An Accidental Date with a Billionaire
“Shh.” He pressed a finger to her mouth. “Let me finish. Yes, I want you. Yes, I choose you. Yes, I would do anything you asked me to do. Yes, I miss you. Yes, I want you back. Yes, I would walk through fire for you. Yes, I’d rescue a unicorn for you. Yes, I l—”
She laughed, resting a hand on his chest. “There you go, being dramatic again.”
“Only for you, Sam.” He lowered his face, stopping short of kissing her. “Only with you.”
She let out a puff of air. “But—”
“No buts. No fucking buts.” He gritted his teeth. “I want to be with you. I want you at my side, everywhere, and nothing will change my mind. Not your past. Nothing that could ever happen in the future. No matter what, I want you. The question is…do you want me?”
Chapter Twenty-Two
She closed her eyes, taking a page out of his book, and counted to ten. God, she wanted to say yes, to take what he was offering and run with it. He was fully aware of what he was taking on, and if he was willing to do that, to be with her despite her tarnished past, why not say yes?
Was it wrong to be with the man she loved?
People did inexplicable things when in love. They overlooked flaws, habits, addictions, differences, money, class, distinction—when those things went up against love, they usually lost.
She loved him. She wanted to be with him.
End of story.
She stared into the deep green depths of his eyes. Had they always been this light? So bright? “The fifteenth.”
He frowned. “What about it?”
“You and I will be attending the SPCA fundraiser. It’s a black-tie event.”
A smile lit up his face. “I’d say that I’ll put it in the calendar, but…”
She smiled, because more than likely he’d be fishing that bad boy out of the garbage. It was a nice gesture and all, but he needed it. “We’ll go camping after.”
That smile went away immediately. “O…kay…”
“Just kidding.”
“Thank God,” he groaned.
“But in all seriousness, if we do this…it’s going to be more than before, Taylor. More than soft whispers, empty promises, and a fun fir
st date. I want those dates you circled in the calendar to be real dates. A third, and a fourth, and a fifth. If we do this, if we try again, it’s for real this time. No games to lighten it, no pretending it’s all one big date. Just you and me, making this real. Real commitment. Real feelings.”
He touched her cheek. “Sam—”
“And no more going to events with other women. You don’t share, and neither do I.”
His mouth twitched, and he skimmed his fingers over her lower lip. “Any other terms?”
“I want you to wear a unicorn shirt out in public once.”
He laughed—a full-blown, hearty laugh that warmed her soul. “Only if you wear a shark one at the same time.”
“Deal.”
“You know…” He skimmed his finger over her mouth again, and she shivered. “Every time I’m with you, it’s like I’m on the edge of a cliff, and your hands are on my back. I’m not sure whether you’re going to push me off or pull me to safety, but either way I know I’ll be all right, because I’ve got you, and you’ve got me, and that’s all that matters, right?”
“I’d never push you,” she breathed. “I’ll always pull you closer.”
“I broke a promise to you,” he admitted.