Seductive Guest (4 page)

I shrugged.

“Date or not, it’s rude to ditch you like that.”

I didn’t deny it
.

“Why are you into him?”

“I have no fucking idea.” It was like I had no control over my own decisions. I felt the tears burn again. A break down was just on the horizon.

He left the wall and came closer to me. “How about I walk you out and get you a cab?”

“I don’t want to stay…”

“Then come with me.” He put his arm around my waist and walked me through the crowd and out of the hotel. Even though I didn’t know him, his touch felt nice. It was nice to have someone care, even if it was just a small amount.

We reached the sidewalk and he waved down a cab. “I’m sorry your night didn’t go well.”

“Yeah…thanks for helping me out. You’re a nice guy.”

“You’re very welcome.” He opened the back door for me. “What’s your name?”

“Meadow.”

His eyes narrowed on my face.

“What?” I asked.

“My name is River.”

“Really?” The name caught me by surprise. “River and Meadow.” I somehow released a weak chuckle. “That’s ironic.”

“Yeah…it is.” He took me in for a long time.

“Well, good night. And thanks again.”

“Yeah.” He still seemed lost.

I got into the back of the cab and shut the door.

River stood there with his hands in his pockets, staring at me through the window.

The cab pulled away but I kept staring at him until he was lost from my sight. I couldn’t explain what just happened, but I felt like I knew River from somewhere, like he was already a friend.

***

The entire weekend went by without a phone call from Nathan. He didn’t check on me. He probably didn’t notice that I left the charity event. He clearly hooked up with that blonde and left without thinking twice about me. He didn’t care how I got home or when I got home.

Nothing.

He was such a dick.

I was in a sour mood for the rest of the weekend. When Danielle called and asked if I want to go out the following night I lied and told her I was busy. I didn’t want to admit how lame I was out loud to another human being.

Seriously, what did I see in Nathan? Of course, he was gorgeous. He was smart, funny, sophisticated, and that body…here I go again.

Dammit.

No, I needed to get over him and move on. No longer would I think about his gorgeous brown hair that was slightly curly at the ends. No longer would I think about those deep blue ocean eyes. I wouldn’t appreciate the smell of his cologne. When his sexy voice came into my ear, I wouldn’t shiver in desire.

I was done with Nathan Maxwell.

***

When Monday arrived, I got his morning coffee like usual, but this time I left it on his desk. It would eliminate unnecessary conversations. Hopefully, he would just walk into his office every morning and give me a quick hello. There was no need to dawdle.

Because I didn’t give a damn about him.

The elevator doors opened and Nathan walked onto the floor.

I stared at my computer screen and refused to look away. He no longer had my undivided attention.

Nathan approached my desk with his satchel over his shoulder.

I didn’t look at him. “Your coffee is on your desk.” I typed a fake email so I would appear busy.

“Uh, thanks.” He clearly noticed something was off. “Everything alright, Meadow?”

“I’m just very busy, Nathan. Let me know if you need anything else.” I was proud of myself for keeping my eyes glued to my screen.

He continued to stand there, his hands in his pockets. He shifted his weight back and forth then rubbed his chin. I watched him move in my peripheral vision. I wish he would just walk away. Finally, he left my desk and headed to his office.

Phew, glad that’s over.

But he never opened the door. Instead, he came back to me.

God fucking dammit.

He stared at me and waited for me to look at him. When I didn’t, he spoke. “I fucked up, didn’t I?” His voice was vulnerable. He hardly ever cursed in the office. The only times I heard him say things like that were when he was off the clock.

I paused in my typing and just listened to him.

“I…” Nathan always had something to say. Hearing him act speechless was surprising. He paused for a long time, organizing his thoughts. “I shouldn’t have left with Patricia. I wasn’t thinking…I just assumed you went off on your own adventure.”

My anger dimmed noticeably. He wasn’t the kind of man to apologize for anything. “If you were looking for a hook up why did you bring me as a date at all?” I finally looked at him, and then it became impossible to stay mad.

“I wasn’t looking for a hookup,” he said. “You know how these things happen…”

“Because you can’t keep it in your pants for more than a few minutes.” My eyes widened as I realized what I blurted out loud. Nathan was my boss and insulting him wasn’t a good idea.

Nathan didn’t scream at me. He didn’t fire me. In fact, he didn’t react at all. All he did was released a deep sigh. “I really hurt you.”

“Well, it didn’t feel good to be abandoned. It was a Friday night, Nathan. I could have found something better to do than stand there and wait for you to come back. You didn’t even call me all weekend. It was like I meant absolutely nothing to you—even if I am just your assistant.”

He bowed his head in shame. “You’re completely right, Meadow. My behavior was unacceptable. I hope you understand how sorry I am. Just seeing you turn away from me like you despise me is…painful. I lost your trust and your respect. And those things mean a lot to me.”

How could he be this charming all the time? He was charismatic even when he was apologizing for being a dick. Or was I so in love with him I didn’t care? “It’s okay, Nathan. Don’t worry about it.” I turned back to my computer.

He continued to stand there. “Have dinner with me tonight. I’ll make it up to you.”

Really?
I turned back to him. “It’s really okay. Don’t worry about it. It’s water under the bridge.”

“Have dinner with me,” he repeated. “I insist.” There was a determined look in his eyes. I recognized it from his meetings with his investors. It meant he wouldn’t back down—no matter what.

How did I say no to a gorgeous man who was so determined to make things right? “Sure.”

His shoulders finally relaxed. “Thank you. How about at seven?”

“That sounds good.”

He nodded then finally walked into his office.

And then like before, I was in love with Nathan Maxwell all over again.

***

He took me to a new fancy restaurant in Manhattan. It was an Italian place, and the wait list was already backed up for months. I wasn’t sure how he pulled off dinner reservations.

When we approached our table, he pulled out the chair for me.

This evening was starting off pretty well.
“Thank you.”

He helped push the chair in before he sat across from me. Then he immediately turned to the waiter. “A bottle of your finest, please.”

“Of course, sir.” The waiter walked away.

Nathan shot me a look then picked up his menu. “You like wine?”

“I like anything that has an alcohol content above eight percent.”

He released a faint chuckle. “You’re easy to please.”

If that were true I wouldn’t be in love with the same man for years—whom didn’t even know I was alive.

He browsed his menu. “I recommend the calzone. It’s delicious.”

“You’ve been here before?”

“Opening night.”

“Wow. First one in line.”

“Actually, I’m the owner of this restaurant.” He put down the menu and scanned the crowd.

“Oh, I didn’t know that. Congratulations.”

“Thanks,” he said. “It’s more of a tax write off.”

Nathan was a good guy but he could be arrogant from time to time. It annoyed me but his flaws paled in comparison to his strengths.

“I’ve always been in interested in owning a restaurant. But after I opened this place I realized I didn’t really want to be involved. I just wanted to make another profit.”

He was already a billionaire. He needed more money?
“I see…” I wasn’t sure what else to say.

The waiter brought the wine and took our order. I took Nathan’s recommendation and ordered the calzone. When the waiter walked away, I stared at Nathan. He looked like a powerhouse in his suit. I’d give anything to see what was underneath it. “So, basically you took me here because it would be free?” There was a teasing tone in my voice.

“Or just to show off another accomplishment.”

“You don’t need to show off for me,” I said. “I already know how successful, talented, and smart you are.”

A glowing look came into his eyes, like he was pleased with my response.

I grabbed the glass and took a sip. “It’s smooth.”

He raised his glass to his lips and smelled it before he took a quick drink. “Worth every penny.”

I set my glass down and tried to think of something to say. Nathan and I spent time together but we usually talked about work. Now there wasn’t a topic for us to discuss. I didn’t realize how nervous he made me until now. When I looked at him, I felt like I was gawking. So I turned away and looked out the window. I fidgeted with my fingers under the table where he couldn’t see. I’d never been so insecure around someone but Nathan made me that way. I cared so much about his opinion that I never wanted to give him a reason to think less of me. But then again, I doubted he had the highest opinion of me to begin with.

“So,” he said as he looked at me with his intelligent eyes. “What’s new with you?”

I tried to think of something interesting to say. “I started kickboxing. That’s pretty fun.”

“Sounds strenuous.”

“Yeah, Danielle and I are soaked in sweat by the end.”

“Your friend that came to the office?” His interest in my hobby increased by tenfold.

“Yeah.”
It was clear he hadn’t forgotten about her.

“So…is she strictly gay or is she bi?” He stared at me intently while he waited for my answer.

It made me feel terrible all over again. He still wanted to sleep with Danielle. “No, she only likes women.”

He sighed. “I see…”

Was I just being too sensitive about this? My other guy friends talked about the girls they were into. Every time Nathan mentioned his attraction to a woman I wanted to demolish my apartment. I was both jealous and hurt. But it was stupid to feel that way. Nathan was a dream I would never enjoy—unless I was asleep.

“I’ve been doing martial arts,” he said. “Just to mix it up.”

“That sounds difficult.”

He shrugged. “I have a trainer so it’s not that bad.”

I suddenly noticed he never asked if I was seeing anyone. Not once. Did he assume I was single all the time? Or did he just not care about my love life? Again, was I reading too much into it?

We made small talk about our preferences for exercise and then his dad came up.

“You still haven’t talk to him?” I asked.

He just shook his head.

I suspected I was the only person who knew what was going on in his life. He was fiercely protective of his private life. I’d noticed he never had a long-term relationship, and I suspected it was because he simply didn’t trust people. “You’ll have to speak to him eventually.”

“I don’t have to do anything,” he said coldly.

“He’s still your father…”

“He cheated on my mom—for years. No, he’s not my father.”

Nathan was close to his mom, and he took the divorce hard. When he found out what his father did, it changed him. He became more detached and mysterious. I suspected it hurt him a lot more than he let on. “I’m sorry.” I couldn’t think of anything else to say.

“You did nothing wrong, Meadow.”

I took a sip of my wine because I didn’t know what else to do.

Thankfully, the food arrived. The waiter set the dishes in front of us before he walked away.

Nathan picked at his food and only took a few bites. He was a very particular eater. He was in such great shape because he exercised a lot and restricted his diet. He never deviated from it. While I respected his discipline, I also thought it made him a little uptight.

I cut into my calzone and ate half of it in minutes. “Wow, this is good.”

He gave me a slight smile. “Told you so.”

“It’s so crunchy but cheesy on the inside.” I couldn’t stop eating because it was delicious.

Nathan sipped his wine then took a few bites.

Within minutes, I finished the whole thing. “I know I’ll regret that later…”

He stared at my empty plate.

The waiter brought the tab and Nathan immediately slipped his card inside, like he was in a hurry. Then he returned to sipping his wine.