Mister Moneybags(41)

I needed to be serious, but couldn’t help but smile at how happy he seemed. “Yes. But…we need to slow down. I want to start over.”

“I can do that.”

“Starting over means dating. Getting to know each other. I want to know the real Dexter Truitt.”

He inched closer to me on the couch. “I’m an open book.”

“Good. We should probably start with a date.”

“I’d like that.” He inched closer again so that our knees were now touching. I was wearing a skirt and when his hand went to my bare knee, I felt it all over. His thumb gently rubbed at my skin.

Goosebumps were prickling from his touch, yet I managed to say, “I don’t have sex on the first date.”

He leaned in. “What do you do on the first date?”

My mind may have wanted to slow things down, but my body had other ideas when he began to wind my long hair around his hand. “Not much.”

He spoke over my lips. “How about kiss. Do you kiss on the first date?”

There was nothing more than I wanted than to kiss him again. Well, maybe there were other things I wanted even more, but that was definitely going to have to wait, too. I abruptly stood.

“I need to go.”

Dex stood. “Because you don’t trust yourself to stay here in my apartment with me?”

“I don’t and you know it. You know I’m attracted to you physically, and I can see that you’re going to make it very difficult for me if I stay. So I’m going to remove myself from this situation. Because we’re going to take it slow.”

He didn’t hide his disappointment. “When will I see you again?”

“Friday night. You can take me out on a proper date as Dexter Truitt. I think a public place is safest for now.”

Dex’s grin was wolfish. “If you think being in public with me will keep me from mauling you, then I suppose you need this date to get to know me better.”

I rolled my eyes, even though I secretly loved him admitting he couldn’t control himself around me, either. “Goodnight, Dex.”

“Goodnight, Georgy Girl.”





I had the worst first-date jitters I’d ever had—which may have had something to do with the fact that it wasn’t really our first date. I’d just discarded the third dress I’d tried on and was now sitting on my bed in only a bra and panties taking a minute to relax. Eyes shut, I took a few cleansing breaths and started to focus on the sound of my meditation balls humming as I massaged them in the palm of my hand. I rolled my neck a few times, loosening up my posture, and just when I began to find my calm, the doorbell buzzed.

Shit. I grabbed for my phone and was shocked to realize that it was already ten minutes to seven. I must have wasted almost an hour trying on clothes and attempting to meditate, when I’d thought it was more like fifteen minutes.

Shit. Shit. Shit.

Covering myself with a bathrobe, I went to the door and pressed the button for the intercom.

“Dex?”

“The one and only.”

I buzzed him up. There wasn’t time for me to get dressed, but I quickly ran to the bathroom mirror to fix myself. Even though I’d done my hair earlier, changing in and out of dresses had made a mess of it.

When I was done, I unlocked the door and waited. Dex stepped off the elevator, and I watched as he walked down the long hall to my apartment door. God, he was really handsome. He wore a dark sportsjacket with dark slacks and a gray dress shirt, sans tie. But it was the way he strutted toward my door full of swagger and confidence that made my pulse race. There was actually a little flutter in my stomach as he neared my door.

Dex took my face into one hand and gave me a chaste kiss. After, he spoke over my lips, “I thought you wanted to go slow?”

“I do.”

“Answering the door in that robe and looking at me like that isn’t exactly the way to go about doing slow.”

I shook my head, hoping to wake up my brain. “Sorry. I lost track of time. Come in. I just need a few minutes.” I opened the door and went inside my apartment, but turning back, I found that Dex hadn’t followed me in. He was standing inside my open doorway.

“I think I should wait out here.”

“What? Don’t be ridiculous. Come inside.”

His eyes dropped down to point to my breasts. I was fully covered, but my silky robe wasn’t doing a damn thing to hide my pert nipples. They were poking through the lace of my bra and thin cover up, looking as anxious and excited as I felt. I folded my arms across my chest. “That’s your fault.”

“My fault?”

“Yes. If you weren’t all...” I waved my hand up and down. “…all dark and sexy looking, they wouldn’t be saluting you. And you kissed me. What do you expect?”

He grinned. “Dark and sexy looking?”

I rolled my eyes. “Just come in and sit down.”

“Okay. But I can’t guarantee I won’t be all sexy looking.”

I disappeared into my bedroom and left Dex sitting in the kitchen. After another rummage through my closet, I finally settled on a red dress that I loved. It was one of those colors that turned heads, and the only time I’d ever worn it was when I went out to a bar with my friends from work. I’d attracted more attention than I’d ever had that night. So much so, that I never wore it again. But tonight I was feeling greedy and wanted Dex to be unable to keep his eyes off of me the same way I seemed to be unable to keep mine off of him.