Page 115 of Hello Billionaire

He nodded, “I’m getting excited for our games to start.”

“How far off is that?” I asked.

Levi shrugged. “First one’s in a month, if you want to come.”

I glanced toward Farrah, silently asking her permission, and she nodded slightly, a smile on her lips.

“I’d love to,” I said. “I’ll be there.”

Levi smiled half a second. “Great.”

Behind Cora’s back, Jenna patted my shoulder, an impressed look on her face.

Levi groaned loudly. “Don’t make it a big deal, okay?” he said before stuffing more lettuce in his mouth.

I chuckled. It might not have been a big deal for him, but it sure as hell meant the world to me.

52

Farrah

Between managing the furniture installers and the linen shipments, I barely got a chance to sit down for most of the week. Gage and I fell into a routine of texting throughout the day and then calling each other once the kids went to bed.

I wanted to invite him to stay over, but my instincts, and maybe my fear too, told me to hold back. Everything seemed perfect, but he still hadn’t spoken with his parents, and I needed to stick to my word. My standards. Because even though I wanted to get swept away by the excitement and big feelings of new love, I knew what it would turn into. I didn’t just want a boyfriend for the moment; I wanted a life partner.

And my kids deserved someone who would follow through his word. If he at least talked to his parents, I would feel confident moving forward, letting him stay over and spend more time at the house. Even if they didn’t patch things up, I’d know he’d put himself out there for me. For us.

Over the next few weeks, I still spent as much time with him as I could without taking too much time away from my kids. One day, he picked all of us up after work and took us on a private tour of the zoo. Another day, he rented a fun house, and watching the kids run into every mirrored surface made me laugh so hard I nearly peed my pants.

All those moments on top of flower deliveries to my house, the occasional lunch order to The Retreat so I’d have something good to eat on the long days of work... he made me feel more special than I’d ever felt before. And I tried to enjoy it without worrying if it all would end.

And I tried to remind myself that just because my marriage had ended didn’t mean this new relationship would. I did my best to enjoy the moment, especially when Caleb and Melinda surprised me by offering to take the kids on a weekend trip to Lake Texoma. Melinda’s family owned a cabin there, and they had tons of fun planned for the kids.

They picked the kids up on their way out of town on a Friday, and even though I wanted to rush to Gage’s penthouse and surprise him, I took my time showering, shaving, and putting on my nicest lingerie under a wrap dress.

It wasn’t a trench coat, which of course was the sexual fantasy, but June in Texas called for something lighter.

When I was all done up, I got in my car and drove to Gage’s building. Even though it was almost nine, the sun was barely setting. He’d said he had a meeting late this evening with Jason Romero, but I had a code to get into his place, and I didn’t mind waiting and surprising him.

I got out of my van in the parking garage, feeling a delightful breeze under my dress as I walked toward the elevator. I didn’t see his car, so waiting it was. Strutting in a pair of heels, I pressed in the code to take me up to his place.

When I walked into his condo, it was dark save for the dimming sky out the windows. Leaving the lights off, I went to his room, glancing around at the perfectly clean space and neatly made bed.

How had it been a month since I spent a week in this place, making some of my favorite memories with him? I couldn’t wait to make more this weekend and make up for lost time.

I slipped out of my heels, letting my feet sink into his cushy rug and then went to his bed, lying back in the welcoming, soft pillows. I pulled up my phone, flipping through photos I’d taken of us at the zoo. There were so many fun ones, from Gage holding Andrew on his shoulders to Cora riding an elephant. Even Levi had smiled when they let us feed the giraffes and we saw their long tongues reach out and wrap around the romaine leaves.

When I heard the elevator ding, announcing someone had entered from the ground floor, I hurried off the bed, slipping back into my heels. Then I slowly untied the knot of my dress, putting my arms around my waist.

The elevator dinged again, the doors opening, and I called, “In here.”

“Farrah?” Gage called, sounding surprised.

He walked to the bedroom door.

“Thought I would come and surprise you,” I said, pulling my dress open and showing him everything underneath.

A heated look filled his eyes, and he scrubbed his hand over his chin. “Fuck, Farrah.”

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