Page 48 of Violet
“And what?”
Oh man, how am I going to say this without getting my head ripped off? “And…I found her interesting.”
He blinks. “Excuse me?”
“Violet. She’s beautiful. Considerate. Humble. Sharp-witted. Funny…” All true. “And the more I talked with her at the ball, the more I realized I couldn’t come up with a single Alpha I knew who would be the best match for her.”
“Then talk to the Alphas you don’t know.”
“That’s the thing. I don’t think the kind of man exists.”
“And you got all this from a single dance with her?” he asks, skeptical. “One dance?”
“You said it yourself, she’s special. There’s no one else like her, and I see that now.”
“Whatever you’re trying to say, might as well spit it the fuck out,” he says and takes a deep swallow of his drink. “We’ve known each other for a long time, and I don’t appreciate the runaround, so out with it.”
Right then is when I consider telling him about the ruse Violet and I agreed to. He is one of my closest friends, after all.
But would he understand? Doubtful. He’ll think I’m using Violet to get what I want. That it could ruin her if we’re found out.
All true, but I’m not counting on getting caught. That won’t be enough to convince Heath it’s a good idea, though.
Best not to tell him. Which means I have to act like pursuing Violet is the real deal. Which also means I’m going to get my ass handed to me by her overprotective big brother.
I draw in a deep breath.Here goes nothing.
“I…I want to put my hat in the ring of potential suitors for Violet,” I say.
He’s quiet for a long moment. Too long. Instead of answering, his jaw muscle jumps as he gnashes his teeth together.
“Heath.” How do I explain myself? “I know we talked about this before. I know I told you I wasn’t interested, andI wasn’t…then. But after talking to her, after…dancing with her—” I almost saykissing herand blow it— “I realized she’s someone I could really see myself with.”
He’s still deathly silent, and it irks me.
“After what happened with CeeCee, I haven’t thought I could be with anyone else like that again.” Mentioning Cecilia makes my mouth dry, but I push on. Bringing my old mate up is the only way I’ll be able to convince Heath I’m serious. “So I want to make sure it’s okay with you if I take her on a date. Court her, or whatever these old-ass Sabine rules call it. The proper way. She deserves that much.”
Heath throws his head back, downing the rest of his whiskey in a single gulp. He slams the empty glass on the side table, and says, as strong and deafening as a gunshot: “No.”
“No? What do you mean, no?”
“Exactly that. No. You’re not going to court my sister. I won’t allow it.”
“And what if it’s what she wants? Doesn’t that mean anything?”
“She’s too good for you, Ashford.”
Asshat. But I guess I’ll take it. It’s better than him punching me in the face.
Although that’s still very much a possibility.
“So you want me to believe that you’ve suddenly had a change of heart? As if you own one of those,” he says.
“Shit, Gardener. Ouch.”
“Does Violet know about your suddeninterest?”
“Yes.”
