The Billionaire’s Secret

by Jenifer Regan

  She studied me for a long time, then the sound of a cough had me glancing to my left. Sasha stood there, her long dreadlocks sitting over one shoulder. She stared Candy down and she reminded me so much of Mindy that I chuckled and glanced back at Candy.

  “You can call me Candy. The only person who calls me Candace is my dad.” I smiled and she stared at my mouth. She seemed entranced and I wanted to yet again do another fist pump.

  “Yes, dinner sounds great,” she said as she met my gaze. She looked terrified and I knew I was going to have to put her at ease.

  “You can pick the place if that makes you more comfortable. I want you to enjoy yourself Candy. If it’s going to feel like you’re pulling out your own teeth, then I’d rather not do this. I want to show you a good time with some great food and conversation. I don’t want to cause you any sort of discomfort.”

  She seemed surprised but my words relaxed her, and she nodded. “Thanks. It’s...been a while.” I didn’t have to ask what she meant because I understood her on a level she likely wouldn’t even believe.

  “We can do this however you want. Just say the word,” I said, and she nodded before she swallowed thickly.

  “Okay,” she said softly before she cleared her throat. “Okay,” she said again, this time clearer. “I’m not a picky eater. But I love steak. Pick out a steakhouse and I’m there.”

  I pressed my hand to my chest and said, “Damn woman, are you trying to steal my heart already?” She smiled and shook her head at my theatrics. I returned her smile and her eyes again stared at my mouth. I licked at my bottom lip and her breath hitched. It was nice seeing her walls down. “I know a place that serves the best steak this side of Rodeo. I can pick you up from your place or we can meet here.”

  Candy nibbled at her lip and nodded before she held out her hand. “Give me your phone so I can put my number in,” she said, and I quickly reached into my pocked and handed her my phone. Seconds later I heard ringing coming from her pocket. “There, I’ll text you my address and you can pick me up around seven.”

  “It’s a date,” I said.

  When I walked back towards the office, I did it with an extra pep in my step. I had a date with Candy, and I couldn’t wait.

  Chapter 5: Candy

  Just a Bite

  I was nervous. More nervous than I’d ever been when it came to first dates. It likely had a lot to do with the fact I wasn’t going into this date with the intent to self-sabotage things. I was actually going to give Trent a fair shot and that’s what really had me nervous. This date could go one of two ways. One, he could turn out to be a bigger jerk than I originally thought, and I’d happily send him on his way. Or two, it could be a really great date and I’d actually end up liking the man. The latter is what scared me the most. I was used to bad dates and sending men on their merry little way. What I wasn’t used to was liking them enough to see them more than one time.

  I was a bit picky with men and that had a lot to do with my ex, Ridge. To say he ruined me for other men was an understatement. It is not fun giving your all to someone, only to have them stomp on your heart and get married two weeks after they dumped you. Yes, that was my life. And it had destroyed me. My trust in men had evaporated and I didn’t even try to get to know any of them after that. It had been two years since it all happened and I still wasn’t completely over it. I wanted to be which was why I was going into this date with an open mind.

  I looked myself over in the mirror and grinned. My maxi skirt was bright yellow and flowed past my toes. I paired it with a simple white tank top and a jean jacket to go over it. My yellow wedges were hidden under my skirt, but they were adorable. My outfit was simple. It showed that I had put in effort but not too much. I’d washed my hair, so my natural curls hung down my back.

  I did one last spin in the mirror when my doorbell rang. I quickly grabbed my purse and rushed downstairs. I checked the security monitor and smiled when I opened the door. Trent looked damn good in a pair of well-fitted, dark-washed blue jeans and a short-sleeved, light blue button-up that fit his torso beautifully. He’d gotten his hair cut and styled which looked damn good on him.

  “Hi,” he said, and that damn smile appeared. He had a great smile. Gorgeous straight white teeth that blinded you when he smiled. But it was the genuineness of his smile that really got to me. It was warm, welcoming, and I wanted to drown in it.

  “Hi,” I returned. He looked me over from head to toe and his nostrils flared before he swallowed thickly.

  “You look amazing,” he said, and I glanced down at my outfit and grinned to myself. I knew it had been a good choice.

  “You don’t look too bad yourself,” I said, and his smile turned cocky. I laughed and shook my head because the man knew he was gorgeous and had been waiting for me to admit it. “Let’s go, Casanova,” I said and grabbed my keys to unlock the door.

  He led me to his car and I was pleasantly surprised when I saw it. “Did Sasha put you up to this?” I asked and nodded towards his car. His brows pressed together and he shook his head.

  “What do you mean?”

  I sighed and pressed the garage door opener on my key chain. Trent glanced towards the garage and when it finally lifted, he barked out a laugh. “Are you serious?” he said through his laughter as he saw my nearly identical 2019 Mercedes Benz A-Class.

  “It was my dream car,” I said. “I didn’t grow up with a lot of money and I always said I’d feel successful if I could buy be a Mercedes. So one day, I was finally able to make it happen.”

  I looked up at Trent, who studied my face for a moment. He then cupped my cheek and said, “I’m pretty sure even without this car, you could see the value in who you are and what you’ve accomplished. You have a beautiful home and an extremely successful business. I hope you’re proud of yourself. I don’t even know you that well and I’m proud of you.”

  I pressed my lips together and tried to ignore the way my heart skipped a beat at his words. They meant more to me than he could possibly know.

  “Thanks,” I whispered, and he smiled before his thumb brushed across the apple of my cheek.

  “Come on, gorgeous, let’s get you fed.”

  The interior of his car was the only thing different from mine. I could tell he’d taken a lot of time to have it custom-made and it looked amazing. It somehow fit his personality and I liked it.

  The car ride was silent at first. I could tell we both didn’t really know where to begin but then he laughed and said, “I really don’t want this to be one of those awkward first dates. So how about this, I tell you something stupid embarrassing about myself and we’ll get all of the awkwardness out of the way.”

  I glanced over at him and grinned. I liked that idea. “Okay,” I said.

  Trent cleared his throat and rocked his head from side to side as if preparing for a boxing match. I giggled and he glanced at me as a sweet smile appeared on his face.

  “Okay. When I was seven, I was really into comics. I’m talking, I spent all of my ten bucks on comic books. My friends were buying baseball cards and I was just all about the comics. I’d been super obsessed with Spiderman and I wanted so badly to get bitten by a radioactive spider so I could scale walls and shoot people with my web powers.” I giggled and Trent’s smile grew.

  “So anyway, I spent almost three months looking for spiders, just convinced one of them would bite me and I’d turn into Spiderman. So we’re at the playground one day and I feel something bite me. I freak out, right, because I’m seven and you freak out when shit bites you. So I looked down and you can’t even imagine what I saw.”

  “A snake?” I said jokingly and Trent laughed.

  “No, it was a fucking spider. I freaked out again but in the best way because I was convinced this was it. This was when I’d turn into Spiderman and be a superhero. So I went home and got my Spiderman pajamas out and went to sleep in them because I was so sure I’d wake up a superhero.” He chuckled and shook his head as we got closer to LOD
O.

  “So I wake up and I’m feeling pumped. I have all of this extra energy. I’m running around the house because I just know I’m Spiderman. My parents are looking at me like I’m insane, but I don’t give a fuck, I’m Spiderman!” At this point I’m laughing so hard my sides are starting to hurt.

  “So, I’m thinking about all of my super cool powers and I have this brilliant idea to jump off the top of the stairs and shoot a web to swing me into the living room.”

  “Oh no,” I said between laughs.

  “Oh yes,” he said. “I was pumped. I didn’t even think twice before I jumped off. I guess you know how that turned out.”

  I felt terrible for laughing but Trent’s grin showed me he was happy to see me laughing. “How bad was it?”

  “Broke my leg. It wasn’t as bad as it could have been. The doctors said I was lucky. When I burst out crying and told them I was supposed to be Spiderman and told them about the spider bite, they checked it out and surprise, surprise, it wasn’t even a spider bite, but an ant bite.”

  I clutched at my side and tried hard to find my breath, but it was hard. “I’m so sorry. That had to be disappointing.”

  “I was traumatized,” he said, and I shook my head.

  “Clearly.” I finally caught my breath and let out a long sigh. I turned my head to look at him and saw the soft grin on his face. He really was handsome. Devilishly so. “So, are you still a Spiderman fan?” I asked and he busted up laughing.

  “No, I got home from the hospital and had my mom throw all of his stuff out of my room. I decided I had a better chance of becoming Ironman than I did Spiderman. At least I could make a suit to become super.” I laughed again and Trent glanced over at me with that soft smile on his face. “You have a great laugh, I like it.” He then turned back towards the road as if he hadn’t just given me feelings.

  But I didn’t have much time to swoon because we arrived at the restaurant. Trent got out and walked around the front of the car to open my door for me. That was the second time he’d done it that night which added another point on the “Trent isn’t a complete douchebag” scoreboard. He handed the valet his keys and then he was lacing his fingers with mine as we headed towards the door. I could have pulled away, but I would have been lying to myself had I not admitted it felt nice to have him holding my hand. His hands were big, warm, and surprisingly soft. I liked it almost a little too much but still, I didn’t let go.

  The hostess smiled as we approached, and I watched as she gave Trent a once-over, then she glanced at me and her eyes widened. They bounced between the two of us as if she was trying to decide if we were really together or not. I wanted to say this was new for me, but it wasn’t. It was 2019 and yet people seemed surprised when they saw interracial couples. It baffled me that it baffled them. But I didn’t pay it any mind. It was their choice to be judgmental or ignorant. I loved men of all shades and I wouldn’t be ashamed of that.

  Trent’s hand tightened in mine and I glanced at him to see him all but glaring at the hostess. I squeezed his hand back and he glanced down at me. I grinned at him and his scowl immediately went away. He leaned in like he was going to kiss me but stopped himself. I was surprised to find myself a bit disappointed. I wanted him to kiss me and that was new for me.

  He turned back to the gawking hostess and she shook herself out of her trance to check us in. Her eyes widened and she glanced at Trent again. She apologized for keeping us waiting and led us to our table. I knew immediately why her eyes widened. It was clear Trent was someone of importance. Our table was set apart from everyone else’s and on the table was a bucket filled with ice and what appeared to be Champaign chilling inside of it. There were also little tea candles lit around the table.

  I glanced up at Trent, who grinned down at me. “Too much?” I smiled and leaned up to place a kiss on his chin.

  “Not too much.” He smiled and when he leaned down this time he didn’t pull away as he placed the sweetest and softest kiss on my lips. I totally didn’t swoon.

  Chapter 6: Trent

  One Sweet Taste

  I was a goner. I was pretty sure of it when she kissed my jaw, but I was certain of it when I kissed her. It was a barely-there kiss but it shook me to my core. I felt electricity flow through every nerve in my body. I looked down at her and it took everything I had in me not to take her mouth and claim it as mine. I could see she was feeling the same as me and sweet heavens if that didn’t make me want her more.

  “Mr. Hunter?” the hostess said, snapping me out of my haze. “Your table is ready,” she said, and I sighed as I led Candy to our table. I pulled out her seat and pushed her in before I took my own. She was staring down at her lap and I wondered what was bothering her. I didn’t have to wait long.

  “I have to be honest here, I don’t normally kiss on the first date. It’s just one of my rules. I know how a lot of guys think and I don’t want you to think I’m easy because I’m not.”

  I leaned across the table and held out my hand. Candy hesitated for only a second before she placed her hand in mine. I held her hand as I looked into her beautiful brown eyes and said, “I’m not expecting anything from you just because we kissed. I’m a grown man, Candy. I didn’t ask you out with the intention of getting in your pants. I asked you out because I genuinely wanted to get to know you. This isn’t about sex for me, okay?”

  She sucked in a deep breath before she let it out slowly. She nodded and I smiled before I kissed the top of her hand. “Relax, love, and let’s enjoy tonight.”

  “Okay,” she agreed. Our waiter approached not long after that. He was a young kid, no older than twenty-one, and he seemed dumbstruck as he looked at Candy. I bit back a laugh because I understood. I’d had the same reaction the first time I’d seen her. She was already gorgeous but her being dressed up was a sight to behold. I felt like the luckiest bastard in the restaurant knowing she was there with me.

  “Hey kid,” I finally said, and his wide eyes jerked to me. “I know she’s gorgeous, but my lady is hungry.” I winked and his cheeks flushed.

  “Trent!” Candy scolded but I saw her fighting her own smile as she shook her head at me. “Don’t mind him, he had a bowl of douchebag for breakfast.” I barked out a surprised laugh as I stared at her across the table.

  “Oh, you are just full of sass, aren’t you?” I asked and she shrugged, her grin still in place. I’d never felt more at ease with a woman. Not even my ex-wife. Candy was special and I was so glad she agreed to come out with me. “Okay, sassy girl, tell the kid what you want before he drools all over himself.”

  Candy’s eyes slid closed and she cleared her throat to cover up her laugh. She met the kid’s gaze and smiled sweetly at him and I saw the moment he fell in love. Poor kid practically had hearts floating around his head. I sighed and Candy fought another laugh. She knew what she was doing, the little minx.

  She finally placed her order and the kid turned to me so I could place my own. He then quickly walked away, and Candy looked at me with a raised brow.

  “Do you make a habit out of teasing your servers?” she asked as she sipped at her glass of water.

  “No, but come on, you have to admit it was fun.”

  “Won’t be so fun if he ‘accidentally’ drops your steak on the floor,” she said with a smirk. I frowned and Candy laughed before she shook her head. “How are you forty-years-old but look like a nine-year-old when you pout?”

  I gasped and placed a hand to my chest. “I do not pout. I am a man. A devastatingly handsome man. I don’t pout.”

  Candy smirked at me and I rolled my eyes with a heavy sigh. I so pouted sometimes but that wasn’t the point.

  “Hmm, maybe I shouldn’t have teased him so bad.”

  Candy laughed and shook her head amusingly. “How about this, when he comes back, I’ll tell him we decided to switch plates. If he doesn’t want to give me your plate, then we’ll know for sure.”

  I sat back in my chair and smirked. Not only was she b
eautiful and successful, she was funny and cunning. That moment only made me like her even more. I smiled and agreed.

  It didn’t take long before the waiter returned, and Candy did just as she said she would. The kid’s eyes widened, and he glanced at me before he set Candy’s plate down in front of me. He then glanced at Candy and down at the plate. I knew then that he’d absolutely done something to my food. His face turned red and he took a step back.

  “Sorry, I think they cooked the wrong temp on the steak. I’ll be right back.” Before Candy could even respond, he turned and took off towards the kitchen. Candy glanced at me and her eyes widened.

  “I was honestly joking. I didn’t think he’d actually do something to your food!” she whisper-hissed. “That’s just wrong. Even if you were being a bit of a jerk.”

  She frowned at the kid when he returned, and he looked confused as hell. Then Candy said, “Here’s a little advice from someone who works in the food industry. You’re going to encounter assholes, but it’s your job to provide service to those assholes. It does not, however, give you permission to tamper with their food.” His eyes widened and Candy shook her head. “I take it this won’t be added to the bill, correct?”

  “Y-yes Ma’am,” he stuttered, and Candy nodded before she waved him off.

  “I love you,” I said, and Candy threw her head back and laughed before she met my gaze.

  She shrugged and switched our plates back. “It happens,” she said with a grin before she began digging into her food. I smiled and followed suit.

  Conversation with Candy was the best. She wasn’t the type of woman who droned on about the woes of her life and how she ruined a pair of Gucci shoes. No, we talked about things that other people would probably find boring on a first date. Like the environment. Most people wouldn’t want to talk about that, but I was glad we did because Candy taught me some things I didn’t know, and I was even more inspired to start taking better care of the earth.