Page 9 of Billionaire Book Boyfriend

I wanther.

I get up and pace around the room, restless. I’ve been in the shower more times than I care to admit, thinking about those scenes, about her. It’s driving me mad, knowing she wrote those fantasies. The way she built the tension, the way she described every detail. It’s like she’s already in my head, knowing exactly what I want, what I need. And now I can’t stop thinking about doing those things to her, with her.

I’ve come to admire so much about Emily over the past month we’ve been seeing each other. It’s not just her beauty, though that shy smile and the way she looks at me with those deep, thoughtful eyes always get to me. It’s her mind, her passion, the way she listens when I talk, really listens, like she’s seeing more than what I’m saying. She’s got this quiet strength, this way of holding her own without ever having to raise her voice. And when she talks about the things she loves, her whole face lightsup, and I can’t help but want to be around her even more.

I’m drawn to her creativity, her passion, and that side of her I’m still figuring out. She’s got layers, and even though she’s been holding back, I can’t help but want to know more. She’s not just the woman behind the book; there’s something deeper about her, something real that pulls me in.

My phone rings, snapping me out of my thoughts. I glance at the screen and do a double take when I see the name. It’s Terrance, the last person I expected to call.

I hesitate for a second, my thumb hovering over the screen. We don’t talk like we used to, not since everything went down with Terrica. But I pick up anyway. “Yo, what’s good, man?”

“You tell me,” Terrance says, his voice carrying that laid-back cool. But there’s something underneath it, something that sounds like he’s ready for more than just small talk.

I sigh, rubbing the back of my neck. “I don’t know, T. Got a lot swirling around up here.”

There’s a pause, and I can feel the tension through the phone. “What, you finally getting caught up over an available woman?”

I pause, not sure if I want to get into it with him. "Yeah, and I see what you did there. We’re good now, right?"

“Would I call you if we weren’t?” Terrance replies.

“Just making sure.”

“Yeah, we’re good. Look, I appreciate you reaching out after my last game, and I wanted to call and let you know I see you making waves in Atlanta, doing your thing. Proud of the business you’re growing. Maybe you can help me with some investments.”

“I got you, cousin. Just let me know when you’re ready.”

“I’m ready now,” he says, chuckling. “But real talk, I know we’ve had our differences in the past, and I want to move past that. It’s just me out here. I don’t have a lot of family left. And I’m trying to make amends with the ones I do have, starting with us reaching out to each other like we’ve been doing.”

I nod, feeling the gravity of his words. “Yeah, I get that.”

“One thing, though,” Terrance adds, his tone serious now. “Terrica is off-limits. I want us to fix things, but I need you to know that.”

I hesitate, but I can respect that. “We’re good, cousin. I hear you.”

"Alright then. Now, how are Aunt Evangaline and Uncle Justin?” he asks.

I think of my parents who I have not spoken to the entire month I have been infatuated by Emily. “They’re doing good. I haven’t talked to them in a while, but they are doing good.”

Terrance scoffs. “I just talked to them, and they said you’d better call before they show up in Atlanta.”

I chuckle. “I should have known you’d already talked to them. I’ll call them soon, man. As soon as I get some things sorted out.”

“Okay, seriously, tell me what girl has you in your feelings. I know from your past selections you’ve got good taste, so this must be something.”

“I see you’ve got jokes today,” I say, laughing a little, glad to see that Terrance can display some humor over our past. “But her name’s Emily.”

“Oh, yeah? What’s going on with her?”

I hesitate again, knowing there’s a lot between us we’ve never really worked through. But I take a breath and push forward. “Look, man, Emily’s different, but she’s got me twisted up, like I was when… you know.”

“Oh, yeah. Like that?”

I let out a breath, pacing the room. “She’s the one, man. I know it in my gut. But she’s been holding back a big part of herself, and now I don’t know if I can trust what’s real and what’s not.”

Terrance chuckles. “Man, you sound just like I did when Terrica and I split. Didn’t know which way was up, trying to figure out how to put myself all the way out there for her again.”

“Yeah, but it’s different with you and Terrica. Y’all were in love since grade school. I’m just—”

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