Twenty
Natalia
Being the kind of determined woman that I was, I didn’t often find myself struggling to do things.
Lately, with everything that had been happening between Reid and me, remaining headstrong had been a bit of a challenge.
Because it wasn’t as easy as it should’ve been.
Sure, the quiet, intimate moments between us were wonderful. There wasn’t a single thing I found challenging about flirting and kissing and teasing with Reid.
It was when I was alone with my thoughts or in the presence of others that I struggled with more than I had anticipated.
Because there was so much that I wanted to do and had to hold myself back.
Reid and I hadn’t exactly put a label on what we had between us. We saw each other nearly every day, he’d invited me to join him at the Christmas party, and we spent as much time as possible kissing one another.
All of that indicated things were in a great place between us. I didn’t think Reid would doubt that was the case, either.
But when I was alone in my bed at night, I wondered about where we were headed. I questioned what went through his mind about the reality of our situation.
Was this just a good time for him? Did he want something serious?
Maybe it was crazy of me to do it, but I needed to get some answers, or I was certain I’d lose my mind.
I’d just finished up my day at work and decided I’d head over to his office to have a chat with him about it. Or, at the very least, I’d let him know I wanted to have a discussion tonight.
His office door was partially closed, so I knocked lightly and pushed inside. That’s when I realized he wasn’t alone. Our lead wilderness ranger, Terry, was there, along with two members of our trail maintenance crew, Dustin and Cody.
“Oh, I’m so sorry for interrupting. I didn’t realize you had a meeting scheduled.”
Reid was quick to assure me. “There’s no need for an apology. This wasn’t planned.”
I blinked in surprise, my eyes darting between Reid and Terry. “Is… Is everything okay?”
Terry offered a nod in return, but it was Reid who answered. “Perfectly fine, Natalia. There was merely an issue with some downed trees on one of the trails on the southwest side of the property. It’s going to require some additional equipment to address. Was there something you needed?”
I pressed my lips together and fought the urge to tuck my chin toward my chest while eyeing Reid. There were so many things I wanted to say to him, but given the status of things between us and that we hadn’t exactly made anything public, I had no choice but to refrain.
Shaking my head, I plastered a smile on my face. “No, sir. Nothing. I’m finished up for the day, and I just wanted to make sure you didn’t need anything before I head out for the weekend.”
Something that looked a lot like delight sparked in his eyes. “I don’t think so. We should be all set here.”
“Great.” I smiled at him before allowing my gaze to slide to the other men in the room. “Well, have a wonderful weekend. See you all on Monday.”
Dustin and Cody muttered goodbyes, diverting their attention to their laps, as Terry said, “Have a nice weekend.”
I gave him a nod and looked at Reid. “Enjoy your evening, Natalia.”
“You, too.”
With that, I turned and walked out.
As soon as I stepped outside, a rush of air left my lungs. What had just happened in Reid’s office was precisely why I had so many questions about where things stood for Reid when it came to us.
I made it back to my place, noted the time, and stripped out of my clothes to take a shower. An hour later, a knock came at my door.
Pulling the door open, I met the handsome face of the guy who’d been on my mind for weeks.
Reid had a mischievous grin on face. “Sir?”
My brows pulled together. “What?”
“You called me sir when you were in my office about an hour ago.”
I bit the corner of my lip. Clearly, I’d been trying too hard not to give any indication that there was something happening between Reid and me. “I didn’t mean anything by it.”
His chin jutted forward as he looked down and studied me. “Didn’t you?”
I shrugged. “What did you expect me to do? Sit on your desk and make out with you in front of my coworkers?”
“Are you worried about them seeing?”
“Are you?” I cocked a brow and crossed my arms over my chest.
Reid’s eyes dropped toward the cleavage I’d just accentuated and smiled. “I’m the one standing out here where anyone could see.”
My eyes rounded as I reached out and yanked him inside, slamming the door shut.
Laughter spilled out of him. “Change of plans? Are we staying in tonight?”
“We might have to stay inside indefinitely.”
Reid stepped forward, closed the distance between us, and slid his arms around my waist. “Now where would be the fun in that?”
“Pardon?”
Lifting one hand to the side of my face, he stroked the pad of his thumb along my jaw. “I don’t know. I kind of like the idea of sneaking around with you, doing our best not to get caught.”
A thrill of excitement crawled along my spine. No doubt that would be fun. “But what if someone does catch us? What happens then?”
“Then the word gets out. But I think it could be fun for us to sneak around for a bit while we get to know one another better. Don’t you?”
I couldn’t lie. “Maybe.”
He pinched my chin lightly between his thumb and forefinger. “But you can’t call me sir again.”
My lips twitched. “Does that bother you?”
“It makes me feel old.” His brow furrowed. “Too old for you.”
“Well… you are?—”
“I’m thirty-three. That’s not too old.”
This was the perfect opportunity to get some clarity. “So, you’re okay with being that age and dating a woman who’s still in her twenties?”
“You’re twenty-eight.”
“Yes.”
“It’s only five years.” He leaned his head down and touched his mouth to mine. “So, yes, I’m okay with it if it means I get to call you mine.”
I swallowed roughly. Clarity. The man was giving me clarity.
“Yours?” I did my best to put enough surprise into the single word that it’d urge him to offer more clarification but not so much that it made it sound like I was disgusted.
Because I wasn’t.
If anything, I was terrified by how much I liked the idea of being his.
Reid jerked his head back, his eyes roaming over every inch of my face. “I didn’t think you were anyone else’s.”
“I’m not.”
The corners of his mouth tipped up. “So, why are you questioning what I said?”
“I didn’t realize that was how you felt. I guess… Well, it’s not like you’ve told me much about your personal life that I’d have any idea you were available to make someone yours.”
He chuckled. “So, you thought it was possible I was tied to someone else and casually making out with you?”
I didn’t.
Not at all.
But I wasn’t going to tell him that if it meant I might learn a bit more about the man.
“You know a bit about my past. More specifically, my dating history. I don’t know anything about yours. And while I’m not interested in hearing details, it’d be nice to know that I’m not the girl you’re calling yours just weeks after you’ve gotten out of a long-term relationship.”
Understanding dawned on his features, and when he spoke, his voice was gentle. Stroking his hand over the outer cap of my shoulder, he said, “I wasn’t in a long-term relationship, Natalia. Especially not a matter of weeks ago. Nothing more than a casual date here and there. That’s it.”
I tucked my chin toward my chest. “And to be clear, this isn’t casual?”
Reid shifted his head slowly from side to side. “Not at all.”
My belly flipped. Three simple words, but they formed such a great answer.
I considered the seriousness of his tone and the look in his eyes and weighed it with all that he’d shown me over the last few weeks.
Maybe I didn’t have all the answers I needed right now, but the ones I was getting were wonderful.
They made it impossible not to have hope again.
“Maybe you should take me out to dinner now, so you can tell me more about that,” I suggested.
He grinned at me before pressing a soft kiss to my lips.
Then he released his hold on me so I could grab my purse.
And when I returned to his side, he took me by the hand and led me out of the cabin. Evidently, he liked the thrill of knowing we could be caught.
As for me, even though nobody had been around as Reid escorted me to his car, Reid’s lack of concern about anyone learning the truth left me feeling comforted about where things were headed.
Reid
I yanked the door open at the unexpected knock and stopped breathing.
All it took was one look at that bright, beaming smile and beautiful eyes, and everything seemed to stop functioning properly.
She’d been so unexpected. Not just here in this moment, either.
It was no secret I hadn’t exactly been the most open-minded when I first arrived here, but Natalia had turned everything around for me. And she’d done it in a matter of weeks.
“What are you doing here?”
Somehow, her smile grew. “You aren’t the only one who can show up on someone’s doorstep unannounced. I wanted to surprise you tonight.”
I stepped back to allow her to come inside.
Natalia glanced behind her before crossing over the threshold. “You were right.”
“About what?”
“I’m enjoying this sneaking around a bit more than I thought I would. How long do you think it’s going to take people to figure it out?”
I closed the door behind her, slid my arm around the back of her waist, and tugged her close. After pressing a kiss against her temple, I said, “I actually wanted to talk to you about that.”
Her body tensed. “What? What do you mean?”
“Relax. It’s nothing bad. At least, I don’t think so.” I gave her a reassuring squeeze and led her over to the couch.
“Did someone already find out?”
I shook my head. “No. But I get the feeling it won’t be long.”
Natalia’s brows knit together. “What makes you say that?”