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Chapter 3

Gasping Violet clutched the ruby colored towel as her wide frightened eyes connected to his reflection instantly recognizing that unmistakable sensual raspy voice.

Turning around she backed up against the wall as he rushed towards her, his hands needing desperately to feel her again.

Gently seizing the sides of her neck lacing his fingers through her silky hair he breathed out lifting his intense eyes down to her.

Drinking her in slowly she began to tremble nervously catching his wandering dark stare as her voice took on a hard serious tone.

"Tate, what the hell are you doing here?!"

Shocked by the coldness in her voice he backed away as if he was physical hit in the stomach.

Releasing her dirty blonde locks his hands slipped downward to her slender arms unwilling to let her go entirely.

Searching her face for that bold desire, needing so much to feel again that unforgettable connection that spilled from her just a mere week ago he tensed painfully.

Something had changed, in its place was something entirely different.

His body shuddered releasing a hurtful sigh before releasing her all together.

"Violet… I-I was worried, those bruises I saw last week – "

Gazing down to her neck he tenderly lifted her golden tresses away from her shoulders revealing the same four faded finger indents on the right side and one obvious thumb imprint on the right now yellowish green he knew he did not imagine it.

Immediately lifting her hands covering both sides of her neck she lowered her head keeping her voice distant as if nothing had happened between them.

"I told you to forget about me," lowering her voice she refused to look at him using her hair to hide the shame covering her face, "I thought I made myself clear."

With her hands raised to her face he clearly could see bright red welts across her wrists as it someone had been restraining her forcefully.

Rage boiled inside him as she witnessed the same change across his angelic face to something fierce almost frightening.

"The only thing that's clear is that your husband's going to have to deal with me now."

Shaking her head as if she forgot all about him she ran past Tate to her window, her anxious eyes darting up and down the street.

"I have no idea when he'll be back; you have to go… now."

Before she could react he was standing close behind her his hands covering her shoulders as his fingertips grazed her collarbone.

Her breath picked up as her eyes slid shut feeling his soft lips moving down to the damp skin on the side of her neck.

"Only if you come with me." He rasped gruffly.

She tasted like fresh cut pears and gardenias as his tongue skimmed along her gathering up the remaining water droplets from her recent shower.

He could hear her throaty reaction; feel her hammering heart as she sunk into him resting her body against his chest as if she was unable to help herself.

Whispering now his eyes slowly closed feeling almost drunk off of her as he reeled in his anger for the moment high feeling that bond between them, her want and need racing through her for him just like in the alley.

"Pack a bag; come home with me, if only for tonight… we need to … talk."

Now nibbling along her shoulder his hands slipped inside the opening of the towel parting it slowly between her legs.

It was this action that seemed to wake her up out his spell causing her to spin around and push him hard away from her.

Shaking her head vehemently she raised her hands in front of him.

"I told you this can't happen again. I was very clear Tate."

She reached for a white thin cotton robe turning away from him hiding her body as if he was a stranger slipping it through her arms waiting till she was completely covered before pulling the towel away from her body.

Her callous dismissal of something that meant so much to him was agonizing, the pain of her rejection was almost palpable as he bit back refusing to let her get away with pretending it meant nothing when her previous actions more than proved that it did.

"Funny how shy you've become after only one week, or did you forget how you begged me to fuck you senseless in a dirty alley while you came so hard your knees buckled... because I sure as hell didn't."

Backing away from her till his back hit the door he slammed it shut behind him locking it never once taking his eyes off of her.

"I'm not leaving till you answer a few questions of mine."

Turning again towards the window she choked back tears glaring nervously up the street once again.

"You don't understand he could be back any minute."

Crossing his arms in front of his chest he calmly rested his back against the door cocking his head to the side.

"Well in that case we better get to it, don't ya think?"

Running her shaky hands through her hair she sat on the bed clutching her robe tightly together fisting the material around her hand.

Accepting his stubborn resolve she stared down at her oval pink rug.

"Fine, just please make it quick, if he finds you here we're both dead."

The tone of her voice sounded far from an exaggeration but it seemed to fall on deaf ears as he stood boring into her eyes.

"Why did you do it?"

With those few words she knew exactly what he wanted to know, several questions stemmed from that simple phrase demanding explanations that she could not give.

Deciding to play dumb not knowing what else to do her eyes remained locked to the shaggy throw rug beneath her feet.

Scoffing at the fact that she wanted to play it this way with the threat of her husband possibly returning home any moment he raised an eye brow ready to show her exactly who she was dealing with.

He could play if that's what she wanted.

Stepping close to her he knelt to the floor covering her bare knees with his warm hands.

Sighing she jerked back flinching feeling the immediate effect his touch had on her.

Parting her thighs he moved closer as his husky sultry voice wafted over her skin like soft feathers, warm, inviting, beautifully invading her senses as if he was born to touch her.

Feeling a deep shiver rush through her his dark eyes flickered up to meet hers as she pushed the robe between the space that was quickly being revealed as he slipped in closer.

"Every Friday night, same time… six weeks. Why?"

Eyeing her toes dig into the fluffy rug he smoothed his hands up the outside of her thighs as his body settled in between her legs.

Looking up towards the ceiling she pulled the robe down at her center causing it to only deepen the expanding opening of the lapels revealing the round firmness of her breasts to his hungry gaze.

Her voice was quivering, but not from fear, that much was clear and he knew it, she couldn't hide her feelings any longer.

"Please, if he finds us…"

"Then you better hurry Violet."

Licking her dry lips she heard him speak her name like no other had before, it was as if she was the muse of a passionate poem or a character from a romantic novel, she was falling fast and it terrified her.

Hearing a car she looked back towards the window sighing with relief as it drove passed her house.

Raising his finger to her lips as she went to speak he edged in closer.

"Before you answer… remember, you knew my name without me telling you… and before you give me some bullshit story, no one at the bar calls me by my first name."

Averting her eyes to the corner of her room as she noticeably riffled through her mind for a believable explanation.

"Fine, but it's too long a story to go into here. Yes I know who you are, and yes I came there to see you, but if you want more we have to do it another time. Please I'm begging you; if Gabe finds you here he will kill you."

Slipping his hands from her skin now even more intrigued from what she had to say, he fell back away from her now once again rising to his feet.

"Gabe? That's his name? I saw him leave; if you think I'm afraid of that prissy little shit you don't know anything about me."

Standing she pulled her robe away from her hip revealing another huge dark purple bruise marring her beautiful milky white creamy skin.

"Really? Well this is what happens when you spill wine at dinner, you may not be afraid of him but I am. Despite what you may think of me I don't want to see anything happen to you. Now like I said before, last week was a mistake, going into that bar all that time was wrong, I never should have involved you in this."

Rushing towards him she fisted his black tee shirt with both hands breathlessly rising up on her toes to come face to face with him driving her point home.

"You have to leave… now, and never come back."

Moving close to her he brushed his lips over her mouth whispering harshly aching desperately to be with her once again.

"I can't."

Closing her eyes she pressed her forehead to his biting down hard on her bottom lip in frustration as she breathed out feeling his body reacting to her through her thin robe.

"Tate… I can't deny that I have – "

That's when they both heard it, Gabe's BMW speeding into the driveway, the door quickly opening and slamming shut.

Her eyes sprung open wide as she began to panic.

"Go now back out the window, please!"

The front door swung open hitting the opposite wall echoing through the house along with Gabe's inebriated voice.

"Violet!"

Fearlessly Tate stood motionless running his hand down the side of her face sweetly.

"There's no way I'm leaving you here with him, come with me."

Shaking her head as tears began to fill her eyes she listened as Gabe stumbled up the stairs towards her room.

Seeing the seriousness in his face she knew she didn't have much time to think this over.

"God damn it! Fine!"

Taking a second to look for something to throw on she grabbed a pair of jeans off her dresser.

Gabe began to pound on her door causing Tate to turn to reach for the crystal knob.

With her jeans open at her hips she grabbed his hand just in time pleading with her eyes.

Taking a hooded sweatshirt out of her closet she discarded the robe zipping the sweatshirt half way up before shoving her feet inside an old pair of converse sneakers and grabbing his hand.

Gabe continued to yell her name before struggling with the locked door.

Pulling him forcefully towards the window she mouthed the word 'please'.

Tate looked back at the door before realizing that there was a chance that she could get hurt inadvertently in their fight before finally giving into her.

Helping her out on to the limb of the tree he practically carried her down branch to branch before they were safely on the ground.

Gabe was clueless too drunk to notice the open window he screamed her name before sliding his arm across her dresser knocking everything over including her jewelry box.

Sliding down to the floor rubbed his hands over his face furious that she dared to leave the house, something to his understanding she had never done before.

Parting his fingers he looked down at the floor as he began to black out.

Seeing a folded piece of paper lying amongst a tangled array of earrings and necklaces he opened it reading Violet's writing before passing out completely.

Blue Moon Tavern

vTv

Violet didn't utter a word the entire ride back to the bar as she stared out the window of Gus' old rusted out green truck.

Tate kept glancing at her watching as the wind swept through her long soft hair tossing it around her expressionless vacant eyes as she stared at the white and red lights streaking by her in a blurry haze.

Pulling down the alley he put the truck in park and turned the engine off tucking the keys inside the visor.

They sat in silence for several minutes as the tension grew thick like molasses between them in the air.

"I'm going to pay for that, I should've never left."

Inching closer to her he gingerly lifted her chin turning her sad face towards him.

Watching as a single tear slipped from her eye to slowly cascade down her flushed cheek he leaned in tracing its path with his fingertip until it disappeared.

"I can protect you Violet."

Breaking away from him she opened the door clutching the handle until her knuckles turned white imaging the punishment Gabe would rain down on her for this.

"No Tate, you really can't"