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After stripping off her bra, I wash her body and hair. When she’s clean, I quickly take care of myself before rinsing her bra and hanging it on the wall hook to dry. She looks at me with a veiled expression when I hand her a towel, her attention shifting to my hips as I take another towel from the rack and fasten it with one end tucked into the other around my waist.
“There’s a hairdryer in the cupboard,” I say, showing her which one. “Dry your hair before you come to bed. I don’t want you to catch a cold.”
She blinks, pulling my gaze to the drops of water that clings like sparkling diamonds to her long, dark lashes.
“I’m not staying over, Leon.”
“Yes, you are.”
She opens her mouth, but I don’t give her time to argue.
“It’s two in the morning,” I say. “You’re not driving home at this hour. Plus, you need to rest.”
“My mother—”
“Dry your hair. Then you can send her a message to let her know you’ll be home in the morning.”
In a flash, the resistance creeps back into her features, tightening her eyes and her mouth. Shutting the door on the delectable image of her dressed in nothing but a towel with her dark hair wet around her shoulders, I get my phone and do the responsible thing by sending Gus a text message, informing him that Violet is safe and staying with me.
To my surprise, he replies straight away, telling me to let her mother know.
I frown as I read the message. I didn’t expect him to still be up. More so, I expected him to show concern for his stepdaughter. If I were him, I’d bash my face in for sleeping with her before formalizing the relationship with a ring on her finger.
Fuck the hour. I swipe the dial button.
Gus replies with, “Didn’t you get my message?”
The irritation in his voice deepens my frown. He’s never been impatient with me. Music pierced by laughter sounds in the background.
“Am I catching you at a bad time?” I ask.
“Yes. I’m with clients.”
Clients? I don’t expect to be invited to every business meeting and dinner, but the lunch with Carter created expectations.
“Then I won’t keep you,” I say. “I just wanted to make sure you know that Violet won’t be home tonight but that she’s safe.”
“You already said that in your message. Make sure her mother knows.”
“Will do,” I say slowly, trying to gauge his reaction.
He hangs up with, “See you tomorrow.”
Violet steps from the bathroom just as I put my phone on the nightstand.
“Who was that?” she asks.
“Gus.”
Her eyes grow round. “You told him I’m staying here?”
“As any responsible man would do.”
“And he didn’t have a problem with that,” she says in a wry tone, walking past me and picking her clothes up from the floor.
“Why would he?”
“Why indeed?” She turns back for the bathroom with her clothes bundled in her arms. “He already sold me.”
I grab her bicep, turning her back to face me. “It wasn’t like that.”
“No?” She stares up at me with spite. “Then how was it? Did I come with the partnership package deal, or is the partnership a perk of marrying into the family?”
“The partnership is a given.” I narrow my eyes. “With or without you. I earned it.”
“And I’m what? A bonus?”
“Mine.”
She utters a frustrated sound and tries to pull free. “That easy, huh?”
“You’re not making anything easy,” I grit out.
“I must be worth very little if my fate can be justified by one little word.”
“That one little word is simple but true, and you’re not worth little. You’re irreplaceable.”
Yanking free, she spits her words at me. “Because my surname is Starley.”
“Because you’re you, and who you are is perfect for me.”
She shakes her head, showering her shoulders with silky strands of hair. “I’m done.”
When she moves toward the bathroom again, I grab both her arms and turn her to me. “We’re just getting started, darling. Now get into my bed before I’m tempted to tie you to the bedposts.”
Her nostrils quiver. She looks like she’d rather slap me, but I’m not up for a repeat of earlier. Before she gets more violent ideas in her head, I lift her by her arms and dump her on the bed.
She squeals as her back hits the mattress, still clutching the clothes in her hands. My gaze holds a challenge as I reach for the jeans and give a tug. She clings to them for another second before letting go, accepting her defeat with tears glistening in her eyes. I fold the jeans neatly over the back of a chair before doing the same with her T-shirt. After leaving her socks in her sneakers, I push them under the chair.
“There,” I say. “Was that so difficult?”
“You have no idea,” she bites out.
I unwrap the towel from around her body, leaving her naked on the covers. I can never get used to the undressed state of her, but I already love the picture of her in my bed. “It’ll get easier.” My command leaves no room for argument. “Stay.”
