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Why in the hell was I allowing this exchange?
I knew exactly why. It felt comfortable. It was a strange adrenaline rush, and I was enjoying it.
“I intend on being there for you, no strings attached.”
My ego melted as I stared at his current expression, which was so sincere that it made me wonder if I had a chance in hell of fighting this.
“Okay, I’ll say something, but I’m not going deep,” I said, stepping aside so that we walked alongside each other.
“Right, but once you earn my trust, you will,” he said, almost as if he was prophesying our future.
“You act as though one day that will happen.”
He smirked at me. “I wouldn’t say it otherwise,” he arched an eyebrow at me. “Now, go ahead.”
“Fine,” I said, in almost a challenging way. “I’m also a middle child, like you. I have an older sister and a younger brother. My sister Liz left home as soon as she could, and she completely separated herself from all the issues we experienced as children, so we don’t speak often. But my brother Shane is incredible. He’s got the opposite problem from Liz, though. The past has its claws in him in a way I’m not sure he realizes.”
“What kind of past is that?” he asked, looking down at me with concern, all previous hints of arrogance from a second ago now erased.
I sighed. “My father.” My lip curled, seemingly of its own volition. “He wasn’t a kind man, and that’s the only thing I’ll say about him.”
“What about your mom?”
“She died in a car accident when I was twelve,” I said. “It was—yeah, it was very difficult.” The smile on my face got shaky.
He tilted his head to the side, utterly silent, as he took me in. Was this what it was like for the owners of the companies that he was investigating, forced to just sit in his silence while he decided on their fates?
He was fucking torturous. If only I could read minds like I read body language.
“Come on,” he said, reaching out to take my hand. “I’m not sure it’s wise if we continue with our pasts right now. Let’s get a glass of wine and numb our minds a bit.”
I didn’t have any more words as he led me down the street, the light glistening off the lake slowly turning more golden as the evening wore on.
Chapter Fifteen
SPENCER
She stood up against the railing of the trattoria, the sunlight glinting off her perfectly smooth skin and turning her lovely honey hair a pure golden color. I couldn’t help but take the time to look at her, feeling like it was a luxury I hadn’t had much of an opportunity to indulge in.
Instead of walking over and guiding her to the table that had just cleared, which the hosts had indicated was mine for the taking, I stood there observing the stunning vision in front of me. She brought the glass of wine to her mouth and took a slow, steady sip, allowing it to settle on her tongue and lean into the flavor.
The slow movement of her lips and the clear indication of how much she was enjoying the wine was enough for me, and I knew I had to step forward and feel the movement of those gorgeous lips on mine.
The table could wait, and so could the host. We would settle in for a lovely conversation at a fine table when I was ready for that moment. Right now, I wanted this moment. I knew I’d be a fool if I ignored the splendor and beauty of this alluring woman.
I gently approached as Natalia graciously indulged herself in another sip of wine.
“Hey,” I said, wrapping my hand around her and settling it on her flat belly to capture her lips with mine. “What are you thinking about?”
I had to know. Her entire vibe had changed once she seemed to have lost herself in the view. I wanted to know what was going through that mind of hers. I was acting purely on impulse, entirely out of my head, and thinking about nothing but how this moment made me feel.
“This lake,” she said, not bothering to turn back and look at me; instead, she settled into my arms as if all the tension supporting her delicate frame had drained out of her. “How I’ll probably never get over looking out at it. I thought I really could appreciate beautiful sunsets, but this? It’s on a whole other level. The color of the water is unlike anything I’ve ever seen.”
“I know,” I said, watching as the sun began to paint the lake in its wash of pinks, gold, and oranges. “As amazing as the views are in my beach house, I’ve never felt like the place could compete with this.”
“Mmm,” she said as she let her head relax against my shoulder. “I could stay here forever.”
Everything about this serene and romantic moment was foreign to me. It should’ve felt bizarre, and I should’ve reacted like I’d touched a hot object, jerking away from it, but I wasn’t feeling that way.
