Page 9 of Billionaire's Dangerous Desire

I sighed. “Straight to a life question, huh?”

“Yeah,” he smirked. “So, incase there isn’t a second date I already know enough about you to create a clone.”

“Well, you first. Who is Holden…”

“Grant.”

By the time I was getting off work, Holden was waiting for me on the ground floor, dressed in a polished chinos and turquoise Tee that brought out his sexy smirk. I flushed all over when I spotted the flowers in his hand and tried to pretend I wasn’t already blushing.

“I thought we said this wasn’t a date.”

“Maybe you agreed to that. But I didn’t.” And then, he stretched his hand forward, taking mine in his.

As we drove by the town, I could see everything from an entirely different perspective. It was all beautiful, illuminating. The streets, the trees that swayed, greeting us as we drove by, even the towns people didn’t seem all that judgmental as they watched us. They carried wide, genuine smiles plastered across their faces, and a joy you could see blossoming from their hearts to how they went about their day.

First, after he took me home to change, we stopped at a cute, little shop he said was the town’s only coffee shop. Which turned out to be surprisingly large when we stepped inside. The barista was an African-American boy with youthful looks, yet sporting a well-groomed beard.

“Welcome, Mr. Holden,” he said in a sing-song manner, and an enticing grin, before turning to me. His grin widened, but I could tell he was unsure of who I was, but he was looking for a polite way to ask.

“Troy, she’s new in town. Quit cooing.”

I laughed, and extended my hand. “The name’s Evelyn.” With the way he blushed, I just knew he was still a teenager.

We settled on a table by the windows so the sun reflected on our faces, brandishing the romantic setting. His skin just glowed, and with the way he looked into my eyes, I had never felt so warm inside.

“So, apart from the job, what brought you to Delaware county? It’s clearly not the finest town in the country.”

I sighed. “Straight to a life question, huh?”

“Yeah,” he smirked. “So, incase there isn’t a second date I already know enough about you to create a clone.”

“Well, you first. Who is Holden…”

“Grant.”

“Right. Holden Grant. Who are you?”

“Alright. I’ll tell you who I am. But you’ve got to promise. Not a word of this to anyone.” He shook in his chair, and brushed his hair to the side of his face. I’d not noticed how long it was until then. He was being incredibly dramatic.

I zipped my lips shut. “Sure.”

“I grew up here. Lived here all my life, actually. Went to the community high school we passed coming here. Had my first kiss by the lake just behind it while skipping classes. My dad left me and my mum just a few blocks away from here.” He didn’t seem sad; he just kept rambling. “One morning, just took his things, and left. We woke up and discovered none of his shit was in the house. Then, two weeks later, we discovered his body by the lake.”

I gasped, yet he didn’t pause. “Oh my God. I’m so sorry.”

“It’s been so long. We moved on. My mum fell in love with a nice man that moved into the neighborhood, a sock magnate. He moved in with his son. Later, they got married. We became a family. I’d always wanted a brother, but they were too suffocating for me, so I went to college in DC. Pretty far, huh?”

Okay, that was a lot. But, still, it was not a total turn off for me. His honesty was seemingly a breath of fresh air. It was anything unlike the stretched out, flirtatious talk men always gave on the first date. But, how was I supposed to match that. I didn’t have an equally heartbreaking or enlivening story. I was normal. I was bleak. I was a racy, white girl who had made tons of mistake. Just like everyone else.

Just then, Troy came in with our coffees. He dropped in our table and sent me a suggestive sneer, which was not innocent in the slightest. There was a lot roving around in my mind, but I made sure to not return it. Quickly, I looked ahead at Holden.

“Hope I didn’t freak you out.”

“No, it was just… different,” I said in all honesty. “No man would ever give you a summary of the full gist on a first date. And I’ve always wondered why. Probably because of how insecure they are. But, you’re so… apart.”

“Thanks?” He sounded unsure, and I needed to reassure him.

“No, It’s a good thing. You’re so in touch with your feelings. It’s sincere, pleasant.”

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