Page 18 of My Hired Valentine

“He told me he’d only drop it if I had dinner with him. Just one night. And I… I couldn’t let him hurt you, Dex. This is all happening because of me. Because I didn’t stand up to him sooner…because I made that stupid dating profile and found you. It’s all my fault.”

“Stop,” Dex leans forward. “This isn’t your fault, Violet. None of it is your fault.”

I shake my head, wiping at my tears. “You don’t understand. I thought I could handle it. I thought if I went along with it, he’d leave you alone. But then… then I couldn’t do it. I couldn’t let him win.”

I reach for my purse, my fingers fumbling with the zipper. I pull out the small recorder and set it on the table between us. Dex stares at it.

“I recorded him,” I whisper. “The whole conversation. His threats, his disgusting little proposition… all of it. I was going to find a way to stop him. To end this. For good.”

Dex’s gaze snaps to mine, something flickering in his eyes. “You recorded him?”

I nod. “I couldn’t let him win, Dex. Not this time.”

For a moment, he doesn’t say anything. Then, slowly, he reaches out and cups my face in his hands, his thumbs brushing away the tears still clinging to my cheeks.

“Violet,” he says softly, his voice rough with emotion. “You… you amaze me.”

I blink up at him, stunned. “What?”

“You think you’re weak, but you’re the strongest woman I’ve ever met,” he says, his eyes holding mine. “You did this for me? You went back into that bastard’s den and faced him down… for me?”

“For you,” I whisper, my voice trembling. “But also for me. I… I’m tired of being afraid, Dex. I’m tired of men like him thinking they can control me. I’m done.”

Dex swears softly under his breath, then pulls me into his arms. I sink into his embrace, the tears returning, but this time they’re different. I’m not crying because I’m broken. I’m crying because, for the first time in a long time, I know I’m not alone.

After a moment, Dex leans back just enough to look at me, his hands framing my face again. “We’re going to stop him, Violet. Together. You don’t have to fight this on your own anymore. I’ve got you.”

I nod, my chest aching with relief. “Okay.”

“Good,” Dex says, his voice softening. “Will you stay the night with me?”

“Yes,” I nod. “I’d like that. I didn’t mean what I said in that text, you know. I just thought it if I pushed you away, I would be protecting you. I didn’t want to hurt you.”

“Violet, I love you,” he presses a soft kiss to my mouth. “You’re mine.”

He loves me; my heart stutters in my chest. “Yours,” I whisper.

“Mine,” he nods.

A smile blossoms on my face. “Can you be mine?”

“I am yours, babe. All yours.”

I pull him to me and kiss him, which leaves no doubt that I love him, too.

CHAPTER 18

Dex

Idon’t wake up to a blaring alarm or the sun stabbing me in the eye. I wake up to Violet’s warm, wet mouth sucking on the crown of my engorged shaft. She swirls her tongue, giving me a long lick, then smiles up at me.

“Morning, honey,” she grins, wrapping her hand around the base of my erection to give it a few nice strokes. “I wanted to thank you for last night. I hope this will do.” She sucks me all the way into her mouth, and now I know what heaven is like.

“Babe…” I fist my hands in the sheets to keep from grabbing onto her head. “That feels so good.”

She drags her tongue up and down like she’s savoring a lollipop. A heat starts to coil in my belly as I throb against her tongue.

“I’m close, baby. So close…” I groan.

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