Naked (21 page)

“Sorry.” Roxy held up her hands in defense. “I just…What’s going on?”

“I need to show you something.”

She still hadn’t pulled her dress away from her body. The air was cool against the open zipper in the back, but she was burning up with embarrassment. And guilt. She should have trusted her best friend.

“All right. Let’s see it.” Roxy was so nonchalant. Always ready for anything. She only hoped that her best friend was ready for this.

“So…you know I had to have surgery after the accident.”

Roxy grew serious, the quirky smile that was always on her face fell away.

“And that it left some scars.”

Roxy walked forward despite her direction to stay put by the door. Violet knew nothing was going to stop her from approaching. Roxy was never one for following orders.

“The only people that have seen me naked are the doctors and nurses.” She wasn’t going to mention Harper. That would only complicate things more by having to explain that she was seeing a wellness coach in order to get the nerve to be with Noah.

At this point, Roxy had reached her in the middle of the aisle.

“My parents haven’t seen them and—”

Roxy reached out and grabbed the neckline of her dress, pulling it away from her upper body. Violet squeezed her eyes shut and gasped when the cool air caused her skin to pimple and her nipples to pebble under her black lace bra, which did not begin to cover her deformities.

When she felt the dress pool around her waist, she finally almost got the courage to open her eyes. But only managed to sneak a peek through one.

“Violet…” In all the years they had been friends, she’d only seen Roxy this upset once: when Will Cranston had stood her up the night of the senior formal. Since that day, she’d made an effort to let everything roll off her back.

Roxy let out a long breath, her eyes searching out every inch of scarring. Violet felt small, scrutinized. “I had no idea it was so—”

“Disgusting?” She’d managed to open both eyes now. She stared straight ahead at Roxy, who hadn’t taken her eyes away from her chest. “Hideous?” Tears stung Violet’s eyes when Roxy didn’t respond.

Her hand reached out, and Violet let her trace the edge of the largest scar. “You almost died.” Roxy swallowed hard, then her mouth popped open, sucking in a hard breath. “You almost left me. I was just so happy that you didn’t die, and when your surgery was over and you got out of the hospital, I just…” Tears accumulated in her eyes. “Fuck!” She wiped away the moisture that had fallen down her cheeks. “I’m such a selfish asshole. I never thought to even ask you about how the accident left you physically. I just thought everything was fine. I wondered about the scarves. I just didn’t want to push you. I didn’t want to badger because…” She pulled her hand away and it went to her own face to wipe away her tears. “I am so sorry that this happened to you but—”

“I’m hideous. Deformed.”

Roxy stilled, her shoulders dropping away from her ears with a sigh. “You’re still the most put-together woman I know. I don’t see how this changes any of that.” Roxy grabbed the dress and pulled Violet’s arms through it, then settled at her back to do up the zipper. “You’re beautiful. You’re the most beautiful woman I know.”

“I don’t want to be beautiful, damn it!” She couldn’t help the small amount of rage that rose up through her throat and came out in a harsh tone. “I don’t want the only thing people see when they look at me to be beauty.”

“Honey, you’re hot. You can’t change that.” The sharp zip at her back interrupted her words. “Even if you had eighteen pimples on your face, you’d still be the hottest woman in the room.” Roxy returned to her front and crossed her arms over her chest. “I don’t see how that’s a problem?”

“Because no one takes me seriously. Because everyone thinks that the only reason I have even the smallest amount of success in my career is because I am Ward Walker’s daughter and because I get special treatment because I’m attractive.”

“All right, so that might be true. We definitely took advantage of the fact that boys would line up to buy us drinks at the bar. But that was then. We’re adults and work hard. We might have been privileged enough to walk right into a job that was already built for us, but we also earned it.”

She turned, taking a few steps away and letting her hands graze over the tops of the chairs.

“I schlepped the bags of rich bitches to their cars, fit them for shoes, squeezed them into size zero dresses when clearly they were a size two. And how many summers did you spend on construction sites?” She turned, freezing Violet in place with a glare. “I mean for fuck’s sake, you wore steel-toed boots.”

Maybe Roxy had a point. Maybe Violet was the one who didn’t give herself enough credit.

“Thank you.” Violet looked up into her friend’s eyes. Roxy didn’t look back at her with pity or sympathy. It was the same face, the same expression she’d been seeing for the last twenty years. Trust. Honesty. Loyalty.

“Did you really think that showing me those scars was going to disgust me?”

Violet shrugged.

“I should be mad that you think so little of me.”

“I—”

Roxy held up her hand to keep her from explaining. “But I’m not.” She rested her chin on Violet’s shoulder and wrapped her arms around her waist, squeezing her in a hug. “I just have one question…”

“Anything,” Violet whispered. She felt like an idiot keeping this from her.

“How could you show your neighbor, and not me?” She pulled away, her bottom half still flush with Violet’s. Roxy looked genuinely hurt by the thought.

“I haven’t,” she blurted. “I didn’t.” The look of devastation on Roxy’s face hurt worse than looking at herself in the mirror.

“But you’ve been having sex with him?” Roxy didn’t believe her. She deserved that. It was the least she deserved.

Violet bit her lip and confessed, “I’ve never taken off my shirt.”

“And he’s been all right with that?” Some of the sadness had lifted from Roxy’s face, but she was still hurt. That much was clear by the way her eyes watered. Roxy
never
cried.

“Well, the first few times I got away with it because we were…It wasn’t necessary to be totally naked.”

Just the memories of her sex with Noah were enough to ignite a fire. And the revelation of their encounters worked in the same way. Roxy’s expression of sadness softened and the quirky smile Violet had come to love made a small appearance.

“Are you telling me the sex with him is so intense that you don’t even take the time to get naked?” She fanned her hand in front of her face. “I knew I was right when I told you to get plowed.”

Violet giggled, but then placed both hands on her cheeks and let out a heavy breath. “It’s so much more complicated than I expected.”

Like the constant supporter she’d always been, Roxy wrapped her arm around Violet’s shoulders, pulling her into another hug.

Violet rested her head against her shoulder. “I thought I’d screw him, show him my scars as a test run, and then never see him again, but…” She had come to care about what he thought of her and if his reaction to her scars weren’t favorable, she might never get over it.

Roxy patted her forearm and guided them toward the door. “I don’t know how he’ll react. I don’t know if he’ll give you the reaction you want, but I do know that if he can’t deal, if he doesn’t see past the scars and look at how beautiful you are, then he’s not the one.”

He was only supposed to be the man she tried on for size. The man she used to work out her nonsensical sexual desires so she could get back to her real life. He was supposed to be the last bad decision she ever made.

But being in that ballroom tonight had proved that her bad decision had been the best one she’d made in a long time.

“Let’s get out there before your mother has a shit fit and sends the hyenas to corner us.”

Violet laughed. That was a pretty accurate description of the women in that room.

She pulled Roxy to a stop before they walked out of mezzanine. “I’m sorry, Roxy. I’m so, so sorry.” She blinked away her tears. “I should have told you. I should have…”

Roxy lowered her eyes. “I know.” With a renewed breath, she looked up, the familiar sparkle of mischief in her eyes once again present. “You’re off the hook, but from now on, no more withholding.”

Violet clenched her jaw. “Then I guess we should have a conversation about Steven.”

Shaking her head with a half smile, Roxy said, “I think we’re going to need some drinks for that one.”

Roxy was right. No more withholding. Violet was going to tell her everything. Every embarrassing, terrified, guilt-ridden emotion she’d been holding in for the last year.

“And don’t think you’re off the hook with Sir Fix-a-Lot.” Roxy skipped beside her with excitement like a little girl. “You owe me major sex details.”

Violet laughed. “Then we’re going to need many, many drinks.” She had lots of details. Lots of crotchless and public details.

They walked back to the party, side by side, as they had for years. As if nothing had changed.

Except it had.

Harper had been right. Showing Roxy her scars had been no big deal. It was the lead-up, the anticipation of showing her that had been the worst part. She made a mental note to send a text confirming the completion of her second homework assignment.

She didn’t have any intention of showing anyone else in the near future, especially not Noah. Not when she couldn’t deny that he brought out the side of her she’d been missing all these years—the woman who was a million miles away from the people at this party. And right now, she needed a reminder. One that only Noah could give to her.

They were kindred spirits in a weird way. His ability to build something from nothing confirmed that, like her, he got off on the satisfaction of seeing the final product. For him, it was a renovated house. For her, it was another building on the city’s skyline.

And she’d be lying if she said watching him work with his hands wasn’t sexy as hell.

She needed to enjoy that sexiness for as long as she could.

Technically, they had one weekend left before she had to move back to the city, but she hadn’t mentioned that she needed to go back early. Tonight would be their last night before they officially had to say goodbye.

Chapter 17

Noah stared out into the backyard from the wood bench he’d bought that afternoon. He’d placed it at the edge of the deck, knowing full well his mother would probably move it to underneath the tree at the back of the lot when she moved in.

The scent of the lilacs from across the street carried with the light breeze. And so did the fluff from the dandelions that had taken over the lawn. He was going to arrange for a weed specialist to take care of the grass once he was done renovating.

He breathed deep, enjoying the lilac scent, but the silence was deafening. At least in the city there was background noise; traffic and people. Here, there was nothing but the breeze, and his thoughts.

But in a few weeks he’d move back. Back to his normal life with his friends and family. A normal life that didn’t include Violet. He was trying not to think about the fact that this was their last weekend together.

“Noah!”

He heard her even before he saw her.

“Violet?” He wasn’t expecting her tonight. She had a party. “I’m back here.”

He heard the bang of the fence door against the brick. Then she appeared, barreling around the corner of the house. She stepped up onto the deck, her dress shimmering in the moonlight. The luminescent rays of the moon made her skin impossibly sensual. Her lips were the perfect shade of pink and her hair was tied up low at the back of her head. A few strands framed her face, but he had a feeling they had fallen out of that perfect hairstyle and weren’t there on purpose.

In so many ways she was the Violet he had come to care for—soft and sensual, yet determined and forceful when she wanted to be, sexy as fuck, and ready to jump his bones at any moment.

But tonight, the Violet standing in front of him was frantic. Her eyes were wild and shifty and her hands fisted at her sides. She shook out her right hand, as he’d seen her do many times during the time they’d spent together.

“Violet…” But she didn’t give him a chance to speak. She straddled him on the bench, her bottom resting on his thighs and her legs tightening around him.

And then she kissed him.

There was nothing gentle or intimate about the kiss, but he didn’t mind one bit. As her lips tangled with his, her hands pressed at the back of his head, pushing their mouths together. She licked and sucked without even taking a breath, devouring him.

But he went along with it. Already, just the smell of her perfume and the touch of her lips had him erect. She grappled with his limbs and clothing, pressing her chest into his; her heart pounded like a sledgehammer. At one point, their teeth clacked together, and he knew it was time to slow it down. He forced their lips apart, and she finally took a breath.

He used the opportunity to get some words in. “Violet, are you all right?”

She stilled in his arms, her legs tightening their grip around his hips. Tears pooled in her eyes and it was the first time he’d seen her show any type of deep emotion, other than desire, since they’d met.

He rubbed his thumb under her eyes, the action causing a tear to fall down her cheek. He wiped it away, leaving a streak of moisture glistening on her flushed skin.

She had the fight-or-flight instinct down too well. Unfortunately, her response was always to flee. She tried to wriggle away, but he settled his hands around her bottom, cradling her against him.

“What happened?”

She shook her head, leaning in, pressing another kiss to his lips. Now she was deflecting. But with each touch of her lips to his, the steady rhythm increased the fierce need to throw her down on the grass and fuck her senseless.

But she wasn’t going to distract him so easily. He grabbed on to her hair and tugged.

She moaned, gasping for breath. And when their eyes locked, hers danced with flames of desire.

She liked it?