What Nathan Wants

by Ruth Ann Nordin

  “It’s alright,” her mom said, laughing. “I’ve survived worse.”

  And so she was back to Nathan brushing his knee with hers. She glanced warily at him. She knew he did that on purpose—just like he snuck in physical contact at the airport. It wouldn’t have been so annoying if a part of her didn’t like it. The only reason she did like it at all was because she hadn’t had any meaningful contact with a man since she said good-bye to Sean before he got on the airplane.

  Inwardly groaning, she turned her attention back to the menu. Her eyes grew wide when she saw the prices. This place even charged for a glass of water! She pressed her hand to her chin to make sure her jaw wasn’t hanging down in shock. Shifting her gaze from one person to another, she realized she was the only one who seemed alarmed that the main course cost enough to fill up most of her gas tank.

  But then, she shouldn’t be surprised. After all, Nathan was loaded. To him, this was equivalent to her buying a hamburger from a fast food joint. Man, oh man, Danielle would love to come here. That was it! She could babysit Danielle’s kids so Danielle and her husband could have a romantic dinner here—all due to Nathan’s grossly inflated bank account. Amy relaxed, feeling much better about talking her friend into putting on that hideous make-up.

  “I think I’ll have the salmon,” her dad said.

  Her mom rolled her eyes. “Why don’t you have something different for a change?”

  His eyebrows rose and he shrugged. “Why mess with something that’s tried and true?”

  “You can afford some variety once in awhile.”

  “I’m eating it in a different restaurant. That’s variety.”

  “Oh sure.”

  Despite the sour situation, Amy felt a smile tug at her lips.

  Her father turned his attention to her. “What are you going to have?”

  She glanced at her menu. She didn’t even have an appetite. How was she supposed to eat?

  “The prime rib is excellent here,” Nathan said.

  Her gaze shot in his direction and her skin bristled. He had a lot of nerve, talking to her as if they belonged together. Wasn’t it enough that he kept brushing his knee against hers?

  His eyebrows rose and he innocently asked, “Not in the mood for steak?”

  “No, I’m not.” Though it was hard—and painfully so—she managed to keep her tone civil. “I think I’ll have salmon, like my dad.”

  “Really?” her mother asked. “Since when did you turn down the chance to eat a steak dinner?”

  Since I ‘married’ a control freak! Rather than yell out those words, she took a deep breath and shrugged. “I thought I’d give the salmon a go.”

  “That a girl.” Her dad winked at her. “She’s developing some fine taste.”

  “She certainly is,” her mother agreed and also winked.

  Amy tensed. Oh no. Her mother was sending her a secret signal. The secret signal. The one that told her whether or not her mother approved of the boys she’d dated in high school and college. And God help her now because her mother liked Nathan. That spelled trouble. It would make her case of getting away from him that much harder. She hated this!

  “The salmon here is excellent,” Nathan said, “but I think I’ll stick with the steak.”

  “It does look tempting,” her mother replied, biting her lower lip and studying the menu. “However, I think I’ll try the pork chops this time.”

  This time? Her mother wasn’t implying that them all eating together, as if they were a real family, was going to happen again, was she? Amy glanced at Nathan and he smiled at her. Amy was going to be ill. Seriously, how was she supposed to handle more meals like this? If only her parents had come in her car from the airport. Then they’d be giving Nathan his walking papers.

  The meal was hard to get through. Her parents laughed at Nathan’s jokes and seemed most impressed by him. And even though she tried not to enjoy the food, she had to admit the chef did a fantastic job. Deciding to wallow in her misery, she ordered a chocolate dessert. Hey, desperate times called for desperate measures. And nothing soothed the soul like chocolate. Plus, it gave her an excuse to keep her mouth full so she couldn’t participate in the conversation.

  By the time the meal was over, her father looked at her and nodded. “Marriage has done you good. I haven’t seen you eat that well in a long time.”

  “Well, love does wonderful things for the appetite,” her mother added, glancing from Amy to Nathan as if they were a match made in heaven.

  Amy didn’t even look at Nathan. She already knew what she’d find. He’d be wearing that satisfied smirk on his face. The rat. This was all his fault. And here he was, enjoying her misery.

  The server came by with the check, and Nathan took it before Amy could see what the total came to. Whatever it was, she was sure it’d make her faint. The entire dinner probably made up the sum of her week’s wages.

  Nathan handed the server his card and the bill and smiled at them. “I’m sure you’re exhausted after a long flight here. We can go to my house and get you settled in.”

  Amy had to bite down on her tongue so she wouldn’t gasp when he placed his hand on her knee and gave it a slight squeeze. Who did he think he was? First, patting her butt in the airport, then brushing his knee against hers during the entire meal, and now this? It was obvious what he had in mind for the night, and there was no way she was going to give it to him. Absolutely not! She reached under the table and slapped his hand away. There. That should be enough of a warning.

  The server returned and handed Nathan his card and two receipts.

  She breathed a sigh of relief. At least he couldn’t grope her while he was signing the bill.

  “It’ll be nice to sit and relax,” her father said as he patted his stomach.

  Her mother shook her head but smiled good-naturedly. “You spent all day sitting on the plane.”

  “Now, Marge, you know I can’t relax on an airplane. I need to spread my legs and sit back.”

  Nathan returned his pen to his breast pocket, and Amy turned to glance at the check to see just how much the bill came to when she noticed how much he left for a tip. Good grief! This guy had so much money he didn’t know what to do with it. Now she didn’t feel bad for giving Danielle the hot tub.

  Nathan turned to her and pulled her chair out. “Will you be following us home or should we send someone to tow your car there?”

  “Tow my car?” she snapped, jerking to her feet so she could face him.

  He blinked. “I thought you might like to ride with us.” Then he grinned. “Did you think I meant to imply that it won’t start? That’s not what I meant, sweetie.” He looked at her parents and sighed. “She’s really attached to Old Snoop, isn’t she?”

  “More than she should be,” her father replied as he helped her mother to her feet and stretched. “Thanks for tipping the hostess so I didn’t have to wear a jacket and tie. Those things always make me feel like I’m being strangled. I don’t know how you handle a suit, but you make my little girl happy.”

  Her mother nodded in agreement and collected her purse.

  Amy frowned. What planet were her parents living on? Who in their right mind would take one look at her and think she was happy?

  Nathan put his arm around her shoulders and said, “I aim to be the best husband I can possibly be.”

  When her joyful parents turned to walk out of the place, she jabbed him in the side with her elbow.

  “Ow.” He furrowed his eyebrows at her. “If I didn’t know better, I’d think you were really opposed to this whole thing.” Then he smiled and took her by the hand. “Well, come along, honey. Your parents are waiting for us.”

  She snatched her hand from his. “You got me backed into a corner, so I’ll go to your house, but I’m taking my car.”

  “I’ll drive slow so I won’t lose you. That way in case the car stalls out, you won’t be stranded.”

  Hiding her irritation as much as she could, she reluctant
ly walked out of the restaurant with him.

  Chapter Six

  How did I end up here? No matter how many times Amy asked herself this question, she couldn’t answer it. Nathan’s bedroom walls pressed in on her from all sides.

  He’s sneaky. That’s how you got conned into staying here!

  He purposely had her parents stay in the bedroom right next to theirs and refused to say good-night to them until she went into his bedroom. Trapped. The rat had her trapped, and she couldn’t do anything about it. She crossed her arms, sat in the chair by his desk, and glared at him.

  Smiling, he shut the bedroom door and smiled at her. “You have terrific parents. I really like them.”

  She grumbled. They liked him too, and that wasn’t helping her cause at all. How was she supposed to get out of this travesty of a marriage? He hadn’t let her out of his sight once she pulled up into his driveway.

  “You shouldn’t stress out so much,” he casually admonished as he loosened his tie. “You’ll end up with an ulcer or high blood pressure.”

  “You can’t go through with this,” she said, not hiding her irritation.

  He sighed as if he couldn’t believe his ears. “Did you take the time to actually look at this house?”

  “It’s so big, it’s hard to miss.”

  “Exactly.” He made a waving motion with his hand. “You now have access to Rudolph estates. The pool, the hot tub, the home theatre, the spacious kitchen, and the large walk-in closet.” He opened a door to reveal her clothes neatly hung in what looked like it went on forever from where she sat. “There’s even room for more clothes, and here are shelves for purses and shoes. Go crazy and buy some things to wear. Take that friend of yours with you.” He momentarily shivered. “Lord knows she could use a better wardrobe. I can’t have my employees looking like that at work. She doesn’t dress like that at work, does she?”

  “She was right there when you ordered me to marry you.”

  His eyebrows furrowed. “Someone else was there?”

  She rolled her eyes.

  He shrugged. “I believe you. It’s just that with all the activity, it was easy to forget the small details. I had a lot to do that day.”

  “I’m sure.” She didn’t hide her sarcasm.

  “I don’t understand your resistance. I saw your old place. You’re much better off here where you’re not holed up in a one bedroom apartment. However did you manage without feeling like you weren’t going to suffocate in a space that small?”

  “I feel like I’m going to suffocate right now.”

  His eyes widened. “This bedroom is the size of your entire apartment.”

  “And you have other bedrooms. How many is it? Five or six? I demand to stay in one of them since I can’t leave here until my parents go home.”

  He laughed as if that were the funniest thing he ever heard.

  Huffing, she crossed her arms. “I don’t see what’s so amusing. I’m a hostage here!”

  “You’re my wife. Wives and husbands sleep in the same bedroom.” Raising an eyebrow at her and with a knowing grin, he added, “In the same bed.”

  Her face grew red with a sudden burst of anger. “You better not think of raping me because I’ll scream so loud my parents will come in here.”

  He gasped. “Please. I would never do something so horrible to a woman. Your opinion can’t be that poor when it comes to me.”

  She groaned. No, it wasn’t. “Fine. I don’t get that vibe from you. But you better not think that I’m having sex with you.”

  He went into the closet and came out with her pajamas which he gave her. “If I thought something was going to happen, I would be handing you a negligee. But see what I have. Flannel blue and white checkered pajamas.”

  She reluctantly took them but gave him a skeptical look.

  Looking amused, he returned to the closet and pulled out a drawer and showed her his black pajamas. Then he tossed them on the small table by the closet. He took off his tie and hung it on the hook by his suit jackets. “I absolutely refuse to have sex with you tonight.”

  Her eyes narrowed. “What?”

  “I won’t be ready until you insist on it.” He slipped off his suit jacket and hung it up on a hanger.

  “Until I insist on it?”

  “Now, I know it’s not going to happen tonight, but mark my words: one of these days, you’re going to find me irresistible and throw yourself at me in wild abandon. That’s when we’ll consummate the marriage.”

  This time it was she who burst out laughing. “Dream on, pal. I’m not one of your fantasy women. I’ll never throw myself at you.”

  “So you say.” He unbuttoned his shirt.

  She straightened in her chair. “You’re going to undress in the bathroom, right?”

  He glanced her way and gave her a look that told her she had lost her marbles. “Why would I do that? The laundry hamper is right here.” He pointed to the space inside the closet that was clear of clothes.

  “Because I’m here.”

  “So?”

  He shrugged off his shirt and tossed it into the hamper.

  “So?” she repeated, her cheeks flushing.

  “Yeah. So? You’ve been married before. You know what a man looks like naked. Not that I’m going to get completely naked, but still, come on. You’re not a virgin. There’s no need for modesty.”

  He took his undershirt off, and she quickly averted her gaze. Maybe she wasn’t a stranger to a man’s naked body, but she hadn’t seen him naked, nor did she care to—ever. Despite what he thought, this sham was over once her parents were on the plane!

  Grunting, she stood up and clutched her pajamas to her chest. Without a look in his direction, she hurried to the bathroom. She reached the door in time to hear him unzip his pants. Startled, she slammed the door behind her and locked it. She heard him chuckle but ignored it.

  Placing her pajamas on the counter, she placed her face in her hands. This couldn’t be happening. It just couldn’t be real! She was having a nightmare. Surely, she was going to wake up in her apartment and laugh this whole thing off.

  Turning on the water at the sink in front of her, she willed herself to wake up. She leaned forward and wiped her face with the water, but when she opened her eyes, she was staring at her bewildered reflection in the mirror. This was no dream, and the Neanderthal on the other side of the door did, in fact, knock her over the head and drag her back to his cave. Even if it was a very nice cave, it was still a prison.

  Well, there was nothing she could do tonight. What she needed was another game plan. There had to be some way out of this marriage. As she changed into her pajamas, she brainstormed her options. The first thing she needed was a job. A job would be her method for getting another apartment. Nathan Rudolph wasn’t the only employer in town. Granted, he offered some of the sweetest benefits for employees, but she’d learn to go without the extra vacation time and Christmas bonus. Her freedom was worth some sacrifices.

  Once she was ready for bed and couldn’t think of a single thing to delay her exit from the safety of the bathroom, she quietly opened the door and peered into the room. He was lying on his back in the bed, the silver comforter up to the middle of his chest, and his eyes closed. She gritted her teeth. There was nowhere else to sleep, and one look at the four indents in the off white carpet showed her that there had been a chair, perhaps a recliner, in here recently.

  Shaking her head in disgust, she made her way to the closet and threw her things on the floor, purposely missing the laundry basket. His world was so neat. Everything in his room was carefully placed in order. The bookcase to the side of the bed had books that were alphabetized and sectioned off by subject matter. The dresser had been dusted with only a small round clock that sat in the center of it. The mirror above the dresser didn’t have a single streak on it. The two ivory lamps, one on each side of the large bed, had been wiped down as well. The silver curtains were neatly drawn and matched the comforter and the rug by the
bed. The mirrors on the wall had been cut to form a boat, an airplane, a train, and a car.

  She rolled her eyes. The man didn’t sleep in a bedroom. He slept in a museum. No other place she’d ever seen, not even his office, was carefully preserved like this room.

  Well, she wasn’t going to sleep in that bed with him. She knew better than to think he’d sleep on the floor if she asked. He’d obviously removed the chair from this room so they’d have to share a bed. It was amazing how much he’d do to get her to stay married to him. Not that she was in the slightest bit tempted to have sex with him. But who knew what he’d try to do?

  She walked into the closet and searched for a blanket but couldn’t find one. There was a spot along the top of the shelves that was empty. She wondered if blankets used to be there. Probably.

  Wow. He really thought of everything. She stood in the middle of the closet for a moment, trying to think of her next plan of action when she saw that her bathrobe was neatly hung by a dress. It wasn’t ideal but it would do. She grabbed her robe and a pillow and sauntered over to the middle of the room where she plopped her stuff on the floor.

  He opened his eyes and looked in her direction. “What are you doing?”

  “Going to sleep.”

  “You can’t sleep on the floor.”

  “Why not?” She sat down and adjusted the robe so it would lie nicely on top of her.

  He rolled his eyes. “You can’t be serious. Look, I’m not going to touch you. I promise.”

  “It’s more than that and you know it. You’re holding me hostage.”

  “I am doing no such thing. I’m merely getting you used to the idea of being with me. Besides, if you’re that opposed to being here, go ahead and leave. I won’t stop you.”

  She settled onto the floor. “No? My parents are in the next room, and if I left, you’d probably give them a sob story about how you love me and don’t know why I left the way I did.”

  “I didn’t think of that. Thanks for the tip.”

  She hid the urge to scream. He was lying. Of course, he’d already thought of it! The man was brilliant. Deceptive and sneaky but brilliant. He might just as well be the most brilliant man she’d ever met. But sneaky. Definitely sneaky. And horribly deceptive. There she was in his office, thinking she was being interviewed for a job promotion. Never once did it occur to her that he was looking for a woman to have his brilliant, sneaky and deceptive offspring.