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I’d done my best to lay the groundwork for making a home here, and because of that, it wound up being the one place I never brought a woman. It was my way of retreating from my player bachelor life, not allowing that side of me here. That was most likely why my mind had shifted from being entirely secure to utterly insecure, having Nat in this house, of all houses. However, it didn’t take long before the insecurities faded, and I was content as fuck with her being here.
The following six days passed in a flurry, with us spending every day together the way I knew we would if we were home in California. Or, at least, the way I imagined we would.
Overall, this situation, feeling as though Nat lived with me, was working out. I knew it’d only been a week, and I was sure the honeymoon phase would end sometime, but right now, it was fucking lovely. Waking up in each other’s arms, making her breakfast while she showered, and walking out the door to head off to our respective places of work in London, I could quickly get used to this. Malibu would likely be the same.
I’m pretty sure it was too soon to fall in love and all that went with that, but hell, right now, I was not complaining.
Nat turned over, and I smiled when her eyes fluttered open, and she looked up at me softer than she ever had, even with how things had been changing between us.
“I don’t have any work to do for my client today,” she said, moving so that her head was lying comfortably on my bicep. “I sent them all the documentation for the properties I scouted yesterday, and they’re going to make their decision over the weekend.”
“Interesting,” I said, edging forward to press my body alongside hers. “Whatever are you going to do with your free day?”
“No clue,” she said. “I was hoping you would have some ideas since I’m not that familiar.”
I pulled back from her and raised my eyebrow. “Bullshit,” I said. “You’ve been coming out here for years.”
“Yeah, for work, not play,” she said. “But I’ve never gotten to be a tourist.”
“Well, we’ll have to change that now, won’t we?” I brushed the tip of my finger down the center of her nose, “What do you say we do some tourist shit?”
She chuckled. “Fine, but I don’t need to see the changing of any queen’s guards. That one doesn’t do it for me.”
“Fair enough. I’ll make it worthwhile, but first, let me introduce an exciting way to do London with me as your tour guide,” I said as I leaned forward and kissed her softly.
She chuckled while rolling her eyes. My smile broadened when she rolled me onto my back and proceeded to have her way with me.
* * *
Once we’d finally gotten out of the house, we went to get coffee in Battersea Park, and I handed her some bread I’d purchased while she was looking at the souvenir coffee mugs. I wanted to give her hell for that, but instead, I smiled and admired this innocent-looking side of her. Nat and souvenir coffee mugs? Never in a million would I have guessed that one.
“Bread? Didn’t we just have breakfast?” she asked, raising her eyebrow at me.
“It’s not for you,” I said, grinning. “It’s for them.”
She followed the direction of where I nodded my head and saw the ducks paddling along in the water. She looked back at me with confusion, “Seriously?”
“As a heart attack,” I said, tearing off a piece of bread and throwing it into the water for the nearest mallard. “My dad used to bring me here on Saturday mornings. Heidi never liked going to Battersea—it wasn’t posh enough for her—so it was just ours. And don’t give me hell for it, either. I saw you with those coffee mug souvenirs, so I’m sure you can manage to feed the ducks.”
“I was looking for something for Bree,” she answered as if I would buy into that lie.
“Right,” I answered, “Because Alex and Bree have never been to London. Just admit it. You’re softening up a little, appreciating the finer things that a trip to London can offer without burying yourself in work.”
She tucked a piece of hair behind her ear and gazed at the ducks. “I’ll admit, I’m enjoying trying out this whole relationship thing with you. So, yeah, you caught me acting like a normal person for once.”
“Good,” I grinned when she glanced back at me. “I’m grateful I’m the one person in this world who can help Natalia Hoover become more normal for a change.”
She sighed with some irritation and looked over at me, “It’s a good and bad thing, you know? If you hurt me, I don’t know how I’ll respond, but I’m sure everyone will say it’s far from normal.”
I chuckled, “I can only imagine.”
Her face softened, and she tore off a hunk of bread to throw in the water, seemingly ending that conversation and changing the subject. “What about Stephen?”
I looked at her in confusion. “What about him?”
“You said that your father brought you here?”
“Oh, of course,” I answered. “Steve would sometimes come, but at that point, he fancied himself too good to come out with his dad and little brother, so it was just us.”
