Only three days had passed before Chase called her, asking her out on a date—a proper one, he had clarified. Despite their intimate night together, she was still a bit uncertain about him. Against her better judgment, she agreed to a date as long as it was casual.

At first, he wanted to take her out to a Michelin star restaurant, but she immediately shot down that idea. She didn’t want to do the whole small talk, fancy dinner thing. A small carnival was in town that week, so she suggested they go to that. A part of her chose it knowing that he would be out of his comfort zone. What millionaire playboy would be a frequent carnival goer? At first, he was hesitant, a reaction she had expected. But then she found out the reason for his hesitance. Apparently, he had never been to one before, which made Penny wonder if he had a childhood at all. She hadn’t thought that he had never gone at all, but a wicked part of her was excited to see Chase in her territory, so to speak.

Chase picked her up, and during the car ride, despite her nerves, she found that they were able to carry conversation the whole way there.

Why was she nervous, anyway? Oh, yeah. Because he was hot as hell and the most charming man she had ever met. And he had given her the best sex she had ever had. She tried not to think about that, or it would make her even more nervous.

She gazed at his form, taking in the sight of him in casual clothes as they stood in line for tickets. It was the first time he wasn’t wearing a tailored suit in front of her. Today he was dressed in slim-fit black jeans, dark brown desert boots, a plain tee, and a light bomber jacket. Of course, his thick brown hair was perfectly coiffed in a clean, yet messy look. She glanced down, feeling slightly self-conscious at her plain outfit. Were her boobs sticking out too much? Did her hair get frizzy in the car? Ugh. She needed to stop or she wouldn’t last the night.

“Oh, my God, Chase,” she said, staring at the hundred-dollar bills in his hand. “Are you trying to get tickets to a Beyoncé concert or a carnival?”

Chase’s cheeks flushed pink. “I don’t know how many tickets each ride or game requires,” he said, slightly defensive.

Penny shook her head in amusement, taking a fifty-dollar bill from his hand. “This should be plenty,” she said with a laugh.

“Well, if you need more, you know I’ve got enough,” he told her with an easy smile. Penny fought the urge to roll her eyes. He was so sweet, but at the same time he could be such a show-off. Honestly, he was so rich he probably didn’t even realize he was showing off.

As they inched forward in line, they looked around at the crowds. There were dozens of families walking around with funnel cake and balloon animals. There were also couples on dates, just like them. She looked up at him with a fond smile—that was, until she saw where he set his gaze. His eyes were trailing after a woman who clearly forgot the top half of her shirt; her breasts were nearly spilling out of her piece of fabric of a shirt.

Penny fought the urge to snap her fingers in front of his face, but because their date had just begun, she stamped down her annoyance. Men.

Once they got their tickets, they walked around, playing carnival games. They played each game at least once, though steered clear of the ring toss. That game came with a goldfish as a prize, which they both agreed would be a bad idea. Neither of them had the time nor desire to take care of a fish.

“How are you so bad at this?” Chase said, laughing as Penny tried to throw softballs into barrels. “I thought you went to carnivals all the time when you were younger.”

Penny huffed, irritated. “Key word is ‘younger.’ It’s been ages since I’ve played! Let’s see you try!” She shoved the balls into his hands and crossed her arms.

Chase raised his eyebrows in amusement. “Competitive, huh? Didn’t know that about you. I’ll try not to beat you too hard, then.” He laughed as she shoved his arm.

Within seconds, Chase had tossed all three balls in the barrel with ease. He gave her a triumphant grin. “And that, milady, is how it’s done.”

“Double or nothing and you get this one over here,” the booth owner told Chase, pointing at a large stuffed Tweety Bird. It was quite tacky, but it was the largest prize in the booth.

“Hand them over,” Chase said immediately.

“Are you sure?” Penny asked doubtfully. “Why don’t you just go with the little rabbit over there? It’s cute.”

Chase looked at her, his face completely serious. “Go big or go home, Connor. It’s Tweety Bird or nothing.”

Penny burst out laughing, shaking her head. To her surprise, he effortlessly tossed all three balls into the barrel once again. Chase let out a whoop of victory as the booth owner handed him the huge stuffed animal.

“For you,” Chase said, presenting her with the prize in a grand gesture.

Penny placed a hand over her heart in mock surprise. “I’m so flattered! This is just the most beautiful thing anyone’s ever given me!”

“You’re welcome,” he said graciously. “If I hadn’t won that, I would’ve just bought it for you. I would’ve bought you all the prizes here.”

Penny looked up at him, expecting it to be a joke, but his face showed no signs of humor. “Let’s go on the ferris wheel,” she said, changing the topic. “I know it’s super cliché, but you’ve never been, right?”

“This would be my first,” Chase confirmed with a smile. “Let’s go.”