Chapter 6

My Uber parks in front of Lily's apartment complex, a two-story brick building with a postage stamp-sized courtyard, in an older section of town. As I step out of the car, I can tell l she is different from many of the women I have dated. She isn't rich. That's a major turn-on.

I press the button for the elevator and wait as it slowly creaks its way up to the second floor. My heart beat faster with each passing second, anticipation building in my chest. I walk down the hallway, stopping in front of her door, and pull on my collar. You got this! Taking a deep breath; I raise my hand and knock.

A woman answers, her arms crossed and one eyebrow raised. She takes a long look at me before speaking. "You must be Adler," she says, pushing the door open. "Lily's expecting you. I'm Sophie, her roommate. Make yourself comfortable."

I step through the door and into the small, open space of their modern apartment. Streams of sunlight flood in from a large window, bouncing off the glossy white walls that contrast with the bold colors of the furniture. In the center of the room is an inviting seating area comprising a plush cream-colored sofa and two deep burgundy armchairs arranged around a low coffee table.

"I'm sure I don't know need to give you the if you hurt her. I'll kill you talk, right? You seem grown..."

A smile tugs at the corners of my mouth. "I don't intend on doing anything she doesn't give me permission for..."

I hope that she gives me permission to do anything and everything. There are so many things I want to do with Lily. There must be a reason why the universe keeps throwing up in the same place.

"Lily should be ready soon," Sophie says.

I hear a rustling in the back room, and then Lily emerges with a confident stride. Her green dress clinging to her figure and a high slit runs up one side of the skirt, showcasing curves that are impossible to ignore. She has applied a light dusting to her cheeks and defined her eyes with a smoky eyeliner. I take in every detail, savoring the effort she has put into looking beautiful for me. I lick my lips.

"Hey there," she says, her bright smile crinkling the corners of her eyes.

I try to keep my eyes on hers and not wander down her body like I have been wanting to do all night. "Hey."

"So," she asks, taking a step closer to me and tucking a strand of hair behind her ear, "where are we going tonight?"

"I thought we could go out for dinner. There's a new restaurant I've been wanting to try."

Her lips form an amused smirk as she looks up at me. "Sounds perfect."

She says goodbye to Sophie and we head down to the car. As we walk, I can't help but admire the way she moves, her hips swinging gracefully with every step.

We step out into the night. The city is alive with the sounds of traffic and music. As we drive, I put my arm around her, drawing her close, her warmth against me. Her confidence is radiating off of her, almost like a completely different woman than I met earlier.

The car pulls up to the restaurant, a trendy spot with a long line of people waiting to get in. I skip the line by flashing my VIP card, and we are quickly seated at a cozy table in the corner.

"Impressive," Lily says, raising her eyebrows.

"I have my connections."

We order some wine and start perusing the menu. The food looks amazing, but I find myself more interested in Lily than what is on the plate. I want to know everything about her, to explore every inch of her body and mind.

Some people like to fill the first date with awkward questions about what they do for a living, but that stuff didn't matter to me. I like to know a person on a deeper level. Of course, I want the sex to be great, but their mind needs to be a turn-on as well.

Lily hasn't been able to wipe the smile off of her face since her roommate opened the door, and it's flattering. Who knows how many men she has been out with that haven't treated her properly?

"So, if I get too intense let me know, but I'd love to know more about you. Like what your aspirations are... where you see yourself in five years..."

She takes a sip off her wine and then places the glass back on the table. "Honestly, I have always wanted to prove my parents wrong. They have never been very supportive in my moving to the city, but I know that there is a reason why I have been drawn here."

"Unsupportive parents are all the rage these days... especially when their little girl moves away to a big city. I can understand their frustration, but at some point they have to let you go to make mistakes. We all do. I mean, I have made plenty of them."

Her eyes are locked on mine. "Really? You seem like a very put together man who has all his shit together. Whatever mistakes you did make obviously turned out to be good. Look at you."

Most people don't know about my past, and I like to keep it that way. Everyone sees me as this hotshot business guy, but they do not know everything I have gone through to get here. Some people blame their childhood for their life not working out, but I persevered mine, and have come back even stronger. "That's sweet, thank you."

"What about you? Aspirations?" she says, taking another sip and the waitress puts our food in front of us.

"My dream is to build my company up and hand it off to my kids someday. Although, not so sure that's going to happen," I say, putting a piece of steak on my mouth.

Her brow furrows. "And why not?"

"Not to state the obvious, but I'm single."

She laughs. "And here I thought you were married."

Her laugh is intoxicating. "Never had the chance." As soon as it leaves my mouth, I regret it. Now she is thinking that I'm some weirdo that girls can't run away from fast enough.

I try to remember to eat, but she is beaming. She is nothing like in the coffee shop. Her confidence is beautiful, and that's the way it should be.

We spend the next hour talking about politics, our favorite places in the city, and just enjoying each other's company until some man across the restaurant keeps staring at her. The rage is billowing in my chest and I'm trying to keep my cool, to not let her see that side of me, but it's beckoning to let loose.

I put my hand up to get our waitresses attention for the check, so Lily and I can get out of here. As I'm signing the check, she stares at me, biting her lip. And God, I want to do that.

"So, would you like to come back to my place?" I ask, forward because I'm not the type of person who likes to play games.

Lily grabs her clutch as I stand, and joins me with her arm hooked in mine. "I'd love to."

Now is the real test to see if this is going to go forward. I'll go easy on her tonight and show her what it's like to be with me in the bedroom. She might run for the hills like other women, but I'm hoping she stays.