and rubbed it over my cock. I closed my eyes, trying to think of anything to make the damn thing go down, if only a little bit.

  “Fuck, baby, I hope so.” Eyes still tightly closed, I kissed the top of her head.

  “What if I watch it and I like something really dirty? Will you think I’m a freak?”

  She was trying to kill me. “Babe, whatever you like, no matter what it is, make a mental list. Because as soon as you’re eighteen, we’re going to work our way through the damn thing.”

  “Will you watch some with me?” she asked in that sweet, soft voice.

  “Only if I’m in another zip code.” I pressed a kiss to the top of her head. “That’s the only way I’ll be able to keep my hands off you.”

  She rubbed her hand across my chest, then boldly stroked down my stomach, her long nails teasing over my abs. Catching her wandering hand, I lifted it to my lips and kissed her palm. “So, if I’m watching porn and I call you, you’ll watch it too? And then you’ll touch yourself while I listen?”

  If I actually lived through the night, it was going to be a miracle.

  “Yeah, I can do that.” I pressed her hand to my chest, right over my heart. It was pounding against my ribs, and she licked her lips enticingly. “I need another shower,” I muttered. “An ice-cold one. Maybe my balls will shrivel up and fall off, and I’ll get some sleep tonight.”

  “I’m sorry.” She rolled onto her back, putting some distance between us. “I know I’m making things hard for you.”

  Grabbing her, I pulled her back against my side. “I’m always hard when you’re beside me.” I pressed my nose into her hair, enjoying her scent. “I’m used to it by now. I don’t mind having blue balls if I get to hold you.”

  “Luca.” She tried to push me away. “Neither of us will be able to sleep if we’re this close. All I’ll think about is how much I want you.”

  “Good. Think about it. Dream about me.” I wrapped my arms and legs around her, locking her in place. “But I’m not passing up the chance to fall asleep with you in my arms. Now, close those beautiful eyes. We have to see your dad in the morning, and I don’t want him thinking I kept you up all night.”

  “But I’m…”

  “Me too,” I murmured, kissing her cheek. “We’ll suffer together.”

  Chapter 17

  Violet

  Dad came home from the hospital a few days later, but Uncle Drake had to spend two more weeks. That meant he was still in there for Christmas, but that didn’t stop anyone from celebrating the holiday.

  Instead of having Aunt Emmie’s normal Christmas Eve party at her house, we held it in the hospital and invited everyone on the floor to join us. Aunt Emmie supplied every nurse and other staff member with bags full of hundreds of dollars’ worth of gift cards for coffee, dinner, trips to the movies, and countless other places.

  A tree was put up in Uncle Drake’s room, and a catered dinner was placed on tables in the hall outside his room. Christmas music echoed off the walls, and everyone was smiling by the end of the night. Just before midnight, Luca pulled me into the stairwell.

  As soon as the door closed behind him, I jumped in his arms and kissed him. With the New Year quickly approaching, I felt like time was getting away from us. It wouldn’t be long before he was in Alabama for school, and I wouldn’t be able to kiss him for months at a time.

  The kiss went on for several minutes before he lifted his head. “I didn’t bring you in here for that,” he said with a grin. “But I’m not going to complain, babe.”

  I pouted up at him then licked my kiss-swollen lips. “Then why did you bring me in here?”

  “For this.” Setting me carefully on my feet, he pulled something out of his pants pocket.

  Seeing the small velvet box, I covered my mouth with my fingers to hold back my gasp. “Luca.”

  “Shh,” he murmured. “It’s not an engagement ring. Your dad would kill me if I asked you to marry me right now. You have to finish high school, and then I’ll ask him to let me marry you.” Opening the box, he showed me a thin band with diamonds in an infinity symbol. It wasn’t flashy, but it sparkled in the overhead light, mesmerizing me just as easily as his eyes did.

  Grasping my right hand, he slipped it onto my ring finger. “I love you, Violet. I promise to love, cherish, and protect you. No matter what. You are my soul, the reason my heart beats. Wear this ring, and show the world that you are mine.”

  “The world already knows,” I whispered, blinking back tears. “But I’ll never take it off.”

  Bending his head, he kissed the ring on my finger then my lips. “The next few years are going to be hell. I’m not even going to pretend they won’t be. Being away from you is going to be the worst kind of torture, but I swear, in the end it will be worth it. When it’s over, no one can keep us apart. Not some stupid law. Not your dad or mine. We will have everything we ever dreamed about.”

  “I’m willing to go through anything because when it’s all said and done, I’ll get to be yours at the end of it.” I leaned into him, my fingers brushing over his hair.

  “You’re already mine,” he breathed at my ear. “My Violet. My forever.”

  The sound of the door opening had him slowly lifting his head. Turning, we found Mom in the doorway. “Time to go, I’m afraid,” she said with a smile. “Dad’s ready to head home.”

  “Two more minutes?” I begged shamelessly.

  She glanced behind her, then nodded. “But hurry. I’ll push the guys toward the elevator.”

  As soon as she was gone, I threw my arms around Luca’s neck and kissed him. “In a few years, I’ll be waking up with you beside me on Christmas morning, not having to steal a kiss so my dad doesn’t kill you.” One more kiss, and then I stepped back. “I love you.”

  He rubbed his thumb over my bottom lip. “I love you too.”

  He walked me to the elevators where Mom and Dad were waiting with Mason. The lights reflected off my promise ring, catching Dad’s eye. “What’s this?”

  “My promise to love Violet until the end of time,” Luca told him when their gazes locked.

  Dad started to frown, but Mom whispered something at his side and he sighed in resignation. “It’s beautiful, son. You’ve got great taste in jewelry.”

  Thankful that he wasn’t making a stink over the ring, I hugged Dad’s side. “This was one of the best Christmases ever,” I told him happily.

  “I agree,” he said with a smile. Kissing the top of my head, he pushed me toward Luca. “Give the boy one more hug, and let’s go. Oscar is waiting for Santa to come tonight.”

  Laughing, I did as I was told. As soon as I took one step toward Luca, his strong arms were enfolding around me. I felt his lips at my ear, telling me again he loved me. The elevator arrived, and I reluctantly took a step back.

  “Call me tomorrow?”

  He nodded. “I’ll see you soon.”

  --

  Days slipped into weeks, and the weeks soon turned into months. It was like I blinked, and then it was May. Luca and Lyric graduated and the summer started, but within no time, Luca was packing to go to Alabama.

  Football camp started weeks before classes did, which meant Lyric could go
with Luca and spend some time with him before he had to come back and start his own college experience at UCLA. Luca’s parents decided to make a mini vacation out of it and help get their son settled, but no matter how much I begged Dad to let me go with them, he wouldn’t give an inch.

  The day before Luca was supposed to leave, he showed up at my house at dawn. He’d told me his plan the night before, so I was already dressed with a bag packed when he pulled into my driveway.

  Mom was up, getting ready to leave for work, and she let him in. But as soon as I ran down the stairs, I pushed him out the door, not wanting to chance Dad delaying us or getting all grumpy and saying I couldn’t spend the day with my boyfriend.

  “I’ll have her home by curfew,” Luca promised as I pulled him off the porch.

  “She can stay out until midnight tonight,” Mom said with a grin as she watched us go. “I’ll let Shane know.”

  I paused and ran back to kiss my mom’s cheek. “You’re the best. I love you.”

  “I know, and I love you more.” She hugged me then shooed me away. “Now, go. You have plenty of reason to be afraid your father might stop you.”

  Luca had my door opened by the time I reached him, and I smacked a kiss on his cheek before climbing into the passenger seat. With a final wave at Mom, he got in the driver’s seat, and we were off.

  I refused to think about how sad I was going to be the next day when he left. Instead, I focused on the here and now so I could enjoy our final day together. It would have to last us both until he came home for Thanksgiving. We would have to make do with video chats to see each other, but we would make it work.

  Luca took me to breakfast, then we spent the day on the beach. It was just the two of us lying on a blanket on the sand, soaking up the sun and our time together, trying to absorb as much of each other’s love as we could to store it for the long months to come.

  After the sun set, we changed and we went to get dinner. I didn’t want to be around anyone. Selfishly, I wanted every moment of his attention on me, so we grabbed takeout and ate in the back seat of his SUV with the radio turned down low and the overhead lights on in the front of the vehicle to give us a soft glow to see by.