What Nathan Wants

by Ruth Ann Nordin

  “I think you owe her an apology for putting her through all this aggravation. She doesn’t deserve it.”

  “I’ll make it up to her. Don’t you worry your pretty little head about it.”

  Tyler groaned but stood up. “Fine. I’ll still be surprised if she stays with you.”

  “Oh, she will.”

  Tyler strode out of the room and said something to Carmen who laughed.

  Nathan was honestly surprised that Tyler didn’t catch onto things. All Amy needed now was time to cool down. He estimated that she’d be able to have a calm and rational discussion by the afternoon. For the time being, however, he needed to give her space. With a contented smile, he returned his attention to the document.

  ***

  “Why do we need men again?” Amy asked at the restaurant she and Danielle chose for lunch.

  “Because sex is fun?” Danielle ventured as she put down her menu.

  Amy shot her an exasperated look.

  Danielle shrugged. “I think it’s fun.”

  She ran her fingers through her hair and groaned. “I don’t know if I can even get through to him. I mean, there I was telling him over and over what I wanted, and he sat there and smiled at me as if I was telling him I was in love in him. The man is a complete lunatic.”

  “Maybe. But he’s a very well-to-do lunatic.”

  “Is everything about money for you?”

  “Pretty much.”

  A smile tugged at Amy’s lips. “At least you’re honest.”

  “Yes. That I am.” She bit her lower lip. “Are you going to stay married to him?”

  “Worried we’ll lose that frappuccino maker if I don’t?”

  “That’s part of it. I’d also miss our shopping sprees. But mostly, I’d like to see you happily married again. I remember how miserable you were when Sean died.”

  “Sean was a good guy.”

  “He was.”

  “And he’s nothing like Nathan. The two couldn’t be more opposite.”

  “Like night and day,” Danielle agreed.

  The server came up to them and took their order.

  Once he left, Danielle continued, “Different can be good, you know.”

  “I don’t mind that Nathan is different. I just don’t want him dictating my life. It might not work. I mean, if he keeps this up, then I’ll be miserable. More miserable than I was when Sean died.”

  “I pray that he comes to his senses. I’d hate to lose him.”

  For the first time that day, Amy laughed. “You’re really something.”

  “Hey, if you can’t use your friend’s husband, who can you use?”

  The server brought them their drinks.

  Amy added sugar to her coffee and stirred it in. “What was it like to be pregnant?”

  Danielle’s eyes grew wide. “Wow. One minute you want to rip the guy’s heart out and the next you want to get pregnant?”

  “I didn’t say I wanted his kid,” she clarified. “I was thinking about yesterday when Elizabeth Jackson explained her labor and birth, but she never got around to saying what it was like to be pregnant.”

  “Well,” Danielle began before she took a sip of her smoothie, “I enjoyed being pregnant after the morning sickness phase passed. There are no real benefits to the first trimester, except for being able to see that positive reading on the pregnancy stick. The second trimester is a lot of fun. That’s when you first feel the baby kick and start to show. I know some women complain about the last month, but I still enjoyed it. I know I can’t explain what it’s like to carry another human being and feel him moving around, but it was probably the most amazing thing I will ever experience.”

  Amy caught the wistful tone in her friend’s voice and smiled. Being pregnant hadn’t been something that Amy ever thought about because she didn’t think she might have the chance at it. But now it was within her grasp. Though she’d rather die than admit it to Nathan, beneath the embarrassment of the moment in that hospital room, she experienced a sense of longing when she held Elizabeth’s baby in her arms. She imagined what it might be like if that was her baby she was holding, and even the memory of that sensation made her pulse pick up with excitement.

  Curse that Nathan! He knew exactly what he was doing when he had her hold the baby. He figured her maternal instincts would kick in and darned if they hadn’t!

  “If I could be pregnant for the rest of my life I would,” Danielle admitted, “though I’d opt to be five to six months along. It was still easy to move around and I still looked pretty good at that point.”

  Amy laughed again. “Yeah. I remember you got as big as a whale.”

  Danielle gagged. “Don’t remind me. I had to throw all those maternity clothes away so I didn’t have to be haunted by how big I got. I sure don’t want to ever go into that section of the store ever again. It was humiliating.”

  “But it was for a good cause.”

  “And that was the only thing that got me through the experience.”

  The server came with their meals so they turned their attention to the food.

  ***

  Amy glanced up as she and Danielle were ready to close the travel agency for the day. She should have expected Nathan to stop by.

  Danielle noticed him too and said, “At least let him speak before you toss him out of here, okay?”

  “I promise,” Amy replied. It was good for him that she’d had sufficient time to calm down.

  “Should I wait for you and see if you need a ride to my house?”

  “No. If I need to, I’ll get a cab.”

  Danielle nodded and grabbed her purse. “Okay. But I want you to keep one thing in mind while you talk to him.”

  “What’s that?”

  Danielle motioned to their new computers, desks and chairs. “It’s a much better work environment than before, and he’s letting you keep your job.”

  “Only because I insisted I keep working.”

  “And he didn’t control you on that, did he? In fact, judging by all the new stuff, he’s supporting it.” She patted Amy’s arm and smiled. “Keep that in mind. Oh, and the frappuccino maker works like a dream!”

  Danielle headed out right before Nathan entered.

  Amy set her purse back on the desk and folded her arms.

  “I would have come with flowers and chocolate, but somehow, that didn’t seem appropriate,” Nathan said as the door closed behind him. “And before you start in on how I didn’t get the message when you came barging into my office earlier today, I want you to know that I did. I’ve been telling you what to do, and that hasn’t been fair to you. I’m sorry. For now on, I will ask you what you want before I make plans, unless I plan to surprise you with a token of my affections. However, should you find such a token offensive, you may throw it in the trash. Deal?”

  She wasn’t prepared for this, so she didn’t know what to say.

  “Take your time,” he finally replied. “I see business hours are over. Do you want me to drive you home, take you out to eat, or take you to your friend’s?”

  “Uh...” She blinked and stared at him. Was this the same person who had looked at her earlier as if he had absolutely no clue as to what was bothering her? Then something clicked. She set a hand on her hip and studied him. “Have you been testing me?”

  “Of course not.”

  “Yes, you have. All this time, you’ve been doing things to purposely see how I’d respond.”

  “I admit I was interested in your reaction, but I wasn’t trying to upset you. That would be counterproductive. I want you to be happily married to me and be willing to make a child with me. Those two things won’t happen if you feel the need to keep yelling at me.”

  She sighed. “Why me? There must be plenty of women who’d be willing to marry you and give you a child. So why me?”

  He shrugged and sat in her chair. “Why not?”

  “I hate it when people answer a question with another question.”

  “But i
t fits, doesn’t it? Why wouldn’t a man want you to be his wife and the mother of his child?”

  “No. The question is why would a man who has more money than he knows what to do with want a woman who works at the lower ranks of his company?”

  “You think the only woman who’d suit me is one who has a significant amount of money?”

  She thought over the question and nodded. “Alright. Yes. I do.”

  “Money isn’t everything. It sure doesn’t guarantee a good marriage.”

  “I’m guessing your ex-wife had money then?”

  “She did. I might have had more, but she wasn’t hurting.” He reached for her hand and gave her a wicked smile. “Come and sit on my lap.”

  She remained still. “I’m not done talking.”

  “We can still talk. I thought it’d be more fun to have this deep and meaningful conversation if you sat on my lap.” His eyebrow rose in interest. “Hasn’t it ever been your fantasy to do something totally improper with your boss in the workplace?”

  She gasped. “No!”

  “Really? Not even once?”

  “No, not even once.”

  He shook his head. “Hmm... I thought everyone had that fantasy at one time or another.”

  “Well, they don’t. And I guess when you see all your female employees, you have fantasies about them?” she snapped.

  “Oh goodness no. The fantasy only works one way. There’s no fascination in being with someone beneath you.”

  She narrowed her eyes at him.

  “You don’t count. You’re my wife. I rescued you from this place, but you insist on staying here. I can’t help that one.” He grinned as he looked her up and down. “Now I have the fantasy. Want to hear it?”

  Her face grew warm, and though she was fully dressed in her blue blouse and black pants, she suddenly felt naked. Resisting the urge to cover her private regions, she said, “No. I don’t.”

  “That’s a shame. It’s a good one.” He ran his hand along the top of the desk. “You know, this desk could have some unique uses.”

  “I’ve heard enough!”

  “Okay. Fantasy’s over. Come on.” He patted his lap and gave her a pleading look. “I’ll keep it PG.”

  Despite herself, she caved. “Fine. But keep it PG.”

  “I promise.”

  She didn’t know why she was doing this. It was ridiculous. And yet, she sat down and wrapped one of her arms around his shoulders. Her feet dangled an inch off the floor, and she had the sudden flashback of when she was a little kid sitting on Santa’s lap and asking for toys.

  Nathan settled one hand on the small of her back and the other on her knee. “This is nice. I like the way you feel.”

  “PG, Nathan,” she warned.

  “This is PG. There’s nothing morbidly R about the word ‘nice’.”

  “Alright.”

  He chuckled in amusement. “You are so cute.” Lightly stroking her lower back, he continued, “So you want to know why I interviewed for a wife?”

  Turning her attention back to the conversation, instead of the surprising thrill of his touch, she nodded. “Yes. Why would you resort to such a thing?”

  “I wanted to pick a wife based on logic. I’ve done the whole ‘head over heels’ thing, and it didn’t work. So I compiled a list of things I valued in a relationship, had Tyler do his best to screen out women who seemed like they made a good match, and then interviewed the ones who sounded the most promising. You see, when it comes to marriage, I’ve learned it’s best to use your head. I don’t just want a woman to give me a child. I want a woman who’ll make a good companion and make a good mother for the child we’ll create together.”

  She considered his words. “It’s an unorthodox way of doing things, but I guess since you’ve been burned once, you wanted to play it safe.”

  “Yes. I wanted to make the right choice the second time around.”

  “Why didn’t you tell us you were looking for a wife instead of making us think you were interviewing for a job?”

  “And risk the possibility that you’d be lying to get into my bank account?”

  “We could have been lying anyway to get a bigger paycheck with the promotion.”

  “True,” he agreed. “But the answers you gave would be geared more towards a job venture than a personal one. Based on some of those answers, I got a good feel for each woman’s personality and how she might suit as a spouse and mother. Take that comment you made about not bugging your friends to go through this agency for their traveling purposes if they could get a better deal elsewhere. That told me two things. You do what is in the best interest of those you care about, and you can’t be pressured into going against your values. Of course, since I offer the better employee benefits and you opted to work for me, you also know a good deal when you see it and take advantage of it.”

  “I had no idea my answers could be interpreted that way. That’s surprisingly deep.”

  He shrugged. “What can I say? I’m a surprisingly deep kind of guy. I’m not all good looks. I do have a brain.”

  “No one would ever accuse you of not having a brain.”

  “Would they accuse me of not having good looks?” he teased.

  “Are you looking for a compliment?”

  “It wouldn’t hurt.” His hand moved up her thigh and even higher.

  “Nathan,” she warned.

  His eyes grew wide in mock innocence. “What?”

  “Keep it PG.”

  “The butt is PG.”

  She groaned, but this time there was a trace of enjoyment in it. “You are definitely a man.”

  “You saw me naked and you doubted that?”

  “You promise me that you won’t dictate my life?”

  “No way. In fact, I want to spend the next few days doing whatever you want. It’s your call, okay?”

  “Whatever I want?”

  “Anything.”

  She couldn’t resist asking, “What if it’s something you don’t like?”

  “As long as I’m with you, I can’t imagine it being horrible. If nothing else, the view will certainly be nice.” His gaze met hers and he offered a charming smile. “I’m very attracted to you, you know.”

  She blushed, feeling oddly pleased that the way his hands caressed her suggested an attraction of a more sexual nature. She missed knowing a man was physically interested in her. It was also nice to know he wouldn’t just be with her to make that child.

  “Alright,” she finally said. “We’ll do a couple of things I want to do.”

  “Great!”

  “Can I start with where to eat tonight?”

  “Sure.”

  “Even if it’s an ordinary place like your home? I miss cooking, you know.”

  “We’ll stop by the store and pick up whatever you want to make.”

  She smiled. “I like eating out, but sometimes I want to eat at home.”

  “Would you like some help? As long as it’s easy, I can assist. I could cut vegetables.”

  She laughed. “That’s a switch. You working for me for a change.”

  “Feel free to boss me around.”

  “Don’t think I won’t.”

  “You know what’s nice about you?” he whispered.

  “My butt?” He couldn’t seem to stop rubbing it.

  “Well, that too. But I like that you don’t hold a grudge. Sure, you were fighting angry with me earlier today, but now you’re quite amiable.”

  “I’m not ready for sex yet,” she warned.

  She wanted to make sure he meant it when he said he’d consult her about the big decisions, and she wouldn’t be sure about that until something came up that should be their decision.

  “Okay. Let’s get some food and then head home,” she said. Deciding not to be too hard on him, she leaned into him and kissed him.

  Chapter Sixteen

  Three days later Amy just finished booking a flight and hotel with a customer when she realized that Danielle
was snickering at her again. She waited until the woman left before she turned to her friend. “Why do you keep laughing? Is there a joke I don’t know about?”

  Leaning back in her chair, Danielle cleared her throat and shrugged as she studied her coffee cup. “You’re restless.”

  “No, I’m not.”

  “Oh please. You can’t sit still to save your life.”

  Amy resisted the urge to get up and check to make sure the poster on the wall was secure. It didn’t need another pin to keep it in place. “I’m doing fine,” she finally lied and glanced at the clock.

  One more hour before Nathan would be by to pick her up.

  “You’re a horrible liar,” Danielle commented before she took a sip of her frappuccino.

  Amy groaned and stood up to shred some paper. “Okay. Maybe I’m a little bit ready for the day to be over.” She ran a few pages through the machine and tried to ignore Danielle’s laughter.

  “Closing time will come soon enough.” Danielle glanced around the room. “I guess there isn’t much to do. Maybe you should go see our boss about...” She scanned the room and snapped her fingers. “I know! Tell him we need a new lamp. That one in the corner isn’t enough.”

  “That’s lame.”

  “Well, you can never have enough light. Ask anyone in the dark.”

  Amy sighed and shook her head. She could wait. It was only an hour.

  “Where are you taking him today?” Danielle asked.

  “Fontenelle Forest.”

  “I was wondering when you’d take him to your favorite spot. That must mean you actually care about him.”

  Amy shot her friend an amused look. “The fact that I’ve been going home with him didn’t clue you in?”

  Danielle shrugged. “I just figured you got tired of me.”

  “I could never get tired of you.”

  “Aw. That’s the sweetest thing anyone’s ever said to me. Thank you.” Danielle sat up and picked up a pen. “I might as well get the supply list filled out, unless you want to do it?” Danielle gave her a hopeful look.

  “Forget it. It’s your turn.”

  Giving a slight pout, Danielle began marking down the items they needed on a list.