Ultraviolet

Chapter Forty: Fever Pitch

Once I walked into the apartment, I flopped onto the couch and sighed. I didn't want to fight with Jess. She's the last chance I have at being a part of a family. But what was the alternative? Disobey our boss?

Plus, I owed her this. The most powerful thing I had to offer was my word, that meant something to me. I couldn't believe Jess couldn't understand that.

I kicked off my shoes and breathed in. This was gonna take a lot of work to backspace from.

The front door bursted open, snatching my attention. Hadeon stomped in, fuming.

"Why did you do that, Violet?!" He demanded. His face was growing red. "You knew I didn't want you doing that! You can't just involve yourself with Adrianna like that!"

I stood up abruptly and took a step closer to him, trying my best to let my anger seep through my words instead of outright tantrum-ing like he was. "If I remember correctly, you are the one that involved me with her. It was your idea to ask for help."

"You were wanted by the police!" He laughed helplessly. "I did what I had to to fix the problem. If Adrianna demanded a favour, I would have handled it."

"Well, it looks like I took that bullet. And I handled it great."

"Thats not a good thing!" He shouted. His body loomed over mine, trying to intimidate me into stepping down. I refused. "Now she's going to ask more of you."

"She saved me from being arrested and returned back to my shitty old life. If she asks for more, I'll do more."

"So that's it!" He cried. "You're okay with spending the rest of your days putting on skimpy dresses and luring guys into Adrianna's office, letting all the guys stare at you like you're a piece of meat."

"You know what?" I challenged. "Yeah, I am gonna do that. What do you know, maybe I want the guys to stare at me. Do you have a problem with that?"

"Yes!" He growled. "Yes I have a problem with Adrianna taking advantage of your naiveness! It's wrong and not fair on you."

"OH! Of course! You're just trying to help, you're the hero." I spat sarcastically. I marched into the kitchen and poured myself a glass of water, gulping it down while Hadeon glared. He was always fucking glaring.

"I told you that being involved with us, with this bar, puts a target on your back. I explained that pretty clearly. So why the fuck have you decided to promote yourself from innocent bystander to Adrianna's fucking lackey."

"Maybe to prove to myself that I don't need a man to save me."

"Did I ever say that you did?"

"Right now!" I screamed. "Right now you are trying to save me, and not only that, you're doing it while telling me how naive and stupid I am for not letting you save me in the first place!"

"I don't think that!" He hissed. "But she does! Adrianna thinks you are putty, ready to be moulded into something cold and vicious like she is."

"Is that so wrong?" I snapped. "Is it bad to want to be powerful? Powerful enough that people don't treat me that way I've been treated?" I felt tears brewing in my eyes. I turned to the sink, taking another sip of water and hoping he didn't see me cry.

"But you aren't like her." He said behind me. "You aren't cold and vicious. You aren't manipulative. And you don't have to be to feel respected."

I wiped at my eyes and drew in a shaky breath. I turned to face Hadeon.

"What do you care?" I shot back. "If I change? You hate me no matter what."

"I don't hate you. I never hated you."

This was no longer about what happened tonight.

"Say it." I dared him.

"What?"

"Whatever it is that you really want to say." I could see in his eyes, this wasn't a matter of fleeting rage. "Whatever is actually making you mad."

"You don't know what you're talking about." He scoffed, grabbing a bottle of bourbon down from the overhang cupboard.

"I think I do." I muttered. "I think you're mad at me for something, and I don't know what."

He took a long swig of bourbon and hissed. He placed the bottle down on the counter before turning to me.

"Who called you this morning?" His voice was calm, but impatient.

I stepped back, trying to figure out why that could be causing anything.

"It was a Nebraskan number. When you answered, a man spoke through the phone and you couldn't talk to him in front of me."

Was Hadeon jealous?

My mind seemed to spin. I felt like there actually had been vodka in my no-vodka soda and it was only now hitting me. Why did he care? Then, my second thought came. Why did I like that he cared?

"It was a police officer." I answered finally. "From Sunshine. He helped me leave."

"Oh." Was all he said. He straightened up, relief washing over him.

"Why," I asked. "Do you care?"

His eyes met mine. A plead resting in his. Please don't make me admit it, they said.

"Hadeon." I demanded. "Why do you care?"

"Come on, Violet." He grumbled softly. "You're not stupid."

I took a step forward. Then another. And then another. I was close enough I could smell his musky deodorant and I could feel his breath on my forehead. He closed his eyes and breathed in.

I placed my hands on his chest and slowly leant up on my toes. Our mouths aligned, I waited. Waited for him to make the move. To confirm my theory. His eyes opened. I searched them for a sign- a sign of regret or disgust. His brown irises just bore into me.

That moment, only a second, felt infinite. I never wanted this to end, but I also needed it to. I needed him to kiss me. To show me what I already know. To prove he wants me as badly as I want him. I want to know that he feels the same tightness in the pit of his stomach, the same burn.

"Violet." He said, voice warning. He knows, once this happens, there's no going back. We were at the edge of the cliff, and I was ready to jump.

"Hadeon." I sighed, my voice rough and hopeful. "Please."

His mouth enveloped mine, his lips soft and gentle as his hands held my face, fingers digging into my hair. I moved my hands to his neck, pulling him down to my height to deepen the kiss. His hand pulled on my hair, angling my head up. I let out a small whimper, which seemed to inspire him more.

He reached one arm around the back of my thighs and lifted me up, placing me on the counter, his mouth refusing to leave mine. I wrapped my legs around his waist, pulling him closer to me. I gasped at the sudden rush it gave me to be this close to him. To feel him against me. His hands spread to the hem of my dress, sliding underneath the fabric to rest at my hips over my underwear. His mouth travelled down, the sounds of my heavy breathing spurring him on as he sucked on the skin of my neck and collarbone and cleavage.

I had no control over the sounds I was making, Hadeon's hands gripping me as his mouth continued to explore down my body rendered me powerless. His thumbs grazed over the line where my hip bones met my thighs and I seized up, feeling everything all at once.

"Hadeon, wait." He stopped, his hands pulled out from under my dress and his lips left my body. His eyes burned into mine.

"Are you okay?" He asked.

I took a moment to collect myself.

"I can't..." I sighed, my hands resting against his shirt. "I can't breathe when you do that." I laughed.

Hadeon smiled, bringing his lips to mine for one last kiss, before picking me up off the counter and standing me up on the floor effortlessly. I leaned back and held onto the countertop for balance, my legs felt like jelly and were shaking uncontrollably.

"You should get changed." He suggested, barely meeting my eyes. "I don't think I can trust myself around you while you're wearing that."