Twenty-one
Reid
Weeks.
Mere weeks was all it had taken for me to wind up in this position.
It was a place I never anticipated being, a place I insisted I’d never find myself. None of this had gone anything like I’d planned.
Just a handful of weeks had me reconsidering everything—the retreat, my plans for it, and where I saw my future heading.
And while I couldn’t deny there were parts of the actual retreat itself that had me feeling that way, the reality was that nearly all of what had pushed me to this point was the woman standing in front of me.
Natalia had been everything I didn’t know I needed. Her bright, smiling face, her gorgeous personality, and her absolute love for life, despite the horrible circumstances she’d experienced from the time she was a teenager.
My eyes raked down over her, something tightening in the center of my chest at the sight of her.
I’d been aware that this was a semi-formal event, and I had been curious about what she would wear, but it was safe to say I hadn’t expected to be this blown away.
The long-sleeved emerald-green dress sparkled almost as much as her eyes.
It crossed at her chest, forming a V-neckline, and had a belted satin sash around her waist. The dress landed a few inches above her knee, her stunning legs on display and looking even more exquisite with those heels she had on.
“You… There are no words to describe just how perfect you look.”
My eyes had returned to her beautiful face, thick locks of her hair cascading down her back and over her shoulders.
A flush crept over her cheeks. “You’re being so sweet. Thank you.” Her eyes drifted down over my body and back again. “You look quite handsome yourself.”
“Thanks.” I stepped forward, slid my arm around her waist, and tugged her toward me. “I need to kiss you.”
Natalia didn’t put up a fight. She pressed her palms against my chest, slid them up over my shoulders, and drove her fingers into my hair as she tilted her chin up to give me better access to her perfect pink lips. I happily took advantage of it, my mouth capturing hers in a bruising kiss.
If I didn’t know how much she was looking forward to attending this Christmas party, I would’ve been content to stay there at the front door, kissing her all night long.
But what I wanted didn’t matter. That’s how I knew there was something beyond special about Natalia. It wasn’t just about the way she looked or kissed. It was that I felt this overwhelming need to give her whatever she wanted.
When a soft moan crawled its way up her throat, I had no choice but to tear my mouth from hers. If I didn’t, if I continued to explore her mouth and taste her, I couldn’t trust I’d have been able to stop myself.
“I don’t know how…” I trailed off.
Concern washed over her expression. “You don’t know how what?”
I shook my head, convinced I’d be revealing far too much if I said what had been on my mind—how could I have ever convinced myself I was happy before I met her.
“It’s nothing. I just…” I turned to the side, swept my hand out to the bottom of the stairs leading to her front door. “Your chariot awaits.”
Natalia’s eyes darted between where I’d indicated and my face several times before she all but squealed, “You brought a golf cart to take me to the party?”
“Well, I wasn’t going to make you walk all the way there in those shoes.”
“You didn’t know I was going to wear these shoes,” she pointed out.
“No. But I suspected you’d wear something like them, and I didn’t want you to have to trudge there and back.”
She smiled at me. “I’m good at walking in my heels.”
Natalia didn’t have to tell me twice. “I’m well aware of that.
Trust me. But I figure that you’re going to spend a good chunk of the night dancing with me.
At least, I hope you will. And by the time the party’s over, your feet might hurt.
If you’d rather I have to carry you at the end of the night, I’m okay with that, too. ”
Her features warmed. “The golf cart is a nice touch. And it’s appreciated, Reid. Thank you for thinking ahead.”
I wasn’t so convinced it was me thinking ahead as much as it was me being unable to think about much besides her. “You’re welcome. Are you all set to go?”
She dipped her chin. “I am.”
After she locked up, I took her by the hand and led her down the stairs to the golf cart. Once she was seated comfortably, I reached behind the seat and gave her the blanket I’d brought along.
“There’s nothing I’d like more than to look at your legs the entire way there, but I want you to be able to move when we arrive, so I brought this for you to cover up with.”
“Who knew you were such a gentleman?” she teased as I sat down beside her.
“That’s not all.”
“What else is there?”
Grinning, I flipped a switch and showed her. I’d decorated the golf cart with Christmas lights just for her.
“Are you kidding me? This is the best thing ever.”
The smile on her face and the happiness in her voice were enough for me to know I’d done the right thing.
I winked at her, and we took off.
When we arrived at the event center, I said, “This is your last chance.”
“For what?”
“To back out. Once we go in there, everyone is going to know that you’re dating your boss.”
Her expression turned serious. “Are you worried about it?”
I shook my head. “Not at all. To be honest, I kind of hate that it’s not already out there.”
Natalia let those words sink in. Then she reached for my hand and asked, “So, what are we waiting for?”
I hadn’t realized I’d been holding on to any, but as soon as those words were out of her mouth, the tension eased out of my body.
I squeezed her hand in return before lifting it to my lips to press a kiss there.
“I know this isn’t a traditional mode of transportation, but I expect you to wait in that seat until I come around to help you out. ”
Natalia laughed. “Okay.”
A couple of minutes later, we’d made our way inside the event center, where it seemed Danielle and her team had done a phenomenal job of preparing for the party.
From the Christmas decorations and music to the food, desserts, and guests donned in their very best, nothing had been missed.
The only thing that could’ve made the occasion more festive would have been snow falling from the rafters or an appearance by Santa himself.
“You took part in the preparations for this?” I asked Natalia.
She glanced up at me momentarily before returning her attention to the space. Taking it all in, she confessed, “I helped a little bit, but I didn’t have nearly as much input or time this year as I did previously.”
“Oh?”
Natalia shrugged. “It’s taken me longer to complete certain tasks over the past few weeks.”
Tipping my head to the side, I studied her. Unable to find what I was looking for, I asked, “Have things gotten too busy for you? Is the workload too much?”
She shook her head. “No. I’ve been doing this for years.
The problem is that for years now, I’ve been doing my job with very few distractions.
Now, I find that my mind occasionally drifts throughout the day.
That’s not so much of a problem, though.
The bigger issue is when I have paperwork that needs to be signed, and someone feels compelled to take their time putting the pen to the paper. ”
“Are you suggesting that I’m the reason you’ve been falling behind?” I turned her in my arms. “Because it sounded like you were indicating I was a distraction.”
Natalia’s eyes were sparkling with happiness. “You are. But I wouldn’t change a thing. I’ve had many years of no distractions, and I can assure you that this is much better.”
I smiled at her, my arms giving her a light squeeze. “I’m glad you feel that way, because I’m not sure I’d be able to pull it back. It already feels like I don’t have nearly enough of you.”
Something washed over her expression, her features twisting with deep thought. I was just about to ask her what her reaction was about when someone else spoke.
“So, it appears we’re making a statement tonight. Am I right?”
Natalia and I tore our attention away from one another and learned Danielle had found us.
I remained silent, figuring it was best to allow Natalia to lead this conversation with her best friend.
Surprisingly, my beautiful girl didn’t acknowledge Danielle’s specific question.
Instead, she beamed at her before pulling out of my hold to hug her friend. “Merry Christmas, Danielle.”
“Merry Christmas.” When they separated, Danielle indicated the man beside her. “You remember Stephen.”
“I do. It’s wonderful to see you again.” Natalia extended a hand to him. As he shook it, she gestured toward me. “Stephen, this is Reid. Reid, Stephen.”
“It’s a pleasure.” I offered my hand in greeting before turning my attention to Danielle. “You did a great job here tonight. The place looks incredible.”
Genuine appreciation washed over her. “Thank you. That means a lot.”
“I’m sorry if Natalia didn’t have as much time to devote to helping you this year. She’s been a bit busy with her work these last couple of weeks.”
A knowing smile spread across Danielle’s face as Natalia stepped closer to me and curled her fingers around my arm. “Well, I know this is your first one of these, so I hope it exceeds all your expectations that you’ll come back next year.”
It took superhuman effort not to react, to school my features into neutrality.
They had not a clue.
None of these people who worked and lived and visited here had any idea about why I’d really wound up as the temporary boss. They blindly trusted that everything would be as it had always been. They weren’t worried about their jobs or the fate of this place.
Maybe that was just the kind of environment my father had created here for not only his guests but also his staff. It was such a shame I hadn’t been able to see it sooner.