The Billionaire's Beautiful Mistake(34)

“I’m not paying you, George. And I don’t believe Violet sent you. I refuse to believe that Violet is a call girl.”

George’s eyes flickered, but he rallied. “You don’t pay, you don’t get to play.” He watched Creek carefully, but the man seemed unmoved. “You really going to ditch all of her services on some silly little thing like morals?”

Creek was disgusted. “Get out!” he growled. “Violet is not a prostitute,” he asserted again.

“Hell, man! Why do you think I’m here? I don’t get any of the money! She keeps it all! Like I said, I’m just her business manager!”

Creek shook his head. “I don’t believe you.”

George rubbed his lips. “Violet sent me here with the message. You don’t pay, you don’t get any more dessert.”

Creek thought about all of the brownies and cookies Violet had been baking for him over the past week. They’d been delicious and…well, hell. Exciting! He loved walking into her place every night and finding out what she’d baked. She was an awesome cook and…

Damn!

“Tell her I’m not paying, and I won’t be requesting her services again,” Creek ground out through his clenched teeth. And with those words, he hustled the man out the door. He was furious that Violet would send the man, disgusted with everything right now.

Not to mention, his chest hurt from the realization that he couldn’t ever see Violet again. He just…nope, he couldn’t do it.

He….loved her.

Damn, his friends would burst out laughing if they ever found out that he’d fallen so hard for a prostitute.

Even as he said the words in his mind, he didn’t believe them. He couldn’t believe them.

But they were true. Somehow, he would have to stay away from Violet.

Or maybe…

No. He couldn’t do it. He couldn’t save her from the life she’d chosen.

Nothing made sense though! She’d never asked for money, never even implied anything close to financial issues.

And she’d been a virgin!

Hadn’t she? He would have sworn that she had been that first night but…

Hell, what did he know about virgins? He knew there were ways to fake that. Had he just been played?

Obviously. He slammed a fist down on his kitchen countertop, but the only damage was to his fist and his pride. The granite didn’t give way.





Chapter 9




Violet ignored the trembling in her knees as she peered into the dimly lit bar, not sure if she wanted Creek to be there or if she wanted to postpone this conversation. But she fought her cowardly inclinations, needing to understand what was going on. The previous week had seemed so perfect, so wonderful and filled with laughter and love. Then, five days ago, he’d just stopped calling. She was so hurt and trying to pretend like she wasn’t, but it was no use. She didn’t understand why he’d stopped calling her or even what she’d done to hurt his feelings to the point that he would end what they’d had together so abruptly.

All the other men she’d dated in the past, and granted, there weren’t that many of them, had at least talked to her before dumping her. Or she’d known that it wasn’t working out and she had agreed with them, even remaining friends with most of them.

This was unprecedented, but she suspected that it was all part of the dating world. Obviously a life experience that she didn’t completely grasp since she was standing in an empty bar, looking for a man who apparently didn’t want to speak to her.

As she stood there in the doorway, she considered just walking back out and going home. She had a business to run, she had things to do and responsibilities to people in her life. She didn’t need this kind of complication. She didn’t need a man who didn’t want her. She could get along quite nicely without him.

And that was a total lie.

For the past week, she’d worked, but she hadn’t really been living. She hadn’t wanted to laugh or eat, had trouble sleeping because she’d gotten used to Creek’s heartbeat under her ear, and his strong arms wrapped around her, making her feel loved and safe.

Without any word, he’d ripped that away from her. She needed to understand. She needed to hear from Creek why she’d fallen out of favor with him. Had another woman entered his life? Was she more beautiful? Maybe it was a past lover? Maybe he had…

Violet stopped her mind in mid-question, not wanting to try and figure out what she’d done so horribly wrong. She needed to just talk to him. Five minutes, and she’d be out of his life.

“Can I help you?” a deep voice said from the bar.

Violet glanced over and her heart stopped for a moment, thinking that Creek was there. But as she moved into the light, she realized that it was only the man’s height and his broad shoulders, both extreme like Creek, but it wasn’t the same man. This one was handsome, but not like her man, not like Creek with his teasing eyes and his subtly quirking lips.