His Big Reveal: An Interracial BWWM Billionaire Romance (BWWM Alpha Males) (2 page)

“I’m sorry, what?” Miri sat in her tiny shoe box office across from a gorgeous blond and stared at her in disbelief.

“I am here on behalf of an anonymous donor who wishes to provide this shelter with around-the-clock security.” Casey arrived ten minutes ago and she already knew she liked Miri. She was a no nonsense kind of woman with a
don’t fuck with me
attitude. “Your incident last night came to his attention and he wanted to help.”

Miri’s bullshit radar was beeping like crazy. “This good Samaritan doesn’t happen to have a wife or girlfriend staying here, does he?”

Casey’s eyes were the size of saucers. “Of course not. I wouldn’t be here if that were the case. This is a matter close to his heart, you know?”

Miri nodded but she hadn’t let go of her skepticism just yet. Most people who donated to the center had a personal experience with domestic violence and abuse and this guy wasn’t any different. “I get that, but why does it need to be anonymous?”

Casey leaned forward. “Come on, Miri you know why. He puts his name out there and you thank him in some public way and all of a sudden every good cause in the tri-state area is holding a hand out.” She didn’t mean to sound callous about it but a rich person with a kind heart could easily spend all their money trying to save the world.

“And what is your role in all of this?”

“Honestly I just hate assholes that use women and kids as punching bags. I would rather handle those guys myself but my boss thinks this option is preferable.” Much to her chagrin.

Miri smiled and chuckled. “I like you Casey and I agree. With both of you.” While it would be nice to pound on Karl Henton, it was now a police matter and she had no qualms about pressing charges against the bastard. “Who will be responsible for hiring the security?”

Casey pulled a stack of papers from her electric blue designer handbag and slapped them on the desk. “You need four and we have ten resumes here from the top security firm in the country. These guys are trained to spot trouble and protect the weak.”

Miri went through the stack and she had to admit Casey was right. These guys were all more than qualified to be security guards at the shelter. “I’ll take these four and if any of them aren’t available I’ve arranged the stack in order of my preference.”

“Great.” She stood and smoothed her black skirt. “In that case we’re all set so call me if you need anything or have questions.” She left her plain black and silver business card to keep Ryan’s name out of it. For now.

Miri stood. “Thanks Casey, you’ve been a big help.”

She waved and sashayed out of her office as smoothly as a model on the catwalk.

Miri smiled to herself and shook her head in disbelief. She’d lain awake all night trying to find out a way to make the shelter more secure. The doors themselves needed to be reinforced and come equipped with some type of security mechanism, which her mysterious benefactor had also promised to install. Today must be her lucky day. “I should play the lottery, my luck’s been so good today,” she mumbled to herself.

“If you win boss, I’m having you declared insane for talking to yourself and I’m making off with your winnings.” Amelia smiled and motioned her head for Miri to follow her to the front. She pointed a large, expensive looking bouquet of flowers. “These came for you while you were in your meeting.”

Her mouth dropped open and she stared at the flowers like they were a bomb. “For me, you said?” She plucked the card from the holder and read it. “A woman so strong and beautiful deserves a drink to match.
Ty’s Hawaiian Fusion
seven o’clock. Drinks on you, food on me? Ryan.”

“That tall drink of sex that saved your life yesterday?”

Miri nodded and tried to forget those eyes that she couldn’t seem to forget. “Yep. I told him I’d buy him a drink for helping out.”

Amelia squealed. “Good! It’s about time you stop living like a nun.”

“It’s one drink Amelia, not a relationship.”

“But it could be. Why won’t you give a guy a chance?”

“A guy like Karl you mean? No thanks.” She was raised by a guy like that, more like terrorized and she wasn’t interested in a repeat.

“You know better than most Miri that not all guys are like that.”

She knew that but it was hard to set aside when you dealt with bruised, battered and broken women every single day. It was hard to remember there were good guys out there like Ryan who ran to her aid. “I do know, but it gets hard to remember after twelve hours in this place.”

“Well not today. You’re out of here in exactly one hour so you can go home, change your clothes and put a bit of curl in your hair, and put on some makeup for cripes’ sake.”

“Do I need makeup?” She patted her bare face.

“Of course not. You’re gorgeous damn you, but at least look like you want to have a good time with that hottie. And wear a dress, that lavender one with the ruching at the hips.”

“Yes ma’am. Anything else?”

“Yeah. Go easy on the lipstick. Your lips are so kissable and he’s definitely going in for the goodnight kiss.” Amelia winked and picked up the phone, Miri totally forgotten.

At least now I know what to wear tonight,
she thought with a smile. She hadn’t been on a date in three years and she hadn’t been with a man in much longer.

~

When Miri turned the corner she spotted Ryan immediately. He stood out among the crowd of dinner goers by nearly a full head. Funny, she didn’t remember him being that tall when he was pummeling Karl. Anyway he looked better than any man ought to in a dark grey suit that, if she wasn’t mistaken, had been tailored around his tall muscular legs and wide shoulders. His green eyes were so bright that as she closed the gap between them, they began to look like sparkling emeralds, shining even brighter thanks to the lavender tie he wore. He was a handsome man, a fact she hadn’t fully appreciated the other night.

“Hi Ryan, are you ready for prom?”

He turned to her with a bright smile that nearly made her knees buckle and flattened his lapels. The weight of his stare made her skin tingle and her nipples tighten. Up and down, his gaze rake over her body again and again taking in the way the lavender dress hugged her body and pushed her breasts up high. That knowing green glance snuck a peek at her ample backside and he smiled appreciatively. “Yes, I would
love
to be your prom date.”

“Seriously what are the odds?”

He smiled at the little crinkle between her brows. “Well I’m sure there’s some psychological reason we both chose this color that, you look beautiful in by the way. But let’s just say it’s because we both have incredible fashion sense.”

She laughed at the way he opened his jacket like a runway model and twirled for her inspection. “If you say so, Ryan.” She let him guide her to the door and inside the kitschy but delicious smelling Hawaiian fusion restaurant, whatever
that
meant. “Have you been here before?”

“No but my assistant loves it. Swears the food is top notch, so if you hate it I’ll have to fire her.”

“No pressure then, right?”

“None at all,” he said with a completely serious expression on his handsome face.

They were seated quickly because Ryan made reservations, for which she was grateful when she scanned the crowded bar area. She looked around as the hostess lead them to their table, a cozy little booth overlooking the river from the south. There were all types of Hawaiian and Californian décor on the walls from pukka shells and surfboards to decorative cans of
Spam
and sailboats. It was cute but there was an upscale ambience about the place that Miri found appealing. She took the seat across from him and gave the hostess a polite smile. “So Ryan, tell me a bit about yourself.”

“What do you want to know, or should I just drone on and on until your eyes glaze over?”

He was funny and that charming smile had a way of melting a thin layer of the iceberg she’d erected years ago to keep her safe. “Okay where are you from?”

“Right here in Arlo, born and raised. How about you?”

“Really? I’m from Arlo too. I’m surprised we’ve never run into each other before…other than the coffee shop.” A flash of recognition came when he tipped the glass of water to his lips. “Right?”

“Yep.” He smiled, happy to know he wasn’t as forgettable as he thought. “You have a serious caffeine habit, Miri.”

She blushed and dipped her head. “I do, it’s true, but I also use those coffee runs as a brief respite from the happenings at the shelter.” She took in his relaxed and easy posture, his freely given smiles and decided she liked Ryan. “Okay, what do you do since you already know what I do?”

He wasn’t sure how much to tell without giving away too much too soon so he went with a simple answer. “I run a multi-national company that has interests in tech, gems and real estate.” He paused briefly so they could place their drink and appetizer orders. “But really I don’t know what you do. You run the shelter I presume?”

She nodded. “I do. You look very young to run such a big corporation.”

He shrugged. “I
have
been told I’m boyishly handsome but it came from Grandma so, grain of salt and all that.”

She laughed. “A man who downplays his achievements is like a unicorn.”

He leaned forward with a mischievous smile. “I hear ladies
love
unicorns almost as much as shoes and handbags.”

Miri tossed her head back and laughed, enjoying his goofy sense of humor. “Yes that might be true, but you do have that face, so being a unicorn doesn’t really seem fair to the rest of the male species.” She took a sip of her Amaretto sour and licked a stray drop from her bottom lip. “Now you’re just being greedy.”

“Oh no,” he said gravely, “We can’t have me being greedy, can we?”

“I wouldn’t advise it, no.” The way his dark blonde eyebrows furrowed in mock horror let her imagine him as a playful boy, probably the class clown.

“And you, Miri? Why did you go into this type of work?”

She shrugged and sipped from her glass. “The same most people do, I suppose. My father was incredibly abusive and it didn’t end well for my mom. There weren’t places like this twenty years ago and maybe if there had been…,”

“She would still be alive. I do know that feeling, believe it or not.” He didn’t want to think about that time,
hated
thinking about it in fact. Plus if he told her more she would draw connections he wasn’t quite ready for her to draw yet. “My mom is still alive though, but she still has plenty of scars.”

“I’m sorry to hear that.” She placed her hand over his and let his warmth seep into her chilled bones.

“Aloha! I’m Whitney and I’ll be your server.” She leaned over the table and pushed her ample breasts in Ryan’s face, ignoring Miri altogether.

“Hey Whitney, we’ll have the Hawaii for Two platter and the Fusion Foursome. Thanks.” He turned back to Miri, effectively dismissing the presumptuous waitress. “She’s better these days but the shadows are still there, you know?”

Who was this man and why was he slowly, but surely melting the ice around her heart? He was so genuine and honest about his emotions, it was unreal. She had to steel herself against his charms and remember that men could be dangerous. To her body and her heart. “I do know. See them in myself sometimes.” She lifted her hand from his and sat back. “No more of that, let’s talk about something less melancholy. Like why a funny, good looking and successful man like you is still single?”

“Funny
and
good looking? Stop it Miri or it’ll go to my head.” He fanned himself like a Southern Belle.

She laughed. “I just call it how I see it.”

“I don’t know,” he answered seriously. “You’d be surprised how many women look at me and don’t see my sense of humor or movie star good looks.” He sat back and she noticed a small measure of defeat in his tone and his demeanor. “They see dollar signs and status, the end.”

“Well that’s shitty. I think you’re pretty great…for a man.”

Ryan laughed. “Yes well, we all have our drawbacks.”

She giggled. “Can’t have everything.”

“Not yet, anyway.”

He gave her a heated gaze that stopped her laughter and made her breath hitch in her throat. She slicked her tongue across her bottom lip, mouth feeling suddenly dry under the fire of his searing green gaze. She felt his gaze like a caress over her face and down her shoulders, sliding down her silky legs. It was hot and potent and if she wasn’t careful, Miri knew she would be in trouble. Trouble of the six foot, Nordic blond variety. “You’re trouble,” she told him through a nervous laugh.

“Not yet,” he smiled cheekily at her.

Oh boy. Yep, definitely trouble.

~

“It was great Casey, I mean really fantastic! Miri is beautiful of course, but she’s also smart and compassionate and funny as hell.” He was still riding the high from his date last night with Miri.

“You didn’t get in her pants, did you?” Casey leaned back in
his
office chair and looked at her newly done royal blue nails, giving him one of her patented
know it all
looks.