Untamed: (Heath & Violet) (Beg For It) (36 page)

“Guess that’s one
of the good things about an open bar. Everyone’s going to get nice
and drunk!” she exclaimed.

“Make that six open
bars!” I corrected her. They had three inter-connected tents, each
of them lavishly decked out to meet the needs of each and every
guest.

“No one will remember
a thing,” she declared, satisfied.

Heath came over,
wrapping a hand around my waist. He always stayed close, just how I
liked it. He’d done a good job standing up with Ash as his best
man. The ceremony had lasted about five days, in the Russian Orthodox
church where Ana had grown up. But Heath hadn’t flagged. Now he
just had to get through the best man’s speech.

“How’re you
feeling?” I asked, giving his hand a squeeze.

“I’ll be better in
an hour.” He did look slightly pale.

After more milling and
congregating and eating and drinking, the head wedding planner
gathered the wedding party together and called everyone’s
attention. It was Heath’s time to shine. I stood to the side,
holding my breath.

Heath took the
microphone, looked out over the tent full of guests and began. “To
you, this guy here’s a big rockstar.” He pointed at Ash who stood
arm in arm with his wife, both smiling ear to ear. “To me, he’s
my big brother. Which is even cooler.”

There wasn’t a dry
eye in the house by the time he was done, including tears of laughter
after he told a couple of funny stories about Ash raising hell as a
kid. Apparently one time he’d managed to set a shed on fire while
trying to be like Jimi Hendrix burning his guitar on stage at the
Monterey Pop Festival.

“I’ve learned a lot
of things from you,” Heath concluded. “First, do not set your
guitar on fire in an enclosed, wooden shed.”

“That’s true,”
Ash agreed as everyone laughed and clapped.

“And you’ve shown
me what really matters in life.” My heart stopped in my chest for a
moment as he smiled at Ash and Ana, then looked directly at me. “Once
you’ve found the one you love, you never let go.”

He wished them all
sorts of happiness and they kissed and everyone cheered, but all I
could think of was the look on his face when he said love. He took my
breath away. I about threw my arms around him as he walked away from
the happy couple, passing the mic to Ana’s maid of honor, whose
hair happened to be blue.

Kisses were all I could
manage. My heart felt too full for words. I wanted to tell him how I
felt about him, how much I loved him. But we were in the middle of
his brother’s 600+ closest friends and family.

“Well done, Heath.”
His oldest brother Colt came over and clapped him on the back. “Great
job.” The two shook hands.

“I think you’re the
one responsible.” Colt pointed at me, then gave me a surprisingly
friendly hug. I’d met him a couple of times over the past few
months as he helped out in building Heath’s business. He hadn’t
exactly rubbed me the wrong way, but I’d never felt real warmth
from him. He was always all business all the time, the consummate
CEO, giving orders and taking names in impeccably tailored dark
pinstripe suits. But now he looked truly happy.

“I’m so proud of
you,” he added, looking back at Health with honest big brother
pride.

“Thanks.”

“Now I’ve got a
couple new ideas I want to talk with you about.” Colt switched
tracks, just like that, getting his all-business hat on again. “We’re
going micro to macro. Local to global. I want to hook you up with
some people in Indonesia I’ve been talking to.”

“Hold on there,
Baron.” Heath took a step back. “Let’s keep this party polite.”

Colt paused,
recognizing his brother didn’t want to talk shop. “That’s Baron
of Warwick to you, big guy.” He winked at me. He could certainly
turn on the charm when he wanted to. With those crystal blue eyes and
that chiseled jaw, I was sure he had his pick of women clawing at
each other to spend time with him. Whether any of them got close to
him, now that was another matter. I didn’t see Colt opening up
easily. That was a trait the Kavanaugh brothers had in common.

Even Heath’s
half-brother, Declan, seemed to share it. I’d been introduced to
him and his pretty little wife Kara earlier in the evening. She’d
brimmed with enthusiasm and excitement about being out at the party,
but Declan had seemed more guarded. Until she’d mentioned their
baby, just 20 months old. He’d beamed, the proud papa, as she’d
scrolled through her phone showing us a whole bunch of adorable baby
photos. That I hadn’t minded a bit. But talking business at the
wedding? I’d pass if I could.

“All right, I’ll
give it a rest. For now,” Colt agreed. “But you—” He pointed
at me. Heath instinctively pulled me closer. I loved how protective
he was. “I want to talk to you, too. That
Love
Your Local
show you’re planning is brilliant. I want to
set up a meeting for you with a guy I know.”

“Sounds great.” I
meant it, too. I was all fired up about this show the Explore Channel
wanted to pilot, featuring the best of the best of local gems all
over the country. And I’d love to get Colt’s vast network to help
grow it. But not at the party. Just then, I wanted to be with my man.

“OK, then.” Heath
signaled that the conversation was over, but Colt was already off and
shaking hands with someone else he knew. Highly Networked. Same as
High Net Worth. Colt was that guy.

My guy, though? He knew
how to slow down, take his time and focus on his woman. We enjoyed
some amazing food and wine together, chatting more with his lovely
sister Gigi. As the night progressed, Ash took the stage and
dedicated a few classic crooner love songs to his new wife. With
Sinatra in play, Heath led me onto the dance floor. There under the
lights, his hands around my waist, mine up on his shoulders, I never
wanted the evening to end. We moved in sync, completely in tune with
each other.

I didn’t know how to
explain it, but we just clicked. I could still remember my initial
struggles, telling myself Heath wasn’t my type. How ridiculous that
all seemed now. I’d had so much noise in my head, telling me the
type of person I should be and the type of guy I should be with, that
I couldn’t even listen to my own heart. But now it beat true and
strong, for Heath. My mountain man who made me feel so safe and
cherished and hot and bothered and laughing and relaxed all at once.

I felt rather than saw
him spot someone over my shoulder.

“Violet, I know I
introduced you earlier,” he said, pulling slightly away. “But
would you mind if we went over to talk with my grandmother a little
more? I’d really like you two to get to know each other.”

“Of course!” Who
could resist a man who loved his grandmother? Especially when the man
in question looked so big and huge and strong he could rip a tree out
by the roots with his bare hands, yet still had a soft side. Just
when I thought I couldn’t love him any more, I’d find my heart
expanding.

“Heathcliff!” She
gave her grandson a warm yet refined hug. She looked the ultimate
picture of elegance, with perfectly erect posture and delicate
features, her rose-and-silver dress making her look like a bloom in a
winter garden.

“And Violet.” She
turned to me and gave me a smile, clasping my hand between her two.
“So you’re the beauty who’s tamed the beast.”

“Oh, I don’t know
about that.” I blushed.

“Well, you certainly
are a beauty, my dear.” She beamed at me, and I suddenly felt like
a princess with the queen mother bestowing her praise. “But I
suppose you’re right.” She surveyed Heath, who even to an
objective observer had to appear drop-dead gorgeous. All
six-foot-five muscled inches of him in a perfectly tailored tux, plus
those intense dark eyes and thick black hair. Yum yummy with a side
of yum.

“He’s not tamed, is
he?” She winked at me. “You’ve cleaned him up a bit, but he’s
still a wild woodsman.”

I laughed. “I do
think he’s got a plaid shirt underneath his tux.”

“Hey,” Heath
protested, feigning hurt. “I left it in the car to change into
after the reception.”

We chatted easily for a
few more minutes. I didn’t know how someone could seem so regal and
so warm simultaneously, but Heath’s grandmother did it.

“You two have a
lovely time tonight.” She wished us well, turning her attention to
another couple of partygoers. But before she did, she added, “And
Heath, do bring her round for tea next week.”

“You’re in,”
Heath murmured as he led me through the crowd. “She doesn’t
invite just anyone to tea.” I smiled, happy she liked me, too.

As we passed through
the throng of partygoers, I saw so many celebrities it almost seemed
surreal. I’d think,
that guy
looks just like…
and then realize, it really was that
guy. I guessed Ash had been crazy famous for years now, so that was
his crew.

Funny, when I’d first
moved out to L.A. that was all I wanted, to be at a star-studded
party with the chance of meeting and greeting celebrities. Now, as
Heath led me toward the exit, all I wanted was some time with my guy.
We’d done our time at the party. We’d chatted and danced and
posed for photos. Now it was time for the real fun to begin.

He took my hand and led
me out in the starlit night, down a path to a tree. It had a charming
wooden bench underneath it, and I wondered if the wedding planners
had brought that in as well, thinking of absolutely everything.

We sat down together,
Heath’s arm outstretched behind and around me. We looked up at the
stars overhead as he gently caressed my shoulder. I relaxed into him,
a smile on my lips.

“Violet.” I felt
the deep rumble in his chest as much as I heard his words. “There’s
something I want you to know.”

“Yes?” I didn’t
feel wary, but I did listen up. There was something in is tone that
made me know this was important.

He took my hand in his
and looked down at our intertwined fingers. “I know we haven’t
known each other that long.”

“Four and a half
months,” I agreed. Not that I was counting. But it did strike me as
crazy that we’d only known each other that short a time. Somehow,
though, I knew. The way I felt about him right then was the way I’d
feel about him for the rest of my life.

“I’m sure about the
way I feel.” He echoed my thoughts as he looked up into my eyes,
caressing my chin with his hand. “I love you.”

My eyes filled with
tears as I drew closer to him. “I love you so much, Heath.” We
kissed and used the words we’d just expressed, over and over as we
kissed and held each other.

“Who would have
guessed?” I asked, running my fingers through his hair. He pulled
me onto his lap and I pressed my hand against his chest, feeling his
heartbeat. “City girl falls for mountain man.”

“We tried not to,”
he said, and I had to laugh, remembering how we honestly had, telling
each other to stay away because we weren’t each other’s type.

“Some fights you just
can’t win,” I agreed.

“So happy we both
lost.” He grinned and kissed me under the starry sky in the
moonlight. I couldn’t agree more.

Heath

Violet and I drove down
from Vermont to the city in a snowstorm. Mid-December and you never
knew when a squall would hit. Good thing I drove a truck and not a
clown car convertible.

When we arrived, we
stomped our boots and left them just inside the entry. Even in a
doorman building, you didn’t leave your belongings out in the
hallway. This was New York City, after all, not small town Vermont
where everyone knew your name. But it was beginning to feel more like
like a second home for us as we spent time in the city each month.
Back in June I’d leased this apartment. Violet needed somewhere to
stay when she met with colleagues at the Explore Channel, and
sometimes I came with her, meeting with Colt and his people, or with
other artists I was getting to know and like.

Violet and I done some
traveling, too, hitting the road and seeking out the best local gems
all over the country. That was Violet’s job now, seeking out great
stories to share for her series
Love
Your Local
. And sometimes I’d come along with her, too,
taking the opportunity to explore local art scenes. Amazing what you
started learning once you picked your head up and looked around.
People were doing interesting things all over. And now both Violet
and I had vehicles to discover and share it.

“What time is it?”
she asked, carrying her dress into the bedroom. She’d picked out
something special for my family’s holiday party that weekend. I
knew she’d look stunning in it, but my favorite look on her was
still nothing at all.

I had big plans for our
holiday party. I didn’t know if she had any idea. But just because
I had big plans for the weekend didn’t mean I couldn’t also have
some fun plans for that evening.

“It’s not even four
o’clock,” I assured her, following her into the bedroom.

“We don’t have
dinner reservations anywhere tonight?”

“Nope.” I strode
toward her with a gleam in my eye. I let her hang up her dress, but
then I grabbed her and gave her a deep kiss.

“Hey.” She smiled
up at me, sensing where I wanted to go with the evening. Wrapping her
hands around my shoulders, she ran them slowly down to my biceps,
licking her lips. She looked good with my plans.

“You know what I was
thinking about during the drive down?” I helped her out of her
jacket, then out of her sweater. “While you took that nap.” Off
came her T-shirt, then her jeans. I really knew how to make quick
work of pesky things like clothing.

“I don’t know.” I
already had her breathing quick, anticipating.

“We’ve got a great
big mirror in this bedroom.” I pointed to it next to the bed. “And
I have an idea for how to put it to good use.”