“I should get home,” I inform him. “I have an early day tomorrow, and my boss is away, so I’m going to have to step up my game.”
This makes him grin. “You have nothing to step up. You’re already a hard worker, and I’m sure she wouldn’t have asked you to do it if she didn’t believe in you.”
“Thank you,” I whisper shyly. “But you don’t know how long I’ve been waiting for this. I don’t want to disappoint her.”
“I understand, love. And I don’t think you could disappoint anyone,” Colton assures me, but deep down, I know it’s not true. Everyone can disappoint someone. It’s human nature. Nobody is perfect. He pulls me to my feet, and we make our way back to the waiting car. “I honestly don’t want this night to end.”
I glance at him in shock, my gaze locked on his, trying to find a lie in his admission, but I come up empty. It’s flattering. But that makes me nervous.
“I enjoyed talking to you. It’s nice to know what goes on inside that pretty head of yours,” Colton whispers once we’re in the car and on the way to my apartment.
“It was nice to get to know you, too, seeing what lies under that pretty exterior.”
“You’re calling me pretty again. I like it.” He arches a brow at me, the challenge sparking in his eyes. He wants me to refuse him, but this time, I don’t because it’s clear I like him. And with that thought, my heart thumps in my chest.
“I think you’re far too charming.”
“I think you’re far too alluring,” he retorts in friendly fire. The smile plastered on my lips doesn’t disappear the whole drive home. When Colton walks me to the door of my apartment building, he leans in to press a chaste kiss on my cheek. “Thank you for that chance I requested,” he acknowledges.
“Thank you for changing my mind about you,” I respond. He did. I’m surprised at just how down-to-earth he is. And I’m thankful for that.
“May I call you tomorrow?” he asks before stepping away from me. Even though I convinced myself I didn’t want more from him than a friendly dinner, the thought of his lips on mine is at the forefront of my imagination.
“Yes,” I find myself answering. “I’d like that.”
I’m not prepared for the full megawatt smile Colton graces me with when I say yes. “Till tomorrow, Violet.” The way he says my name, the way his accent drips with seductive connotations, makes me shiver. I know one thing for sure — tonight I’ll have pleasant dreams.
I watch him walk back to the car before he waits for me to enter my apartment building. Once inside, I glance over my shoulder to see him slipping into the backseat of the town car.
Inside my apartment, I’m a flurry of excitement and giddy delight. It’s been so long since a guy has made me feel so good, and it’s been far too long since I’ve come home after a date wishing it didn’t have to end.
15
Colton
The moment I step foot into the penthouse, I want to turn around and go back to Violet’s apartment and kiss her properly. I want to steal her lips with mine and make her see just how stunning she is. When I told her about my past, even just the small part of who I am, she realized I’m more than a glossy page in a magazine or a billboard up on the highway.
I have always enjoyed a challenge, and she’s proven to be one. Granted, she isn’t the type of girl my agent would have me dating, but that doesn’t mean it’s what I want. And I’m going to prove that to Violet.
Pulling out my cell phone, I open my messages, tapping out a note to her, and hit send before I think better of it.
Colton: Dinner was delicious, but the company was much more satisfying.
I head into the bathroom. Turning on the shower, I wait for it to heat up before discarding my clothes and stepping under the spray. The warmth prickles against my tense shoulders, and I lean a hand on the cold tiles. Dropping my head under the water, I close my eyes and think about Violet. Her scent, her smile, her laugh. Everything about her is drawing me closer.
Granted, I wanted to fuck her senseless the moment I saw her, but tonight has changed that to much more than just a quick one-night stand. I want to know her. There was pain in her eyes when she spoke about the notebook she received. And when she talks about writing, her face lights up with excitement.
I find myself wanting to see that expression on her face all the time. Every day. And I want to make that happen. The feel of her skin when I kissed her chastely pops into my mind. The smooth silkiness sending thoughts of desire through me, and my hand grips my shaft, stroking slowly. I imagine it’s her delicate, feminine touch. Imagine the heat of her, the smell of her perfume.