“Thanks, Tanner.” She smiles, her shoulders relaxing slightly. “That means a lot. And I guess deep down, despite all the fear, I feel like Icando this. That’s why I uprooted my life in the first place. It’s just this latest book that’s making me doubt myself. It’s taken me a long time to find inspiration and start writing, and I guess that knocked my confidence.”

Inspiration.

I think back to the pink notebook, stifling a smile as I say, “Tell me about your new book.”

Violet’s eyes widen. “Uh…it’s a romance.”

“I know that part.”

“It’s…well, it’s set on a mountain.”

“What about the characters?”

Her words are barely a whisper. “The hero is a mountain man.”

“And the heroine?”

“A writer.”

She stares down at her lap, and I instinctively hook my thumb under her chin, forcing her to look at me. I can smell hershampoo, like raspberries and cream, and my heart stutters as I breathe it in.

“Sounds like a damn good story to me,” I tell her.

“You think so?”

Our faces are almost touching, and the charge in the air has nothing to do with the storm raging outside. My eyes stray to her lips, cherry-red and pouty, too tempting to resist.

“You’re damn right I do,” I murmur.

Then I close the gap between us with a deep groan. The world exhales, a dam bursting as I kiss Violet, crushing my mouth to hers. I don’t hold back. Hell, I couldn’t even if I wanted to. My fingers thread desperately through her hair, pulling her closer. Her lips are so damn soft, and she gasps as I slip my tongue between them, filling her warm mouth.

Fuck.

Blood rushes down to my cock, heating my skin like a wildfire as I lose myself in Violet’s sweet taste. She wraps her arms around my neck, lapping at my tongue, making soft noises of pleasure in her throat. It’s enough to drive me wild. I want her so badly I can’t fucking breathe, and I pull her onto my lap, feeling her pressing down against my hard cock. A shiver runs through her as I grab her ass, grinding her against me. But I want more. There are too many layers between us, and I push her back against the couch, taking a moment to savor how fucking beautiful she looks laid out for me like this.

I’m the luckiest son-of-a-bitch alive right now.

With urgent hands, I reach for her shorts and unzip them, pulling them down to expose her white panties. I lean down to kiss her again, our tongues melding as I slide my hand beneath the fabric, swiping my fingers against her wet folds.

So hot. So fucking wet.

Violet bucks against me, breaking our kiss with a gasp, her eyes wide as she looks up at me.

“You okay, sugar?”

“Yes, but…nobody has ever touched me there before.” She says it like a confession, her legs trembling slightly, and my cock throbs so hard I think I might come then and there.

“I’m gonna do more than just touch you, Violet.” I press against her entrance, feeling the heat against my fingertips. “Much more.”

She shudders, sucking in a breath as I slide down her panties and toss them to the floor. I ease her gorgeously thick thighs apart, heart hammering as I expose her pretty pink core, glistening with arousal.

“You’re perfect,” I mutter, feasting my eyes on her most intimate spot. “So damn perfect.”

I’m aching for her, the pressure building in my boxers. I need to be inside her. Claim her. It’s a deep, primal desire, setting every nerve on fire with want as I run my finger against her slit, coating my fingers in her wetness.

Fuck, I want to taste her.

The scent of her sweet musk is enough to turn me feral as I kneel on the floor, pulling her to the edge of the couch. My knee twinges with pain, but I ignore it, leaning in until my mouth is level with Violet’s pussy. I slide my tongue against her slit, relishing her gasp of surprise.