Page 19 of Playboy Billionaire's Secret Baby

Frederico:I will plan the best night of your life. You know I can do that. Don’t let me down. Lexi, you know it will be worth it! x

Shit, he’s luring me in. I can’t stop myself from wanting to go along with what he’s offering. Ilovespending time with Frederico. He made the wedding one of the best nights of my life, and the other week was great too. I crave more of it; no one else could ever make me feel like he does. Plus Allegra will want to know why I don’t want the date if I disagree, which means I’ll have to explain myself somehow, even though I can’t.

How can I say that I don’t want to go on a date with a handsome guy who wants to show me a special time? Without the truth, there is no excuse, and I’m not ready for the truth just yet.

I know what I’m doing… I’m pushing myself into this date because I’m still intrigued by Frederico. I can’t stop feeling this way, however hard I try. I type out an agreement to the date and hit the “send” button before I can talk myself out of it. What’s the worst that could happen? It’s just one date. If I start to realize that it isn’t going to end well, then I will back out immediately. I’m going to have a lot of support in Italy. More than I even knew now that Mom is coming too. It’ll be fine. It has to be…

Chapter 12

Frederico

Ican’tstopsmiling.I know that isn’t like me at all, but I really can’t. Knowing that after all these years, Lexi is finally in the same country as me, staying here for a long time as well. I could kiss the person who gave her a job because they’ve finally given me a shot.

After two years, I haven’t been able to shake her and let go of what happened at Adam and Allegra’s wedding… She said she wasn’t up for dating, and I get that. We can’t do the long distance thing in different countries, but all that has changed now. She’s living here, at least for a while, and we need to make the most of it. All of this was meant to happen. I can’t wait to explore what comes next for us.

“You’re looking pretty pleased with yourself,” Adam laughs as he joins me at the bar. “What’s going on in that crazy mind of yours? You look like you have something planned…”

“I do, and I want to run through it with you, if you don’t mind?”

He nods and orders himself a drink, sipping on it before he speaks again. I have to admit that he’s looking pretty pleased with himself as well. I’m starting to think that being married suits him. He’s definitely the happiest he’s ever been.

“So, go on. Tell me all about your latest scheme.”

“I’m taking Lexi out on a date, Adam, and I want it to be the best date ever.”

He narrows his gaze at me. “Do you really like Lexi as in, properly like her? Because I don’t think I have ever seen you all that excited about a woman like this before. Not like this.”

I offer him a shrug because I don’t want to give too much away. “I don’t know. Maybe. I guess that’s what I want to find out. I know she’s been a little hesitant about things moving forward, which is why I need to show her that she should give me a chance. We should explore what this thing we have is.”

“I don’t know if Allegra will ever believe this,” Adam chuckles. “But sure. Tell me what you have planned, and I will see what I think.”

I get it. Of course Allegra doesn’t believe I’m fully into Lexi. We have been warned against seeing one another so neither of us gets hurt, but I’m sure I can convince her otherwise.IfI’m right in my suspicions, that is.

“Well, I want to show Lexi the beauty of this town. I also want to take her to the best restaurant there is. I think we can have a lot of fun, you know?”

Adam nods in agreement. “Okay, tell me what you’ve got planned.”

I talk through the night how I am hoping to impress Lexi, and since Adam looks like it’s impressing him, I must be onto a good thing.

“Wow, I think Lexi will love it.” He nods, slowly. I can tell something is troubling him, though, which is a bit unnerving. I wait for him to open up. “I know Allegra was hesitant to begin with. She wasn’t keen on you taking her best friend out, but she will definitely change her mind if she could hear you talking like this. You really do seem to feel something more for her than I have seen before.”

My smile falters a little; having someone else point out my feelings is a little unnerving. Especially Adam. He knows what I went through when I lost Marianne and my unborn child. I’m sure he has seen how much I have tried to keep to myself since then, so he doesn’t say this lightly. It reminds me how much I’m risking here.

I don’t want that pain again. I don’t ever want to suffer what I did. If I put my heart on the line at all, I put myself in the line of danger. But then I have known that all the time, and it hasn’t done anything to put a halt to my plans. This is a risk I have to take.

“I don’t want Allegra to think I have negative intentions with Lexi, but who knows what will happen in the end.”

“Oh no, I completely understand,” Adam reassures me. “I’m not trying to put pressure on anything. I just mean it’s nice to see you like this, that’s all. You’re open and happy and seem like you’re looking forward to building a connection. This feels more like you than the guy who just sleeps around and doesn’t care about anyone.”

“Just because it seems like that doesn’t mean I don’t have a heart.”

“Yeah, I know that. I just want everyone else to know that too.”

We drink up without going into more detail, but Adam has left me with a lot to think about. He now has me all twisted up in knots, wondering what the end result will be. Just because it all looks perfect in my eyes, doesn’t mean everything on the date will go as planned. I have texted Lexi, without giving her any details at all, so it’ll be a surprise. She has agreed to come but there are never any guarantees.

I have to remember that Adam took risks as well and ended up with the love of his life. He and Allegra are happier than ever. Maybe this will work out for me too.

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