Page 36 of Riding with the Secret Billionaire

I text him back.

Me: The dress is perfect. Thank you. See you at 8.

Jake:Looking forward to it.

Four wordsthat shouldn't make my pulse race but somehow do. I place the dress carefully on a hanger, already anticipating the evening ahead, already counting the hours until I see him again.

Whatever complexity awaits us in the coming days—professional boundaries, geographical challenges, uncertain futures—tonight is ours. One more piece of our journey together before the real world fully intrudes.

And I intend to make the most of every moment.

11

JAKE

Iadjust the collar of my shirt for the third time, checking my reflection in the private dining room mirror.The Holy Rolling Steakhouse's exclusive space has been transformed according to my exacting specifications with soft lighting,a table in the center with the emerald green tablecloth that matches Trish's dress, white roses arranged precisely in crystal vases.

"Nervous, Mr. Winters?" asks the restaurant manager, appearing at my elbow with a knowing smile.

"Focused," I correct, though he's not entirely wrong.For a man who's negotiated billion-dollar contracts and overseen security for heads of state, I shouldn't feel this unsettled about dinner with a woman I've spent the past week with in various motels.

But this isn't just dinner, and Trish Walker isn't just any woman.

I check my watch: 7:45 PM. Fifteen minutes until she arrives, assuming she's punctual, and based on my observations, Trishvalues timelines just as much as I do, even if she's more flexible about detours.

My phone buzzes with a text from Jordyn Kane:

We're in position.Operation Hopeless Romantic is a go.

I suppressa smile at her terminology.When I approached Jordyn earlier today about my plans, she'd embraced the idea with an enthusiasm that bordered on excessive,immediately pulling Talia and the other bridesmaids into what she insisted on calling a "conspiracy of love."

Understood. Proceed as discussed, I text back, because some habits die hard, even when coordinating surprise dinner guests rather than security operations.

Another glance at my watch: 7:52.The wait is excruciating in ways I hadn't anticipated.I've spent my entire adult life cultivating control, maintaining distance, building walls between myself and potential vulnerability.Yet in just a few days, Trish has systematically dismantled those defenses without even trying.

The frightening truth is that I'm in love with her.

The realization had hit me this morning during the security perimeter check.One moment I was reviewing camera placements with Riley, and the next, I was wondering if Trish would approve of the angle, if she'd notice the subtle attention to detail I'd insisted on.Every decision, every thought, had circled back to her.And when Riley asked a direct question about the rooftop surveillance, I'd been so lost in thoughts of Trish that I'd had to ask him to repeat himself.

That's when I knew. This wasn't just attraction or compatibility or even strong affection.It was the kind ofdisruptive, all-consuming love that changes the trajectory of a life.My life.

A soft knock at the private dining room door pulls me from my thoughts.The restaurant manager reappears, leading not Trish but Jordyn, Talia, and the bridesmaids into the room.They're all dressed for an elegant dinner, excitement evident in their expressions.

"Right on schedule," I note, checking my watch again.

"Of course," Jordyn says with a grin."When the notoriously precise Jake Winters sets a timeline, one does not deviate."

"We have approximately seven minutes before Trish arrives," I remind them, ignoring the teasing.

Talia, whom I've only met briefly during security consultations, gives me an appraising look."You clean up nice, Winters. No wonder Trish is smitten."

Before I can respond, my phone rings with a video call from my sister Ellie, right on time for her part in the evening.I answer and switch to video, positioning my phone on the special stand I'd arranged on the table.

"Jake!" Ellie's face appears on screen, her Seattle home visible in the background."Is everything set? Is she there yet?Did you remember the music?"

"Yes, no, and yes," I answer methodically."And thank you for doing this.I know it's last minute."

"Are you kidding? My control-freak brother falling head over heels for someone he met less than a week ago?I wouldn't miss this for the world." Her expression softens."I can't wait to meet her."

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