A Whole New Light by Julia Devlin Page B

to give him a squeeze. Automatically, his palm settled low on her back. In his ear
    she whispered, “I’m glad you came anyway.” When she pulled back, her pink glossy lips curled into a grin. “As your friend, I thought it was good to get you out of the house.”
    Friend. He hated the word. Wanted it stricken from the dictionary. And why did she assume he sat alone every night? Alone?
    A muscle jumped in his jaw. The intellectual understood her dismissal. The man was irritated. He chucked her under the chin. “Who says I stay home, little girl?”
    It wasn’t that he didn’t get it. He completely understood why he was firmly in the friend zone. If this were high school, she’d be the prom queen and he’d get first place in the science fair.
    The only reason why he’d even gotten to know Violet was because they had to travel together as the sales and technical team sent in to close important, high-profile deals. Violet was the glitz and glamour. He was the practical collateral.
    At times, he was tempted to tell her about his other life. The life where he let all the power he kept carefully in check at work come out to play. And he knew how to play. Knew just how to drive a woman to heights she’d only dreamed about. Just how to drive a woman to surrender.
    But to what purpose? He sensed none of the submissive longing in Violet. None.
    People without those desires didn’t understand them.
    Her gaze narrowed. “What did you do last Saturday night?”
    Whipped a woman to orgasm, how about you? “Oh, nothing exciting enough for you, Violet.”
    She planted her hands on those full hips he wanted to take a bite out of. “Exactly my point. You need something exciting.”
    He glanced around her living room then gave her a wolfish grin. “This is the tamest party I’ve been to all year.”
    “Ha!” She shook her head, exasperation radiating off her. In an instant, her whole face lit up. Ethan could practically see the bulb pop over her glossy black head. “Hey, you know who you might hit it off with—”
    “No.”
    “She’s here.” Violet started to frantically scan the room. “Ah, there she is.” She pointed to a cute, innocent-looking blonde he could eat up for breakfast. “Her name is Casey. I used to work with her at my old company. She’s in marketing.”
    “No.”
    “Just talk to her. What are you afraid of?”
    His head snapped to glare down on her. Did she think he was a complete pussy? “Not my type.”
    Violet’s chin tilted up with that stubborn defiance he knew so well. God, he wanted to take that jaw in his hand and give her a little shake before he took her mouth and kissed her in a way she’d never forget. He sighed. Of course it would send her running for the hills where he’d see nothing but her dust.
    “Just who is your type, Eth?” He gritted his teeth. “Not her.”
    “I think she’d be perfect for you. She’s sweet, has a great personality, and she’s adorable. I can already see you on a Christmas card in matching sweaters, fire lit behind you, arms around the golden retriever between you.” She smiled up at him, eyes guileless.
    It hit him like an unexpected punch to the gut, she didn’t know him at all. Their friendship was completely one-sided. The friendship he valued was no more than smoke and mirrors.
    It wasn’t Violet’s fault. She asked, he held back. While she could be herself around him, he didn’t return the feeling. In fact, all he felt comfortable with was the façade. His
    chest tightened. He needed to get out of there. He slid his beer bottle on the accent table next to him. “I’m going to hit the restroom and take off.”
    Her mouth curved down. “Fine, you don’t have to meet her. But stay?”
    “I’ve got something I need to do.” His jaw was so tight he could feel the muscle work across bone.
    “Like what?”
    Like purge you from my system once and for all. He had to forget her. This sixteen-year- old’s crush wasn’t getting him