by Lexi Aurora
“Okay,” she said with her basket full of eggs. “Did I pass that test?”
I nodded, looking into her eyes. There was a soft look there, not as angry now that some of the tension had been joked away.
“I think it’s time to go to the branch,” I said to her. Her face lit up with excitement then, as if everything—the kiss, the fights—had disappeared, and was replaced by her joy. It made me feel guilty for the power play all over again. I normally hated things like that—and if Violet hadn’t forced my hand with her plan, I wouldn’t have been so harsh to her. It wasn’t in my nature to be so challenging and yet Violet hadn’t given me a chance. Despite my attraction to her, I had to remember what she was here for. Still, that didn’t make her smile any less powerful, and I found myself smiling back at her despite my reservations.
“Really?” she asked.
“You did good with the chickens,” I said to her. She gave me a playful look, holding the basket in her hands as we carried the eggs back up to the house. There was a shy expression on her face when she turned to me, after we delivered the eggs to my mother.
“Can we go today?” she asked, gazing up at me through her lashes. I swallowed.
“Yes,” I said to her. Her face broke into a wide smile, one that made something flutter in my stomach. It was bright and real—I could tell she was truly excited, and again felt slightly guilty that I had put it off for so long in favor of making her help me on the ranch.
“I’m going to go get ready,” she said, hurrying off. I watched her, my eyes on her back, on her ass, on her thick legs from behind. It was true that she wasn’t the type of woman I normally went for—I was used to dating models, thin women, classically pretty. But there was something about Violet that drove me wild, not in spite of her fullness, but because of it. I wanted to touch her soft skin, to kiss her all over. I shook my head of the thoughts and went to my room to get ready.
Chapter 9: Violet
I was filled with excitement to go to the business branch, barely remembering my anger at Cooper, who couldn’t put a dent in my enthusiasm. I was looking forward to seeing it, seeing how he ran things outside of the ranch. I imagined he was just as hands-on with his employees there as he was at home, and wondered if that was part of the reason Dirk wanted him out. I felt guilty that I hadn’t brought up the subject of him selling the share yet—there hadn’t been a good time to do it while we were fighting, and we couldn’t seem to get along for more than a few minutes. I was failing miserably at my duty here, but at least it was time to go to the business branch, a place I’d always been interested in visiting.
“So what is this place like?” I asked him as we drove in the truck on the way back into town.
“It’s nice,” he said. “My father did a good job there.”
“He seems like he was a good man. Feeding his employees, running the place well.”
“He was a good man,” Cooper said, a sadness in his voice.
“I’m sorry, I—”
“It’s fine,” he said. “But you understand why I have to run this business, right?”
I swallowed, looking away from him, out the window. The question made it seem like he knew exactly what I was doing.
“I guess,” I said. “Although it seems to me that you’d enjoy working on the ranch a lot more.”
“I do like working there,” he said. “But it’s not the same. And I owe it to my father to keep on going.”
“You shouldn’t do it if you don’t want to,” I said, trying not to press him. It was hard to keep my voice gentle, and not let on that I had another motive for trying to convince him to give up his share.
“I am going to do it,” he said firmly, and when I looked back at him I saw that his jaw was tight. “There is no question.”
“But I—”
“Violet,” he said, gritting his teeth. The tension in the car was palpable, his anger growing. It made me nervous—like he knew what I was up to. “Stop.”
I didn’t say anything in response, a lump forming in my throat. It was better not to talk with this tension in the air, knowing that one of us would snap sooner or later. I wondered if I should take a moment to call Dirk and tell him that the deal was off, that it was impossible, but I knew that my job would be in a precarious position if I did so. That, and I couldn’t keep working with Patricia forever. I’d have to do what I came here to do, even if that meant changing my tactics.
We got to the branch after a few more minutes, and my mouth dropped open when I saw it. It was a big dome building, all glass, and on the inside I could see lush green plants as well as people mulling around.
“Wow,” I said. He looked at my face as I took it all in.
“Let’s go,” he said with a smile. His hands were in his pockets, looking over the building as he led me inside. I looked around in wonder at the open floor plan—no walls, but offices spread out among what looked like a giant indoor garden, complete with fountains in the center. Everything was made of glass, making the office feel totally connected to the outside world while still retaining a sense of being a paradise in the middle of the concrete. I had never seen anything like it, never smelled air quite so fresh in an office setting. It was the complete opposite of the stuffy, oppressive New York building, with its limited windows and fluorescent lights.
“You like it?” he asked, studying my face. I nodded without speaking, looking around.
“Mr. Maverick!” came a voice beside us. I looked to see a young man hurrying toward Cooper, putting his hand out to shake.
“Ian,” Cooper said warmly, a friendly smile on his face. “How are you?”
“I’m great. Did they tell you I got promoted?” the boy asked excitedly.
“They did,” Cooper said proudly. “I’m not surprised. Congratulations, kid.”
“Who is this?” Ian asked, looking at me.
“This is another associate, Violet. I’m showing her around today.”
“It’s nice to meet you,” I said to Ian, shaking his hand.
“Cooper was my mentor through college,” Ian said. “Taught me everything I know.”
“Not everything,” said Cooper. “I think you’re actually a bit smarter than I am, kid.”
The man laughed, patting Cooper on the shoulder. I could see the admiration in Ian’s eyes for the older man and could tell that he really looked up to him, not only as a boss but as a man. “I’ll see you around, Mr. Maverick.”
“See ya,” said Cooper, as he began to lead me around the building. Everywhere we went, people seemed happy, smiling and greeting Cooper as he walked by. He knew everybody’s name—knew all of them personally, and he was warm and friendly, kind to everyone we met. It made me wonder why he reacted to me so strongly, why he could get so angry and be a complete asshole. If I had to go off of his interactions with his employees at the branch and at the ranch, I would have guessed that he was a kind man, not the hard-ass who seemed to pick a fight with me every time we were together.
We spent a couple of hours at the office, getting to know people and see up close the work style of Cooper. If I had been really there to judge his performance, I would have given him a solid grade when reporting back to Dirk. Seeing him fit in so naturally in the laid-back environment of the office made me feel even guiltier. I didn’t think about it as we got back in the car.
“So?” he asked.
“It was great,” I said to him. “I loved it.”
“Me too,” he said. “I’m glad you enjoyed yourself.”
“It’s much better than the New York branch,” I lamented. “There’s so much back-stabbing there—”
“And power plays,” he said, his voice quiet. “I know.”
“Right,” I said.
“What’s the verdict?” he asked, glancing over at me as he drove.
“What?” I asked him.
“You were there to judge my performance, right?” he asked, studying my face for a second. “Isn’t that why they sent you?”
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“Yes, of course—I—it was great. Everyone seems to like you,” I said. “They respect you.”
“They all knew me growing up. That place is in my blood.”
“Do you really like it there?”
“Yes,” he said. “I do.”
I said nothing, and was glad when we pulled up to the ranch. We went inside, and I hurried upstairs to change, wanting to throw on something lighter than the business clothes I had brought with me. I checked my phone when I got upstairs, my heart skipping a beat when I saw that Dirk had called twice. I glanced at my bedroom door, hurrying across the room to shut and lock it before calling him back.
“Dirk,” he said. “How are you, Violet?”
“I’m fine,” I said.
“Good,” he said with false cheer in his voice. “Tell me how it’s going there. Have you managed to convince him yet?”
“Uh, almost,” I lied. “I think I’m getting close.”
“Well, try your best to hurry, Vi. We’re really counting on you,” Dirk said, the words and tone of his voice making my skin crawl with how disingenuous it was.
“I know. But maybe—maybe it’s not the right thing to do. He’s good with the branch.”
“We need Cooper out immediately,” he said coldly. “It is your job to get him out. Don’t forget what’s at stake here, Violet. You have a big chance to move up in this company.”
“I’ll do my best, Dirk. I have to go now.”
I hung up on him without saying goodbye, too nervous to talk any further. A few moments later, I went downstairs to join them for dinner. Cooper glanced at me as I walked in but otherwise didn’t pay any attention to me sitting across the table from him. I wondered what he was thinking, and had a paranoid thought for an instant that maybe he had heard me on the phone with Dirk. I realized that was silly, though, and chalked Cooper’s behavior up to him being a moody asshole as he had always been. It put me in a bitter mood as we finished dinner and I went upstairs, everybody else gathering on the patio. Cooper didn’t come to me, nor did I go to sleep. I stayed up and listened until everybody was gone, restless, pacing back and forth in my room.
I slipped downstairs when I didn’t hear them anymore, though it was around midnight. I wanted to go out to the stables. There was a horse I had bonded with there the day I had been sweeping, a mare that I wanted to see again, which I knew would soothe my nerves. I noticed that something was wrong as soon as I got outside and could smell the smoke. I looked over to see it pouring out of the barn.
“Cooper!” I shouted, throwing the front door open. “There’s a fire!”
I didn’t wait for him to respond before I rushed to the stables, knowing that I had to let the horses free. There was no way that I was going to let them burn to death; I only hoped that I would make it in time to save them.
Chapter 10: Cooper
“Violet?” I called as I rushed down the stairs to see the front door wide open. I hurried over to it, glancing outside to see the stables on fire.
“Violet!” I called, running towards them on bare feet, knowing instinctively that she had gone in to save the horses.
“Oh my god,” I said when I got to the stables to see the back of them in flames. The stable door was open and I ran in, covering my nose and my mouth with my shirt to protect my lungs from the smoke. I could barely see as I ran in, searching frantically for Violet.
“Violet!” I cried. I heard a noise—a whimper over in the corner. I ran to see Violet surrounded by flames, nearly climbing the wall to get away from them.
“Hold on,” I said to her, my heart pounding in my chest. Any second, she would be engulfed if I didn’t get to her in time. I didn’t think about anything but saving Violet, keeping her safe—I rushed into the fire, lifting her easily into my arms and carrying her through the stables. I cursed when I saw that the door frame had caught fire. I searched around for something to cover Violet, grabbing a horse blanket off the wall and throwing it over both of us as I ran through yet another wave of flames. I threw the blanket off when we were outside, lowering Violet to the ground. She was unconscious, her eyes closed, her breathing choked and ragged.
“Violet,” I said to her, touching her cheek. She was warm, her skin pink. I looked all over for burns, but her clothes didn’t appear to be singed and the skin that was revealed to me looked smooth and pale, unblemished. “Wake up.”
She gave a heavy, rasping cough, her face and body covered in dark ash. Her eyes fluttered open and she looked up at me, her head in my lap. I glanced over at the stables to see that they were completely in flames, that we had only missed being completely devoured by a few seconds. I looked back at Violet as she got up, standing up as well. I crossed my arms over my chest as I stared at her.
“Are you okay?” I asked her. She nodded.
“Are you?”
“Yes, no thanks to you,” I snapped. “What the hell were you doing in there?”
“I let the horses out,” she said, her brow furrowing, eyes narrowing in annoyance. “Otherwise, they would have died. I did you a favor.”
“You know you could have died? How could you be so—”
“Go ahead. Finish your sentence,” she said when I cut myself off. I glared at her.
“It was stupid to go in there. You know that.”
“I saved your horses from burning to death, asshole,” she spat. “And this is all you have to say?”
“I saved your life, Violet. Now is not the time to call names.”
“Fuck you,” she said, turning around and walking toward the house, where my family was gathered outside, watching the stables burn. I checked my body, noting that my clothing was singed, but I didn’t seem to be burnt anywhere. I sighed and joined my family at the door, staring at the stable.
“What happened?” my mom asked.
“No idea. Violet ran in and saved the horses. The place is completely gone. Did you call the fire department?”
“Yeah, they’re on their way,” Abigail said, without taking her eyes off of the stables. I waited with them for the fire department to get there, thinking about Violet, how terrified I had become when I’d learned she’d gone into the flames. I’d been frustrated with the thought of her dying, losing her in such a tragic way, and I found myself feeling guilty over the way I had snapped at her after she’d gotten up. I glanced upstairs to see that the light was still on in her room and decided to go upstairs and apologize. No matter who she was or what she was doing, I had hated the thought of losing her, and I hated the thought of her angry at me now that I’d come to that realization.
“I’m going to make sure that Violet is okay,” I said. My mother nodded, talking to the firemen as I went upstairs. I knocked on her door but she didn’t answer.
“Violet, come to the door,” I said to her. She didn’t answer, but I could sense her there.
“Violet,” I said firmly. “Come on.”
Still, no answer. I sighed, pushing the door open, freezing when I saw her wearing only her panties, her large, full breasts on display. For a moment, I stared at her, at the curves of her hips, thick enough to grab handfuls of while riding against her.
“What the fuck are you doing?” she asked, stomping toward me, throwing her clothes in my face as she slammed the door closed. I stood there for a moment, stunned by what I had seen.
“Violet, I’m so—I’m so sorry,” I said to her through the door. She didn’t answer. I went back to my bedroom and sat on the edge of the bed, closing my eyes, picturing what I had just seen—Violet’s body was so full, so soft, her skin milky and creamy all over. Her breasts had been perfect, ripe and glorious, with big pink nipples that would be perfect for sucking on. My cock grew hard as I thought about it, even harder when my mind traveled upward to her face, her lips, how she had tasted when I’d kissed her. All at once I wanted Violet more than anything I had ever wanted before. I knew I was in trouble, that it was a bad idea, but I couldn’t help it—I craved Violet so bad that it wouldn’t
let me relax, and I had to pull out my cock and stroke it, thinking about Violet and her perfect curves.
In the morning, I found her downstairs. She blushed the moment she saw me, looking away from me. There was an angry look on her face, and I wanted to wipe it off as soon as I saw it. I had been hoping that I would wake up and my want and need for Violet would be gone, but it was as strong as ever as I gazed at her over the table.
“What are you looking at?” she asked me.
“You,” I said simply. “Violet, really, I’m so sorry for last night. I cannot tell you how sorry I am.”
“I bet you are,” she said, starting to eat, looking down at her plate.
“What does that mean?” I asked her.
“What did you say to Lola? I don’t look like your type? I’m sure it wasn’t a pleasant eyeful.”
“Violet—”
My mother entered the room then, cutting me off before I had a chance to tell Violet that in my mind, her body was perfect. I wanted to see more of it, including all the parts that she didn’t like. I had laid awake the night before thinking about taking those panties off, kissing her breasts, her soft belly, her thighs. But I couldn’t tell her that with my mother in the room, so I only stared at her, holding her eye.
“So what are the two of you doing today?” my mother asked, breaking my gaze.
“I’m going to show Violet the field,” I said.
“You haven’t shown her the field yet?” mom asked, her mouth hanging open. “She’s been here for days.”
“We didn’t find the time,” I told her. Truthfully, I didn’t want to share the field with Violet until the right time. Now felt like that time—after last night, the emotions I’d gone through when I was afraid for her, how I’d snapped—I wanted to make it up to her by giving her this one thing that I knew without a doubt she would love.
“What field?” Violet asked. I smiled at her.
“You’ll see,” I said. I wanted to surprise her with the beauty of the field, wanted it to take her breath away as it had mine every time I saw it. She grumbled something as we finished eating, then got up to leave the house. Violet stretched and I couldn’t take my eyes off of her. Just the sight of her made something in my chest flutter now that I’d almost lost her. She met my eye and I glanced away from her quickly, gesturing for her to follow me out the door. She did so with her arms crossed over her chest, her lips in a slight pout, as if she dreaded spending the day with me.
