CHAPTER TWELVE
Caine flung out his arm and felt the cold, empty sheets. Immediately, he snapped his eyes open and jerked up in bed.
He stared at the rumpled sheets beside him and cursed.
Tia was gone. She had left silently during the night while he was asleep.
No woman had slipped out on him like this before. In fact, they were usually very reluctant to leave. They tried to tempt him back to bed and offered to stay or come back again the next night. But one night was all he wanted with them. One night stands were just that. Nothing more. Everyone understood the game and the rules.
Tia clearly understood the rules. But the game had changed—for him.
Shit, why had he fallen asleep? It was his own bloody fault!
Granted, it had been a long, grueling day at work. And it had felt so wonderful holding Tia in his arms after he made love to her. He had felt so comfortable, so contented that he’d let his guard down.
And now he had lost her.
Caine jumped out of bed and looked around, hoping to find a piece of paper with her phone number scribbled on it. Most of the women did that. They hoped to hook up again, and take things a little further. But he usually crumpled the paper and threw it into the trash can right away. That was as far as they got. He had no interest in seeing any of those women again.
But there was no scribbled note, no phone number, nothing. Tia hadn’t left anything behind. All her things were gone. Her clothes, her little bag, even her sweet scent was fading from the room.
She was just gone.
Caine snarled. He would track Tia down. He wasn’t going to let her go.
Not when it had taken him a lifetime to find her.
Caine glanced at his watch and saw that it was almost dawn. He went and grabbed a suit from the cupboard. He always left a few spare suits in his private suite. He sometimes did his work here, and slept here if Sarah was with his mother.
After one final glance back at the bed, Caine turned and stepped into the bathroom. He growled as the soapy water sluiced down his body, washing away Tia’s scent from his skin.
But he didn’t need her scent to remind him of her. Every detail of her was etched into his memory, his senses, his very being.
It was almost as if she had become a part of him.
Tia was his. She just didn’t know it yet.
Caine dressed quickly and made his way up to his office. He started up the coffee machine and made himself a big, strong cup of coffee.
Standing at his window, he watched the sun rise over the city and wondered where Tia was now. Was she asleep or was she getting ready for work? Was she remembering their night together, or had she forgotten him already?
That woman was intriguing and infuriating. Caine had never met anyone like her. There was a purity, a bright clean innocence about her. Yet she was guarded and cautious. She didn’t give him her number or her last name.
Despite himself, Caine huffed out a laugh. She actually managed to give him the slip. He never saw that coming, did he?
He had underestimated Tia. Like Tia, he relished a challenge. He admired and respected opponents who could give as good as they got, and Tia certainly was a smart, young woman who knew her own mind.
He never thought he would meet his fated mate in a bar, have sex with her and lose her all in one night.
He had been too complacent, too confident. But he couldn’t afford to be complacent with Tia.
Tia wasn’t a woman who was easily impressed by his wealth, looks and status. She knew what she wanted, and she guarded her heart and privacy fiercely.
She hadn’t left any number or email address. The woman had no intention of seeing him again.
Maybe she was already planning another date for tonight.
A beautiful, young single lady like her would have no lack of admirers and suitors.
Caine snarled and almost hurled his coffee cup through the window. The thought of Tia with another man made his wolf and hackles rise.
He would hunt her down and make sure he didn’t lose her this time. It was his own bloody fault. How could he have let her slip away from him?
He would turn the situation around. He always did.
Caine gulped down the rest of his coffee and went to his desk. He rolled up his sleeves and got right down to work. He would finish everything up and leave the office by mid-morning. He had a sexy, feisty, elusive brunette to hunt.
With that in mind, Caine hunkered down and worked like a maniac. He worked with a laser-like focus and simply lost track of time. At a knock on his door, Caine scowled and jerked his head up.
His secretary opened the door and announced, “Your new hire is here, Mr Taylor.”
“So early?”
“It’s eight-thirty,” his secretary answered, her eyes rounding slightly behind her glasses.
Caine blinked. He had been working for three hours straight.
“Send him in,” he said, waving his hand absently.
“Her,” his secretary corrected. “Your new hire is a woman.”
Caine frowned slightly. “What position is she interviewing for? I don’t remember...”
“She’s your new bodyguard.”
“Why would I need...” Caine began before stopping abruptly. He smiled and gave a curt nod. “Right. Of course. The bodyguard for Sarah.”
He turned back to the file in front of him. “Send her in.”