Page 45 of Her Billionaire Bargain (Kensington Square)

He wasn’t wrong.

“You look stunning,” he rasped, his voice husky in a way that made my belly quiver.

Had any man ever looked at me with such unabashed appreciation before?

I marshaled my forces, took a bolstering breath, and stepped past a smirking TJ to accept the flower. “It’s beautiful, thank you.” I shifted to put it in the vase with the wildflowers I’d splurged on. “Would you like to come in?”

“We have a reservation at,” he looked at the chunky gold watch on his wrist, “seven, which is ten minutes from now.”

“Where?” I cleared my throat, trying to subdue the nerves trying to make me sick.

“La Luna. It’s near the gala’s location and they have really good seafood. You said you liked seafood last weekend, right?”

I nodded. “Yeah. Just La Luna is really…” I trailed off and smiled as I caught TJ’s warning expression. “Lovely.”

“It is. Where’s Berry?” He peered over my shoulder. “Are you babysitting her?” he asked TJ.

I’d had men feign interest in my daughter to ingratiate themselves to me. This didn’t feel like that. His interest in her whereabouts seemed genuine.

“Nope, she’s with Shelby’s parents. I’m about to split. Have fun, you two.” She gave my shoulder a supportive squeeze before ducking out between us and jogging across the porch and down the walk to her sedan parked at the curb.

Dex’s convertible sat in the driveway behind my small SUV, gleaming in the moonlight. Top down in deference to the beautiful weather.

The night was clear, moonlit, warm with a slight breeze. The perfect setting for romance.

I was so fucked.

“Shelby?”

I bit my lip and glanced at Dex. “Yeah?”

“Are you okay?” He surprised the hell out of me by crossing the porch to drop down on the top step. He patted the spot beside him. “We can just sit for a few if you want.”

I pursed my lips. “I haven’t swept since last week.”

“Don’t horrify me so.” He cocked his head. “My lap is available if you prefer.”

Quickly, I perched on the edge of the step. “Didn’t you say we have a reservation?”

“Yeah, but they’ll take us whenever we arrive.”

I frowned. “But the gala is—”

“We can make an appearance whenever, no problem.” He waved a hand as if it couldn’t have mattered less. “No rush.”

“Is this how the other half lives? People wait for you instead of the other way around?”

He shrugged. “I give them very generous donations to make up for my personal gaffes, and everyone is happy.”

I tried not to stare at him in his damn tux with his sexy hair and piercing eyes and toothpaste-commercial-smile, and failed. “You could not be less like my ex if you tried.”

He grinned. “Aww, don’t flatter me so.”

I had to laugh. Just like that, the ball of stress and tension and unmet expectations—ones I couldn’t meet, not Dex—dissolved in my belly. “How do you know him?”

He took a moment to answer. “Paths crossed in professional circles. He looked down his nose at me for being a nepo baby, you know, the usual.”

“Nepo baby? First, you are fully grown.” I kept my gaze way above the neck. I actually fixated on the post above his head just to be safe. “Second, you aren’t in the entertainment industry.”

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