by Kate Sheperd
Tamera grabbed a new pad for orders from under the counter on her way out to the table. He had his back to her, and all she could see was his dark shirt and slacks from behind. He had wavy hair and she could tell he was well muscled. When she walked over to ask him what he wanted, she stopped mid-sentence, realizing it was Julius sitting there.
"What are you doing here?" she hissed at him, trying not to blush. It was one thing to meet in a public place and banter with each other. It was another entirely for him to show up at her workplace.
"Am I not allowed to buy myself a cup of coffee?" he asked with a raised eyebrow. "I do get a menu, right?"
Tamera snorted and handed him a menu and then brought him back a cup of coffee. She gave him an expectant look. "Do you know what you want?"
"You?" Julius grinned at her. "Okay, what's good here?"
"Pies are good. Coffee's acceptable, I would recommend the burgers, but the fries are so-so. I'd consider getting a different side if you eat a burger," she told him honestly. She didn't lie to customers, even customers who looked like they'd rather eat her for lunch than anything on the menu.
"What kind of pies do they have?" he asked her as he browsed the lunch menu further.
"Apple, chocolate, peach, and cherry," she told him, and then added, "We also have homemade donuts, cookies, brownies, and bagels."
"A bagel sounds good actually. Do you have cream cheese?"
Nodding, she wrote down his order, and when she was about to walk away he reached and grabbed her wrist to stop her for a moment.
"What?" she asked him, looking confused.
"I want you to go out with me again tonight. This time something more date-like, something where I can take you out to dinner and maybe enjoy a little mood lighting. We are supposed to get a meteor storm tonight. We should be able to see the shooting stars," Julius told her.
"I never would have pegged you for a science geek," she muttered, but then nodded. "Okay, I'll text you my address and you can pick me up."
As Tamera walked into the back, Melody jumped on her for details.
"You know that man?" Melody asked her. "I'd eat that man for breakfast if given half a chance. Is he single?"
Tamera laughed. "Yes, he's single, sort of. I kind of know him. He just asked me out, again."
"He came here for you?" Melody looked disappointed, but then bounced back. "Well, if you decide you don't want him, send him my way when you are done with him."
"Okay, Melody. If we don't work out, he's all yours," Tamera said as she put in his order.
"Do you like him?" Melody urged.
"I don't know yet. I'm just getting to know him. There's something about him that I can't put my finger on. I feel like I've seen him before, but I don't know where." Tamera shook her head. "Either way, I have agreed to dinner and, I guess, stargazing tonight."
"Do you know what you are going to wear?" Melody asked her, looking excited. Melody loved clothes and make up. If you got her started on fashion it was hard to get her to stop.
"I have a few things in mind. I have to take care of my other tables now. Try not to drool too hard, will you?" Tamera laughed and patted Melody on the shoulder. The woman had a heart of gold and meant well. She just had different priorities in life than Tamera.
Tamera was chasing men in her life, but it was because she wanted to find a mate. The right mate, not just any old mate. Bringing Julius some fresh coffee when she brought his food out, she wondered if he was going to be the right man.
When he smiled at her, she felt like she could lose herself looking at him. The way his lips curved up at the sides and his eyes crinkled. He was relaxed and acted like nothing in the world could faze him. She found that appealing in him.
She wasn't quite sure how she'd handle his bossy, domineering side full time. He wasn't mean about it. It just seemed like he had a take-charge personality. He acted like he was used to getting his way. It's not that she wanted to play hard to get, but she'd never been very good at being told what to do in life.
"Thank you for the meal, Tamera. I will see you tonight," he told her. Tamera nodded and brought him his check. He was gone by the time she got to the register and opened it up realizing he'd left a hundred dollar bill in there. Gasping, she stared at it. His bill had been nine dollars after taxes.
"Whoa," Melody said when she saw the money. "Is that thing real?"
"It sure is," Tamera said as she took a pen to it to test its authenticity. Musing about what kind of job he had that would allow him to drop a hundred dollar bill at her table for a nine dollar meal, she wondered if he was into illegal activities or if he had a legitimate job.
For the first time since she met him, she was really worried that she knew so little about him. She decided she needed to dig further if she was going to get involved with him. Starting with his last name.
Texting him, she was blunt and asked him why he'd left a hundred dollar bill and what his full name was.
He texted the information back. Julius Davenworth was his full name. It was because he didn't have a smaller bill and had to get back to work.
Davenworth. Where had she heard that name before? Pulling up her phone’s search engine, she put in his name. When Davenworth Enterprises showed up, she just about dropped her phone.
"Are you okay?" Melody asked her, looking concerned when she saw Tamera's face and her shaking hand.
"Do you know who that man really is?" Tamera whispered, feeling suddenly way out of her league. What would a man like him want to do with a woman like her?
"No, do tell though," Melody said, leaning forward on the counter and looking curious.
"You've heard of Davenworth Enterprises, right? That was Julius Davenworth," Tamera informed her as she slid her phone over the counter to show Melody.
"Yes, he owns one of the biggest software companies in the valley right now. He also makes like half the apps that are on the most phones. Why?" Melody looked down at the phone and gasped when she realized what Tamera was telling her. "That man in here, the one who's interested in you? The one who asked you out is that Julius Davenworth? Oh my god, honey, you can’t blow this. He's worth billions."
"Why would he want a waitress from Montana?" Tamera asked, feeling suspicious. "I feel like this is a prank. It does explains how he kept getting unblocked when I blocked his profile on that dating app. He had access to everything. I don't know if I'm flattered that he liked me that much, or if this is some awful prank and he's just doing it to mess with me."
"Honey, I think you need to disregard what Julius does for a living, and get to know the man. He may surprise you. Very few men care about our backgrounds, or where we were born. If they find us attractive and interesting, that's enough to spark their desire. It makes them take the time to get to know us. If it goes further, great. If not, just enjoy the ride," Melody said, and then got up to go help her tables. "Just be open minded, you may be surprised at how this turns out. I doubt a man who has women falling all over him constantly would put so much attention into a woman if he didn't actually want her."
"Yes, but what does he intend to do with me if he gets me?" Tamera asked, her left eyebrow arching up as she asked the question.
"What any man would do with a woman, honey. You are a strong, opinionated woman who can hold her own. You didn't know he had money when you started talking, and were interested in him as a man. I would bet that had a lot to do with his interest in you. When women throw themselves at a man for his money, it makes it hard for him to know if the woman likes him for who he is, instead of for the money in his bank account. You met him before knowing who he really was. You probably scored major brownie points in his book."
"You know I'm going to confront him about this," Tamera said as Melody left the counter.
Melody looked over her shoulder and shrugged. "That's up to you, but if I was you, I'd just enjoy the time he's offering and spend it with him like he’s any other man, and worry less about his career, position, or how much mo
ney he has."
Tamera nodded, but in the back of her mind, she realized what was bugging her. It wasn't so much that he was one of the richest men she'd ever met, or one of the hottest. It was the fact he didn't tell her the truth from the beginning about who he was. And when asked why he was interested in her, he kept avoiding the question.
She would get answers. Tonight. She wasn't going to take no for an answer. If he wanted to keep seeing her, he had to give her something. She needed to be able to trust him, and trust that this relationship had the chance to be real.
Chapter 4
Tamera got ready, putting on black heels and a fluffy skirt she could twirl in. She'd always loved princess-type skirts, and tonight was no exception. She wasn't into slinky, form-fitting clothes that showed too much skin. She went for girly, cute, and ruffled. After pinning her hair back with sparkly barrettes that matched her blue skirt, she found a cute top that showed off her cleavage without having to use a push-up bra, but kept most of her arms and shoulders covered.
Doing her makeup light, she applied silver glitter on her eyelids, with black mascara and eyeliner to accentuate. She wasn't big on looking like a painted doll, but she did enjoy looking sparkly. It was one of her secrets. Looking at herself in the mirror, she decided some pink lip gloss was all that was missing.
Realizing he said he wanted to stargaze, she eyed her brown cowgirl boots in the closet and shrugged. They went with everything. Putting them on instead of heels, she smiled. Now she felt like herself.
The doorbell rang and she answered it. He took her in and grinned when he saw what she was wearing.
"Well, this is refreshing," he told her as he offered her his arm. "You look adorable."
"And you look overdressed. Where are you taking me for dinner?" she asked him. He had on a suit, and she suddenly felt like she had underdressed for the occasion.
"I have reservations at my favorite Italian restaurant, but it's not that fancy. I just didn't have time to change after work. I had a business meeting that required dressing up for. I didn't want to be late, so I didn't have time to go home. I'll take off my jacket before we go in," he assured her and then reached out to touch her cheek. "You are full of surprises. I like this. It's cute, honest, and suits you."
"When were you going to tell me who you really were?" Tamera asked him as he opened the car door for her. She slid into his black Mercedes SUV and gave him a look that said she wouldn't let it go until he answered.
He walked around the car and slid into the driver's seat, starting the car before turning to look at her.
"Would you have been more or less likely to go out with me if you knew who I really was from the beginning?" he asked her quietly as he pulled out from in front of her condo and onto the street.
"Probably less, to be honest." Tamera realized that, had she known, she probably wouldn't have said yes. Rich and famous lifestyles had never appealed to her. She just wanted a quiet life with a shifter, one who left her aroused and wanting to be around him all the time, one she yearned to keep company and be in love with. She wasn't sure she could handle the fast-paced life of being in the public eye all the time.
"Exactly. If people know who I am, it's either a major turn off to them or they want me for my money. I wanted to get to know you as myself. As the man who likes to walk and eat an ice cream cone by the water, sit in my backyard and watch shooting stars go by. I didn't come from money, Tamera. My company may have made me rich, but I prefer to live quietly and privately. I sometimes have to pose for publicity shoots for my company, but these days my investors are pretty safe. The company's doing well enough that I don't have to stay involved in the spotlight as much anymore. I'm at a place where I can settle down, have a family." He looked at her and grinned. "And while I don't know what your agenda is, you were looking for a shifter. I'm that, too. I don't know where the two of us will end up, but I took one look at you and wanted you. I don't know if you are my mate, or if I just want to take you to bed and not let you out for a week. But for me, that's enough. I wanted to find out what you will end up meaning to me. I'm glad you agreed to do this with me."
"Well, it's a free meal and I like stars, so..." Tamera joked lamely, absorbing his words and letting them sink in. She'd let it go for now. She could understand his reasoning, yet the mention of children and mates had her considering running scared. She wasn't sure she was ready for such a serious commitment yet. She needed time to think about it first.
"I'm not in a hurry to make babies, by the way. I'm just not getting any younger and knew if I wanted it, I had to start working that direction," he told her. Reading her expression, he wanted to reassure her he wasn't going to push her into anything before she was ready.
"It's weird to hear a guy talking about having children so openly. Is it like that with all shifters, or are you just special?" Then she reached out to touch his arm, speaking the question she really wanted to ask: "Can I watch you shift sometime?"
"Let's see how the night plays out, and we can talk about the shifting," he said, grinning at her. He was glad she wasn't intimidated by it. When women found out he was a shifter, they either overlooked it due to his money, or were freaked out and lost all interest. "I was a single child, and I hated it. It made me determined to have a big family when I was ready to settle down. I just had to get to a place in my life where I was ready for it all."
"I guess having a billion-dollar company doesn't hurt," Tamera said tartly.
Laughing, Julius nodded at her. "No, having a lot of money doesn't hurt. But it does make it hard to find the right woman. You'd think having money would make it easier, but I think it makes it harder."
"So tell me, why stargazing?" Tamera asked him, changing the subject. He was getting close to the place where he was taking her for dinner. As he pulled up to the valet, he just smiled at her.
"I'll tell you over dinner." Getting out, he helped Tamera out of the car.
They went inside to enjoy their meal, and Tamera was glad that no one noticed the two of them. One of her biggest fears of being with him in public now was someone knowing who he was and bugging them. Men of his caliber didn't just go unnoticed most of the time.
"Do you have people chasing after you to get your attention or take your picture?" she asked him while looking over the menu after they'd been seated.
"Occasionally, but it happens less often than you think. I don't strip naked, do drugs, or any of the other things that often get attention. I just leave that for the rock stars." He grinned at her and winked before ordering a glass of wine and offered her one. She nodded and thanked the waiter when he brought it.
"So, you were going to tell me about the appeal of stargazing." She grinned at him as she sipped her glass of wine.
"Well, honestly, I was hoping to do more Tamera-gazing than stargazing, but I'll settle for stars if you decide not to let me seduce you tonight." The waiter brought the food a few minutes later and he let Tamera digest his intentions.
She was flattered he wanted her; she even appreciated his honesty and bluntness. The fact he had a backup plan to enjoy their evening if she said no to him tonight was refreshing. He was a smart man, and it showed in every decision he made.
"What will you do if I say yes?" She asked him, leaning against the table slightly, lowering her voice to closely watch his reaction.
"I will peel off every inch of your clothing and take you to heaven and then when you crash back down to earth, I'll do it again." He grinned and started eating his pasta like a man who was starved.
Tamera ate her meal in relative silence while she pictured his tongue on her body, his large hands stroking her naked skin under the stars. The mental images she was entertaining made her wonder if the fantasy would compare to the reality.
Finishing up their meal, he asked if she wanted dessert. She shook her head no; she was too stuffed after garlic bread, salad, and pasta. It was a delicious meal and good conversation. When she offered to pay for her half he looked offende
d.
"Tamera, I asked you out. That means I'm paying for it," he told her and gave her a stern look. "Unless we are just friends, you let me pay for the things that I want to pay for, okay?"
"If you insist," she said raising a brow and shrugging. She was used to taking care of herself. She wasn't entirely sold on letting someone else pay for everything, but she could probably learn to accept gracefully. It wasn't worth arguing over.
"You ready to go watch the stars?" he asked her as he finished tipping the waiter and got up to get the car back from the valet.
"Do you plan on keeping me so distracted we don't see any of the stars, or do we actually get to see some of the meteor shower?" Tamera asked him. She had never stopped to watch one, so part of her actually wanted to see it.
"We can watch it. I have a bottle of wine, a blanket, and some pillows, so we can lie on the grass." He nodded to the valet and slipped him a few dollars for bringing his car back. Tamera got in and fastened her seat belt, waiting for him to get in. She put her hand on his leg after he got in the driver's seat.
The look he gave her sent shivers up her spine. The only thing she really still wanted was to see him shift. She wasn't sure he'd do it tonight, but the thought of him sharing that part of himself with her had her aroused. She wanted him to feel comfortable enough with her to show himself in his most raw form. Wondering how she was going to ask him when she got there, she decided blunt might be the best way to go, but she wanted to wait until they were comfortable.
Chapter 5
Tamera was sitting on the blanket cross legged behind Julius’ house, a large, open-windowed house near the ocean. It had grass for an acre before touching the beach. His nearest neighbor was far enough away that Tamera couldn't see the house besides a murky outline against the night sky. They were alone and had privacy.
She didn't want to comment on the cost of his house, but she had a feeling this was way out of her pay grade. Instead, she just focused on him. He handed her a glass of wine and sat down next to her, recorking the bottle and setting it into the grass. Checking his phone, he nodded at her.