Page 12 of My Mystery Billionaire

Sort of reserved. He had a good sense of humor, but there was a shyness about him.

I'm the loud and boisterous one, but it doesn’tseemto bother him. We surely are opposites in this!

We'll soon see if that chases him away. My cousins always told me I'd never get a guy being the loudmouth all the time. They don’t know anyone who “belts” like I do, they always tell me.

A girl's gotta be what a girl's gotta be! And my name is ... Bea!

As always, I was entertaining myself with my own humor. And just as I have been doing all day, I got an eye full of Hendrik.

He’s gently over 6 feet, but not much, because I come in at 5’11” with shoes on. His sandy brown hair floats around his long oval face. He's got prominent cheekbones that sculpt his face and dark blue eyes.

Eyes that I could get lost in if either of us held still long enough.

Do I even remember his body? Oh yeah! I really, really do!

He is chiseled. It has to be from lifting weights—large upper arms and rippling-strong chest and abs, thighs made of steel, and tight high buttocks.

Down girl! Down! You're getting all wet just remembering his nakedness.

Oh, I now remember something interesting. Those scars.

“Hendrik? It's been some months, but I remember scars on your side, right?”

Aww,flibberdy-bidget! What if I'm wrong? He'll think I sleep around with a whole bunch of scarred-up guys. Aww,Shmilblick!… Shmilblick!!

But instantly he started to nod, and I relaxed. “Yes, my Lady Fair, you remember correctly. I was mugged in that very neighborhood that you moved away from. It was, hmmm, about two and a half years ago?”

I asked a few leading questions to get him to tell me the story.

And shut up for a change and listen!

“It sounds like you had a good escape,” I observe when he finishes his story about how the muggers got away with his guitar but he got away with his life.

With a pensive expression, he agreed, “Yes, my father was really worried for a little while. But I guess being young and healthy helped me bounce back more than anything else. And I did get to the hospital pretty quickly.”

I am discovering layers to this man. And I'm not talking about the layers of his clothes over his lean strong body. He covers this strength with baggy beige chinos and no belt, and a pale blue dress shirt that looks one size too large.

“Is that your trademark look?” His eyes spoke his confusion. “Your suspenders,” and I finger one of the shoulder straps. “When we met at the club, you were wearing butterfly-covered suspenders.” He smiled.

“And today? Seriously?” I gave him my most melodramatic skeptical eyelift. “Hot pink and apple green giraffes?” And I shake my head as I ask it, “Tsk, tsk, Mr. Music Man!”

When we both burst out in laughter I just knew I liked this man.

A lot.

Chapter 15

Hendrik

Ican'trememberthelast time I bought a girl lunch. Not since Carly. I also had not slept with another woman since Carly until Beatrice came along.

And not since.

Why didn't you go after her back then?

First of all, because it was the last thing on my mind. Second of all, I didn't even know her name. Third of all, Jared’s men told me she had moved out of the neighborhood and I didn't know where.

And how am I going to find a woman whose name I don't even know? Ah, well. Here we are now.

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