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Okay, I’m his baby, and his best friend owns a security company. I learned two new things today. “It’s so nice to meet you both.”

Mandy’s smile was overly bright. “It is so nice to meet you. Ledger, you have the place until nine.”

Mandy, Cole, and Ledger exchanged a few more words before they left. I was more perplexed than when we pulled up in the parking lot. “I’m confused. Did you rent out an art gallery for us?”

He gently shook his head. “No, I recently made a donation, so they allowed me to use the space for a while.” He tittered when I asked how recently the donation was made. “Nosy as fuck. I made it two days ago.”

My head bucked back. “I can only imagine how much money you donated.” My fingers went into air quotes with a smirk. “I want to be like you one day.”

He laughed. “You will be, by your own merit. Plus, once we’re married, that will triple your assets.”

The feeling in the pit of my stomach wouldn’t allow me to respond. It was a feeling that I never recalled before. My focus went above my head then to the walls. The architecture was clean but a tad underwhelming. I could only guess that was in effort to not outshine the artwork and sculptures in the building. I walked slowly forward as I gauged the experience around me.

Ledger’s chuckle caught my attention. He stood in the same spot that I left him in with his arms crossed over his body and legs slightly apart. “Do you evaluate the lighting everywhere you go, love?”

He’d caught me doing what I did best. “Um, I wouldn’t say that I do it everywhere. It is second nature for me to evaluate the lighting in environments that have very intent purposes. This is one of those places.”

He nodded, then walked toward me. His body settled behind mine, and his arms wrapped around me. “Okay, tell me about the lighting, beautiful.”

I peeked over my shoulder at his request. He took the time to peck my lips with his. He really wanted to know what I thought about the lights. His interest in what I loved settled me in a way I never thought could happen.

“Um, okay. I can tell that they want this overall dramatic effect, but it’s not really working. There is too much light focused near the center.” I pointed around the walls. “These areas are lost in translation and lose detail because of the lack of lighting.”

He kissed my neck. “What would you do to fix it?”

“It really depends on the light fixtures and what Mandy wants to achieve. That would tell me if I wanted to widen the light or layer them.” I explained to him the difference between the two.

For the next forty-five minutes, we walked around to each piece. Not once did he ask me about the painting or sculpture itself. He asked me what I thought about the lighting for it. That quake in my spirit happened again. After the sixth piece, it dawned on me that he planned this date solely around what I liked. He didn’t just ask me about the lights. He contributed to the conversation when he asked probing questions or gave different options.

“I see what you did here,” I said to him after I turned to face him. “Thank you.”

His arms wrapped around me and pulled me into his chest. “I didn’t do anything except create an experience where I can get to know my baby in the center of her passion for life.”

“Well, now I feel selfish. I want to get to know you and your passion outside of Kryptonite Reserve.” The more I talked to Ledger, the more I wanted to know. He was such a complex man, and I loved that for him. Hell, I loved it for me.

He cupped my cheeks with his hands then placed his lips on mine. This kiss was much different from the kiss in the car. There were hints of passion in the first kiss, but this one had undeniable passion. His tongue requested access, and I granted it. There was nothing better than a fine-ass man who knew how to kiss. Now, if he could fuck, then I just might have to marry his ass.

“Let’s get out of here for part two of this date,” he said without breaking his stare on me. “You can get to know me at dinner, then we can go to our final stop.”

My head ticked to the side. “What’s our final stop?”

His lips came to my ear. In a low tone, he responded. “I’m going to fuck the shit out of you and make you understand that you’re mine now.”

Getting To Know Him . . .

The first part of our date at the art gallery was everything that I didn’t know that I needed. How was this man so damn perfect or at least that was the way he seemed. I wouldn’t be fooled so easily this time around.

It was clear that Ledger thought of me in every element when it came to this date. He told me at the gallery that I could get to know him during dinner since he planned for me to be the center of the first part of the date. I liked that format.

The restaurant that he brought me to was perfect for what he had planned. Nothing in the restaurant fought to take my attention away from him. The lighting was as perfect as it could be for someone other than me to have designed it. The quiet jazz music created an atmosphere that made you want to just relax. The location was on the top of a twenty-floor building so the skyline views were magnificent from our table. Expensive! It all felt expensive, but in a subtle way.

That was my overall summation of Ledger so far. He was a man of wealth that showed it in subtle ways. He didn’t need obvious high designer fashions for you to know that the suit he wore could probably pay a semester’s tuition of college.

He kept his word because for the last thirty minutes I interviewed this man like he had applied for a high-level security position. Well, in a way, he did. My heart, mind, and body were as high as it got. With all of my questions, he had yet to look annoyed or over me and it. Ironically, he looked rather entertained.

“So, you said that you work in finance. Explain what you do like I have no idea what it is,” I requested. I giggled when his eyebrow lifted. “I know a little bit, but I want to hear you tell me about it, sir.”

He snickered. “I got you. I work in wealth management, digital assets, strategy, risk, among a plethora of other financial avenues that benefit my clients and their legacies.”