Chapter THREE

“What the?” Violet screamed in silence as pain unlike any she’d ever felt exploded from her neck and pulsed throughout her body.

She heard the strange man whispering and telling her each step of what he was doing, but she couldn’t speak, couldn’t move.

She felt bruised and damaged and different all at once. And yet, she felt safe too. As if being there, with him, was exactly where she should be.

Slowly, as the pain receded, Violet blinked her eyes until they opened. When they did, she came face to face with the most handsome man she had ever seen.

“Who are you?” she whispered and her voice sounded unbearably hoarse to her own ears.

Wincing, she tried to sit up, but big, warm, strong hands held her still.

“You’re awake. Thank the gods! Easy now, slowly,” he said and helped her to sit up.

The deep, gravelly voice was comforting and something inside of her warmed at the tone. She tried to focus on the gorgeous stranger, but it was difficult.

His dark head bent and she felt him take her hand, dropping a hard, quick kiss on it before bending his head to the crux of her neck as he helped her sit up. She was too weak, not to mention stunned, to move on her own.

But still, Violet had to admit she probably should have said something. After all she didn’t go around hugging strange men. Then again, truth be told, she didn’t exactly mind his gentle embrace as he pulled her into the warmth of his body.

His very naked body, she realized as his arms contracted around her. She patted him with her hands, not sure of how to respond. A yelp sounded from her lips as his nose pressed against her earlobe.

Wait. What was he doing? Was he licking her? She shivered as his mouth closed around her neck in a kiss she hadn’t been expecting, and if she were being honest, she didn’t exactly mind. Tiny little electrical impulses seemed to dance along her skin from the brief touch of his mouth on her neck. It sizzled through her veins and headed straight to her core.

“Um. Who are you?” she asked and pushed against his enormous, and holy cow, completely ripped chest, needing distance to regain her composure and figure out what the heck she was doing with this stranger.

“It’s been over two hours. I was so worried,” he said and she could practically feel his relief as if it were her own.

Strange, but even stranger was her desire to soothe and comfort him. Violet shook her head and tucked her hair behind her ear, trying to make sense of everything she was feeling. He must have felt her confusion because he moved back and gave her some space which she should’ve appreciated but much to her consternation, Violet found herself missing his nearness.

She moved to stand too quickly and sat back down heavily on the sofa.

“Whoa, easy, little one,” he said and she could almost see his frown despite her closed eyes.

She felt as if the whole room was spinning around her and yet, and yet, she felt surprisingly good. Like better-than-ever good.

“Here, hold on to me,” he murmured with that same concern lacing his hypnotic voice, “that’s it give yourself a moment.”

She felt herself gripping his forearms and for some reason the contact steadied her. His deep voice penetrated the haze that was clouding her mind, and slowly, ever so slowly she felt herself relaxing. Blinking deliberately, she looked up to find herself pinned by his compelling teal colored gaze.

They were not quite green and not quite blue, more like caught somewhere in between. Like pictures of the Mediterranean Sea that she’d seen once upon a time on the internet. Even more fascinating was the way his strange seafoam eyes seemed to glow in the dimness of the room.

Like magic, she thought and had to stop herself from reaching out a hand to trace a line from his thick, perfectly arched eyebrows down his chiseled face to the hint of shadow that graced his chin. Violet shook off the impulse and looked down at her disheveled clothing.

“There was an accident,” she said, suddenly recalling the wreck even if what happened afterwards was still a bit fuzzy.

Oh no! She must’ve totaled her poor car. Violet expelled a breath and touched her forehead gingerly. She recalled hitting her head against the dashboard and the enormous pine tree her car had smashed into.

“Do you remember what happened?”

“I think I swerved to avoid hitting an animal. It was small and dark, a bear cub, I think, I am not sure,” she answered.

“I see.”

“I must have hit my head harder than I thought because I swear I saw a tiger afterwards in my rearview mirror. Crazy right?” she laughed, but he didn’t seem to think it was funny.

No duh. Probably thought she was nuts. She cleared her throat, but he interrupted her before she could speak.

“You are okay now. That is all that matters,” he said and for some reason it seemed more like a command than a statement, as if he could will her to health with just his words.

Violet frowned at the level of intensity she felt radiating off him. She looked down, covering her eyes with her hands as her gaze fell right to that part of him that was currently resting against his thigh in what she could only refer to as a semi-flaccid state.

It was long and thick, perfectly veined and the longer she looked, the harder he got. He growled and she jumped, her cheeks burning in her embarrassment.

“Um, sorry, were you bathing, or, uh, that is, why are you naked?”

“No,” he growled, “I was not bathing,” he finished the statement and licked his lips, eyes riveted to her face.

She could only imagine how she looked. Caught staring at his nudity, Violet tried to explain but it came out a sputtering snort, and her face burned even brighter with her next faux pas.

Sigh.

“Look, I am so sorry, that is none of my business. What are you a naturist or something?” she asked, and tried to pretend it was totally normal that Mr. Sexy-Naked-Buff-Man-With-Teal-Eyes-That-Glow was actually growling at her.

Did she mention he was like totally butt ass naked?

“Um, where are your clothes?” she asked trying her hardest to keep her eyes on level with his.

“What?” he asked, and she was shocked to see he seemed almost unwilling to break eye contact, but then, he looked down at his body and finally, it seemed to dawn on him that he should be clothed.

“My apologies, little one,” he grinned and leaned over to grab a throw blanket from a basket underneath the coffee table, “you see, I was indisposed when I heard the crash and came running without thinking. Afterwards, you were bleeding and I was tending your wounds,” he explained.

“Really? Thank you so much. I’m so sorry to be a bother-”

“Are you seriously apologizing for being in an accident?” he laughed and draped the crocheted afghan over his lap with a knowing smile on his face, as if he could tell she was very interested in his sublime physique, “You must be the nicest person in the world.”

“Hardly,” she returned and felt her cheeks heat up at the compliment.

Okay, you caught me, she thought to herself, I’m injured, not dead.

Violet was still a bit embarrassed, but she was only human. He probably had women throwing themselves at him by the boatload. Never before had she seen such a superb specimen of man.

“Anyway, I am sorry to have inconvenienced you and on, oh no, I mean it’s Christmas Eve and, uh, your family-” she said remembering her manners, and licked her lips, wincing as she did.

“I am here alone. I don’t have a wife or girlfriend in case you were wondering.”

“Oh, I, um, that is none of my business.”

“On the contrary,” he murmured.

Violet felt her body heat at the way he said that and a little voice inside her told her it was very much her business. Why should she feel all proprietary about the man? It was a mystery to her. Maybe she’d hit her head harder than she’d thought.

“The car?”

“I’m afraid there was no saving the car. After you hit the tree it began to burn and then, after I pulled you out, the tree gave way. It is stuck in the creek for now, but when the roads clear I’ll send someone out,” he said.

“I can’t believe it,” she whispered and covered her mouth with her hands.

Violet figured the car was totaled, but she hadn’t realized just how bad the accident was until her rescuer explained it.

“It’s a miracle I’m even alive,” she whispered, meeting his concerned stare, “thank you.”

“I would never let anything bad happen to you,” he said and for some reason she believed the statement even as he broke eye contact, closing his eyes for a moment.

While he seemed to need a second, she took the time to do a personal inventory. Her entire body felt sore and tired. She knew she must be bruised and maybe even badly hurt, but for some reason she just felt achy and out of sorts.

All she wanted was to sleep, but that probably wasn’t a good idea. She had hit her head after all.

Ooh and eat, whispered her inner voice. What was up with that thing anyway, she wondered? When had she become so vocal? Oh great, maybe she hit her head and now she was nuts. Perfect. Either way, crazy-inner-voice Violet was correct, she was hungry, but figured she should start small.

“Do you think I could have some water?”

“Sure, of course,” he jumped up flashing his very fine gluteus maximus her way before securing the blanket around his hips in kilt-like fashion.