well.”
Violet felt her mouth fall open in shock. Jack was Fae too. Well.
“That explains a lot,” she mumbled. The drive to be with him. The drive to forget about Rory and Alessandro.
“I try to ease him but sometimes he has to be with another person like him. And I understand that.”
Violet felt incredibly humbled. She and Rory were getting each other off and Alessandro’s heart was breaking. But he was doing what he had to do to keep Rory. And to keep Rory happy.
“Well, I appreciate you sharing him with me.”
Pulling her to him, he gave her a peck on the temple. “I don’t actually mind sharing him with you.”
“Good, because I plan on absolutely wearing the two of you out before you leave. Any idea when that will be? How long do I have left?”
Alessandro shrugged in that European, what-would-it-matter-if-you-did-know kind of shrug.
Sighing, she rested her head on his shoulder. She would just have to take whatever she could get.
“Violet? Violet Nichols?”
At the first sound of the high, sweet country voice, Violet felt her heart sink. No, please . But she knew even before she looked up who was going to be standing there.
Madelyn Hughes. Pretty, blonde, perfect Madelyn.
Of the Pickerington Times Newspaper founding family.
Blanking her face, she smiled blandly at the novice reporter. “Hello, Madelyn. Isn’t it funny seeing you here?”
Madelyn’s big blue eyes rounded as she looked from Violet to Alessandro. If it hadn’t been such a volatile situation she would have laughed outright at the cub reporter’s star-struck face. It was obvious she couldn’t believe such a hot guy was sitting with grease-stained Violet Nichols.
“Oh yes, funny,” she agreed, holding a manicured hand out to Alessandro. “Who’s your friend?”
Alessandro, being the charming gentleman he was, turned up the wattage and stood to shake her hand. He even bent over to kiss it. What should have looked stupid in the middle of Kentucky turned into one of the most gallant things Violet had ever seen.
Madelyn must have thought so too because she got an insipid, dreamy look on her face. “Oh,” she moaned again.
“Alessandro Martinelli,” he said quietly, deeply. Violet watched as his thumb ran over the back of Madelyn’s hand and the young woman’s shiver. It was pretty sad to watch, actually. Poor Madelyn had no chance against Alessandro’s effortless charm.
Aggravation was growing though, too. Why did he have to kiss her hand? If he had any idea what a little motor mouth she was he would be running in the opposite direction as fast as he could.
“Alessandro, this is Madelyn, Pickerington’s—” damn, she almost said town busy body, “uh, cub reporter.”
Big blue eyes flashed at her angrily. “Oh Violet, haven’t you heard? I’m full-staff now.”
Blinking up at Alessandro she threw her shoulders back proudly, smile gleaming. “So, where did you meet Violet?”
“At her garage.” Gently he pulled his arm away from her lacquered nails. She was slick because Violet hadn’t even seen her clutch his arm.
Madelyn’s cute face wrinkled in distaste and she cocked her pink-skirted hip. “Oh, that dirty place. I don’t go over there if I can avoid it. It’s no place for a woman.”
Violet felt her own anger stirring. That little cat…
“Oh, I don’t know,” Alessandro said smoothly. “You might be surprised what kind of treasures you can find in a garage.”
Violet could have kissed him. Right there in the middle of town. She was sure it was an act, but the sexy Italian was looking at her as if he could eat her. And it was absolutely burning Madelyn to bits.
Little Miss Perfect was used to getting her way and didn’t appreciate Violet getting any attention at all. Violet could remember all through grade school, junior and high school trying to dodge Madelyn’s little barbs. Madelyn was actually two years behind Violet but she had always been in the midst of the action. Dating boys
Violet felt her mouth fall open in shock. Jack was Fae too. Well.
“That explains a lot,” she mumbled. The drive to be with him. The drive to forget about Rory and Alessandro.
“I try to ease him but sometimes he has to be with another person like him. And I understand that.”
Violet felt incredibly humbled. She and Rory were getting each other off and Alessandro’s heart was breaking. But he was doing what he had to do to keep Rory. And to keep Rory happy.
“Well, I appreciate you sharing him with me.”
Pulling her to him, he gave her a peck on the temple. “I don’t actually mind sharing him with you.”
“Good, because I plan on absolutely wearing the two of you out before you leave. Any idea when that will be? How long do I have left?”
Alessandro shrugged in that European, what-would-it-matter-if-you-did-know kind of shrug.
Sighing, she rested her head on his shoulder. She would just have to take whatever she could get.
“Violet? Violet Nichols?”
At the first sound of the high, sweet country voice, Violet felt her heart sink. No, please . But she knew even before she looked up who was going to be standing there.
Madelyn Hughes. Pretty, blonde, perfect Madelyn.
Of the Pickerington Times Newspaper founding family.
Blanking her face, she smiled blandly at the novice reporter. “Hello, Madelyn. Isn’t it funny seeing you here?”
Madelyn’s big blue eyes rounded as she looked from Violet to Alessandro. If it hadn’t been such a volatile situation she would have laughed outright at the cub reporter’s star-struck face. It was obvious she couldn’t believe such a hot guy was sitting with grease-stained Violet Nichols.
“Oh yes, funny,” she agreed, holding a manicured hand out to Alessandro. “Who’s your friend?”
Alessandro, being the charming gentleman he was, turned up the wattage and stood to shake her hand. He even bent over to kiss it. What should have looked stupid in the middle of Kentucky turned into one of the most gallant things Violet had ever seen.
Madelyn must have thought so too because she got an insipid, dreamy look on her face. “Oh,” she moaned again.
“Alessandro Martinelli,” he said quietly, deeply. Violet watched as his thumb ran over the back of Madelyn’s hand and the young woman’s shiver. It was pretty sad to watch, actually. Poor Madelyn had no chance against Alessandro’s effortless charm.
Aggravation was growing though, too. Why did he have to kiss her hand? If he had any idea what a little motor mouth she was he would be running in the opposite direction as fast as he could.
“Alessandro, this is Madelyn, Pickerington’s—” damn, she almost said town busy body, “uh, cub reporter.”
Big blue eyes flashed at her angrily. “Oh Violet, haven’t you heard? I’m full-staff now.”
Blinking up at Alessandro she threw her shoulders back proudly, smile gleaming. “So, where did you meet Violet?”
“At her garage.” Gently he pulled his arm away from her lacquered nails. She was slick because Violet hadn’t even seen her clutch his arm.
Madelyn’s cute face wrinkled in distaste and she cocked her pink-skirted hip. “Oh, that dirty place. I don’t go over there if I can avoid it. It’s no place for a woman.”
Violet felt her own anger stirring. That little cat…
“Oh, I don’t know,” Alessandro said smoothly. “You might be surprised what kind of treasures you can find in a garage.”
Violet could have kissed him. Right there in the middle of town. She was sure it was an act, but the sexy Italian was looking at her as if he could eat her. And it was absolutely burning Madelyn to bits.
Little Miss Perfect was used to getting her way and didn’t appreciate Violet getting any attention at all. Violet could remember all through grade school, junior and high school trying to dodge Madelyn’s little barbs. Madelyn was actually two years behind Violet but she had always been in the midst of the action. Dating boys
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