Mister Moneybags(45)

I know I probably deserved for her to feel that way after the shit I’d pulled, but hearing her say that really hurt. “Well that makes one of us.”

“I don’t want to want to be with you.”

“Yes, I’m getting that loud and clear.”

She set her glass down on the coffee table and then looked me in the eyes. “But as much as I don’t want to feel a certain way, I do. I’ve tried to force myself to stop thinking about you, and I’ve tried to distract myself with another man. Yet here I am at the end of my date tonight.”

I set my drink down next to hers. “Listen to me, Bianca. I fucked up. I know I did. I’ve apologized, and I’ll keep apologizing over and over again. But you can’t deny that there is something going on here that is worth taking another chance on.” I caressed her cheek. “Take a chance on me, Georgy Girl. Take a chance.”





I finally admitted to myself that I was more afraid not to take a chance than I was of getting hurt again. Sometimes the reward is worth the risk.

I looked into Dex’s eyes. “You’ll always be honest with me?”

“I swear on it.”

I bit my bottom lip. The truth was, I couldn’t imagine never seeing this man again. He was right. Something was there between us. Something I’d never experienced before. Our connection was so strong; it was impossible to move on. “Okay.”

Dex’s face lit up, like I’d just flicked the lights on Christmas morning and he’d found a room full of presents. It was really adorable. “Okay? As in you’re giving me another chance?”

I needed to be serious, but couldn’t help but smile at how happy he seemed. “Yes. But…we need to slow down. I want to start over.”

“I can do that.”

“Starting over means dating. Getting to know each other. I want to know the real Dexter Truitt.”

He inched closer to me on the couch. “I’m an open book.”

“Good. We should probably start with a date.”

“I’d like that.” He inched closer again so that our knees were now touching. I was wearing a skirt and when his hand went to my bare knee, I felt it all over. His thumb gently rubbed at my skin.

Goosebumps were prickling from his touch, yet I managed to say, “I don’t have sex on the first date.”

He leaned in. “What do you do on the first date?”

My mind may have wanted to slow things down, but my body had other ideas when he began to wind my long hair around his hand. “Not much.”

He spoke over my lips. “How about kiss. Do you kiss on the first date?”

There was nothing more than I wanted than to kiss him again. Well, maybe there were other things I wanted even more, but that was definitely going to have to wait, too. I abruptly stood.

“I need to go.”

Dex stood. “Because you don’t trust yourself to stay here in my apartment with me?”

“I don’t and you know it. You know I’m attracted to you physically, and I can see that you’re going to make it very difficult for me if I stay. So I’m going to remove myself from this situation. Because we’re going to take it slow.”

He didn’t hide his disappointment. “When will I see you again?”

“Friday night. You can take me out on a proper date as Dexter Truitt. I think a public place is safest for now.”

Dex’s grin was wolfish. “If you think being in public with me will keep me from mauling you, then I suppose you need this date to get to know me better.”

I rolled my eyes, even though I secretly loved him admitting he couldn’t control himself around me, either. “Goodnight, Dex.”

“Goodnight, Georgy Girl.”





I had the worst first-date jitters I’d ever had—which may have had something to do with the fact that it wasn’t really our first date. I’d just discarded the third dress I’d tried on and was now sitting on my bed in only a bra and panties taking a minute to relax. Eyes shut, I took a few cleansing breaths and started to focus on the sound of my meditation balls humming as I massaged them in the palm of my hand. I rolled my neck a few times, loosening up my posture, and just when I began to find my calm, the doorbell buzzed.

Shit. I grabbed for my phone and was shocked to realize that it was already ten minutes to seven. I must have wasted almost an hour trying on clothes and attempting to meditate, when I’d thought it was more like fifteen minutes.

Shit. Shit. Shit.

Covering myself with a bathrobe, I went to the door and pressed the button for the intercom.

“Dex?”

“The one and only.”

I buzzed him up. There wasn’t time for me to get dressed, but I quickly ran to the bathroom mirror to fix myself. Even though I’d done my hair earlier, changing in and out of dresses had made a mess of it.