I give him a chin jerk.
“What do you do?” Hugh asks. “Got a job?”
I nod. “Yeah. You hear of Genesis over on—”
“The off-track sports bar?”
“Yeah.”
“I know it. You work there?”
”It’s mine. I have a few other places, too.”
He looks impressed. “At your age? You a trust fund kid?”
“No, Sir. School of Hard Knocks. Extra hard.”
He smiles big. “How’d you meet Violet?” he asks.
“Through the dickhead,” I say under my breath.
He scoffs.
“My thoughts exactly,” I say. “One look at that situation and I decided to relieve him of his duties.”
Hugh straightens up and he’s about to say something when Violet comes back. Without her folks.
“I like him, Violet. Way better than the last one. You got the Uncle Huey seal of approval.” The man leans forward and holds his fist out. I bump it with mine.
Violet trips over her own feet and I manage to catch her, so she tumbles onto my lap.
I smile. “You all right there?”
She stares at me with what looks like shock for a minute while in my lap before she bites her lip and then she carefully stands back up.
“My klutzy little niece,” Hugh says. “Always trippin’ over her tiny feet.”
Violet snickers and nervously pushes her hair away from her face. “It’s part of my charm,” she retorts.
“Sure is,” he agrees.
“Uncle Huey-dewie-louie, you’re ridiculous.” She rolls her eyes. “We can go now, Killian; Grampa needs some rest.”
Violet’s mother is suddenly coming toward us. “Wait, you two.”
We stop.
“Will you two come over for dinner tomorrow? The whole family is getting together for pasta at Grampa’s house. He says he wants his Christmas tree put up. I know it’s not even Halloween, but it’s what he wants. Italian food, trim the Christmas tree, and spend the day with him.”
“You don’t think that’s too much, Mom?” Violet asks. “A house full of people after he’s released from the hospital?”
“He said it’s what he wants. And he wants you there to help decorate the tree. With the young man that brought you here today. His words.”
“How does he know someone brought me here?”
Hugh snickers. “Aunt Sara told him you had a new fella. Got a big ole smile on his crusty old face.”
“Oh, um… we’re… I mean Killian –”
“We’ll be there,” I interrupt Violet, grabbing her hand. “What time?”
“I’ll text Violet and let her know. This all hinges on him being released in the morning, though. Sweetheart, can you whip up a salad? That Italian chicken one? Aunt Sara is going to do dessert. I’ll make my stuffed shells and ask Colly to grab drinks.”
“Avocado on the side, though,” Violet’s father is now behind his wife. “Not everyone likes that slimy green shit.”
“Okay, sure,” Violet says. “It just so happens, the ingredients are all at my disposal, so that’s an easy one.”
Her face is bright pink.
I snicker.
Her mother grabs her and hugs her tight and whispers something in her ear before looking up at me, eyes bright before she hands her daughter off to her husband, who’s now right there. Violet’s dad gives her a squeeze and shoots me a look over the top of Violet’s head.
Violet’s mom hugs me and then I shake her father’s hand as he lets go of her. “It was good to meet you, Mr. and Mrs. Gates. Wish it weren’t under these circumstances.”
“Kev, call him Kev,” Violet’s mother says.
“Kev,” I repeat. “Nice to meet you, Hugh.” I reach for Violet’s uncle’s hand next. He gives me a back slap with his free hand.
Her Aunt Sara comes back, leans over, kisses my cheek and hugs me as well. “Great to meet you, Killian; gee you smell good. See you both tomorrow?” She beams a smile at Violet with a question on her face.
“We’ll be there,” I say.
Violet grabs my hand and pulls me away from them, “Bye guys, bye. Mom, I’ll phone you later.”
“Okay, honey. Love you.”
“Love you,” Violet calls back and then looks straight ahead with a terror-stricken expression as we move down the hall and around the corner where another long hall leads to an exit.
As we’re stepping out of the second automatic door onto the pavement, she spins and looks at me.
“I am so, so sorry about that. That’s why I didn’t want you to stay, they’d think that we’re together, and – ”
I grab her by her biceps and put her back against the wall of the hospital and as her lips part in surprise, I move in for a kiss.
My lips are hungrily on hers as I cup her face and explore that mouth that I’ve been dreaming about for weeks, that I first wanted three years ago.
She melts for me. She’s got my jacket in her hands as she tries to pull me closer.
I pin her body with mine, and this makes her whimper into my mouth.
My cock reacts. I dip my tongue between her perfect plump lips and tease the tip of hers.
Her back arches, pushing her tits into my chest. I wanna take her home. Now. To my bed. Immediately.
I tear my mouth away and take her face into both hands.
“Nothing to be sorry about, baby. I like your family.”
She blinks.
She blinks again.
Her chest is rising and falling fast.
“It’s fucking cold out here. Let’s go home.” I grab her hand and head toward my car, thinking, bed. Bed now. Will we make it there? If my cock had its way, I’d take her in my car. We’re in the car instead of the SUV so the space is too tight. Plus, a girl like Violet – the first time I fuck her will be in my bed. Plenty of time for fucking in alternate locations after that.
She says nothing, jogging to keep up with my pace. I slow down, avoiding the nearly overwhelming urge I’ve got… an urge to pick her up and carry her the rest of the way.
Because I’m on fire inside.
That kiss.
Better than I expected.
The craving in me right now? Potent as fuck.
We get to my car and I open the passenger door for her. She gets inside and is buckling her belt when I climb in my side.
I start the car up and look at her.
She looks freaked.
“Wanna talk about what just happened?” I ask her.
She looks spooked.
“No,” she squeaks.
I laugh.
“That shouldn’t have happened, Killian. I-”
“Wait. Table that for a bit. You didn’t eat nothing all day. You wanna hit a drive-thru on the way home?”
She says nothing, just looks at me all freaked out. And I’ve got the urge to kiss her again. I move in, about to do that when she jerks out of a trance.
“I could eat. Um… I, um, I’m gonna call Susanna. I promised to give her an update.”
“All right. Burgers? Burritos? Where should I stop?”
“Burgers sound good.”
“Right.”
She pulls her phone from her bag and drops it on the floor. She picks it up and then drops it again.