Page 69 of Corrupt Idol

She stared at the ceiling. She had done something stupid tonight. Monumentally idiotic. She waited for the rush of guilt and shame, but nothing happened. Instead, she closed her eyes, yawned, and fell asleep.

* * *

“Hey.”

She looked up from where she was sitting on her bedroom floor, surrounded by open boxes. Jesse stood in the entrance leading into the bathroom. Her heart skipped a beat as she took in his moody expression.

“Hey,” she said and went back to pulling things out of the box.

As he strolled toward her, her skin prickled in alarm. This morning, they had time for a quick breakfast before they had to check out and head to the airport. Thankfully, all of their seats were grouped together on the plane. She arranged Mom and Dad between her and Jesse. Once they arrived back in Texas, Dad forced Lynne to go to the hospital. She accompanied them, but was left in the waiting room until Lynne was wheeled out a few hours later, announcing that all was well. She noticed that Dad didn’t agree with her and looked worried, but he didn’t contradict Lynne. When they reached home, she whipped up dinner and spent her time by Lynne’s side until she fell asleep.

Everyone went to bed hours ago. It was the wee hours of the morning and since she couldn’t sleep, decided to unpack. She was sure no one was awake. She’d been quiet as a mouse and thought he wouldn’t notice her light on. She should have known better.

He crouched beside her. “Are you avoiding me?”

She scooped a stack of clothes out of the box and plopped it on the carpet. “Of course not.”

He gripped her chin. “I’m not playing this game with you,” he said in a low growl.

She blinked. “I’m not playing a game.”

He cocked his head. “Aren’t you?”

She batted at his hand. “No, I’m not. I don’t have the heart for it.”

“Then what happened on the beach?” When she tried to look away, he tightened his hold on her. “You gave yourself to me, Violet.”

“I was having a moment! We both were. I was sadand—”

He gave her a small shake. “Why can’t you admit that you need me too? Is that so hard?”

“Idon’tneed you!”

In a move so swift, she wasn’t sure how it happened, he spun her away from the bed and pinned her flat on the carpet. His hand gripped her throat as he loomed over her.

“I’m hanging on by a fucking thread here,” he warned. “Mom’s sick and you’re… I don’t know what you are. You say you hate me, that you want a sexless friend and then you come onto me. You kissed me, spread wide for me, let me pleasure you.”

“It was just sex.”

His eyes narrowed to slits. “It’s more than that. You need what I can give you, don’t you see? When you’re feeling lost and alone, you turn to those you can trust.” He rested his forehead on hers. “Damn it, Vi, I thought we sorted our shit.”

“Sex sorts nothing!” She braced both hands on his chest and pushed. “I was having a moment. That’s it.”

His hand flexed on her throat. “Liar.”

“Don’t call me a liar!”

“I love you, but right now I want to strangle you. You’re making me crazy.”

“Don’t you dare say that word!”

He leaned down and tightened his hold on her when she tried to jerk away.

“I’m going to say it until you believe it,” he said against her lips. “I’ve hurt you, so you want to hurt me back. I can take it, and I’ll take you whenever you give me an opening, but I’m not going to let you ignore what’s between us.”

His hand slid over her thin top and squeezed her breast.

“I’ll never forget the sight of you sucking me off, naked, cast in moonlight. It’s etched in my memory forever.” He groaned and pressed his forehead against hers as his hand moved further down her body to her shorts. She jerked as he unerringly found her nub and began to rub, her thin pajama shorts no detriment to his ministrations.

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