Page 79 of Violet

“Mr. Stockton, please.” My voice is smaller than I want it to be. “I—I need to go.”

His expression shifts, something dark flickering in his eyes. “Violet, I’m claiming you. Isn’t that what you want? Your brother has already given me his blessing.”

My skin grows cold despite the summer heat. Heath didn’t tell me that.

With a swift yank, he spins me so that my back is completely pressed against him. His erection isthere, hard against my back.

Oh god.

He presses his nose into my hair and draws in another deep breath like he’s dying to get a whiff of my scent through the blocker. “I just need to give you the mark and you’re mine.”

“Stephan—” I don’t know why his name comes out ofmy mouth, but it does, gaining an angry snort from Dominic.

“That egotistical Emporian fop?” He laughs. My stomach twists.

Then I hear it.

The crunch of footsteps on gravel. Heavy. Purposeful.

Dominic must hear it too because his grip loosens just slightly. But it’s too late.

There’s a yelp from behind me, and suddenly, he’s yanked backward. I am pulled back with him, but his loose footing allows me to break free of his hold and drop to the ground.

I spin just in time to see a fist colliding with Dominic’s jaw, and the crack of the impact is sharp in the air.

Stephan stands between us now, his shoulders tense, his usually playful expression carved into something furious. His brown eyes, normally calm, burn with barely restrained violence, reminding me of when he came to Club Yin and defended Quinn from that creep.

“Touch her again,” Stephan says, his voice quiet, lethal, “and I’ll break your fucking jaw.”

“This isn’t your business.” Dominic barely gets his arms up before the next punch lands, sending him crashing against the hedge. Blood pours from his split lip.

I stand frozen, breath caught in my throat as Stephan grabs Dominic by the collar and shoves him back against the thick greenery. “Everything Violet does is my business. I claimed her.”

Dominic coughs. “There’s— There’s no mark?—”

Stephan doesn’t wait for him to finish. He slams him back again, then releases him roughly, letting him stumble. “Don’teverput your hands on my Omega again or this Emporian fop won’t let you walk away breathing.”

For a second, Dominic hesitates. But then he wipes his bleeding lip, flicking his gaze between us before turning on his heel and disappearing back into the maze.

When he’s gone, Stephan whirls on me, his shoulders rising and falling with each ragged breath.

I should say something—thank him, maybe—but words stick in my throat. My heart is pounding so hard, I can feel the drum of it everywhere, and all I can focus on is him—how thankful I am that he found me. How close the situation was to getting out of hand, and I?—

Eyes flaring, Stephan pulls me to him with a growl, mouth on mine as he kisses me with a savage thoroughness that makes my head spin. Like Dominic, his cock is hard and there against me. But this time, my body reacts with indescribable hunger.

Unless it’s the adrenaline coursing through me, Dominic must’ve been right about my heat being close. I’ve never felt like this before, aching, and so needy for him to touch me I could cry. I moan into his mouth. Our tongues duel like we can’t get enough, and I want to climb into him, on him, let him slide into me deep. I want to do all the things we saw on that knotting porn. Take him in my mouth, have him rut me.

I slip my hand under his shirt and the heat of him sinks into me, his stomach fluttering at my touch, and I go lower, over the belt to the grand prize, his cock.

Feeling him, even through the clothes, is a revelation. He’s beautiful, I think, although I can’t see his erection. It’s thick, hard, long, and twitches when I touch it.

He lets me explore, his mouth now skimming down over my throat, teeth grazing my skin, making me tingle and ache for him to bite.

Stephan pulls my hand from him and raises his head. “Such a good girl, my beautiful girl.”

And then his hand goes down my hip, to my thigh, gathering my skirt, and I start to shake, nearly coming apart with anticipation. He shifts, kissing me again, and I’m torn with where I need to concentrate, his mouth on mine or his hand…

Oh, his hand as it slides over my upper thigh, his knee slipping between mine to widen my legs. My pussy throbs deep inside and my thighs start to get wet, like…oh, god…is that slick?

---