Page 20 of Off Limits Mogul

“Let’s go inside and I’ll give you a tour,” I say.

“From the eye-popping glimpse I caught as you rolled into your three-door garage, I hope said tour involves a golf cart because touring your big ass mansion sounds like exercise.”

“Are you criticizing my pad, Cocoa Puffs?”

“No, bigshot, I’m impressed. I know I’ve said before, but I’m so proud of you, Rhys.”

“You haven’t even seen the interior yet.”

“Lead the way, Mr. Mogul.”

“Please.” I give her an indignant look. “My mama raised me right. Ladies first.”

She giggles. “How’s your mom?” She glances over her shoulder.

“She’s doing really good. She can’t wait to talk to you.”

“Same here.”

I let Keira inside the foyer of the side entrance, drop her bag on the floor, and place my jacket on the console. Without thinking, I take her by the hand. The contact is electrifying. She looks up, her eyes wide with bewilderment. A voice in my head yells at me to let go of her hand, but that would be awkward.

I lead her through the house.

Keira is all oohs, aahs, andoh, my God, I can’t believe this house, throughout the tour.

I can’t help but chuckle at her appreciative exclamations and comments.

“Let me show you the best feature of the house,” I say when we return to the kitchen.

“I knew you had LA bowing at your feet, but this is too much. I don’t think I can handle more.”

“You make me sound like an emperor or the King of England.”

“News flash. With your wealth… you’re as powerful.”

I sometimes get a little self-conscious about my success. In some instances, I struggle with it. It’s been a hard road for me. For a while, I thought ‘failure’ was my middle name.

“Trust me, you’re going to want to see this,” I say.

“All right.” She says that like I’m twisting her arm. Her huge grin suggests otherwise.

I lead her to the expansive backyard, and she clamps her hands over her mouth. “Holy shit.” That comes out muffled. “Are you kidding me right now?” Her eyes as wide as dinner plates.

“I know, right?”

She gasps at me, her jaw dropped.

“I end my day here,” I say. “This is my favorite spot––”

“And soon to be mine.”

I chuckle.

“Did the house come with this incredible pool when you bought it?”

I shake my head. “No. I rented an apartment while the house underwent extensive renovations. The previous owner had a massive, curved resort style pool with a stone bridge and a waterfall. It was a bit much for my taste—cumbersome and a pain to clean. A lap pool for exercise and a separate lounging pool fit my lifestyle much better. I stole the idea of a shallow pool surrounding a cozy sitting area on all sides from an A-list celebrity. The addition of the fire pit in the center is perfect for coolernights.”

“It’s such an oasis, I often have dinner out here and then kick back and look up at the stars.”