The Beat and The Pulse Box Set 1

by Amity Cross

  “Never?”

  “Never.” It was one of the truest things I’d ever told him.

  “All this time, huh?” he asked, and I couldn’t miss the note of pleasure in his voice. “Me too.”

  Raising my head, I caught his gaze. “Really?”

  “I think it’s pretty obvious by now, Vee,” he said, running a hand through my hair. His eyes lowered to my lips, and this time, I was the one who kissed him.

  It was getting easier, and by the time I fell asleep in his arms, I never wanted to let go.

  23

  Lincoln

  Shit, this felt good. Waking up next to Violet.

  Opening my eyes, I shifted only to find my legs tangled with hers. Her head was on the pillow, hair all over the place, her T-shirt was twisted and her lips were parted. She looked so innocent and so fucking hot all messed up like that.

  Like she knew I was looking at her, her eyes opened, and she stared at me for a while before sighing.

  “Sleep okay?” I asked. I know I had.

  “Yeah,” she murmured. “What time is it?”

  “Just after six.”

  “Six?” She buried her face into the pillow. “Seriously?”

  “Not a morning person?” I asked, but I already knew that. She always had a coffee in the mornings—black, no milk. And she’d complained that night I’d stayed over, saving her from spiders and watching Iron Man.

  “Not really.”

  “I’d love to pull a sickie and stay here all day, but Ash’d have my head,” I said, rolling onto my side.

  Violet peeked at me, one eye shining in the early morning light. Moving underneath the covers, her hand appeared, and she placed her fingers on my cheek, lightly tracing the spot where Ash had clocked me one.

  “It’s still red,” she whispered.

  I was too wrapped up in the fact that this was so easy between us to care that her brother had punched me. Something had changed drastically, and I was fuckin’ happy as a clam. Vee had opened up to me and let her guard down. The usual color that flooded her cheeks didn’t appear as she placed her palm against my face. She was still in there. I knew it.

  “I’ve had worse.” It was a part of my job, and a little right hook didn’t worry me in the slightest, but I could tell she was still pissed that her brother had had a go. It was the way men dealt with shit. We had a little fight about it, got a couple of shots in, and then we got over it. Easy.

  Her eyes narrowed, but she let it go. “Do you need a shower?”

  “I can get one at Pulse,” I said. I’d rather lay here with her for a few more minutes. This whole just sleeping with a woman was totally getting me off, and I knew I’d been right when I’d told her things would feel so much better with the right person. Right now, Violet was so right.

  She moved against me, and I tightened my legs around hers.

  “Stay a sec,” I murmured.

  “I better let you go,” she said, and I could tell by the tone in her voice she was having another moment of uncertainty.

  “I don’t have to go,” I said. “I’ll give you a lift into work.”

  “What about—”

  I gave her a cheeky wink. “Better give you one back home too.”

  “What about breakfast?”

  “We can grab something on the way.” She opened her mouth, and I shook my head. “Have a shower, Vee. I’ll still be here when you get out.”

  “Don’t you have to go home first?”

  “I have some spare clothes at Pulse,” I said. “No problems. Now get.”

  Untangling her legs from mine, she slipped out of bed and tiptoed across the room. My gaze fixed itself firmly onto her ass as she disappeared into the walk-in closet. Damn, she was a tiny little thing—slight, but with a nice round ass and really nice tits. She didn’t even understand how beautiful she really was. Natural.

  Appearing once more with an armful of clothes, she smiled sheepishly at me and darted into the bathroom. A moment later, the door closed, and the sound of running water echoed through the wall.

  The natural guy thing to do was think about her naked in the shower, and just thinking about it had me sporting a semi. Last thing I needed was her to come out and find me jerking off, so I got up and began pulling on my clothes from last night.

  God, I really wanted her, but we had to do this the right way. Slow and steady.

  Do we have time?

  Remembering her question, I sighed heavily. I’d told her yes, but I didn’t know what that meant when I had to go back to Sydney. The AUFC was everything, and I wasn’t in the position of just quitting. I had sponsorships and contracts to deal with. Violet was fast becoming a part of my life, as much as fighting was, and I couldn’t just ignore that. I wanted her there, but would she want to come with me? Would she leave her safe haven here with her brother, the man who had saved her? It was way too early to tell.

  Sitting back on the edge of the bed, I placed my head in my hands. Fuck, that woman had me in a spin. Everything I thought I knew… Shit, I didn’t know anything.

  We rode in my car to Pulse as soon as Violet was ready to go.

  She slipped into the front passenger seat and clipped herself in, placing her bag on the floor in front of her. Truthfully, she looked hot sitting there all dressed up against the black leather. She had on this black blazer over a little maroon jumper that dipped low over her cleavage and wore these tight little gray jeans. Her hair was loose and long, all wavy and wild. Fuck.

  She caught me looking and smiled. “What?”

  “Did I tell you how beautiful you look today?”

  She shook her head. “I could get used to you saying shit like that.”

  “She likes superhero movies and swears like a sailor. How did I luck out?”

  Slipping on her sunglasses, she shook her head again and laughed. That was my cue to gun the engine and get moving. Otherwise, we’d be stuck in traffic.

  Along the way, I asked her questions to keep her from slipping into silence. I knew that when she did that, she was overthinking things. She didn’t need to think, she just had to do.

  I asked her about her favorite superhero movie, her favorite color, what books she liked to read and anything else I could think of. Before long, I was pulling up into her usual spot behind Pulse and turning off the engine.

  Glancing at her, I asked, “So, what do we say?”

  “About what?” She held her bag against her chest like a shield.

  “Us.”

  She shrugged. “Are we…”

  “Together? Yeah, Vee. We are as far as I’m concerned.”

  She smiled then, this wide toothy grin that made her eyes come alive. These things might be obvious to me, but she needed to be told. So, I’d tell her everything she needed to hear and then some.

  “I don’t care who knows,” I said. “Ash and Ren are clued in, that’s all that matters.”

  “Public displays of affection?” she asked coyly.

  “Anytime, anywhere,” I replied with a wink, and I chuckled as her cheeks began to turn pink. “Coffee?”

  She nodded and undid her seatbelt. Sliding out of the car, I met her on the footpath, and we went into Pulse together.

  Unfortunately, we weren’t quite early enough to miss the a.m. gym junkie crowd, and my gaze crossed Andrea’s as we walked across the floor to the kitchen. I’d have to keep an eye on her, but I already knew she could be trouble. I instantly began to regret the handful of times I’d selfishly fucked her out back. That was my own stupid fault, and I’d dragged Violet into her crosshairs because of it.

  If Andrea got the message and kept her distance, then we wouldn’t have a problem. I hoped she was smart enough to get over it and move on to her next conquest. Narrowing my eyes, I stepped into the kitchen and out of her line of vision.

  I could hear Bobby bashing about in the storeroom, and Violet had gone straight for the coffee machine, like I knew she would.

  “Do you want one?” she asked as
the smell of roasting beans filled the kitchen.

  “Nup. That stuff tastes like tar.” Couldn’t stand it.

  Filling a cup almost to the brim, she turned to me. “I’ll see you later?”

  “For sure.” I leaned down and paused, silently asking permission to plant a kiss on her, but to my surprise, she stood up on her tiptoes and planted one on me. That one little movement told me a great deal about how she felt about us, and all the right places started to throb.

  “Later,” she murmured and darted around me.

  “What’s that about?” Bobby asked with a sly wink.

  I grunted as Violet disappeared with her coffee. “We’re gettin’ to know each other.”

  “Right.”

  He didn’t sound convinced, but I didn’t give a shit what Bobby thought. All I cared about was if Violet was happy. I guess that meant I was a goner.

  Walking out into the gym, I almost smacked into Andrea. Shit, she was the last person I wanted to talk to with Ash watching me like a creepy fucker.

  She ran her fingers through her blonde hair and smiled. “You and Viola, huh?”

  “Violet,” I corrected her sharply.

  She shifted from foot to foot, flicking her long ponytail back over her shoulder.

  “Is there something you need?” I asked, glancing across the mats to where Ash was talking animatedly with Cole and Ryan.

  She looked me up and down and shook her head. “Not right now.”

  Without replying, I stepped around her and went over to join the boys on the mats. Last thing I wanted was a chick like her screwing with Vee… Shit, last thing we both needed was that stupid mistake coming back to haunt us.

  I felt her gaze burning a hole into my back as I walked away, and I hoped that would be the last I heard from her.

  24

  Violet

  I sat at the desk, curling my hands around my coffee mug, and sighed.

  I was buzzing all over. Was this how it really felt to be cared for by a man? If it was, then all those books on my shelves at home didn’t do it justice. Glancing at the computer, I couldn’t focus on the stream of emails that had come in overnight. My mind kept going back to Lincoln stripping off in front of me and coaxing me into bed. He’d said that I had to get used to him. His body, his touch…all of it.

  Lying there, wrapped around him…shit. It felt so good. My fear was dissolving, and it was so freeing.

  There was a knock at the door, and a second later, Ren appeared in the office. She was in her usual get up—black shorts and a Pulse T-shirt, her feet done up in a pair of trainers and her hair slicked back into a tight ponytail. But that was Ren, totally fit and beautiful. A perfect match for my brother in more ways than I wanted to know.

  “You look bright-eyed and bushy-tailed,” she declared, looking the same herself, but then again, she was always trying to burn energy off. “Does it have anything to do with a beefcake twin by any chance?”

  Flushing a million shades of red, I sat up straight and blurted, “We didn’t…you know, if that’s what you mean.”

  She laughed. “Not what I meant, but if it works.”

  “Ren,” I complained as she leaned against the desk.

  “So?” She stared down at me expectantly, waiting for me to dish the dirt.

  “He’s…” I smiled to myself.

  “Like that, huh?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Totally dreamy,” she said with a laugh.

  “He’s nice to me,” I said, my thoughts straying. “He hasn’t pressured me once…and he listens.”

  “The golden trifecta.”

  I glanced up at her and nodded. He had been pretty great, despite the shit it took for it to happen, and now that things were starting, they looked pretty damn fine.

  She regarded me for a moment before shaking her head. “Bloody hell,” she declared. “He’s got you hook, line and sinker.”

  I frowned, not knowing if that was a good or bad thing. It had to be good, right?

  “Vee, it’s a good thing,” she said, reading my expression. “It’s how you fall in love.”

  “Love?” I asked like it was a foreign concept.

  “Don’t tell me the thought never crossed your mind.” She leaned over slightly and placed her hand on my shoulder. “He might be the one, or he might not. The point is to get to know one another, work out your attraction and see how things go.”

  “How…” I trailed off.

  “How what?”

  “If you and Ash were apart, if he was in Sydney and you were here…”

  “We’d have phone sex,” she declared.

  I shook my head, and she pulled her hand away. “That’s not what I meant.”

  “I know, couldn’t resist,” she said, wiggling her eyebrows up and down. “Seriously, it’s that serious with you guys?”

  I shrugged. “I’m clueless about this stuff. I don’t know what will happen. If he will still want to be with me if I can’t…”

  “Vee,” Ren said with a frown. I’m sure she got my meaning. If I couldn’t let him have sex with me.

  “Lincoln is one of the best guys I know,” she went on. “He wouldn’t just dump you because of that. Not even when he goes back to Sydney. He looked out for me hardcore when Ash was gone. And shit, while he was still there too. What I’m saying is, I don’t believe it for one second and you shouldn’t either.”

  “Really?”

  “Really.” She glanced at the door like she was checking for eavesdroppers. “You don’t have anything to worry about as far as I’m concerned, and I believe that one hundred percent. He stood up to Ash and told me that he wants you, Vee, and if a big beefy fighter says that outright? You’ve got yourself a winner.”

  I let out the breath I didn’t know I’d been holding. “I still haven’t forgiven Ash for punching him.”

  “He’s just looking out for you, but I catch your drift. He needs to curb the caveman.”

  “I’ll say.”

  “When are you seeing Linc again?” she asked, changing the subject.

  I squirmed in my seat and couldn’t help the stupid grin that spread across my face. “He’s giving me a ride home tonight.”

  “Good for you,” she said, rising to her feet. “Have fun, and don’t think about it too much. And talk to him about Sydney. You’ve got time, and he’ll understand.”

  My smile dropped a little, but I held onto it. “Sure.” As she was about to close the office door behind her, I called out, “And thanks. For this.”

  She smiled, her face lighting up. “No problems and anytime.”

  As she disappeared, I turned back to the computer and picked up my coffee. Downing the last mouthful in the mug, I couldn’t help basking in the warmth that spread through my heart and out across my entire body.

  Lincoln was a winner, huh? It sure felt like it, but our story wasn’t over yet. Hopefully, the best bits were still to come.

  Dr. Ormond’s office was looking brighter tonight. Nothing had changed decor wise, but I guess things looked better when you were happy. Misery had clouded my world with monotone, and suddenly, everything was switching to Technicolor.

  “How are you this week?” she asked from her usual perch in the large leather armchair.

  I sat on the couch, my hands folded together on my lap. “I had a date with Lincoln the other night.”

  Dr. Ormond was smiling at me, and honestly, it was creeping me out.

  “You went out on a date with Lincoln?” she asked.

  I nodded. “He came over to the house and cooked me dinner.”

  “That’s a great first step, Violet.”

  “We talked about a lot of things,” I said. “Mostly about before, when we were teenagers.” For once, she didn’t have to work my thoughts out of me.

  “Good. What else did you talk about?”

  “I told him that I wanted to try.” I glanced away and began worrying the hem of my jumper until the stitching began to loosen.

  �
�Try having sex?”

  I closed my eyes. The way she just said things like that. Sex. It was so…clinical.

  “Violet?”

  “Yeah.” I swallowed before continuing. “We’ve kissed…a lot. I know it’s only been a week or so…”

  “Maybe you should think about slowing down. You don’t have to try so soon in a relationship. You said he knows about what happened to you. Surely he would understand if you wanted to wait.”

  I glanced up at her. Slowing down? I understood that it might be too much too soon, but with Lincoln and Sydney—I felt like it was now or never.

  “Yeah, he understands,” I said. “But…”

  “You said he has to go back to Sydney eventually,” Dr. Ormond said. “Maybe some distance is a good thing. I can tell you’re putting a negative connotation onto it, Violet. Distance doesn’t have to mean the end. Does he want to continue the relationship?”

  “We haven’t really talked about it,” I replied, my heart beginning to sink.

  “Then you should discuss it with him. Uncertainty is most likely going to get you into trouble, Violet. It promotes negative thought patterns. Voice your concerns to Lincoln, and tell him how you feel. From what you’ve told me about him, it seems very likely he will understand.”

  I nodded, not knowing what to say to that. “Okay.”

  “It’s just a suggestion, Violet,” Dr. Ormond said kindly. “I’m here to guide you and to listen. Everything I offer is advice. You have to make your own decisions based on that.”

  I nodded again like a broken record.

  “Don’t forget how far you’ve come these past few months. How long has it been since you started work at your brother’s gym?”

  “Three months.”

  “And you’ve made more progress in those short few months than you have the entire time you’ve been coming to my office. Never lose sight of the journey, Violet.”

  My nerves began to calm as I realized the scope of what she was saying. I’d left the house, I’d gone to help Ash at Pulse and I’d found Lincoln. All monumental things, but I could pinpoint it all to one moment. The day I’d stood in the kitchen looking at the pile of romance novels on the counter. I had to get out of the house or wither away in darkness.