The Billionaire's Beautiful Mistake(7)

“Earth to Creek!” Tucker called out.

Knox only chuckled, more of a strong, silent type. But he was a genius at playing the stock market. People begged him to invest their money. He’d more than doubled the money that Creek, Tucker and Saeger had given him over the past few years. What’s more, the man didn’t play the market to make more money. That was only a side benefit. It was like a game to him and he always won. He had a sort of sixth sense about companies and stocks, knowing when to get in and when to get out. Of course, the man played his game with a ferocity that some might call lethal. Others had used the term brutal. But Knox didn’t give a damn. He paid no attention to any of it. Just moved on to the next challenge.

“If you’re so hot for the woman, why are you standing here?” Tucker asked.

Tucker was into environmental technology and the security surrounding his companies was on par with Fort Knox. Everyone wanted to know what he was going to invent next, wanted in on the designs or just to find out when to invest. When he released a product to the world, the world changed.

Creek sighed and picked up another glass to polish. “Because she’s not like the normal bar flies that hang out here. She’s sweet and shy.”

“In other words, she ignored you,” Saeger teased, taking a gulp of his beer.

Saeger was the computer guy among the four. He had gaming companies that others vied to keep up with, and other divisions that sold software technology to appliance manufacturers, car companies, robot tech researchers…you name it, Saeger’s computer geeks could build it. And they’d build it first and build it better.

Creek scowled at the men he had previously considered his friends. Tonight, however, they were the enemy. “Don’t you guys have something better to do?” he grumbled.

“Better than watch you crash and burn?” Tucker asked. “Not a thing.” Saeger and Knox both nodded their heads in agreement.

The four men were so similar that Creek wanted them gone. All four of them were tall with dark hair; although Knox’s was black while the others had just dark hair. In fact, everything about Knox was dark, including his mood most of the time. He shaved perhaps once a week, the rest of the time, he growled and grumbled like an angry bear. Tucker, Saeger and Creek all knew that he wasn’t a man to mess with, although they poked the bear anytime they could.

“It’s a slow night in town. Not much to do but come here and watch you fail.”

Creek rolled his eyes but looked down the bar, making sure everyone’s drink was full.

“Maybe she might just like a different kind of man,” Saeger commented. “She was cute. Maybe…”

Creek’s whole body tensed with a fury unlike anything he’d ever felt before. “Stay away from her,” he growled, his hands fisted at his sides.

Saeger held his hands up in the air, his eyes still teasing. “Message received, loud and clear.”

Tucker laughed. “Not necessarily accepted though,” and he swallowed another gulp of beer.

Knox only chuckled again.

Creek knew that these men wouldn’t step into his territory. They respected each other’s turf and never intervened. But that didn’t ease the fury he felt even though, rationally, he knew that his friends were only teasing. “Stay away from Violet,” he warned again.

The men backed off after that, moving on to other topics while Creek worked the bar. The blond eventually gave up, recognizing that Creek wasn’t interested and the night continued until last call.

And the whole night, Creek looked at the door, willing the beautiful brunette to stop back in after dropping off her friends. But she never showed up.

After shutting down the bar and ensuring that the other wait staff got home safely, he drove up the steep road to his private mountain retreat. He and the three others had come to Alaska to get away from the world. They’d built up their empires, working round the clock at times. And eventually, each of them had retreated, coming to Alaska and finding their private mountains. Each for different reasons.





Chapter 2




Creek stood outside of the small, colorful store and cursed under his breath. Not for the first time did he wonder what the hell he was doing here. But since he was here, he might as well go inside.

There was absolutely no excuse for him to enter this store. So if she wasn’t interested, he was going to fall flat, just like the guys had said the other night. He’d gotten mixed signals from the timid beauty that night. One moment, he was sure that she was feeling the intense attraction that he was sensing, and the next, she looked confused, almost angry. And that last glance…she’d appeared almost sad. She’d been surrounded by friends who all looked like they were having a great time, but she’d appeared so out of place.