If I’m honest, I’ve never felt this strongly about him before. And I know it’s because I’m starting to believe him.
Again.
Am I committing an error?
As if Nathan can read my soul, he murmurs softly, “I know I’ve made a mistake. No, many, many mistakes. Gigantic ones. I lied to you, I didn’t recognize what I felt for you quickly enough, and when I finally did, I was stupid enough to cover up my feelings about you while still blinded by my hope of becoming CEO.”
As he lists his deeds, I should get angry. These are the facts that made me promise he wouldn’t have a place in my life anymore. But, instead, I get it. I get him. I can see why he did what he did and that he feels awful about it. It doesn’t make it okay, but it certainly takes away my rage and bitterness. And with those gone, it becomes increasingly difficult to ignore the sweetness spreading through me.
Nathan squeezes my hands. “I love you. And I’m here to make my previous actions right. I don’t care how long it takes. If you only give me the benefit of the doubt…I’ll prove it to you. You’re everything to me. Can you do this, Eva? Can you give me another chance?”
This is the moment I have to decide. The question isn’t whether I need to believe in La Mujer Sin Alma or in Cinderella. No, I need to make a choice whether I’m ready to build my own tale, by letting go of my own insecurities, my past prejudices and hurt, and embark on an adventure with Nathan. Am I?
As I listen to my ribcage, I know there isn’t really a decision to be made. My heart knows the answer and is communicating it to me by beating so fast it’s as if it wants to break through my sternum and fly over to his chest. I raise myself to my tiptoes, while I whisper, “Yes, Nathan. I think I can try.” His jubilant smile makes my insides mold a little more, and I add, “And, Nathan? I also love you.”
His eyes widen and he exhales loudly.
Before I know it, his mouth is on mine, sealing our destiny with a kiss. One mind-blowingly sweet and tingling one that wipes clean all previous hurt and betrayal, giving us what we deserve—a fresh start together.
Chapter 41
(Eva)
“Rachel, do you think we could get those keys already?” Nathan asks the blonde woman I stormed by earlier when exiting the elevator.
She’s sitting at the desk in front of his new office, so she must be his secretary. Her brows draw together as if she needs a second to realize what Nathan is talking about. Then she nods and flashes a smile.
As she bends to her drawer, I comb my fingers self-consciously through my hair. I can’t imagine how I must look after the two hours spent with Nathan. My cheeks must be flushed from the whirlwind of emotions, and my lips are likely swollen from the few—fine, maybe not just a few—kisses we shared before he jumped up and announced that he had something important to show me.
Nathan leans into my neck and whispers in my ear. “You look absolutely perfect, my love.”
His words start a faint giddiness in my chest, and I lower my hands to my legs. If Nathan thinks I’m presentable enough, I’m not going to worry.
As if to prove his point, Rachel straightens and hands the keys to Nathan while beaming warmly at me. She truly doesn’t seem to notice my disheveled looks, or if she does, she doesn’t let it show. “Here you go,” she says. “I think it should be all good. I went there after lunch and opened the windows.”
“Very thoughtful of you, thank you,” Nathan replies, then puts a hand on my back. “It looks like my surprise is ready. Let’s go and check it out.”
“Your secretary is very nice. I’d already started to like her because she didn’t try to stop me when I barged in on her boss with the flowers in my hands looking like a fury,” I say as we amble hand-in-hand to the elevator.
“Well, she may or may not have received specific instructions to let you pass, no matter what.” Nathan winks. “But you’re right. Rachel is a loyal and efficient employee. And since I took your advice about being more approachable at work, I believe she likes working for me even more. So thanks, Eva.” He drops a kiss on the top of my head.
“I’m happy we could help each other grow a little and change for the better.”
Nathan stops and his eyes widen. “You mean I helped you too? Really?”
“Of course you did. If it weren’t for you, I would still be stuck in that fortress of mine, thinking it’s too scary and dangerous to take a chance with my heart. I’d still dislike rich guys and blame myself for Alejandro’s failed future. But thanks to you, my brother has a great shot at a better life, and I’ve realized I’ve been carrying silly prejudices around with me, without truly understanding why.”
A crooked smirk appears on his face, and he snakes his arms around my waist. “So you don’t dislike billionaires anymore?” His voice is joking, but I sense a deep yearning in it too.
It’s as if the numerous times he made me, through his tender insistence, admit how much I love him aren’t enough to cancel out his insecurity. It’s so bewildering to think that Nathan is just as eager to feel sure about my emotions toward him as I am about his feelings for me. I lift myself to my toes and brush my mouth against his. “No, I don’t. And there is one particular billionaire who holds my heart captive for now and probably for eternity.”
“Ah, Eva,” he moans, and I know what’s going to come, so I close my eyes to fully savor the moment.
But just before he can close the distance between our hungry lips, a voice interrupts us. “And here are my two lovebirds.”
The soprano has a familiar ring to it, and as I move back from Nathan and turn, I find myself face to face with Nathan’s mother and an elderly man. The man has a traditional grey suit and a thin white beard, while Holly wears a patterned shell top with a beige tailored blazer, and her hair is arranged in a simple low bun. Despite the business attire, she still looks feminine and noble.
Holly doesn’t wait for my reaction but steps forward and closes me into a warm hug like the first time we met. “Eva, my dear, it’s so good to see you again.” When she releases me, she introduces me to her companion. “This is Larry Peterson, our new CEO. Larry, this is Eva Flores, Nathan’s girlfriend.”
Nathan’s arm immediately lands on my shoulders, as if he wants to claim me as his in front of everyone. “Yes, Larry, this is my Eva, the inspiratory muse to the Fresh Start. Without her, I wouldn’t have been able to come up with this new game-changing piece in AMEA’s overall strategy.”
Larry extends his hand to me, his face glowing with a well-meaning joviality. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Eva.”
“The pleasure is all mine,” I mumble, utterly taken aback by this unexpected attention.
Luckily, Nathan already told me about the traineeship and how positively his mother and the other directors reacted to it, otherwise I wouldn’t understand why all three of them are grinning at me as if I were some kind of national hero.
As my gaze moves to Holly and I meet her joyfully-glistening eyes, I’m even more grateful that Nathan revealed his mother and Murphy’s true intentions behind the bet. I could forgive Nathan, because I knew he really loved me and I loved him. But I didn’t know how I could ever behave normally around his family when they willingly used me as a jumping board to unleash Nathan’s CEO potential. However, learning that they wanted us to find happiness together from the beginning has shifted a weight from my shoulders. Though I was still a guinea pig in their gamble with Nathan, at least they did it in the good faith of helping him—and in the end helping me—find love.
And we did, and it’s thanks to them. So I really have no reason to harbor any hard feelings toward Holly or Murphy. Which is good, because if Nathan and I are going down the road we discussed, I’ll be seeing his family a lot more.
As if Holly wants to reiterate this point, she pats my shoulder. “We’ll leave you two now to do whatever you’re setting out to do. But, Eva, I’d love to organize a small dinner just for the family tomorrow. Do you think your grandmother and your sibling
s would like to come? I’m so curious to meet them and so are Malcom and Marjorie.”
I throw a slanted glance at Nathan to check how he feels about his mother’s offer. I know they had a strained relationship in the past, so I don’t want to step on his toes by accepting an invite to his mother’s house too soon. Especially if our entire families are supposed to meet.
But Nathan doesn’t seem concerned. He nods enthusiastically. “It’s a great idea, Mother. You can also chat with Alejandro, and see why he’ll be such a great candidate for our program.”
“I think my family would love to meet you too,” I say with a shy smile.
“Then it’s settled,” Holly beams. “Oh, could you ask your grandmother to prepare some of those enchiladas Nathan tried at your house? I hear they’re delicious. My cook will take care of the rest of the dinner.”
Okay, a lot must’ve happened in this past week between Nathan and his mother, if he has told her about Abuelita’s cooking. But apart from this surprising turn, I know Abuelita will be very proud if she can contribute to the meal, so I gracefully accept the request in her name.
Holly and Larry continue their walk toward a meeting room, while Nathan ushers me to the elevator. As we wait for it to arrive, I can’t suppress my curiosity any longer. “So your mom and you seem to be in a better place now.”
Nathan scratches his chin pensively. “Yes, I think we are. And not just with her. I also made peace with my step-father. I believe I was wrong to have been upset with Malcom in the first place, but given the circumstances with which he and Mother came together, I don’t blame myself for feeling angry. I’m just sorry it lasted that long.”
“Wow, Nathan.” I press a palm to his cheek. “I’m so happy for you. Your week was sure full of events and changes. Definitely more exciting than what I’d been up to.”
While we were still at his office, Nathan made me narrate what I did while we didn’t see each other. To be fair, my side of the story wasn’t very interesting. But Nathan still listened to every word as if his life depended on it. I even joked with him that if he found being a hermit so exciting, we could close him in his condo for a week in his pajamas.
He peers down at me with a smile. “Everything that I’ve done or that happened has led up to this moment, here and now. And…” His grin widens to my surprise. “Interested to find out what it is?”
“Interested? I’m dying to know,” I squeak.
I can’t imagine what Nathan has in store for me, but I know it won’t be anything inappropriate. He’s learned by now what I like and what I don’t. Though he’s still Nathan, so I definitely have to count on something unpredictable that may take my breath away. It’s better if I don’t even guess, and just let him transport me wherever he wants.
The elevator arrives, and I fling my arm around his elbow. “Let’s go, then.”
He presses me to him, and with his other hand, he dangles the keys. “Yes, let’s go, my love.”
Chapter 42
(Nathan)
As I stroll with Eva down the large avenue where AMEA’s headquarters are located, I can’t help but notice how much crisper the air is and how much smoother my muscles feel than they did this morning.
I reach down and kiss the top of Eva’s head.
She blinks up. “What did I do to earn this?”
“Nothing. Everything.”
She smiles and shakes her head. “You’re a bit weird, but I like it.”
Her beaming face says more. Those three sweet words that I have managed to lure out from her at least a dozen times in the past two hours. I still can’t get enough of hearing them. If we weren’t on a busy sidewalk, I’d probably stop, haul her to me, and claim her mouth till she has no other choice than whisper to me that she loves me. I’d have done that already if Mother and Larry hadn’t interrupted us. But I’m glad they did in the end. It’s important that Eva realizes that Mother and my entire family are overjoyed that we’re together. It will take a while before the differences in our social statuses—such a hindering aspect for Eva—fades enough for Eva to accept that my money shouldn’t and won’t create an obstacle for our happiness. I hope my surprise will be the first cornerstone for that.
Anticipation bubbles through my limbs as I consider that Eva will soon discover what else I’ve prepared for our future together.
The large square with the white building comes into sight and I point. “Look, that’s where we’re going. It’s a walking distance from our main office’s tower.”
It was crucial to me to find a location that would allow me to have my lunch breaks—because, yes, I intend to start taking those from now on instead of gulping down a sandwich in front of my computer—with Eva. Plus, if Alejandro starts his training, he can also see his sister more easily.
“What is that place exactly? And why are you so eager to show it to me?”
I keep a straight face but add a mysterious smile. Or at least I hope it’s mysterious and not only utterly and ridiculously lovestruck—judging by my racing heart, that could very well be the case. We get to the heavy metal door, and I quickly unlock it before Eva notices the large mirror-lined room through the window.
Eva steps inside before me, and I follow a few feet behind her. I’d like her to explore the space without me first and see if she manages to guess for what it is meant. As she moves along the brightly lit, orange-painted corridor—the exact same shade as Eva’s kitchen to give her and her future students a homey feel—she gasps.
Is that a good sign? Does she like it? Maybe I should have chosen a plainer hue?
When Eva reaches the first spacious room and takes in the specialized wooden ballet flooring that I had delivered from Memphis, where apparently the best ones are fabricated, Eva’s exclamation transforms into a loud shriek.
She pivots around and gapes at me. “Nathan? What is this?”
“Can’t you tell?”
“Yes.” She bounces her eyes from the large Dolby sound system, to the state-of-the-art air filtering machine to keep the room oxygenated even with the windows closed, then over to the silk curtains, until finally her gaze stops on my face. “It’s the most beautiful dance studio I’ve ever seen. But why? Why are you showing me this?” The incredulous yet girlishly enthusiastic edge in her voice suggests she already understands my intentions, but is too shocked still to believe it.
At least that’s what I hope.
“There are two other rooms like this in the back, though slightly smaller than this one. The full capacity is around a hundred people at any given time. And to your question about why I’m showing this to you? Because it is for you. I have rented and renovated this studio so that San Sebastian can finally have a decent Latino dance school. One that’s worthy of the Black Angel.” I hug her waist and haul her closer to me. “Eva, I’m starting a new dream, and I want you to start one, too. You told me if you could do anything, you would open a dance school. Now you can.”
Eva chews on her lips as if she’s battling with herself. She peeks up at me, her lips moving without a sound. Then she inhales, cupping my face. “Nathan, this is the sweetest thing ever. But—”
“Hush.” I press a finger to her lips. “Before you tell me anything further, let me say something.” When she nods, I drop my hand and continue, “I know it isn’t a pair of earrings or a bunch of begonias. I get it. I’m offering you more. Not because I have the money to throw out of the window. Nor is it charity. I didn’t do it because I can, but because I want to. I love you and I want you and your family to have the best possible future. I want a job that helps you live out all your secret aspirations, one suited for your talent, your wit, and your kind and loving heart.” Eva’s eyes are glazing over, but I don’t stop. “I have the financial means, my love, so please allow me to give you a hand with this. Don’t see it as a gift or charity, because it is not. It’s an investment. One that I strongly believe you’ll succeed in.”
“But I’ve never led any business before. I always dreame
d of doing one…yes, but…” she protests, her eyes wide.
I need her to see herself exactly as I see her. The most amazing woman who can make anything real that she sets her mind on. “Eva Flores, anyone who’s ever seen you dance would consider investing in your talent a no-brainer. You’re not only an exceptional dancer, but also a great teacher. With real passion for what you do. You’re also hard-working and smart. Plus, you have me to advise you about anything business-related and, soon, your little brother too. Besides, it is just rented for now. You’ll be able to buy the place yourself if it works out well…and I know it will.”
Will she accept it?
I know she wants it. It’s the fantasy she told me she holds dearest, besides helping her brother get a shot at better future. Nonetheless, if Eva still has even a grain of doubt whether she can trust me, her past fears will take over and she’ll refuse it. This is the moment where I will see what she truly thinks of me.
Eva stares at me, then slowly a smile makes its way to her lips. She inhales deeply. “Let me restart, Nathan. It’s the sweetest thing…and I’m so happy about it. Thank you.”
My heart leaps and does a twirl and a pirouette, all in one. “You accept it?”
“Are you kidding me?” She grins, and the way her eyes crinkle make my insides melt. “It’s the most amazing idea ever. I will earn back the rent and renovation costs, I promise you.”
I shake my head, chuckling. “Sure you will. This school will boom if you’re teaching in it. But, if you are dying to start a payment right now…” The throatiness taking possession of my voice must be telltale, because Eva blushes.
“What did you have in mind?” She licks her lips, and I know we’re thinking the same thing.
Law #1: Never Bet on Love: A Sweet Billionaire Love Story (Laws of Love) Page 32