“Yes. Just a small place down the street.”
“So,” I turned to face him as he drove, taking a couple seconds to give him a good once over. I swallowed dryly as my eyes traced from his green eyes to the five o’clock shadow running over his jawline. He had his hair slicked back today, and despite the fact he wore a well-fitted suit, he looked like he was actually comfortable. I eyed his cufflinks and grinned. “You’re a Batman fan, eh?” The silver bat symbol cufflinks sparkled in the sunset.
It hadn’t actually been the question I was about to ask, but I couldn’t help it. Plus it might be better to pry with lighter questions first. I didn’t want to be rude.
He laughed softly. “Big fan. Always was growing up.”
“So you figured you’d grow up to be a billionaire too? Are you a superhero by night?” I gave a dramatic gasp.
“I wish I was that productive.” He smiled. “But no, just a normal billionaire by night.”
Oh, I had a feeling he was anything but normal but didn’t say that out loud. I just smiled.
“Really? So if saving the world isn’t your pastime, what is?”
Dean laughed softly. “I don’t have much time honestly; at least, I haven’t since we started work on this casino, it’s been my hobby until it opened. Now … well now, by the time I’m done, it’s pretty much eat and sleep, then up at 4:00 to work out.”
My eyes widened as I stared at him. This had to be a joke. Was he a total workaholic? I mean, I guess it made sense. I mean he did run several casinos—I knew that from when I’d done my research, and from what I could tell they were all thriving.
“What about vacations?”
“I try to take a couple a year at least. I love traveling.”
“Where do you plan to go next?”
“I’m thinking somewhere in Europe, either Paris or Ireland most likely. I’ve been dying to go to both places.”
I blew out a soft breath. I’d love to travel; it would be wonderful. But college first and then traveling. That’s what I always told myself, so that’s what it was going to be. I’d start with the country, that way it would be cheaper. I’d start somewhere cold. Somewhere that gets a real winter with lots of snow. I smiled.
“What about you?” His voice snapped me back to reality. “Have you been able to do much traveling?”
“Not too much, no. Sadly, my parents didn’t like to travel much, so that was never an option when I was little. My gran took me to see a friend a few hours away, but it was just a train ride.” I could still remember being ten and thinking the eight-hour train ride was the worst thing ever to happen to me.
I smirked, thinking about it as the car came to a stop. I looked around, and my brow furrowed. “This is a house.”
“It’s my house.” He turned the car off and opened his door. “I hope you don’t mind.”
My heart skipped a beat as I pulled my phone out of my pocket and stepped from the car. Taking a quick picture of the house, I sent it to Katie and quickly explained why along with including Dean’s name, even though I knew I didn’t need to. We were always each other’s safety net. If she were going on a date, I’d get his name, number, and she’d give me the make and model of the car once she got in—I did the same for her, except I hardly ever actually went out on dates.
I slipped my phone into my pocket and felt it buzz, but didn’t reach for it.
***
I led the way up the walkway towards the house. “I thought you might not actually want to go out for dinner. I know a few of the girls live quite close to the casino.”
“Oh … yea, I guess it’s a good idea they don’t get the wrong idea or anything.”
Wrong idea? Oh, that was what I had in mind. I didn’t make a habit of dating girls I hired, but there was something about her. I mean, she was hot—no, she was beyond hot, but that wasn’t it. I bit my lip. It was when I’d been talking to her by the car, that had been when I first realized it. Then last night, driving her home … there was something about her.
I just couldn’t place what it was.
She was easy going, and from what Melina told me she worked hard—I liked that, but I wasn’t sure that’s all there was to it. Whatever it was, I wanted to figure it out.
I unlocked my door and stepped inside, flicking a light on after picking up the mail that sat on the front step. I skimmed through it and let out a soft breath as my shoulders relaxed. Still nothing, and that was good. That was the way it needed to be.
But still, every day I thought there would be something. Every day I worried about what I would find. I mentally shook myself. There was no point in thinking about it right now. There was nothing that would happen, not here. Not in Vegas.
No one knew me here except Melina, and I trusted her.
“I hope you don’t mind something quick, how about ribs and rice?”
“Sounds perfect to me.”
I motioned for her to step ahead of me into the kitchen and watched her reaction as she looked around.
***
Nope, there was no way this could be real. Not at all. Nope.
Real people didn’t live like this. It had to be a dream.
My brow creased. Kinda a weird dream for me to be having, but what else could it be? No one had kitchens like this, they were only seen in magazines. I looked around; all the appliances were stainless steel. Three walls were white, and the one with a long stretch of counter along it—the one right in front of me—was teak.
There was a fancy mixing bowl on one counter, and other than a bowl of fruit, that was all there was on the counter, except some clean dishes in the sink. The stove and fridge were beside each other to my left, and the right looked like it opened into a dining room.
“This is a pretty big house,” I said stepping onto the checkerboard tile flooring into the kitchen.
“It is. I sometimes wish I’d picked a smaller place, but what’s done is done—and it will only increase in value as long as Vegas keeps booming.” He stepped past me and made his way over to the fridge. I padded to what looked like a pantry and pulled it open.
Beans, rice, pasta. The man had a full pantry with tuna, veggies, and loads of snacks. My brow furrowed as I pulled out an open bag of rice. I didn’t see any instant rice, so I guessed we were going to have to do it the old-fashioned way, which if we were doing ribs didn’t matter that much.
I turned around just in time to see him pulling a foil package out of the freezer and closing it as he strode over to the counter.
“You don’t have to help.”
“I’d be itching to do something if I didn’t help,” I admitted.
Dean chuckled. “I’m the same way. Pots are down there.” He pointed to the cupboard as he placed the package on the counter and unwrapped it. Garlic filled my nose as I strolled over to the cupboard and grabbed a pot I was sure would be big enough for us both.
Now, being as broke as I was, I knew all about cooking rice. I didn’t even bother reading the bag before going to the stove and turning the dial.
“Will you put that at 350?”
“Sure thing.” I did as he asked and headed to the pot. I eyeballed it, but I was sure I got it right as I filled the pot with water and measured out rice before putting the pot on the stove to boil.
“I have to admit, I’m a little surprised you have so much rice lying around.”
“It’s an easy meal, good for you and cheap.”
It sounded odd to hear him going on about cheap food like it was good, because I mean really there was no telling how much he’d spent on this house. I had no clue how rich he actually was, but it was safe to assume he was really rich, so why should he have to worry about cheap meals?
I guess the more you save, the more you have to spend on stuff you want.
“So Rebecca, tell me about yourself?”
“Oh, I’m boring.” I shrugged.
“You said you wanted to go to college, right? What for?”
“Business.”
> “Really?”
“Yea, I …” I paused, feeling the flush on my cheeks. People always laughed when I said it. “I want to own my own business.”
“Really?” He glanced at me as he crossed to the oven with a tray full of ribs and placed it in there. “What kind of business?”
“You’re going to laugh,” I warned him.
“No, I won’t.”
“That’s what everyone says.” I took a deep breath, waiting for it. “I want to start a hot chocolate business.”
“Like … gourmet hot chocolate.”
“Yes.”
I pulled my phone out, not for any reason other than to distract myself from his reaction.
“So … you’d do like different flavors, right?”
I looked up from my phone. He sounded serious like he actually wanted to know. I stared at him as his eyes locked on me.
“Yes,” I almost stuttered.
“That’s interesting. Do you think there would be much of a market here for it? Or would you …” He paused and let out a soft laugh. “I’m sorry, I get ahead of myself. I like to think far into the pan; most people don’t.”
“No, don’t be sorry.” I stepped towards him. It had been forever since I’d told someone that, and they had actually been interested in it. “I think it would do fine here if I could manage to open it up along the strip and eventually form a relationship with hotels. I’d be able to sell them the product for a discount, but if I supplied just one hotel, it would go a long way, and that would drive traffic to the store. See, the thing about Vegas is that people bring back souvenirs. So as long as I make the packaging look pretty and make sure everyone knows it’s from here, I should be able to see enough to … maybe pay the rent.”
“Sounds like you’ve thought about it a lot.”
“I have; it’s something I’ve wanted to do since I was 19.”
“Does that mean you’ve been working on flavors?”
“Yup.” I gave him a quick nod. “Of course, I’m the only one who has ever tasted them, so I’m not that sure they are actually good, but I’ve got four flavors that I think are good enough.”
It felt so good to be talking to someone about it, someone who didn’t make fun of me or act like I was being silly for wanting to do this with my life.
“So, business school, and then you’re going to open up your own little hot chocolate place?”
I laughed softly. “You make it sound simple. You’re forgetting the years and years of working that I will need to put in to get the money, let alone actually start my business.”
“I am looking for long-term workers.” Dean gave me a soft grin.
“Good to know.” I laughed.
He stepped closer to me. “You know, I’d love to try some, sometime.”
“Then I guess you’ll have to come over to my place sometime, and I can let you taste test.” I’d gotten the basic hot chocolate formula down pat, but now it was just a matter of adding the right things to it and in the right quantity.
“How about this weekend?” I opened my mouth to object, but he cut me off. “It can be a date.”
“Don’t you have something against dating people who work for you?”
He paused.
“That would be no fun.”
He reached out and touched me. I’m not sure what I was expecting, but it wasn’t what he did. He touched my arm softly.
“I asked you here so we could talk about last night. I don’t think you understand why I want to talk about it. It’s not to give you trouble or tell you that can never happen.”
“It’s … then what?”
“It’s to tell you that I want it to happen. I want to see you again, outside of work. Like in my house, often. I want to get to know you.” He smiled softly. “I never would have guessed you wanted to open a hot chocolate business, and knowing that just makes it even clearer to me that I want to keep getting to know you.”
“Are you saying—”
“I’m saying I’d like to ask you out on a date.” He cut me off; his eyes locked on mine. “I won’t fire you if you say no, but I’d really like you to give me a shot.”
“You’re my boss.”
“So?” He raised an eyebrow.
“It’s wrong. I shouldn’t date my boss.” I turned away from him. “I’ll … I’ll look like I’m just trying to sleep my way to the top, not that I could blame anyone for thinking that. I’d think it too. I … If I ever succeed, if you ever want to do anything nice for me it will just look like I fucked my way into it. I can’t do that.”
“What if I wasn’t your boss?”
My eyes widened. Was he going to fire me?
“I…” I swallowed dryly. Yes. A noise behind us made both Dean and I spin around.
Thank God. The buzzer on the stove was going off. I rushed over to it having totally forgot I set it to make sure of not forgetting to put the rice in. I poured the rice I’d measured out into the boiling water and took a deep breath before forcing myself to do the one thing I didn’t want to. I turned to face Dean.
“Had you been to Vegas before you bought the casino?” I asked, trying to change the topic.
“Only a couple times.” I was so thankful he’d actually let me. “I like it here …” He bit his lip looking around.
He looked sad.
I felt my heart drop into my stomach. I’m sorry, I thought. I just … I couldn’t do it. Could I?
Oh, I wanted to so bad. I wanted nothing more than to let him take me on the kitchen floor, or to take him; I wasn’t sure what one it would end out being, but I couldn’t. I’d told myself it would never happen again.
You can’t live in the past.
I knew I couldn’t, but I couldn’t risk repeating it again. Turning away from him, I looked down at the rice. “I’ve dated one of my bosses before.”
I hadn’t planned on telling him. I didn’t even think before doing it, standing there still as could be and closing my eyes as my stomach knotted with dread. How could you be so stupid? Think before you fucking speak. I forced my eyes open but didn’t dare look at him.
“And it didn’t turn out very well?”
“What makes you say that?”
“You won’t date me, not to mention you said dated, which would imply it’s over, and normally when relationships end it’s not a good thing.”
I grinned, turning to face him. “Well, you’re right.” The grin vanished as quickly as it had come. “It didn’t end well. It ended with me being outed, him humiliating me in front of all my co-workers, and then firing me.”
“And you’re scared that if we have anything other than a professional relationship, I’ll do the same.”
Yes.
But I couldn’t bring myself to say it. I just stared blankly at the floor.
His warm hand touched my arm. “I want you,” he whispered. “I have no clue what it is about you that makes you so … interesting, but there is something that makes me want to get to know you, listen to you and hear your life story.”
I stared at him blankly. That had to be a line, right?
“Maybe it’s because you don’t actually try to flirt with me, and I have like fucking 76 girls in that casino alone who try to get a date with me every time we talk. I like you. I like the fact that you don’t want to work at my casino all your life.”
I licked my dry lips, trying to restore some moisture.
“I can’t force you to give me a shot, but that’s all I’m asking for. Just a couple of dates, and you will have my word that I can be two separate people; someone you date and your boss. I won’t cross the lines between them. I won’t fire you if you break up with me.”
“You say that now.”
“Do you want me to do up a contract?”
I stared blankly. He sounded like he actually meant it. “I …”
“Just a couple dates, that’s all I’m asking from you. And if you want a contract that says I will not fire you if we break up, I’ll do on
e up. I’ll sign it.”
Chapter Four
I didn’t have time to answer him because the buzzer went off, letting us know dinner was ready. We ate making small talk, but I couldn’t get his words out of my head. I knew I needed to decide what to do, but I couldn’t.
I wanted to say yes so badly, but there were so many things to think about.
“What if everyone finds out?”
“What do you mean?”
“At work. About us. You know, if I said yes.”
“Then they find out.” He shrugged. “They will eventually if we’re together for more than a couple months. And they will realize that we are both being professional and not letting our relationship get in the way.”
“And what if they don’t agree?” I asked as we turned down my street a while later.
“Then that’s their issue, don’t you think?” He came to a stop in front of my apartment building. “Are you saying you’ll give it a shot?”
“I’m …” Was I? It was now or never, right? “Yes. But just one date.”
“Then I’d better make it amazing.”
He grinned as he leaned towards me, pulling me into a soft kiss. His lips barely brushed mine, but it was still enough to make my heart skip a beat.
It took everything I had not to pull him closer to me.
“You don’t work tomorrow, right?”
“How—” Of course, he knew. “Right.”
“I’ll pick you up around noon, alright?”
I nodded. “Alright, I guess I’ll see you then.” Leaning forward, I kissed him quickly. My mind raced. I wanted nothing more than to keep kissing his soft lips, but I forced myself to pull away and get out of the car.
Chapter Five
By noon, I felt like I was about to puke.
“It will be fine.” Katie had spent the past three hours trying to calm me down, but it wasn’t working.
“I could have just screwed everything up. For all I knew this was a test.”
“Becca, this isn’t Brad we’re talking about. You have to let go of the past.”
“Easier said than done.” I turned to my best friend. She didn’t understand how hard it had been. It had felt like my life was ending, and I couldn’t go through that again. I bit my lip.
The Billionaire's Casino - The Complete Collection: Billionaire Romance Box Set Page 4
