Chapter 6
Violet woke to the sound of her cell phone beeping, indicating that a text message had just arrived. She pushed her hair out of the way, searching for her phone on the bedside table. Sure enough, she glanced at the screen and there it was. Her body went from sleepy to wide awake in the brief amount of time it took to realize that the message was from Creek. “What time?” was all it said.
He was coming for dinner?! Violet pushed her hair out of her eyes and looked down at the message again. Her first reaction was a zing of excitement. He was coming to dinner! And maybe she would have the courage to entice him into more than a goodnight kiss!
Her second reaction was the complete opposite. Oh no! He was coming for dinner! What was she going to do?
She looked around at her tiny apartment, her mind spinning with everything she would need to do in order to get ready for a night here, alone, with Creek. A whole evening alone with him? Violet wasn’t sure if she wanted to jump up and dance, or sink back into her bed and pull the covers up over her head to hide. Excitement and nervousness vied for priority inside her stomach and the result was a sick feeling that shifted to hope, then back to nauseous.
Her fingers shook as she typed out, “How about seven o’clock? I have the ingredients for apple pie for dessert.”
She then dropped the phone, afraid she’d just made the biggest mistake of her life. Seven o’clock? It was five o’clock now! That meant she had only fourteen hours until Creek arrived! She had too much to do!
She called Kevin and asked him to cover the shop today. After he’d agreed, she jumped out of bed and hurried into the shower. Then stopped and looked around. Without stepping into the warm water, she shut off the spray, shaking her head at how crazy she was acting. She couldn’t take a shower now. She would need to do her hair before Creek arrived. And she’d have to wash it before she did something with it. But she needed to clean her apartment and get things ready. So shower later.
Rushing out of the bedroom, she was pulling off her flannel gown when she realized that she was wearing only underwear and walking to her kitchen. She almost fell over her own two feet as she ran back into the bedroom and pulled on a bra, sweater and a pair of jeans. When she stubbed her toe walking back out to her kitchen, she hopped back into her bedroom, found a pair of thick socks and pulled on her boots, berating herself for being so clumsy.
She ignored the throbbing pain in her toe and hurried back out the door. She had to make the roast beef! Wait! It was five-fifteen in the morning. If she started cooking it now, it would be leather by the time he got here.
It suddenly occurred to her that she’d just called one of her employees at five o’clock in the morning. And he hadn’t been annoyed! Good grief, get a grip, Violet!
“Slow down, girl!” she said to the empty room. The sound of her voice soothed her and she looked around, trying to figure out what was going on, what she needed to do. “Okay, so Creek is coming over for dinner. This won’t be the first meal you’ve cooked. You cook all the time for friends. This is just another friend coming over for dinner.”
But deep down inside, she knew that Creek was not a friend. And he wasn’t “just” anything. He was special. Every time she saw him, sat across the table from him, she knew that he was special.
“Calm down. He’s a gorgeous man who makes your heart go a bit crazy. No need to cause yourself bodily harm though.” With those words, she took a deep breath. Then another. She couldn’t go crazy. Not with a sophisticated man like Creek coming over for dinner.
Okay, what could she do now? The grocery store didn’t open for another four hours. Looking around, she decided that she would need to clean her apartment. That wouldn’t be hard, since she had basically a bedroom, small bathroom, and a combination kitchen and den area. There wasn’t much to clean, but within thirty minutes, every pot, pan, dish and glass were stacked on the counters so that she could clean everything and put it back neatly. By seven o’clock that morning, she had her plastic containers sorted by color and size, with matching tops right next to each one. Her glasses and utensils were polished, her plates washed by hand and all of her pots scrubbed thoroughly.
By eight o’clock, her sofa had been vacuumed and all of her floorboards wiped free of any dust. She’d also broken four nails and cut her finger on a splinter. At this rate, she would be in the hospital by the time Creek arrived.
Creek felt like a fool. He’d gotten her flowers! Hell, he should just dump them in the trash. This was a business transaction. Her stepfather had already dropped by The Rotten Apple and picked up the check, given him directions to her house, as if Creek hadn’t picked her up for dinner several times over the last week, and whistled as he left Creek feeling like a complete idiot for actually purchasing sexual favors for the night.
Now Creek was standing out here in front of her house, debating whether to walk away or get his money’s worth. This was ridiculous! He never paid for sex! Sure, he bought jewelry and various trinkets for the women in his life, but never anything this blatant.
It felt wrong.
“Oomph!”
Creek spun around and caught Violet only moments before she almost tumbled to the ground. “What the…?”
“You’re early!” Violet gasped as she dragged the grocery bag back into her arms. “Or am I late?” she glanced down at her watch. “Oh no! I’m late! I just rushed out to the store to grab some cream, just in case you wanted cream in your coffee, and then I realized that I was out of coffee because I’d spilled it all over the kitchen floor this morning. Then in the process of cleaning that up, I broke a bottle of vinegar. It crashed everywhere and, on top of four broken nails, a stubbed toe, a splinter I still haven’t been able to get out, I sliced my finger on the broken glass and…”
“Hey,” Creek said, touching her arm gently to stop her. Despite his reservations about the money, he was still charmed. She looked beautiful, he thought. Her hair was a wild mess of curls all over her shoulders, like she’d curled it earlier, but the humidity had caused it to look a bit more wild, her lipstick was smeared ever so slightly, drawing his eyes to the fullness of her lips, and there was a sheen of tears in her eyes.
He liked this nervous side of her. He was pretty sure it was all part of the act, part of the date night experience she’d perfected with the other men, but he didn’t care. It eased a small part of him that had been twisting around in his gut all afternoon at the way this transaction had gone down.
“You look lovely,” and he tucked a lock of hair behind her ear, soothing her as well as himself.
“You brought me flowers,” she whispered and the tears increased until he suspected one was going to spill over onto her pale cheek. “I love flowers. They’re so hard to get during the winter.”
Creek looked down at the colorful bouquet. “I thought they’d be a nice touch. Sort of add a bit of romance to an otherwise…” he didn’t have the heart to degrade this night. She looked so frazzled. And beautiful. He pushed aside all of the disgust he’d been feeling over his need for this slender woman. She was standing in front of him looking adorable and sexy at the same time, a potent combination.
“They’re beautiful,” she sniffed, blinking her eyes rapidly to try and keep the silly tears from falling over her lashes. She already looked ridiculous, but crying at this moment would really shoot her over the edge from frazzled to looking like a crazy woman.
He realized she might truly be on the verge of tears. He pulled back her hair and bent lower so he could see her eyes. “Hey, you okay?”
Violet felt his gentle touch, and her nervousness settled down. It was still there, but not as overwhelming.
This man was nice and hot and sexy as sin, she reminded herself. She couldn’t believe he would be interested in her but here he was, standing outside of her apartment because she’d rushed out to get things for him, and hadn’t been home in time to greet him with a smile.
“Let’s go upstairs and just…talk, okay?” she offered.
Creek had to tamp down the raging lust that he was feeling but her words obviously helped her gain control of her nervousness. “Sounds like a good plan.”
They walked up the wooden stairs to the apartment and, as soon as she’d opened the door, Creek knew that something wasn’t right. Something was obviously burning in the oven.
“Oh no!” she gasped, and dumped the grocery bag onto her countertop, rushing to the oven. “No! This is not happening!” she cried, as she bent over with hot-pads to pull something out of the oven. Whatever it used to be, it was now black and unrecognizable. Charcoal would be a better description for it at this point.
“What was it?” he asked, looking down at the black mess.
Violet sniffed. “It was an apple pie. It was supposed to smell amazing when you walked in and you’d be so impressed with my cooking that you wouldn’t notice how nervous I was and I was going to make mashed potatoes but I forgot to turn on the water to boil so the potatoes are still raw. The meat is…” her eyes widened as she realized that she’d forgotten to put the roast into the oven with the apple pie! She’d thought to cook them at the same temperature, and pull the apple pie out when it was done. “I forgot to put the roast into the oven!” she gasped.
Creek couldn’t stop the amusement that burst out of him. What had started off as a truly horrible evening had devolved into an adorable peek into this woman’s mind-frame. And he liked it. She might have the most delectable body a man could imagine and sold her body to whoever could afford it, but he could sense that she was genuine at this moment.
He lifted his phone out of his pocket and dialed a number. “I need a large pizza with everything,” he said and told the delivery person the address. When the guy had given him the price, Creek ended the call and looked back at Violet who had placed the blackened mess on the stove and was looking down at it with defeat. And those tears were just about to fall, something he couldn’t let happen.
“Hey, I appreciate the effort,” he told her. “The pizza will still be great.” And he turned her around. With a finger to her chin, he lifted her face up so that he could look down at her. With a tender gesture he’d never thought he would ever feel, he wiped a lone tear away with his thumb even as he bent down to kiss her.
Just like all the other times that he’d kissed this woman, what had started off as a gentle caress, a kiss that was meant to soothe, morphed into something significantly more passionate. Her trembling lips kissed him back even as his hands pulled her closer. The oven mitts fell to the floor as her hands touched his arms. But it wasn’t enough, he wanted her closer, her soft body pressed against his.
He couldn’t get enough of her! His hands slipped under her soft sweater, feeling the delicate skin underneath, and he groaned with impatience. Forgetting that dinner was about to be delivered, he pulled the sweater over her head, unconcerned that it landed in the middle of her kitchen floor. All he wanted, needed, was this woman naked and in his arms.
Violet couldn’t believe how incredible this man’s touch felt. When the cooler air touched her skin, she didn’t care in the least. In fact, her whole body felt overheated as his fingers skimmed across her stomach. She arched into his hand, needing more, needing all of him. She wasn’t aware of her fingers moving higher along his arms, sliding underneath his suit jacket so that she could feel the muscles in his chest and his warm skin. All she knew was that this man was making her crazy for more. Her nervousness disappeared as quickly as her bra, landing on top of her sweater.
Before she had a chance to become self-conscious, he’d lifted her up into his arms and carried her into the bedroom, laying her down in the center and following her down. His mouth latched onto her breast and she just about screamed with the newest sensation. The heat! The power as he teased and pulled at her hard nipple with his hot mouth. That heat was a sensation she’d never thought possible, didn’t even know existed!
With deft fingers, her jeans slid off of her legs and she squirmed for a moment as he stood up, still fully clothed, and looked down at her in only her white cotton underwear and wool socks.
“Creek, I can’t…” she started to say as her hands drifted to cover herself, but Creek shook his head. “Don’t do it, Violet,” he commanded, slipping his suit jacket off of his shoulders and tossing it over a chair. His fingers moved to the buttons of his shirt and rapidly dispensed with that article of clothing as well. When his hands moved to his belt, Violet lifted up on her elbows, her shyness completely gone as his magnificent body, packed with muscles and covered with tanned skin and a light dusting of dark hair, was revealed to her. Unknowingly, she licked her lips, catching his attention and making his urgency stronger.
“Open yourself to me, Violet,” he ordered when his body throbbed to the point of pain. That tongue…the things he wanted to do with that tongue! Damn, he hadn’t felt this urgency since his first time. Maybe not even then, he thought with self-derision. His pants were gone in moments, his boxers flying over the top of his clothes and then he turned back to her. When he realized she was staring at his erection, he almost groaned with the need to bury himself inside of her.
A part of him wanted to do just that, knowing how much he’d paid for this pleasure. But that wasn’t all he wanted. He looked down at this incredible beauty, who was practically writhing in anticipation, her eyes still nervous but then her tongue darted out again. Was she doing that on purpose? He thought to tell her that he didn’t need more provocation, that he was already there, but the words wouldn’t come out.
Bending lower, he took her pert nipple in his mouth once again, biting then soothing the tip and enjoying the way she arched her back, pressing her soft flesh into his mouth more. His hands slid down her slender body, touching her soft skin, amazed that anyone could be this perfect. Her stomach wasn’t perfectly flat, but he loved the way it had a small, soft curve to it. And lower, he could smell her arousal and his body demanded that he taste her, see all of her, and know what she felt like when she climaxed in his mouth.
“No!” she gasped, when his fingers strayed lower, but he wasn’t having any resistance. This woman was his now. At least for the night, he told himself. And he was damn sure going to enjoy all of her, especially the essence of her. With firm hands, he took each of her ankles and pulled her legs apart, almost laughing when she tried to hide herself with her hands. “It isn’t going to work, Violet. I get all of you,” he told her.
And then the doorbell rang.
Creek looked at Violet, his eyes showing his fury. Was another man…?
“Pizza!” she gasped, grabbing the quilt and covering herself with it.
The damn pizza! He grabbed his slacks and pulled them on. He pulled two twenty dollar bills out of his wallet and stormed to the door.
“Pizza delivery!” a teenager said with an eager smile.
Creek grabbed the large cardboard box, slapped the money into the kid’s hands, and turned around.
“Hey, the pizza is only fifteen dollars,” he called out just as Creek was about to close the door.
“Keep the change,” Creek said before the door slammed on the kid’s astonished expression. Dumping the box onto the kitchen counter, he walked right back into the bedroom, pulling the condoms out of his wallet.
“Where were we?” he asked as he pulled the blanket away from Violet.
She smiled tentatively. “I believe you were up here,” she said and started to pull his shoulders down to her.
Creek laughed, a deep, sexy sound that sent shivers throughout her whole body. “Nice try,” he told her with a chuckle, and kissed his way back down her body. “Let’s see,” he said as if contemplating a painting. “Yes. I believe…” and his hands moved between her legs. One finger slid inside of her and he closed his eyes as he felt her muscles tighten around his finger, the wet heat surrounding him. “You’re gorgeous,” he groaned, as his mouth followed his hand. He couldn’t wait another moment to taste her. He nuzzled the dark curls trying to hide his goal from view, and a moment later, his tongue whipped out, lashing her wet folds even as his fingers moved inside of her.
Violet couldn’t take that kind of heat and tried to pull back even as she screamed out his name. But he didn’t relent, and her fingers flew to his hair, gripping the dark locks as he laved her body’s most secret place. Within moments, she was splintering apart, feeling like her body was throbbing with the most intense pleasure she’d ever experienced. She thrashed around on the bed, trying to control the uncontrollable. And when it was all over, she breathed, her eyes still closed, and her body almost numb from the experience.
A ripping sound caused her eyes to open up and she watched in mute fascination as Creek rolled a condom down over his impressive length. She licked her lips again, her mouth feeling painfully dry, but her body was ready for this, wanted this! She wanted Creek so badly, her body was already aching even though she’d just experienced the most glorious sensations from him.
The man stood over her, and she pulled her eyes away from that overly huge erection. “Creek,” she started to say, but he stopped her by leaning down and covering her mouth with his, kissing her like she was dessert even though they hadn’t had dinner yet. The pressure down lower caused her to gasp as she felt him pressing into her body. Initially, she was going to tell him to stop, that there was too much of him and she didn’t want this any longer. But then he moved inside of her and any possibility of speech was obliterated as his body filled her in a way that was so perfect, so wonderful that she just wanted the sensations to continue.
“Open your eyes, Violet,” he commanded, with a voice that sounded like it was coming through gravel.
Creek wanted her to know who was making love to her. As he pressed deeper and deeper into her hot, wet sheath, he needed her to look at him and see his face. He was determined to make this better than any other man who had ever been in her arms. He wanted to somehow make all of her past lovers disappear. There was only a small pressure and he hesitated, not sure what was going on. Her eyes closed for a moment, her fingers tightening on his shoulders, but then she breathed in and out, and opened her eyes. Those glittering, blue depths made his body shudder.
As he moved inside of her, he watched her face soften, her eyes glisten with desire, and he knew that she was all here, right with him as they moved together. He could feel her inner muscles tightening around him, her hips lifting to meet his and they were in perfect rhythm. For long moments, he moved like that, shifting and sliding into her core, enjoying the way she moaned softly when he moved in a way that she liked. But as he continued, the slow, easy pace wouldn’t work for him any longer. He needed more. He wanted her out of control. He needed her to feel the insane need for him that he was currently feeling for her.
He loved the way her breathing changed as he sped up, the way her body arched into his, trying to feel more, to reach that same peak. If he didn’t know better, he would start to suspect that this woman was inexperienced, and wasn’t sure how to find her own climax. But that was impossible. He refused to believe that after handing that check over to her stepfather earlier.
Moving and shifting, he started to count backwards from one hundred in an effort to continue until she found her own release. But in the end, he couldn’t do it. She felt too amazingly perfect. She was shifting against him, small, desperate sounds coming from her throat, making him lose even more control. She was so close, he could feel her body shivering, her thighs straining harder. So when he knew his body was going to explode, he reached down and helped her, his thumb finding that spot and, in only moments, she screamed as her body throbbed around his own. That was all it took for him to completely lose control and find his own orgasm, holding her close and trying to continue as long as possible in order to draw out her pleasure.
After the tornado was over, he collapsed on top of her, his breathing ragged and his body pulsing with a pleasure so intense, he couldn’t even open his eyes.
When he rolled over, he pulled her with him, not willing to release the intimacy just yet. He smiled when he felt her curl up against his side, her soft body pressing against him in all the right places. He had to chuckle at that, wondering if there were any wrong places for her to press her breasts against him? He doubted it.
And then the reality of this night hit him between the eyes. He’d just had sex with a prostitute! Of all the desperate, pathetic actions, he couldn’t believe that he’d wanted a woman so badly that he’d literally paid for her services. Clenching his teeth, he pulled away from her warmth and stood up, walking to the bathroom.
As he stared at himself in the mirror, he was surprised to find blood on him. Was she on her period? Then something hit him. There was that moment when he first…it was only a small moment, and she hadn’t looked like she’d been in pain. But had she been…? Was this…?
He washed up and came back out, looking down at the woman curled up with the blanket over her naked body, and something changed inside of him. “Violet, were you…” the idea was so ridiculous. The check, her stepfather’s claim, the date-night experience that she specialized in….
She rolled over, keeping the quilt tucked under her arms in a way that not even her dainty toes showed. “What?” she asked, smiling up at him.
Creek couldn’t resist that smile. He walked over to the bed and peeled back the quilt one more time. “You’re beautiful,” he told her, as he kissed the soft skin behind her ear.
Violet laughed, feeling like her world had changed to a lovely shade of pink. “You probably just have bad eyesight.”
He ignored that comment as he lifted her up so that she was straddling him. “Is that the problem?” Creek stuffed a pillow behind his head for a better view.
Violet looked down at the man who had just done the most delicious things to her body. She’d waited so long for this? Goodness, if she’d known that sex would be so wonderful, amazing…she would have done it a long time ago!
But no, she looked down at Creek, thinking that she was glad that she’d held out for so long. It was different with this man. She’d never felt any desire to make love until he’d come into her life.
No declarations of love, she reminded herself, even though her heart was filled to almost bursting with the need to tell him how she felt. He made her feel special, like a princess. And the way he was looking at her now, her body was already heating up, wanting him to repeat all of the things he’d just done to her.
Pushing that thought away, she tried to resist the urge to pull the blanket back over her nakedness. Violet was trying to pretend that this was okay, that she was perfectly comfortable with him staring at her breasts this way, even though she was cringing and wondering what he must be thinking about.
“Yes. And you’re cruel too, starving a woman after an event like that.”
He laughed but slid his hands up along her sides. “Oh, you have no idea how cruel I can be,” he replied back, lifting his head and pulling her forward so that he could take a pert nipple in his mouth.
Violet moaned as the heat hit her once again. “I don’t think I can do that all over again,” she told him, even as her body shifted so that he could treat her other breast with equal care.
But he ignored her declaration, and moved his mouth to her other breast. No longer was she feeling self-conscious. Instead, she was naked, and her last thought was that she was glad they didn’t have to waste time getting rid of clothes for this round.