Page 43 of BillionHeir
“I have another idea actually,” Maxwell says.
“What is that?”
“I would like to take you on a date. If you will have me, that is.”
“A date?” I ask somewhat breathlessly, taken totally off guard.
“A date, but only if that is what you want,” he says, looking nervous as he waits for my answer.
I take a second to consider if this is, in fact, something that I want. There is no doubt this has every chance of going sideways with one or both of us ending up hurt. But there is something there between us that neither one of us can deny.
And I am tired of fighting my feelings.
“Okay,” I say, straightening my shoulders in confidence.
“Okay?” he asks as though not quite believing it himself.
I smile at the worried look on his face and meet his eyes, nodding. “But I am not sure I am ready.” I look down at the leggings and fitted T-shirt I chose this morning as I imagine what state my hair is in after our afternoon together.
“Right,” he says. “Let’s meet at the top of the stairs in . . .” he looks down at the watch on his muscular arm. “Thirty minutes. Is that enough time?”
“That is perfect.”
We leave the game room and head to our respective bedrooms where I find a gorgeous black mid-length dress laid out on my bed. It looks exactly like something I would choose myself which delights me to no end. I assume it is from Max. I don’t know how he did it, but he really has thought of everything.
I don’t have time to linger on his thoughtfulness though. Time is of the essence! I dash into the bathroom and turn on the shower, smiling as the steam from the hot water starts to fill the room. I quickly undress and tie my hair up into a bun on the top of my head. I won’t have time to wash and style my hair, but I can still wash off the sweat from our little competition earlier.
I smile to myself as I step into the cascade of water. I saw a side of Maxwell Banks that I am quite sure only few have seen before. He was fun and energetic. His mood was contagious. I can’t remember the last time I had such a great time with someone. Being with him is just easy.
I am still thinking about him as I get out of the shower and dry off. As I do my makeup, I replay every moment we spent together, trying to figure out if it was just my imagination or if our chemistry really is as far off the charts as it feels in the moment.
I put on a matching black bra and panties and slip into the dress. It fits me perfectly. By the time I look in the mirror, pleased with how well I have put myself together, I am convinced that it really is just that good between us. I would be a fool not to see this night through.
I pick up my phone off the nightstand to check if I have any messages and find a notification from my bank. Concerned, I open the app and type in my password. My account balance looks more like a phone number. Five. Million. Dollars. My eyeswiden as I realize that our agreed upon payment date passed just a few days ago. I can’t believe I made it this long, or that the date passed me by with so little fanfare. When I started this whole situation, I was practically counting down the days until I got paid. I will keep working for as long as he needs me, but I suspect this job will be coming to an end soon.
But tonight is not the night to dwell on that.
Tonight, I have a date. With a man who no longer owes me a lifetime of money. With that out of the way, maybe we could actually give whatever this is between us a chance.
I find him at the top of the stairs, just where he said he would be, looking down at his phone. I clear my throat, and he looks up at me, instantly sliding his phone into his pocket with whatever he was doing totally forgotten.
“Wow,” he says, his voice taking on a sexy, husky quality as his eyes take me in. I giggle a little before doing a little twirl so that he can look his fill. When I am all the way back around, our eyes meet, and he pins me with a look so smoldering I could swear I start to feel myself get warmer.
He clears his throat before speaking again as he holds out his hand for me. “Ready?”
“As I will ever be,” I answer before taking his hand in my own.
He leads me down the stairs and around the corner where I let out a gasp of surprise when I see that the dining room hasbeen totally transformed. The table has been moved out of the room and replaced with a large mattress on the floor piled high with pillows and blankets. There is a mahogany tray for us to sit with our food and drinks in front of the window overlooking the angry ocean outside. The buffet table along the wall is filled with an extravagant charcuterie selection: a variety of meats and cheeses, different types of breads and nuts, all kinds of fruits, and even a small chocolate fountain. There are LED tealight candles on every surface giving us enough light to see without distracting from the main event: the raging storm outside.
“It is like a scene from a movie,” I say as I cross the room to look out the window.
The storm is still as strong as it was this morning, maybe stronger. The trees in the backyard bend under the pressure of the driving wind and rain but somehow hold steadfast in the ground. The oversized waves savagely punish the shore, crashing into the sand over and over again.
“I love watching storms here. This is one of my favorite places to be when it rains,” Maxwell says from just behind me, surprising me with his closeness.
I take in the room once more. “This is all so lovely.” I pause for a moment, feeling a little shy with this man who I spent all afternoon playing old school video games with. “Thank you.”
Our eyes catch and a hungry look passes between us. It has nothing to do with the food. Maxwell breaks the spell by clearinghis throat, smoothing his shirt as he collects himself. I look down and struggle to get myself under control as well.
