The Teacher's Billionaire

containers of food on the table and grabbed some plates from the cabinet. “You know I can’t remember the last time I sat here to eat dinner. Most of the time I just grab something at the office or on my way home.”
    “That can’t be good for you.” Callie accepted the first container he offered her. She didn’t know what it was, but she could smell the basil in it. “Everything looks and smells great. I haven’t had Thai food in months.”
    It sure does
. However, Dylan wasn’t thinking about the food. He was thinking about how she looked sitting in his penthouse. It was definitely a sight he could get used to every night.
    Careful there. You’re treading on thin ice.
    Dylan spooned some rice onto his plate. “The fundraiser isn’t until seven tomorrow. I thought we could spend the day exploring the city. We can go anywhere you want. Shopping, museums. You name it.”
    Callie’s smile was warm, and his chest tightened with emotion. Instinctively, Dylan rubbed his chest as if he could get the feeling to leave. Emotions like the ones he felt for Callie were taboo to him. He didn’t allow them into his life. That was why he now had relationships only with women he knew wouldn’t evoke them. Not that some didn’t try. With the exception of Francesca, none ever succeeded. Until now.
    But Callie wasn’t even trying. She was simply being herself. Perhaps that explained why he couldn’t resist her.
    Dylan poured himself more wine. “I have a surprise for you.”
    She eyed him suspiciously. “What kind of surprise?” Callie didn’t wait for him to answer. “The last time I got a
surprise
I found out Warren Sherbrooke was my father.”
    “It’s not life changing I promise.” He took her free hand and squeezed it. “Was the surprise about your father good or bad?” He hadn’t intended to ask the question. It just slipped out. Now that he had, Dylan found that he really wanted to know.
    “Now that’s a loaded question.” Callie groaned pushing the food around on her plate. “Good and bad I guess. I know that makes no sense. I’m glad I know the truth. And Warren has been very nice.”
    “Sounds all good to me.”
    “My mom and I were really close. Believe it or not she was one of my best friends, or at least I thought she was.” He could hear the bitterness in Callie’s voice.
    “I’m sure she had her reasons for not telling you.”
    Shrugging she tried to smile. “Let’s talk about something else, okay.”
    Without saying another word Dylan stood. “Stay right here. Don’t move.”
    Dylan disappeared into his room to retrieve the gown his executive assistant picked up for him that afternoon. He hoped she liked it.
    “I told you my surprise wasn’t life changing.” He held up the gown and waited for her response.
    Speechless she stared at it, then at him.
    “You said you were going to borrow something to wear.” When she still remained silent he wondered if maybe she didn’t like it. “If it doesn’t fit or if you don’t like it we can get something else tomorrow.”
    “It’s... I love it.” Callie replied her voice full of emotion. “But I can’t... you shouldn’t have.”
    Dylan moved closer. “I wanted to.”

Chapter 12
    Dylan flipped through the television channels not really looking for anything in particular. They needed to leave in less than half an hour, so there wasn’t really time to watch anything. He just wanted to kill time while he waited for Callie to finish getting ready.
    Finally he settled on the Yankees pregame report. As the announcer droned on about the night’s starting line up, Dylan wished he and Callie were getting ready for the game instead of the fundraiser. He’d definitely be a lot more comfortable in jeans and a t-shirt instead of the tux he wore.
    He didn’t enjoy these society events. Most people thought he did, but the truth was that he went because it was important to the family, not to him. If he never went to another one of these black tie affairs, it’d be fine with him.
    And he
really
didn’t want to go tonight. Dylan kept trying to tell himself it was because he didn’t want to share Callie. Tomorrow afternoon she would head home. Yet if he was honest there was something else. He sensed that something was going to happen tonight. Exactly what he didn’t know. Just that it wasn’t anything good. He couldn’t shake it either. Dylan didn’t put any stock in premonitions. Still he couldn’t shake the feeling that