Law #1: Never Bet on Love: A Sweet Billionaire Love Story (Laws of Love)

by Agnes Canestri

  Her eyes widen. “You kept them? But why?”

  “If I’m honest, I hoped one day you might change your mind and accept them. Once you were convinced that you can trust my good intentions.”

  Her cheeks blush and she takes the earrings from my hand. With an agile gesture, she clicks them onto her curvy earlobes. They dangle like two tiny glittering raindrops at her jawline, enhancing the natural attractiveness of her ebony eyes a tick more.

  “How do I look?” she asks.

  “Breathtaking. Not even Juliana de Cortez looked this good when the Duke invited her to his seasonal opening dance.”

  Eva’s jaw drops. “What? Have you watched Roses and Love? I clearly wouldn’t have expected that.”

  To be honest, I wouldn’t have either. I used to think telenovelas were silly entertainment, and even now, I’m not a fan of them. But streaming through a couple of episodes of Eva’s favorite show hasn’t been a pain at all. Probably because I knew she liked this show and I wanted to understand why.

  Come to think of it, it is bewildering how much I’m behaving differently, all at once. Or maybe not all at once. Some kind of change had already started after Eva’s first refusal in the Desert Rose. I expected her to bend my way and she didn’t. I could say that her resistance first, and her openness later, lured me into a situation where some metamorphosis was unavoidable. Eva acted as a catalyst on a desire I didn’t even know I had about understanding and connecting with people around me and trying things I never even thought interesting. She forced me to act out of my comfort zone. Because I wanted her to like me, I had to pretend I was worthy of her. And by pretending to be a better man, I did become one perhaps…

  Did Murphy anticipate this? Maybe, without even knowing, my brother had helped me more than he could have ever imagined. I’ve spent a big chunk of my life feeling annoyed with Murphy’s exaggerated efforts to turn me into a touchy-feely person. I can’t say he succeeded, but I’m certainly not the same man as before our bet. I’ll have to thank him for it eventually.

  After I’ve managed to play him.

  I run a thumb on Eva’s jawline and move close to her ear. “I was curious if the Duke had anything on me or not. I wouldn’t want anyone stealing you from me, even if it’s a fictional heartthrob.”

  Eva peeks up at me, her cheeks becoming a hue darker than before. “No risk of that. Don’t you worry.” She rubs the tip of her nose gently on my neck and the yearning to haul her close and forget that we are in a large hall full of guests permeates my molecules.

  Luckily, before my limbs can escape from my control and show the desire pumping through my veins, Eva withdraws her glance and cocks her head to the dance floor. “Do you dance during these fancy events?”

  “Not really. I mostly spend the time buttering clients up about new deals or entertaining the special guests that Mother points out to me. On rare occasions, I exchange banter with Murphy and his girlfriend-of-the-moment.”

  “Would you be ready to change your habit for me this one time?”

  “It would be my pleasure.”

  The slow waltz doesn’t seem a risky proposition. Even considering Eva’s floor length skirt. Especially because, this morning with the help of a YouTube video, I practiced the box step, which apparently is at the heart of all waltzes.

  I put my hand on the lacy back of her dress and lead her to the other dancing couples. I place my right hand on her left shoulder blade and wrap my left hand around Eva’s right hand, paying attention to keep my elbow up at shoulder height, like I saw the couple on the internet do.

  Eva draws her brows together in an expression of curiosity. “Huh, your hold is just perfect, Nathan. Well done.”

  I smile at her, but don’t answer, as I’m already counting in my head. One, I need to step forward and Eva backward. Two, I need to step to the side and so does Eva. Great, up till now everything works. Now I just need to close this darned box at three. When I manage that, I’m done watching our feet.

  I’m finally ready to peek up at Eva. I’m comfortable enough that I can repeat the same moves while keeping my feet low to the ground as we shift side to side just like the instructions said I should.

  She stares up at me, her lips stretching into a bright smile. “Nathan Montgregor, you studied, didn’t you? Admit it!”

  Heat prickles at my scalp. “Is it so obvious that waltzing isn’t a natural talent for me?”

  “Oh, gosh, no! That’s not what I meant.” Eva’s eyes widen. “You’re good. And I appreciate it a lot that you took the effort to learn the basics so that we could dance together at the ball. Honestly, it’s one of the most romantic things anyone has ever done for me…”

  “Really?” I ask, suddenly feeling much better. I twirl Eva around, and when she’s back facing me, I add, “And what other romantic gestures did you receive?”

  Eva licks her lips, a coy smirk tugging at her lower lip. “I was once given a bunch of flowers, so many that they covered my whole garden. And another time, I was taken on a beautiful boat trip and tasted the best cappuccino of my life. And yet another, someone bought me climbing shoes and taught me how to do bouldering. Can you imagine?”

  I’m almost giddy from pride as she recites some of my actions from our week. “Ah, then you must have a lot of creative suitors…”

  Eva leans closer and presses her chin on my chest. “Not a lot. Just one. And he’s just enough.”

  The distracting heat that seeps into my chest makes me forget all the cautionary tactics I’ve decided to follow. Suddenly the wish to stop this charade and tell Eva that I love her is so strong, that the syllables are already at my throat when the voice of reason intervenes.

  Nathan, hold back. Tonight, after the ball, you can let Eva know, but not yet.

  I know it’s right. But I still have to let Eva know somehow how special she is to me. I lower my head until our noses almost touch. “Eva, I know I haven’t told you much about my past with women and maybe I should have.” She frowns and I quickly add, “It’s because there isn’t much to be said. I only had flings. Several. Some longer, some shorter. But I never cared for anyone I dated enough to bring her to meet my family and colleagues.”

  Eva’s back muscles grow rigid in my arms, as if my words are bewildering to her. But the warm glint invading her charcoal glance reassures me that the puzzling sensation is well appreciated.

  I should probably end my confession here, but I can’t stop myself from murmuring. “I can’t wait to be alone with you, Eva. There is something I—”

  A poking finger lands between my ribs, and Murphy’s jovial voice interrupts me. “Nathan, brother. Marjorie told me your lovely plus one has arrived.”

  Eva beams at my brother. “Nice to see you again, Murphy.”

  He shoots an over-the-top smile at her and winks at me. “The pleasure is all mine, Eva. I’m so glad you could come.”

  “We were just in the middle of—” I start with a slightly annoyed tone, but Murphy’s imperceptible brow-wiggle silences me.

  He keeps his lips stretched in a smirk, but his voice becomes deeper. “Mother and Malcom have arrived. Before they come greet the guests, Mother would like to meet you and Eva upstairs.”

  “Wait, me too?” Eva’s voice is full of alarm.

  Right, after what I just told her about never having presented any women to my family, she must feel pressured at the thought of encountering my mother. A pang bites me at the pit of my stomach as I consider how nice it would be if this introduction could happen without all the pretending.

  “Of course you, Eva.” Murphy pats Eva’s arm. “Our mother is very curious to meet the woman who has our Nathan behaving like a changed man.”

  Eva blushes, and I quickly snake an arm around her waist. I turn to Murphy. “I imagine you’ll be joining us as well, right?”

  “Sure,” he replies with an I-wouldn’t-miss-this-for-the-world smirk. “Let’s go.”

  As we make our way through the other dancers, my hand
presses tighter to Eva’s back. I cling to her because touching her reminds me why I’m doing all this.

  Eva walks with a timid expression in her eyes, but with her chin up.

  How lucky that Eva doesn’t know how much is at stake. Perhaps it’s for the better that Murphy interrupted before I could self-sabotage my plans and confess to Eva how I love her then ask her to pretend like I didn’t say it. I wouldn’t want Eva to have the same plaguing doubts as I do about whether she can hold up her act with Murphy, Mother, and as it seems, my step-father, all in the same room at the same time.

  No, this arduous task needs to be only on me. Eva can just be her normal charming self, who I know is as much in love with me as I am with her.

  That will take care of one part of the bet. I just need to make sure I take care of the other.

  Chapter 30

  (Eva - Day 7)

  ¡Todos los poderes del universo me ayudan! All powers of the universe, please help me. I’m going to meet Nathan’s mother. His mother. I knew that this would happen when I accepted the invitation to the ball. But somehow I thought it would be a causal handshake in the middle of the crowd, not a private audition.

  I’m freaking out. Nathan’s hand on my back is the only thing helping me to keep my cool. At least toward the outside world. Inside I’m a jumble of nerves.

  I’m walking beside the long buffet tables with Murphy and Nathan, though calling it a two-steps-halt, one-step-halt advance would be a better description of what we’re doing, given that, more often than not, one of the brothers is stopped by someone for a handshake.

  Right now it’s Murphy who has been intercepted by an elderly couple. The woman is dressed in a sleek, green satin dress. Despite its expensive fabric and fabulous design, I can’t help but wonder why she hasn’t gotten a size bigger for herself. Doesn’t she have trouble breathing in this tight model? The man wears an extravagant bowtie in a blue hue. They are narrating to Murphy how their cat seems to be depressed these days.

  I use the pause to look around better. Nathan caught me just when I arrived, and since we started to dance immediately, I didn’t have enough time to take in the grandeur of this fundraiser. I take a long peek at the fluted columns with gold leaf accents and custom moldings and scan the impeccably set tables that present dishes even Abuelita would envy.

  Wow, this ballroom is easily the most chic place I’ve ever been to. And to think that Nathan’s mother uses it as a large living room in her everyday life… Will I need to visit here when there are no parties? How would this ornate ceiling look with normal furniture inside?

  I shake my head imperceptibly to order my wacky thoughts. Perhaps I should get through this meeting with Nathan’s mother first, and only then allow myself to daydream about how I could fit into the Montgregors’ reality.

  My eyes move to the woman with the kitty-trouble. She has already involved Nathan in their conversation too. Her perfectly manicured hands rest on his arm as she purses her lips. “Can you imagine how tough it is with Ishtar now? He just wants to sit all day at the window. Doesn’t even play with his toy mouse anymore.”

  “No, I really can’t,” Nathan adds dryly, but his eyes are searching my gaze.

  I nod to signal that I’m fine waiting.

  I catch the cat-lady staring at me. Nathan hurries to introduce me. “Eugenia, Patrick, this is my wonderful plus one, Eva Flores.”

  We squeeze hands and the man gives an admiring look to Nathan. “Your plus one is the most ravishing one in this room. Besides my Eugenia, of course.”

  “Ah, Patrick, you’ll never change,” his wife grumbles, but she doesn’t seem bothered by her husband’s gaffe. I attempt a small smile and she answers me with a beam. “But my husband is right, you look fantastic in this gown. Is it Valentino? No, no, don’t tell me. It’s a Dior.”

  “It’s a Balenciaga,” I murmur shyly. I feel very weird discussing these luxury brands as if they were the usual stores I shop at. I can’t thank Nathan enough for buying me my beautiful dress. Even if on the inside I feel like a total outsider, I can at least be certain that I look the part of someone who belongs.

  Apparently the woman thinks I do too, because she continues grinning at me. “Ah, I should have guessed. But it doesn’t matter. This violet shade is just heavenly on your complexion, my dear.”

  Murphy coughs shortly. “We would need to go upstairs to greet my mother.”

  “Ah, yes, yes, of course,” Patrick chuckles. “We don’t want to keep you from Holly. Murphy, please think of our poor Ishtar and come by some time to check on him, will you?”

  “Of course. I’ll do it.” Murphy nods and jerks his brows up quickly while flashing his eyes on me and Nathan. “Let’s take our cue and continue on before another feline personality disorder surfaces,” he hisses quietly.

  I adjust my tulle underskirt so it doesn’t get in the way of my peep-toe sandals as I step forward. The last thing I need is to do a falling act in front of all these elegant people. The glossy hardwood floor is pretty slippery as it is. It’s weird how I didn’t notice this before when dancing with Nathan. Maybe because a waltz is still more familiar to me than anything else in Nathan’s family’s glamorous universe.

  We arrive at the large entrance and my legs waver as my heels unexpectedly sink in the foyer’s thick carpet.

  Nathan’s grip tightens on me immediately as if he’s ready to catch me just like when we climbed together. “Is everything fine, Eva? Not too overwhelmed yet?”

  “Just a little.” I smile at him.

  He grins back. “Very well, then let’s go and meet Mother.” Despite his cheerful expression, there’s a tense muscle on his left cheek. It does a small tic as we head to the giant marble stairs.

  Is he also nervous about introducing me to his mother? If what he told me is true, and why shouldn’t it be, this situation must be as new to him as it is to me. This knowledge gives me courage to face what lies ahead.

  Once we’re upstairs, Murphy leads us to a large nutmeg door and, without knocking, pushes it ajar. It’s an oval-shaped room that could be the perfect setting for any historical romance novel. There’s a magnificent fireplace beside the window, which by its look has been used very little, and above it a fascinating still-life painting in a large, golden frame. A Persian rug is positioned in the middle of the room and its intricate design and sumptuous color draws the eye. At the far end of the carpet, there’s a hand-crafted dark wooden desk. It’s highly detailed and overly ornamented, yielding an overall look that is grand and lavish yet symmetrical and balanced. I realize what Nathan meant when he said his taste in interior design couldn’t be further away from his mother’s.

  “Ah, Nathan. And Eva, right? I’m so glad we can finally meet.”

  The female soprano makes me turn my head.

  Nathan’s mother straightens from a sofa with beautiful silk upholstery and hurries forward to meet us. A tall, thin man who must be Nathan’s step-father follows her example and soon both of them are standing in front of me.

  “I’m Holly.” Nathan’s mother extends her hand to me but then she waves. “Ah, what am I doing?” She moves closer and pulls me into a hug.

  I’m so taken aback by her friendliness that it takes me a good second before I find my voice. “It’s very nice to meet you, Holly. I’m Eva, but I guess you already knew that.”

  “Indeed, I did.” Holly smiles.

  Her face has wrinkles, but the kind that make one look mature without being old. She’s dressed in an all-black design cut from a luxe blend of lace and tulle that enhance the ethereal beauty of her noble features. Her petite figure is accentuated by the bodice sculpted from floral motifs with long sleeves and a scalloped V-neckline. To tell the truth, Holly’s warmth doesn’t quite fit the image of her I created in my head, based on the fact that she sent Nathan to boarding school at such a young age.

  Nathan stirs beside me as if he’s just as surprised, maybe even uncomfortable, by his mother’s reaction to me.
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br />   Holly steps over and pulls Nathan into an embrace, too. I notice Nathan’s stiff posture, but also Holly’s happy smile as she hauls him to her. Okay, so maybe Nathan’s vision about his past isn’t entirely objective. His mother does seem to care for him very much.

  Nathan’s step-father introduces himself to me as Malcom. His half-moon glasses are slightly too low on his nose, which emphasizes his protruding brow bones as he scans my face. “It’s your first Montgregor fundraiser, I reckon,” he chuckles.

  “Yes, it is, so what?” Nathan snaps, like a bulldog ready to bite.

  His step-father swallows and I feel sorry for him.

  I know Nathan only wanted to defend me with his hostile tone, and I’m so grateful that he’s ready to protect me, even against his own family. But the truth is, I don’t think I need to be saved just yet.

  I feared that coming into this room I’d face an inquisition, but instead Nathan’s mother and step-dad greeted me like I’m someone special to them. “Nathan…” I put a soothing hand at his elbow. “I doubt your step-father meant it as an offense of any sort.”

  “You’re perfectly right, I did not.“ Malcom grins. “I just wanted to let you know that I’ve been in your place. I know how unsettling it feels. When Holly first introduced me to the life of a socialite, I had a hard time adapting. I couldn’t wrap my head around why rich people need to always juxtapose calls to feed the hungry, house the homeless, and cure cancer with champagne toasts and caviar hors d‘oeuvres…”

  My lips curl up as Malcolm pours into words the thoughts that have been lurking the back of my mind since I studied the tables and decorations downstairs. “That question did occur to me too.”

  Malcom throws a meaningful glance toward Holly, and she nods approvingly, as if the fact that I’m cynical about her fundraiser isn’t bothering but, rather, judicious of me.