The Teacher's Billionaire

Yankees don’t win, I still do.”
    Callie wasn’t sure what to make of his statement. It was pretty much exactly what she’d been thinking when he proposed the wager. “I see you know when to jump off a sinking ship.” It was easier to joke and make light of the situation than overthink every one of his words or actions. If she did that Callie knew she would drive herself crazy.
    ***
    The drive back to her apartment was quiet, but not uncomfortably so. Dylan found he liked it. Most of the women he dated found it necessary to fill any silence with endless chatter. Then again he couldn’t picture many of the women he took out wanting to spend the night at a baseball game. Sure some may have gone, but not because they enjoyed the sport. Rather, because they wanted to be with him. Or maybe a better way of putting it was they wanted to be with rich CEO Dylan Talbot, not the man himself.
    He’d known Callie was different from their very first meeting. The time he’d spent with her since only reinforced his opinion.
    “Any interest in stopping for ice cream?” They’d pulled off the highway and he could see a brightly lit ice cream stand up ahead.
    “I’ve got plenty at home we can eat. It’s always been a weakness of mine. That and licorice. I’ll take that over chocolate any day,” she admitted.
    Anyone else and Dylan would assume she was inviting him back for more than just ice cream. But not her. Still that didn’t stop the image of her lying naked in bed, mahogany colored hair spread out on a pillow, from popping into his head.
    Don’t. Go. There.
Dylan gripped the steering wheel, his knuckles turning white.
    “That was one hell of a game,” he said hoping a conversation about baseball would get his mind and body back under control and out of the bedroom.
    “Cosgrove’s play in the eighth was incredible. I don’t think the Sox would’ve pulled off the win without it.”
    Her voice was so animated. Full of excitement. Dylan loved that she could be so excited about a play in a baseball game.
    Loved? Where had that thought come from? He didn’t associate the L word with anyone except family these days.
    He liked that about her, he mentally amended his thought. Somehow though the word didn’t feel right. It didn’t do justice to what he felt right now. He liked that Bill, his running buddy, pushed him extra hard when they were training together. The emotions he felt now were nothing like that. Was there something between like and love? There had to be. He just didn’t know what it was.
    “The umps bad call in the ninth helped. Stiles was safe.” Dylan figured it was best to keep up a steady conversation about a safe topic.
    ***
    “Have you thought about what you want to do tomorrow? You won the bet.” They were sitting in her living room eating huge bowls of ice cream and listening to classic rock music.
    Slowly licking the ice cream from her spoon, Callie shrugged. Dylan couldn’t help but wonder if she had any idea of what she was doing to him. Right then he needed a cold shower a lot more than he did ice cream.
    “Don’t know.” She paused searching his face for a moment. “Are you sure you have the time?”
    Even a deaf person would have heard the uncertainty in her voice.
    “I wouldn’t have made the bet if I didn’t want to spend time with you.” It was true. Even if Phillips hadn’t requested that he keep an eye on Callie, he would have wanted to spend time with her. In fact his agreement with Phillips had been the farthest thing from his mind when he asked her to the game that night.
    She shrugged again. “I guess...” Chewing her bottom lip she paused. “It’s just that... well it’s not...” Again her voice trailed off.
    Putting down his bowl of ice cream, he moved closer to her. “Not what?”
    “There’s not anything between us,” she replied not looking him directly in the face. “We’re... friends. And I promise to not break your legs if you don’t honor your debt. I know you have a busy schedule.”
    Had she already forgotten the kiss they shared the last time he was there? He sure as hell hadn’t. He’d lain awake at night thinking about it. Picturing them doing that and a whole lot more.
    Operating on emotion rather than common sense wasn’t something he ever did. Yet it was exactly what was happening when he removed the partially eaten bowl of ice cream from her hands.
    “Do you really believe that?” Without waiting for a response he tugged her