Unrelenting Desire

RYAN

I’VE ALWAYS LIVED BY TWO RULES.

One: never get too close. Keep the distractions to a minimum, my life…manageable.

And two: never involve myself in a situation I can’t walk away from.

Those rules have kept me out of trouble, kept me off people’s radars—at least when I wanted to be. Over the years, I’ve landed on my share of blacklists and seen enough double-crossers to know when to walk away. I’ve always stayed in control because I knew better than to let anything or anyone pull me under.

But now, for the first time in my life, I’m tempted to break both those rules. And all because of Violet fucking Blake.

Her moans echoed through my mind like a damn curse, her cries from earlier still ringing in my ears, branding themselves into me. I’d heard every genre of music out there, but none of it came close to how her voice sounded, soft and pleading as she moaned, her body trembling against mine. The scent of vanilla still lingered in the air, etched into my room like it was her very essence seeping into everything she touched.

The beautiful flush on her skin..her words “I'm yours alone”

She’d whispered it between gasps, breathy, raw. It was insane

That was the least sexual intimacy I've had with any lady, Yet, somehow, that moment with her had gotten to me so deeply that I had to excuse myself to go grab her food and didn't even stay in the room while she ate.

None of it would have happened if I hadn’t seen that damn idiot trying to get close to her. My stomach twisted just remembering it. Luke’s smug face, his hands reaching for her like he had any right. I hated him—no, hated wasn’t even the right word. It was a seething, burning loathing that ran straight through me, like poison in my veins. Just thinking about it was enough to tighten my chest, every breath feeling like it scraped against raw nerves.

Before I even realized what I was doing, my fist slammed down on the lamp by my bed, sending it crashing to the floor. The porcelain shattered with a sharp, brutal sound, and I stared at the mess for a moment, feeling a grim satisfaction in the destruction. She must’ve heard that from her room, but I couldn’t bring myself to care. I’d lost my grip, and it was all because of her.

Without a second thought, I pulled out my phone and texted Jack, telling him to meet me at a bar. I threw on a shirt, grabbed my jacket, and stormed out, needing to escape this house before I did something stupid. Like going to her room and telling her outright that I didn’t want her thinking about Luke, or anyone else for that matter. That the only man she should be thinking about was me or demanding she tell me exactly what she felt about me after what I told her in the gym.

I hadn’t planned on telling her I was attracted to her, and had never intended for it to slip out. But today in the gym, with her rattling on about things that didn't relate to me, something inside me snapped. Before I knew it, the words were spilling from my mouth, unfiltered. And the second I saw her reaction—those damn wide eyes staring at me like she’d been caught in a storm—I knew I’d lost control.

She was supposed to be just another face, someone easy to keep at arm’s length. But somehow, that plan had crumbled the moment she looked at me with those eyes—equal parts daring and guarded, like she was testing me, pushing boundaries I’d never let anyone cross. And with every glance, every touch, she kept drawing me closer, daring me to step into the fire. She was making me want things I’d sworn off long ago, making me think about losing control in ways I’d never thought possible.

I clenched my jaw, trying to shake her from my thoughts, but it was useless. Every time I tried to push her out of my head, the idea of someone else touching her, holding her, drove me right back into this frenzy. No matter how I tried to rationalize it, I couldn’t ignore the truth: Violet Blake had shattered my defenses, slipped past every wall I’d built, and made me question everything I thought I knew about myself.

And it scared the hell out of me.

Her door was shut, the soft glow of light spilling beneath it as I passed by her room. I had this strange, almost irresistible urge to knock, to twist the knob and see what she was doing.

Was she thinking about that moment earlier as much as I was? Or maybe...was she texting Luke? The thought sent an unwelcome surge of annoyance flaring in my chest, but I shrugged it off, knowing better than to give it space to grow.

She was mine now. Mine to touch, mine to own. The reminder settled like a possessive burn in my veins.

A shiver ran through me as I recalled the way she’d gasped, how she’d whispered that no other guy had ever been that close to her. The thought brought a smug, proud smile to my lips.

Mine.

I reminded myself, savoring the way that word felt in my mind.

I made my way to my car, dropping into the driver’s seat, and pulled out a cigarette from the glove compartment. I took a slow drag, feeling the nicotine burn slightly as it filtered through my lungs. Her scent—soft and sweet like roses and vanilla—still clung to my hands, mingling with the smoke.

Every time I brought the cigarette to my mouth, I smelled her on my finger: her soft skin under my fingers, the way her breath had hitched as she came undone. A shiver traced down my spine, sending a fresh wave of heat through me, and yet, instead of easing the desire, it only made me want her more. A dangerous, reckless kind of wanting. I hated how she’d gotten under my skin, but I hated the thought of letting her go even more

Minutes later, I pulled up outside the bar. Jake was already there, leaning back in his seat with that easy, cocky grin he wore like a second skin.

“You look like you’re ready to tear someone’s head off,” he chuckled, studying me. “Quick guess—your stepsister got under your skin again?”

“Stepsister,” I muttered, the word grating against me. Whatever happened between Violet and me today had nothing to do with that label. “I’m here for a drink, not to talk.”

Jake raised his hands in mock surrender, but his grin didn’t fade.

“Alright, fine.” He flagged down the bartender and ordered the usual—a round of neat bourbon, strong and dark. The bartender quickly returned with three glasses and a bottle. I poured myself a glass and downed it in a single gulp, hoping it’d drown out the image of a brown-haired girl with stormy eyes who’d managed to wrap herself too deep around my mind.

“Look over there” Jake nudged me, nodding toward a tall blonde at the far end of the bar. Her dress was silky, a midnight blue that hugged every inch of her body, and her eyes were locked on me, brazen and inviting. She shifted slightly, the outline of her nipples visible beneath the thin fabric, practically begging for attention.

Once, maybe not that long ago, that look would’ve worked on me. But now, she could be wearing a damn potato sack for all the interest she sparked. She shot me a flirty wink, and instead of feeling intrigued, I just felt…irritated. Almost like it was beneath me. No, she was beneath me. I couldn’t shake the feeling of bile rising at the back of my throat.

“She’s into you,” Jake murmured, grinning. “That look has your name written all over it.”

“I’ll pass.” I poured another glass, not bothering to even look her way again.

Jake gaped at me like I’d just grown a second head. “What the hell?” he muttered, staring me down as if I was some kind of alien.

“What?” I snapped, feeling the edge creep into my tone.

“Just…you. Are you seriously passing on a girl like that?” He leaned back, shaking his head. “I needed to be sure I’m sitting next to the real Ryan Jenkins, not some impostor. Because the Ryan I know? No way in hell he’d turn down a woman like that.”

I scoffed, taking another drag from my cigarette.

“You calling her a ‘hottie’ just makes me realize how pathetic your taste actually is.”

Jake just chuckled, rolling his eyes. “Alright, keep your secrets, Mr. High Standards. I’m not letting an opportunity like that pass me by, though.” He gave me a quick wink before sauntering off toward the blonde, already shifting into that easy charm of his.

I didn’t bother to watch them. Instead, I took another drink, the bourbon warming its way down my throat, dulling everything except the memory of Violet. After All there was no way to stop now.

Not when every nerve in my body was already scorched from her touch.