One Night with a Millionaire (Daring Divorcees)

by Shannyn Schroeder

  She sank back on the couch and scratched her head. “You ask a lot of questions.”

  “I deserve some answers.”

  Nodding, she said, “You probably do, but I don’t have any right now. This is all new for me. I’ve never given much thought to how to navigate these waters.”

  He sighed. He might not have won this battle, but he’d taken another piece of territory. “I want to be part of your whole life.”

  “Why?”

  He shrugged. He had no freaking clue. It just felt right. “It’s the next logical step in a relationship, right?”

  “Let me think about it, okay?”

  “Yeah.” He didn’t like it, but he knew when to back off. He’d just have to show her that meeting the kids wasn’t a big deal. He smiled and leaned in for a kiss. “Hungry?”

  “I could eat.”

  “Go out or stay in?”

  “Stay in. I like having you to myself.”

  “Excellent thought.”

  …

  Monday morning, Tess was running late for coffee at Sunny’s, so she was the last to arrive. When she sat at the table, everyone stopped talking. Turning over the coffee cup, she asked, “What?”

  Evelyn leaned forward. “We’re waiting for an update.”

  “About?” Tess smiled.

  Nina copied Evelyn’s pose, arms crossed on the table. “Miles. We want details.”

  “Things are going well. We’ve been dating. The kids know about him. This weekend Zoe and I used the spa gift certificate Miles gave me. Girl time was great and we talked about Miles being in my life.” The waitress stopped by and filled her cup, so she took a sip before continuing. All eyes remained on her. “I’m thinking about inviting him over for dinner to meet the kids.”

  “Wow,” Trevor said. “Big move.”

  “Right?” Tess said. “He asked, and I’ve just been flopping about it.”

  “What’s the big deal?” Nina asked.

  “I don’t want to introduce random guys into the kids’ lives.”

  “More than that,” Trevor added, “by bringing him home, you’re admitting he’s important. Someone you care about.”

  She wasn’t even sure she was ready to admit that to herself.

  “You do, don’t you?” Evelyn asked. “Care about him?”

  “Yeah, I think so. But it’s complicated.”

  “Always will be,” Trevor said.

  Gabe leaned back, one arm resting on the back of Nina’s chair. “He looks good on paper, Tess. No red flags.”

  “You didn’t.”

  “Of course I did. And now that you’re talking about bringing him into your home, I’m glad I did.”

  She didn’t want to care what Gabe had found. She wanted to believe that what she knew about Miles was all she needed to know, but curiosity pulled at her. “So he’s good?”

  “He’s no altar boy. By the standards of the Prescott family, he’s…not a joke, really, but he’s not taken too seriously. That said, it doesn’t seem to bother him. He’s not like his siblings.”

  “Oh my God. Did you investigate the whole family?”

  “I didn’t investigate them, but he works for his family. How could I ignore them?”

  “It’s not healthy,” Nina said.

  “Sure it is.”

  “No, it’s not. Part of falling in love with someone is learning who he is. You take all the fun out of the mystery,” Nina insisted.

  Gabe set his coffee down and twisted to fully face Nina. “What if the mystery is a bad thing? What if the guy is a functional alcoholic? You’d fall for him, and it would be too late by the time you figured it out. He’d ruin you.”

  It was low for Gabe to strike the one thing he knew would tear Nina apart, but Nina sniffed. “I think I’m pretty good at seeing an alcoholic for who he is. Most aren’t as good at hiding it as they like to think.”

  “But you see my point.” When Nina didn’t answer, Gabe tugged the ends of her wavy black hair.

  When she looked at him, her walls were fully in place, but she nodded. “Not everything is bad.”

  “You’re right. I’d rather be safe than sorry. It’s a healthy habit for me because it keeps me sane.”

  “Enough of Stalky McStalkerson talk,” Evelyn interrupted. “I wanna hear about the sex. Is it great?”

  Tess’s cheeks heated. “I’m not talking about it.”

  “What about the rest of you?” Nina asked. “We should all have updates.”

  Evelyn and Owen glanced at each other but didn’t respond.

  Trevor hunkered down over his coffee, not making eye contact with anyone, and mumbled, “I talked to Lisa.”

  Everyone fell silent. They all knew he hated that he’d destroyed his marriage.

  Trevor shook his head. “We talked for a long time. But she won’t take another chance on me. She’s in a good place and thinks working toward any kind of reconciliation with me would be a step backward. She wants us both to move on.”

  Tess reached over and rubbed a hand on Trevor’s back. “I’m so sorry.”

  “It’s probably for the best. After talking to her and my sponsor, I realized I was trying to hold on to something that hadn’t worked. She’s what I know, what’s comfortable. It’s time to move on.”

  He straightened and raised his cup. “Who’s next?”

  No one else added to the conversation.

  “You’re pitiful,” Nina said. “I at least did speed dating. It totally sucked, but I tried.”

  “But the trying didn’t work,” Gabe pointed out.

  “So what are you gonna do? Stop trying and sit in your cave all alone for the rest of your life?”

  Tess laughed, because a cave was how they all pretty much imagined Gabe’s house. They’d never been there, mostly because he never invited them. Given that he worked from home doing some kind of computer security stuff, they all pictured him in a dark room surrounded by monitors.

  “My cave is pretty comfy.”

  Nina poked at him. “You need to try. Venture out. Look around. You might find a perfectly nice woman right here in Sunny’s.”

  Gabe looked up and around the diner. The clientele tended to skew older at this establishment. He smiled and shook his head.

  Following his gaze, Nina sighed. “Okay, bad example. But think about other places you go.”

  “I don’t.”

  “What do you mean, you don’t?” Nina asked.

  “I don’t go anywhere else.”

  “You must,” Tess said. “What about groceries?”

  “Delivery.”

  “Meeting with clients?” Trevor asked.

  “Virtual conference room.” Gabe shifted again to face Evelyn and Owen and waited for their questions.

  “I got nothing,” Owen said.

  “Maybe it’s time to go somewhere, Gabe,” Evelyn said. “Nina has a point. Keeping to yourself is one thing, but this is a little extreme.”

  “I’ll think about it.”

  Tess didn’t know what had made Nina start to push them all, but she was glad.

  …

  Eleanor walked into Miles’s office and slapped another pile of folders on his desk.

  “What the hell?” he asked his secretary.

  “Your sister has too much time on her hands,” she responded.

  Without flipping through the stack, he picked up the phone and dialed Sabrina’s extension.

  “Hello.”

  “You said you wanted me to make this foundation happen.”

  “I’m fine, Miles. How are you today?”

  “Seriously? You’re going to give me a lesson in manners when every time I turn around, you’re dumping more files on me?”

  “I’m trying to help. You need a board of directors.”

  “I’m aware, Sabrina. I haven’t screwed anything up. You haven’t given me enough room to. If that’s your greatest fear, maybe you should oversee everything yourself.”

  “I don’t have time. I have a
company to run.”

  “Yet you find time to keep sending me information.”

  She laughed. “I delegated.”

  “Like you already delegated this project to me. Back off. You either trust me or you don’t.”

  Her sigh was heavy and irritated. “I do trust you. But if we’re going to establish this and have it ready to unveil for the anniversary, we need to get moving.”

  “Throwing a hundred candidates at me won’t make it happen faster. If anything, it wastes time. Let me do things my way.”

  Silence met him for a long moment. “Okay,” she said quietly.

  Her response caught him off-guard. Sabrina never capitulated.

  “Miles?”

  “I’m here. I’m just trying to figure out if you’re pranking me.”

  Her laugh was low and a little maniacal. “Pranks aren’t my style. I do trust you. I sent the files because I thought they’d help. Toss them out if you want. Yell if you need anything.” Then she hung up without a goodbye.

  He’d point out her lack of manners later. Instead of dumping the files in the trash, which was his immediate instinct, he paused. Sabrina might be bossy, but she knew what she was doing. Her instincts were dead on. If she thought the people in this stack were worth looking at, he’d check them out.

  An hour later, he had a list of people he felt would be the best candidates to help develop and run the foundation. Damn, he hated when his sister was right. He was about to pick up the phone again to thank her when his cell buzzed with a text from Tess.

  Have time to meet for coffee this afternoon?

  He’d had to cancel their lunch earlier in the week, so he was glad she’d texted. What time?

  My schedule is flexible. I can come to you.

  That would be great. He thought about when she’d have to get the kids and suggested two p.m.

  Sounds good. Tell me where.

  He spun his chair and looked out the window as if he could see the coffee shop on the corner. He texted the address and checked the time. A little over an hour and he’d see Tess. He was amazed at how quickly she’d become an integral part of his life. He had no idea why everyone had led him to believe that a serious relationship was hard. He and Tess worked pretty effortlessly. As long as they remained flexible about what their relationship should look like, things would continue to run smoothly. Sabrina had been telling him for years that when he least expected it, someone would come into his life and change everything. He’d laughed her off.

  He really hated when Sabrina was right.

  Not wanting to hear the smug tone of her voice when he thanked her, he chose to send an email full of emojis to make her crazy. He included the list of candidates, along with his notes on why he thought they were a good choice, so she would know he hadn’t been slacking. He didn’t mention her being right about his love life as well.

  One “I told you so” was enough to last a long time when it was coming from Sabrina’s mouth. He finished reading through the files and answered some emails and before he knew it, it was time to head downstairs.

  He waved to Eleanor. “I’m going out for coffee. I’ll be back within the hour.”

  “My coffee is unsatisfactory?”

  “Eleanor, my love, your coffee is extraordinary. This is a meeting.”

  “You have nothing on your schedule.”

  “It just came up.”

  She cocked her head and twirled a pen in her hand. “How am I expected to maintain your schedule if you add appointments without informing me?”

  “I’m sorry.” He leaned in close and dropped his voice. “I’m meeting my girlfriend.”

  “Your—” Her eyes shot wide, and she fought a smile. “Very well then. I’ll see you when you return.”

  One of the things he liked best about Eleanor was that she was nosey but managed not to pry. She would have questions when he came back, but he hadn’t yet decided if he’d answer them. He was testing the waters, trying out the word “girlfriend” as part of his vocabulary.

  When he got to the coffee shop, he looked for Tess but didn’t see her, so he got in line and ordered for both of them. While he waited for the coffee, Tess walked in.

  She strode straight to him and took his hand. “Sorry I’m late. I forgot how long it can take to find parking.”

  “No problem.” He kissed her cheek, knowing if he went for her lips, it might lead to something indecent.

  The barista called his name and smiled as she handed over the cups.

  “To what do I owe the pleasure of making you trek downtown?” he asked.

  “Isn’t it enough that I wanted to see you?”

  He scooted his chair closer and laid a hand on her thigh. “It’s definitely enough.”

  She placed her hand on his. “I also wanted to talk.”

  “Good talk or bad talk?”

  “Good.” She inhaled deeply and set her cup down.

  Suddenly, this didn’t feel like a good talk.

  “If you still want to come over to meet my kids, it’s okay.”

  He turned his hand over and laced his fingers with hers on her lap. A quick stab of panic hit him. He’d been pushing so hard to be included in her whole life, but the reality of hanging out with kids worried him.

  “Have you changed your mind?”

  Looking at the doubt in her eyes made him shove his thoughts aside. “No. I want to meet them.”

  She licked her lips. “I’m nervous. I’ve never brought a date home, so this feels very significant.”

  “It doesn’t have to be.” It wasn’t like he was asking to be their dad.

  “Yeah, it does. By bringing you into our home, I’m admitting you’re important in my life.”

  The panic returned. They hadn’t spoken much about where they were going. For a while, he thought she might never want more. Now she did, and part of him was reconsidering, but he wanted to put her at ease. “Change is scary, but we’ll keep it simple.”

  I’m a good uncle. I know kids and how to have fun with them. Simple.

  “I was thinking you could come over for dinner one night.”

  “Name the day, and I’ll be there.”

  “There are ground rules, though.”

  “Rules?”

  “No PDA. The kids know we’re dating, but they don’t need to see us making out.”

  He huffed a dramatic sigh. “I suppose I can keep my hands to myself for one evening.”

  “And you can’t buy them anything.”

  That was a strange request. “No playing Santa. Got it. Can I ask why?”

  “It’ll feel phony, and kids can spot phony. Plus, you’re generous. I doubt you know how to give a small gift.”

  “I only brought flowers on our first date. Nothing extravagant.”

  “True. But you also paid for an expensive day at the spa. While Zoe and I had a fabulous time, I don’t want them to get into the habit of thinking they should receive gifts just for being there.”

  “Done.” Although he didn’t see what the big deal was. Kids liked presents.

  “What does your schedule look like? What day works for you?”

  “I told you I don’t care.”

  “I know you have things.” She waved her hand at the word “things” and then pulled out her phone and started scrolling through. “It looks like the kids’ schedules are clear Friday.”

  “What time?”

  “Five thirty? Is that too early for you?”

  It was early for dinner, but he could make it happen. “I’ll be there. Can I bring something? A bottle of wine? Dessert?”

  “Just bring yourself.” She leaned over and kissed him. Her soft lips parted slightly against his.

  “I want them to like me.” In his gut, he knew if he couldn’t win her kids over, he’d lose her. She’d never said it or even hinted at it, but he knew. She was fiercely protective of them, so he couldn’t screw this up.

  “They will. I’m worried they might like you too much.” She too
k her hand away from his face and picked up her coffee again. “So how’s work?”

  “You don’t want to hear about my job. Tell me more about the kids so I’m prepared for dinner.” He spent the next half hour asking questions so he’d be well armed.

  Chapter Eleven

  Friday afternoon, as she checked the roast in the oven, Tess’s stomach churned. Pot roast and mashed potatoes. This was not the kind of meal Miles was used to. He was accustomed to linen tablecloths and multiple courses. What am I doing?

  She grabbed her phone and called Angie.

  “Hey, girl. Aren’t you supposed to be getting ready to introduce your man to the kids?”

  “I think I screwed up.”

  “I doubt it.”

  “I made pot roast.”

  “So what? I’ve had your pot roast. It’s damn good. If that man has a problem with a hunk of tasty red meat, he can answer to me. What do you think he expects, caviar?”

  Tess rubbed her forehead. “I don’t know. I suddenly panicked that he would never eat pot roast.”

  “So the pot roast is your kids.”

  “What?”

  “You’re worried about pot roast, but your real concern is your kids. It’ll be fine. It’s a meal. You’re not moving him into your bedroom.”

  “What if they hate him? Or worse, if he hates them?”

  “Your kids are great. He’ll love them. They might not love him at first, but they’ll probably like him. And if they don’t, point out how filthy rich he is.”

  Tess laughed. Angie was definitely good for talking her down. “Thanks, but I don’t want to advertise that.”

  “Use what you’ve got. I bet he does.”

  “Do you really think pot roast is okay?”

  “Look. This is your life. He needs to see all of it. The real. Because if he can’t handle it, now’s the time to get out.”

  “You’re right. I’ve gotta go and finish dinner. He’ll be here soon. Wish me luck.”

  “You don’t need luck. He’s lucky to have you.”

  Angie made excellent points, but the worry continued. What if he could handle it? What if her life didn’t scare him off? She couldn’t imagine this was the life he’d ever imagined for himself. She’d never allowed herself to envision someone else in her life as a partner. Worse, the nagging voice deep down still asked, “What if he can’t handle it? Are you willing to walk away?”