Imperfect Match (Elixir Bachelor Billionaires #1)

“I was upset about something, and he wanted to make me feel better.”

“And all the florists and chocolate shops were closed?” Violet raises a brow.

“I’m with Vi on this one. Fireworks are a bit…” Willow trails off, but Violet finishes for her.

“Over the top? Unless he asked for a blow job or something kinky in return.”

“Are you crazy, Vi? No!” He was just expecting me to beg.

“What happened after the fireworks?”

I groan. “Not you too, Elodie.”

“Do you blame me for being shocked? Charles, aka the asshole boss whose actions you said are grimmer than thriller movies, is suddenly behaving like a lovesick Romeo.”

“No one is behaving like anything.” I feel the butterflies in my stomach taking flight once again.

“Why don’t you leave the interpretation part to us? Just say what happened after the fireworks.”

Before I can succumb to Violet’s incessant journalistic probing, my phone vibrates on the table.

Dave: All okay there, Daisy? FYI, I’m still on the ground floor, and the gentleman in the store has shown me things I didn’t even know existed. How long can I look at the different shades of blue ties that actually all look the same to me?

My lips curl into a smile. After Charles made it clear he’d appoint Dave as my personal bodyguard, I agreed on one condition—Dave can shadow me, but he can’t do that in plain sight.

“Hi.”

The phone slips from my hands when I feel someone right behind me.

“Oh, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to startle you, Mrs. Hawthorne,” says the woman who looks around my age. “That man”—she looks behind her shoulder, but there’s no one—“he was right here. But never mind, he gave me this. It’s for you.” She slides an envelope on the table, and a grin appears on her face while my heart thuds seeing my name written in Charles’ flowing handwriting.

Daisy Hawthorne.

“Um, th-thank you,” I stutter, without realizing that she’s already gone. My hands and heart tremble as I open the envelope and pull out the card.

Dear wife,

I have a surprise for you. Meet me at Madison Blue, Room 215.

Your husband.

“Wow! And you guys didn’t trust my jerk-boyfriend purging ritual!” Violet grins. “We asked the Supreme Goddess to send you a prince and now Charles Hawthorne is visiting malls in the middle of the day. Didn’t you use to call him workaholic supremo? But I guess we can safely call him Daisy-aholic now.”

“I…”

“You don’t have to say anything. Now, let’s go.” Willow rises, and Violet and Elodie follow suit while I’m still stuck in my chair.

“Wait! I…I’m not done eating.”

Plus, I haven’t even wrapped my head around this version of Charles. Texting emojis and now this?

“Daze, what’s more important?” Willow leans forward, forcing me to look up at her. “Your husband, who stopped his day’s work and must have planned something romantic—”

“And filled with tons and tons of sex,” Violet adds, escalating my heartbeat some more.

Is it possible Charles finally lost patience?

Haven’t you?