After The Fire (One Pass Away Book 3) (13 page)

“That’s better.” Gaige lifted her until her legs straddled
his hips. “Your laughter is the best sound in the world.”

“Better than a cheering crowd?” Violet felt his erection
rubbing against her butt. Adjusting her position, she slowly lowered herself,
taking all of him.

“Yes,” Gaige breathed. His hands gripping her hips, Gaige
sat up until her breast rubbed against his chest.

“Touch me, Gaige.”

His lips brushed her ear. “Where?”

Violet’s head fell back, the pleasure overtaking her.

“Anywhere. Everywhere. Whatever you do, don’t stop.” She
pulled him close. “Never stop.”

VIOLET ROLLED TO her side, reaching for Gaige but finding
nothing but a cold sheet. Still half-asleep, her brain slowly processed the
news. Sighing with disappointment, she opened her eyes just as he exited the bathroom,
a towel wrapped precariously around his narrow hips. He had shaved, but his
blond hair was still damp. All she could think about was getting him naked and
licking every inch of his body.

“Why are you there when I’m still here?” Violet lifted the sheet,
patting the bed.”

“I have an appointment,” Gaige told her, taking underwear
and socks from the dresser drawer. “I’m sorry to leave you on your own, but it
was scheduled months ago.”

“It’s okay. I think I can muddle through on my own.”

“Not for too long. I’ll be back by one. We can spend the
rest of the day doing whatever you want.” His back to her, Gaige dropped the
towel.

“I want to bite your butt.”

Slowly, Gaige turned his head, not his body. Grinning, he
flexed one butt cheek, then the other. “You like what you see?”

“I swear. You’re such a tease.”

She tossed a pillow at him. Gaige, being Gaige, easily
sidestepped it. Picking it up, he tossed it back, hitting her squarely in the
face.

“Oops.”

“I won’t forget that, buster.” Violet narrowed her eyes. “I
will have my revenge.”

“You can try.”

“You’re bigger, stronger, and faster. You should let me win.”

“Ha!” Gaige entered his walk-in closet. “What fun would that
be?”

“For me? Plenty.”

“Nope. You wouldn’t like it if I handed victory to you on a
silver platter.

“Sure I would,” she called out, clutching the pillow to her
chest. “Try me.”

“I already have. I like the way you feel. The way you taste.
I love that little sound you make just before you come.”

“What sound is that?”

“I’ll point it out. Later.”

As usual, they had started out talking about one thing and
segued to another. Violet shrugged it off. It was what they did.

“Why don’t you—” One look at Gaige, and she had nothing to
say. She could only stare—and salivate.

“What?” Gaige looked down, checking for a rip or open
zipper.

There was nothing better than Gaige naked. However, Gaige in
a perfectly tailored suit and tie came close. The dark gray material turned his
eyes the shade of a spring shamrock. Bright and deep green.

“You are so pretty it almost hurts to look at you.”

Violet had expected Gaige to brush off the compliment—or
complain that men were ruggedly handsome. Not pretty. She should have known
that Gaige would surprise her once again. He didn’t crow or preen, but she
could tell that her compliment pleased him.

“Isn’t that supposed to be my line?” Gaige took a seat on
the bed.

“Me? Not with messy hair and God knows what in the corner of
my eyes.”

“Beautiful,” he said without hesitation. “Morning, noon, and
night. Never doubt it.”

How could she when Gaige looked at her like that?

“I need to get going.” He gave her a quick but thorough
kiss.

“Where are you off to,” she glanced at the clock, “at nine
thirty in the morning?”

“The local Kiwanis Club is giving me a Man of the Year
award.”

“What?” Violet sat up, her eyes wide. “That’s a big deal.
Why aren’t you nervous?”

“I’m honored. And grateful that they do it over coffee and
sweet rolls instead of big, elaborate banquet. But nervous? Why expend all that
energy?”

“I assume you are expected to give a speech?”

“A short one.”

“There you go. I hate public speaking. It’s right up there
with Pap smears and deep gum cleanings on my list of things I wish I could
avoid.”

“Yikes.”

“Exactly. Better you than me.” Not bothering to hold onto
the sheet, Violet gave him a hug. “Go and let the Kiwanis Club fawn over their
Man of the Year. I’ll be here when you get back.”

“Naked?”

There was so much hope in his voice; Violet was almost
tempted to say yes. But she wasn’t spending her morning laid out like a sexual
plaything. Nor was she going to drop her clothing the second she heard his car
in the driveway.

“Sorry. But if you want to help me get that way after lunch,
I won’t object.” She gave him one more kiss, then pushed him away.

“Lunch in bed?”

Violet chuckled as she watched him grab his wallet and rush
out the door. Ten minutes later, her mood hadn’t dimmed. She had taken a quick
shower, leaving her hair to dry naturally, she moisturized her face and body,
before taking a pair of jeans from the closet.

Gaige had insisted on giving her a space of her own. It took
some rearranging. His wardrobe was large and varied. But she didn’t argue when
he led her to padded hangers. There was more than enough room for her things.
She only packed for a few days.

Violet’s schedule allowed her to fly in for the game, but
she had to be back in New York on Wednesday. Her plans were to follow that
pattern through the playoffs. When the Knights played in the Super Bowl—in her
mind it was a foregone conclusion—she would figure the best course of action.
One thing was for certain. Nothing would keep her from seeing every single
down.

Casual clothing was a nice change of pace from her usual
weekday wardrobe. At her office or at one of the hospitals, Violet went for a
classic look. Tailored slacks, silk blouses, a dress that was appropriate for
meeting patients
and
making her rounds.

It was different with Gaige. Her time was her own. She could
wear jeans when they went to lunch, or something more upscale if they felt like
dinner out. There were no rules. When was the last time she could say that
about her life? Professionally or personally.

Gaige was good for her. He brought a fascinating combination
of peace, mixed with excitement and laughter—always laughter.

Violet skipped down the stairs. Her face was free of makeup,
and her feet were bare. Another kind of freedom. She veered toward the kitchen,
her stomach telling her that she had been up long enough that food sounded
good.

It was a mystery to Violet how people were able to eat first
thing in the morning. When she watched a movie where the heroine was served
breakfast in bed, it made her shudder. Food did not pass her lips until she had
been up at least an hour. Preferably more.

Due to the calories she had expended, with Gaige’s help,
Violet was ahead of her usual timetable. She had been up only thirty minutes,
but food was a definite must.

Violet had an apple in one hand and some bread in the other
when the doorbell rang. She kept the apple, taking a bite, and headed to see
who it was. Probably a delivery. Gaige was always getting something. Her
favorite was the swag sent by the companies he endorsed. T-shirts. Running
shoes. Shaving cream. One box had contained fifty cashmere sweaters.
Fifty
.
They were the highest quality in a rainbow of colors. Gaige didn’t find it the
least bit odd.

With her father in mind, he told her to pick out as many as
she wanted. Violet took three. It was the perfect opening. Her father phoned
Gaige to thank him, and to her delight, they talked for an hour.

Feeling like a kid anticipating a treat, Violet padded to
the door. Checking the security feed, she saw a man in a suit instead of the
expected delivery man.

“Yes?” she asked via the intercom. “May I help you?”

“Dr. Reed? This is Walter Crenshaw. I’m Gaige’s agent.”

Violet paused, then unlatched the lock and opened the door.

“I know who you are.”

“You do?” He tried to look surprised, but Walter Crenshaw
wasn’t as good of an actor as he seemed to think. Violet saw right through him.

“Yes.” She stepped to the side. “You’d better come in.”

“Thank you.”

He gave her a smile that didn’t quite reach his dark eyes.
Harry Crenshaw was an attractive man. Average height, he had a trim body, and a
full head of brown hair liberally peppered with gray. His teeth were white. Too
white. They were that shade that went just beyond natural and said he spent too
much time getting them treated.

Harry looked calm, but Violet could tell he was wary of her.
With good reason. She had information that she hadn’t shared with Gaige, and it
concerned Harry.

“Gaige isn’t here.” But she was certain he already knew
that.

“Actually, I came to see you.”

No shit, Sherlock
. Violet didn’t speak. She waited
patiently for Harry to play his hand.

“Are you enjoying Seattle?”

“Yes.”

“It isn’t the best time of year. To see the city at its
best, you need to be here in late spring.”

As she listened to Harry’s inane chatter, Violet realized
she had a choice. She could wait him out, hoping he would get to the point
before Gaige returned, or she could do herself a favor and get rid of him as
soon as possible. Put like that, there was no choice.

“I would ask you to sit, but I’m not feeling particularly
social.”

“Do you think I need your permission? I’ve been to this
house dozens of times. I’ll be here when you’re long gone.”

“There you go,” Violet nodded. “Doesn’t it feel better to
drop the fake charm and be yourself?”

“Dr. Reed.” Walter tried to reverse the damage, but he was
wasting his time. Violet’s opinion of him had formed months ago. It wasn’t
likely to change. “Why don’t we sit?” he motioned toward the sofa. “There’s no
need for animosity.”

Violet ignored him. “By now you know that my mother passed
away.”

“Yes, I was sorry to hear about your loss.”

“Really? Weren’t you relieved? She was the only person who
knew what you had done. Unfortunately for you, she didn’t take your secret with
her.”

Harry swallowed. Violet could see a fine film of sweat on
his brow. He obviously had formed a plan of attack, but Violet wasn’t playing
along. Before he could regroup, she forged ahead.

“I knew I wouldn’t like you. But I know that Gaige trusts
you. He’s a smart man, so I have to assume you do a good job.”

“I do. I’ve made Gaige a wealthy man.”

“I would say that Gaige had more to do with that than you
did. He made you rich, not the other way around.”

“I pulled my share of the load.”

Violet felt strangely calm. She hadn’t given Walter Crenshaw
a lot of thought. Her anger and grief had been directed at her mother. But now
that he was here—in front of her—it gave her the chance to do something she
hadn’t been allowed to do. Vent.

“I don’t care. That’s between you and Gaige. My part in this
sick farce is another matter.” She looked him straight in the eyes. “Sixteen
years ago you took advantage of my mother. She was worried sick about me. Seeing
a weakness, you played on it. You told her about Gaige’s father. Pushed all the
right buttons. It was your idea to take the letter. Mom wouldn’t have thought
of that by herself. And why? To feed your greed.”

“It wasn’t greed.” Walter saw that Violet wasn’t buying that
line, so he pushed harder. “I was the only one looking out for Gaige. Yes, he’s
my client, but he’s also my friend.”

“Lucky him.” The sarcasm dripped off every word.

“He
was
lucky,” Walter insisted. “Do you know how
vulnerable a twenty-two-year-old athlete is? One with Gaige’s potential is
especially at risk. Leeches come out of the woodwork. If it weren’t for me,
they would have sucked him dry.”

“Fine.” Violet threw her hands up in the air. “You were his
savior. Again, I don’t care. I didn’t want Gaige’s money.”

“But you got plenty of it.”

Walter looked so smug, so superior. Violet felt like this
was a trap, but she couldn’t stop herself from walking toward it. “What are you
talking about?”

“You think you’re smart.
Dr
. Reed,” Walter sneered. “Who
do you think paid for that fancy education? Not to mention your medical bills.
Sorry to break this to you. There was no government fund or magical
scholarship. It was all Gaige.”

“That’s not true. The hospital told my mother that—”

“The truth dawns. Your mother. She knew everything.”

Violet’s head was swimming. One more lie. One more secret.
Her mother had been so convincing when she told her about the scholarship. The
one she couldn’t remember applying for. But there had been so many, it was an easy
lie to sell. Violet hadn’t given it a second thought. Because she wanted it so
much—and because the lie came from someone she trusted implicitly.

“Why would she take money from someone she hated?”

“She felt his family owed you. Why shouldn’t you benefit
from Gaige’s success? Gaige wanted to pay for everything. Your mother didn’t
hesitate. In fact, she jumped at the offer.”

“She took the money for me.” Violet had to keep telling
herself that.

“And for herself. Poof,” Walter snapped his fingers. “Your
family was out of debt. No worries—thanks to Gaige.”

“
That
was your justification? The money? I didn’t
know.”

“Gaige was better off single.”

Violet blinked. Walter’s statement was so out of the blue,
she wasn’t certain how to respond.

“I didn’t want to marry him.”

“Please,” Walter scoffed. “Where do you think it was headed?
Gaige couldn’t think of anything else. His focus should have been on
football—not you. He was about to start his first professional training camp.
Everything was in front of him. He couldn’t afford any distractions. You were
already hurting him. I did him a favor.”

“A favor? By making him think I dumped him? God, that is the
height of arrogance.”

“Be honest. Do you think it would have lasted? A year, maybe
two. Instead of a slightly broken heart, I saved him from a messy divorce and
years of alimony.”

Violet was flabbergasted. Walter truly believed what he was
saying.
He
knew better.
He
saved Gaige. At some twisted point,
she and Gaige were no longer the lead characters. It was all about Walter.