The Billionaire's Beautiful Mistake(25)

She stretched, trying to look around the bedroom, wondering if he’d just stepped into the bathroom. Something was missing, but it took her several minutes to understand that he wasn’t in the bathroom. Or the kitchen. The silence in her apartment was absolute. He was gone? She didn’t have any clothes on, and the heater wasn’t strong enough to penetrate the early morning temperatures.

Sitting up, she looked around and listened, hoping that he might just be in the shower or, even better, in the kitchen making something warm and wonderful for breakfast. Her fiasco last night had proven that all of her cooking capabilities disappeared whenever she was around Creek. Unfortunately, after pulling on her fluffy robe and slipping her freezing toes into warm slippers, she discovered that the only thing waiting for her in the kitchen were the disgusting remnants of her burnt or uncooked dinner from the previous night. Oh, and the empty pizza box. They’d certainly demolished that around midnight, she thought with fond memories.

Walking around, her eyes searched for some indication that he had been there. Even a note with his strong handwriting telling her that he’d just stepped out to get some hot coffee. But nothing. He wasn’t around, nor had he left her any note, no indication that he’d truly been with her last night.

Violet gripped the edges of her warm robe closer, trying to close out the chill of the early morning air. But the chill was deeper. Inside of her.

Creek had made love to her all night long, and then left her when he was finished.

She tried very hard not to think the worst, but she was feeling lonely and vulnerable. It had been her first experience with sex and had been the most magical night of her life. But it obviously hadn’t had the same impact on Creek as it had on her. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have left her so abruptly.

She glanced at her cell phone…nothing. Not even a text.

Violet walked back into her bedroom, staring at the bed again. Most of the pillows were on the floor, the sheets were a tumbled mess and even the blanket had been almost pushed off of the mattress. She hadn’t needed a blanket last night to keep her warm. Creek’s arms and the way he’d made her feel had been more than adequate. He must have pulled the blankets over her before he’d left. That was something, wasn’t it?

But she was cold now. Bitterly cold, and a small ache was starting to form in the pit of her stomach.

“Don’t be ridiculous,” she told herself, as she tried to shake off the morning after funk. “You’re a grown woman, you can handle this! You can pull yourself up and just get on with your day!”

Taking a deep breath, she walked into her shower, determined to get back on schedule. And she was going to call him! There was no way she was just going to sit around and wait for the man to contact her.

Last night had been special to her. If he didn’t feel the same way, well then, he could just tell her that and not slink off like some…lizard!





Chapter 8




Violet had just stepped out of her shower when she heard her cell phone ringing. Rushing over to it, she lifted it up and smiled, her whole body relaxing when she realized who was on the other end. “Hello?” she answered, even though her caller ID had shown her Creek’s phone number.

“Good morning, beautiful,” his deep voice said.

The relief that flowed through Violet at that moment overwhelmed her. “Good morning,” she replied, biting her lower lip as she wondered where he was.

“What are you doing?”

She looked down at her towel, and her still dripping wet limbs. “I’m uh…making breakfast.”

His laughter was deep and husky. “Liar.”

Violet sighed, and struggled to keep the towel hugging her breasts. “Is that any way to speak to a woman that you…” she couldn’t finish that sentence.

“Made love to over and over again last night?” he finished for her, laughing again, and she could picture him in the bar, his feet propped up on the table and leaning back on the two legs of one of the wooden chairs.

“Well, yes,” she said, and laughed self-consciously.

“Tell me what you were really doing,” he challenged her.

She looked down again, and noticed that there was a puddle forming on the carpet where she was standing. “I just got out of the shower,” she finally admitted after a brief hesitation.

He made a deep sound that made her think of what he’d looked like last night as he’d stared down at her breasts. “Do you have one of those pink towels wrapped around you?”

Her fingers curled the towel into her fist as heat surged through her. “Yes,” she whispered. “How did you know that I had pink towels?”