His Possession (The Owners) (12 page)

He pulled her skirt back down.

“I need my panties,” she said.

“No, you don’t. I’ll keep them.”

Ten minutes later, Stacey showed the man in. Violet went back to her seat and read. Her mind was in turmoil from the events of the afternoon. The life she’d known was getting out of hand. The moment he spoke, Violet had felt her body drawn to his call. Closing her eyes, she prayed for the sanity that had left her since he’d made his presence known.

Cadeon Ashwood made her feel, and in the world she lived in, it was dangerous to feel.

Chapter Eleven

The week passed, and slowly Violet became aware of the system of how Stacey worked. Once she’d mastered Stacey’s role, Cadeon would call her into his office and get her to work in front of him. He bought her a state-of-the-art laptop to keep her in his company. She had heard some of his colleagues talking, and the whispers and taunts unnerved her. Never before had she been the subject of gossip
, yet now
she was being talked about constantly. Cadeon Ashwood had never shown an interest in a woman the way he did her.

During the day she worked for him, and by night she slept in his bed as he touched her, bringing
them both
pleasure. He tried to get her to be with him during every lunch break. She refused, certain that the bubble around them would burst. The moments when she lay in his arms were the best of her life. His heat around her. Feeling the beat of his heart against her cheek. Knowing he was real and not a figment of her imagination. Those were the real moments to her.

Some nights he left her alone. Anne would keep her company until the older woman left. With her help, Violet explored her surroundings. She was always scared to venture where she wasn’t allowed.

“Honey, he wouldn’t leave you alone in this house if he didn’t want you to explore,” Anne said.

“I feel like a stranger. Like I don’t belong here.”

“I believe at times Cadeon felt that way when his father lived here.”

“His dad?”

“Yes. Poor soul. His parents died young and were deeply in love. No one could put a wedge between them. His father doted on his mother. A true union of souls. When they were in the room together, nothing else mattered to them.”

“Poor Cadeon.” Violet didn’t know what was worse
,
b
eing invisible to the outside world
,
or the two people who were supposed to love him caring about nothing but themselves.

“Why poor Cadeon?”

“Because his parents cared more about themselves than they did about him.”

“No, honey. His parents were in love. Cadeon was a shining light in their world. His parents adored him
,
e
ven in his reckless years. Don’t mistake love for each other as selfishness. Too many couples nowadays don’t love with a depth of feeling to the very soul.”

Violet thought about her words. “Did you love like that?” she asked.

“Still do, honey. My man has been gone for a few years, but I’ll love him to the day I go.”

Anne left her to explore the house. Cadeon had left after dinner. Starting in the library, Violet checked out the many different types of books he had in his possession. Some were classics,
and
from the look of them, first editions. Not picking a book to read
,
as she valued her e-reader more, her search took her upstairs. If this house belonged to his parents was it passed down through generations? Staring at the pictures of many different people, she wondered if they were in fact family members. Violet moved from one room to the next. Most were guest bedrooms waiting to be made up. Cadeon had a large house. When she grew bored of checking out the rooms, she made her way back downstairs to the kitchen. Cookbooks littered one side of the wall. Going over to them, she picked out the first one she found. The booklet wasn’t a cookbook but pages filled with hand
-
written recipes. Taken with the beautiful letters, she found a recipe for chocolate cupcakes.

Watching cookery shows had been the one true pleasure for her when she’d been allowed. Opening the book, she went in search of the ingredients. Baking was one thing she’d never done in her life. The writing had taken control of her. She found some flour, chocolate, eggs, sugar and other confectionary items in the cupboards and fridge. The tins were in a bottom drawer. Much searching and she had every piece of equipment laid down for her to work with. Preheating the oven, she began creaming the butter and sugar together. The therapeutic action helped her to relax. Her mind
was no longer
full of Cadeon, her mum, or the danger she was in from falling for Cadeon.

While she stirred, folded and prepared cupcakes, she was a woman who baked. Closing her eyes, Violet let the calm take over. 

****

Cadeon sat watching the husband pound into his wife. Her hands were strapped down. She couldn’t move. The only thing the woman could do was accept her pleasure.

“I had a set-back today,” Stephen said as he sat down.

“What did you do?” Cadeon asked as he drank down his coffee. He wouldn’t risk drinking alcohol when the rain was pouring down outside.

“Told a woman she couldn’t work here. She had lovely red hair and the bluest eyes I’ve ever seen.”

“And you got rid of her.”

The woman tied up began screaming as her release rolled over her. In his eye, Cadeon saw Violet withering in pleasure. Would she let him tie her up?

Her hands would look so beautiful trapped above her head as he kissed her body. Clearing his throat, he turned away from the scene. Picturing his woman in any pose was threatening his mind. Being around her, touching her, was driving him to distraction. No time was ever enough with her. He hated sleeping because it took time away from the woman he loved.

“I’ve known Violet for a year, and my heart feels like it will burst every time I stare at her,” he said to Stephen. “The other night you had doubts about the possessive feeling a man can get with his woman.”

“What about it?”

“I feel it. Every time another man looks at her, I want to cut his eyes out. She walks past me, and I want to hold her in my arms and never let go. Violet
Moore
is twenty-one years old. She’s got her whole life ahead of her, and all I want is to give her the world. She smiles at me, not often but enough, and I feel alive.”

Stephen stared at him, silent.

“Possession is there, inside you. You’ve just got to wait for the right woman before it threatens to break loose.”

“Where are you going?” Stephen asked as Cadeon stood up.

“I’ve got a woman at home. Watching them together is fun, but I’d rather be with her.”

He shook his friend’s hand before leaving the club. Driving home, Cadeon thought about Violet. Watching her work in front of his desk had become the highlight of his life. He knew people at work were talking, and it would only be a matter of time until he had to pull her away.

For all of her timid responses so far, he knew she would put up a fight. Sometimes he saw the fire inside her, which she squashed. He wanted her to fight him
, not
agree to everything.

Pulling up outside his house, he noted no lights were visible from the front. The moment he entered, he smel
led
the baking.

Anne wouldn’t be home. The scent of cupcakes sent him right back to his childhood. His mother had loved to bake. Going to the kitchen, he found Violet bent over the oven, pulling out a tray of dark mounded cakes.

She hadn’t seen him. Her tongue touched her top lip as she concentrated on placing the hot buns on the cool rack. Flour covered a cheek. Her hair escaped the odd ponytail. Her hands were covered with cake mix. The kitchen looked like a bomb had blown up inside the room. With his hands folded, Cadeon observed her. She looked happy.

“I take it you’ve been busy,” he said as he took a seat at the counter opposite her.

“Cadeon? Hi.” She pulled away from the cupcakes as if she was doing something wrong.

“Don’t worry. They smell like the ones my
mom
used to make,” he said, picking one up and tearing the case off underneath.

“I found a recipe for them in here.” She picked up the book. He took a bite. The rich chocolate melted in his mouth. Glancing at the book, he knew it was his mother’s recipe. “That’s my mother’s recipe book. She loved going into the kitchen to bake. There should be some of her all time favourite recipes.” He took the book from her and flicked through. “This one, macaroni cheese, took her months to get right. I remember when she brought out the pot. It smel
led
good. My dad gave me a hopeful look. We’d tried so many bad versions of that dish. She got it right. The pasta tasted great
, and t
he cheese
was
the right amount.” He thought about the way his mother looked when his dad tasted the food. She always looked so happy when she got it right.

“Tell me more,” Violet asked, moving to sit beside him.

Flicking through the pages, he told her about some of the recipes.

“The cupcakes were a treat for me on my birthday. She forgot to order a cake and decided to make it herself, but she didn’t follow the instructions properly. The cake pretty much exploded in the oven. When it looked like I wasn’t getting a cake, I watched her working, and these came out. The best cupcakes I’ve ever tasted.” Cadeon took a bite recalling his birthday so long ago.

“Your mother sounded nice.”

“She was amazing. My dad loved her.”

“What happened to them?”

“A car accident.”

She nodded her head. “I know it’s not much, but I’ve experienced loss, too. I mean, my mum died.”

Cadeon stared at her. “How did she die?”

Silent for a moment, she shook her head. “I’m not ready to tell you that.”

He nodded his head. She’d told him something, and that was a move in the right direction. “This dish, leek and potato soup. She burnt it and tried to cover it up by putting golden croutons on top. It tasted awful that first time. She never burnt it again.”

For the next hour, Cadeon went through the recipe book explaining dishes to Violet. Some made him laugh when he remembered the struggle his mother had to concoct some of the food.

“Your mother sounds amazing.”

“She was. I think you should have this.” He passed the book back to her.

“But this is your mother’s work. I couldn’t take this.”

“No. I think she would want someone who liked to cook to use it. From the taste of the cupcakes, you’re a natural. You
may
come in and use the kitchen at any time. I’ll talk to Anne about giving you some lessons if you’d like
.
”

“That would be wonderful.”

Cadeon smiled, running his finger down her cheek. He glanced round the room. “I don’t think Anne would let you near her kitchen if you make this much mess. Come on. I’ll help you clean it up before we go upstairs.”

While Violet loaded up boxes with the iced cupcakes, Cadeon rinsed the dishes and equipment she’d used. When everything was put away, he took her by the hand and moved upstairs. “You’re filthy from baking,” he said, placing a kiss against the pulse at her throat.

“It’s Saturday tomorrow. What are we going to do?” she asked.

“I usually go to the office, but I think we’ll stay in. Have a break. Would you like to spend the weekend with me?”

She pulled back staring into his eyes. “You’re asking me?”

“Yes. I’m hoping you’ll say yes and put me out of my misery.”

“And if I say no?”