Billion Dollar Boyfriend (Celebrity Love)

Chapter Four

First there was the sound of the doorbell, and then the tap-dance rhythm of Shelby's heartbeat filled her ears. It was six-fifteen to the second. Unlike pretty much anyone Shelby had ever made plans with in L.A., Aiden was right on time.

She smoothed the skirt of her dress and gave herself one last look up and down in the mirror. She'd straightened her curls so her hair fell sleek and smooth to mid-way down her back, and the smoky eye shadow she had applied made her sapphire eyes pop.

Too much? she wondered. Emily had insisted she looked stunning when she had come by Shelby's room earlier to return a clutch purse she'd borrowed before heading out to Raine's for the night. Still, Shelby had to wonder if she was overdressed for where she was going with Aiden, even though he had mentioned there was a formal dress code. This was L.A. after all, where "formal" sometimes meant leave the flip-flops at home, and other times meant black tie.

Shelby turned away from the mirror and gulped in a deep breath as she walked out of her bedroom and down the hallway. She slowly released it when she got to the foyer and reached for the handle of her apartment door.

"Hello!" she called out to Aiden. Then she stopped, the last syllable of her greeting barely out of her mouth.

When she'd met Aiden a few nights ago, he had been wearing dark jeans, a charcoal T-shirt, and a plaid button-down shirt. It had been simple and casual, and he'd looked good. Tonight he stood before her in a dark suit, crisp white shirt, and silk tie, looking as though he'd just walked a red carpet or had stepped off the cover of a men's fashion magazine. Shelby's mouth went dry as she took him in.

Universe, stop playing with me. It was suddenly impossible for her to form words.

"Hi," Aiden greeted her. "You look beautiful."

Shelby was certain the universal powers on high that had orchestrated their paths crossing and this date tonight were watching, scooping up handfuls of whatever the cosmic version of popcorn was as she entertained them beyond belief. The effect Aiden had on her wasn't fair.

She swallowed, trying to bring her voice back from the abyss it had fallen into. This was just as bad as when she'd first caught a glimpse of him at Raine's dinner party, except she thought she had progressed from him making her lose all ability to speak to being ­able to carry on a conversation. Clearly not.

Before she could come up with something to say, she heard the crinkle of cellophane. Aiden held out a bouquet to her.

Wait. Flowers? She'd been so focused on him, she hadn't noticed the dozen pink roses he held in his hands.

"Thank you." The two words were all she could think of to say as she took the bouquet from him.

She looked at the roses cradled in her arms. Until right now, Emily had been the only person in this apartment to receive flowers from anyone other than family, and for any reason other than a milestone occasion. That was because Raine was a boyfriend straight out of a fairy tale.

It was beginning to look like Aiden had come from the same fairy tale, and Shelby didn't mind.

She glanced up from the bouquet and met Aiden's eyes. "These are gorgeous, and I should put them in water before we go. Want to come to the kitchen for a second while I find a vase?"

"Lead the way," he told her.

He closed the apartment door behind him and followed her out of the foyer. Shelby felt her already-racing pulse gain more speed with each step she took. She hoped the flowers hid the tremor in her hands.

Calm down, she instructed herself as she approached the kitchen. He's just a guy. It's just a date. I've done this before.

It wasn't like her to be nervous, and especially not on a first date. But no one she had ever gone on a first date with had made her brain feel like it was made of cotton candy.

Shelby opened a cupboard with one of her hands while balancing the flowers in the crook of her other arm. The vase she wanted was on the top shelf and was higher than she could reach without getting a step stool.

Aiden followed her line of sight. "Want a hand with that?" he asked.

"I'd love one," she admitted. "Can you get the glass vase on the top shelf?"

She stepped to the side and watched as Aiden easily reached for the vase and set it on the counter. The evening sun shining through the kitchen window cast a soft light over him as he moved. A sunbeam danced over his cheeks and chiseled jaw, and Shelby's attention was drawn to his mouth. Aiden's full lips curved into a smile, and something about it set a swarm of butterflies loose in her stomach.

Aiden's lips moved, and it took Shelby a few seconds to realize he'd been speaking to her. She hadn't heard a word he had said.

"Repeat that?" she said. "I spaced out for a second."

A curious gleam lit up his eyes. "Where'd you space out to?"

Somewhere good, she thought. The bolder side of her that had existed in her teen years was tempted to tell him she'd been admiring him and how good he looked in his suit. He was tantalizing, actually. But that side of her was cautious now, quieted by her mistakes with Darren and the mind-numbing games she'd been subjected to while dating other guys.

"I was looking at your suit and tie," she replied instead. And the rest of you.

"Uh oh." Aiden inspected his sleeves. "Are the suit and tie okay?"

If only he knew. "You look great," she assured him. "I guess you weren't kidding about where we're going being formal."

"I promise I wasn't."

"This is all very mysterious, you know." She brought the vase to the sink to fill it with water.

"Funny you should use that word."

Shelby waited for him to explain what he meant, but he didn't.

"You're not telling me anything else?" she asked. She put the roses into the vase, then turned her head to look at him.

He grinned. "Not until we get there. Should we go?"

She picked up her purse, keys, and sweater from the counter. Aiden took her hand as they walked out of the kitchen, and Shelby was sure little sparks were dancing all over her skin. How he did that to her was more of a mystery than where they were having dinner tonight.