CHAPTER TWELVE #2
For a moment, the air between them crackled with a silent rivalry.
Nathan’s muscles stiffened, his shoulders squared, but Owen wasn’t backing down.
His posture remained relaxed, his hands tucked in his pockets as if he had no care in the world.
He seemed completely unbothered by Nathan’s intense presence.
Nathan’s eyes narrowed, his jaw clenching slightly. It was clear that Owen’s taunt had hit a nerve. But Nathan wasn’t the type to back down either.
“I prefer to keep my employees close,” Nathan replied coolly, his voice cutting through the tension like a knife. His words were smooth, almost cordial, but there was an undeniable edge to them now.
Either Owen couldn’t read Nathan’s tone or he was choosing to ignore it, because he simply chuckled. It was the kind that said he didn’t feel threatened by my boss.
“I’ll call you to reschedule our date, Elise.” Owen said, handing me the flowers, his smile slow and wickedly confident.
“She won't be available.” Nathan replied before I could.
I glared at Nathan. “You don’t speak for me.”
“I’ll call you.” Owen promised before he turned and strolled back to his Audi.
Nathan took a step back and I released a breath I didn’t realize I was holding before I turned around and walked us back into the house before shutting the door. “You’re going to schedule another date?” Nathan pressed before I could ask him what the whole jealous boyfriend act was about.
“Yes.” I lifted the roses to my nose, taking a small whiff. “Why?” I asked, a hint of impatience slipping into my voice as I headed toward the kitchen so I could put the flowers into a vase.
“No reason,” Nathan followed behind me, stopping only to stand on the other side of the counter. “I just think maybe you should mention to Bailey the next time you see him that you prefer tulips.”
His words caused me to freeze. “What?”
“You prefer tulips over roses.” Nathan clarified as if it was completely normal for him to know my favorite flowers, which for the record it wasn’t. He never showed that much interest in me.
“H-how do you know that?”
“You have a vase of tulips on your desk and your phone case has tulips on them. It’s not hard to figure out.”
“I didn’t realize it was that obvious.”
“I notice more than you think.” Nathan said, eliciting a wave of butterflies in my stomach.
Those little suckers were appearing more and more these days, originating from the dinner in his office two weeks ago and I decided not to dwell too much on why that was.
I cleared my throat, hoping it would deter the foreign feeling in my stomach from expanding. It didn't. So I walked further into the kitchen, grabbed a vase from the cabinet and filled it with water then placed the bouquet inside. “Okay. Let’s find you your next big star.”
* * *
FOR THE NEXT three hours, Nathan and I sifted through Edge Records' archive, diving deep into the pool of demos sent to the company. The demos were from singers all over the world hoping Nathan would open the door to all their dreams.
I had a few artists that I’ve been following that I thought were worthy of Nathan’s time and attention, but there was one in particular I had a gut feeling would be Edge Records’ next best-selling artist.
“Who is he?” Nathan asked as I pulled up his Instagram page.
“His name is Darryl Barnett. I’ve been following his page for a while, and I’m telling you, Mr. Edge, he’s everything you’re looking for.”
Without waiting for an invitation, I played one of Darryl’s videos. Instantly, the handsome twenty-one-year-old’s soulful voice filled my living room. Goosebumps peppered my skin as I listened to his cover of a Tevin Campbell song.
I sneaked a peek at Nathan, hoping to catch a glimpse on his face that he liked him as much as I did, but his face gave nothing away.
Nothing. Zilch. Nada.
“What did you think?” I asked, stopping the next video before it could play.
“He’s talented, I’ll admit that. But so was everyone else we listened to today.” Nathan said. “I want to hear your thoughts. Why should I sign him to Edge Records?”
“Besides the obvious fact that his voice is incredible?” I began, pausing to gather my thoughts.
“His range is phenomenal, and not just in terms of pitch, he can effortlessly shift from soft, intimate moments to full-out power with ease. But it’s more than just his technical ability.
He’s got this raw charisma that you can feel even through a screen.
He owns the stage, and you can see it in the way he moves, the way he connects with his audience.
There’s a depth to him that most artists don’t have.
He’s got heart, Mr. Edge. Real heart. And that’s what sets him apart from everyone else we’ve listened to.
That’s what makes him someone worth taking a chance on.
” I don’t normally get so passionate about the artist Nathan signs, but everything in me believed that Darryl was exactly what Edge Records needed right now.
Nathan studied me and for a second I worried that I said too much or didn’t say enough to back up my reason for wanting to sign Darryl but then Nathan let out a slow breath and relaxed his shoulders.
“Okay.”
“Okay?”
“I’ll have you send him an email extending my interest. If he’s interested, we’ll fly out there and we can discuss everything in greater detail.” Nathan told me, and before I could think about what I was doing, I threw myself into his arms and wrapped my arms around his neck.
“That’s amazing!” I squealed.
“If this is how you’re going to react every time we sign a new artist, I’ll fire my A&R team.” Nathan said and it was only then that I realized I was practically laying on top of my boss, with the hem of my dress hiked up to a near dangerous ass-showing level.
A wave of embarrassment washed over me, burning my cheeks as I pushed myself upright into a sitting position. “Sorry. That wasn’t very professional of me.”
“You don’t hear me complaining, do you?”
No. I don’t.
My face grew hotter, forcing me to look away. If I stared a second longer into those baby blue eyes, I was sure I would combust.
We’d gotten pretty comfortable during the last few hours. My heels came off and were discarded across the carpet, and Nathan pushed up the sleeves of his shirt past his elbow.
I felt oddly at ease with him in my home.
“We should celebrate.” I announced.
“Celebrate?”
“Yeah,” I stood up from the couch. “We just found your next superstar, not to mention I didn’t strangle you even though you disrupted my date.”
It looked like Nathan was fighting off a smile as he came to stand at the island in the kitchen. “I see. So is this a white wine or red wine kind of celebration?”
“Neither,” I grinned at the confused look on Nathan’s face.
“Cookies N Cream.” I pulled out the tub of my favorite ice cream and dolled out two spoons, handing one of them to my still very confused boss.
“I was saving this depending on how my date went, but this seems like a better reason. I’ll even let you have the first scoop. ”
“I’m honored.” Nathan lifted the lid off and placed it on the counter before he dipped his spoon in the creamy vanilla goodness, scooping a generous amount, only for him to pause, staring at the ice cream as if it held the answers to Earth’s greatest mysteries.
Maybe he was worried about messing up his abs. Not that I’ve ever seen Nathan shirtless before, but I was sure the image was glorious.
Just when I think I made a mistake granting him the first scoop, Nathan placed the spoon in his mouth, licking the spoon clean before he pushed the tub to me, allowing me to have the next spoon.
“So, Bailey. How did that happen?” Nathan wondered.
“My friend,” I blushed. “She wants to help me get back into the dating pool after my last relationship.” It was the truth. I just wasn’t going to tell him that she was calling this plan of hers Project GEL (Get Elise Laid).
“I see. And are you ready for that?”
“I guess. I mean yes. I am.” A pause. “I miss coming home from work and cuddling with my person while telling them about my day, or that feeling you get when you see their name pop up on your phone.” My eyes widened when I realized I just said all that out loud.
I wish I could blame my word vomit on being tipsy but nope. I’m one hundred percent sober.
Needing something to prevent me from saying something else embarrassing, I scooped a large amount of ice cream into my mouth.
Chocolate. Cream. Vanilla. Sugar.
The flavors were perfect, and before I could stop myself, a soft, involuntary moan escaped my lips.
I slowly opened my eyes, meeting Nathan’s sharp gaze. His expression was intense, his jaw tight, and there was a flicker of something dangerous and undeniably heated in his eyes.
My stomach dipped. “What?” I asked, my voice breathless.
He leaned closer, his hand resting casually on the counter, but the way his eyes stayed locked on mine made my pulse stutter. “That’s the most beautiful sound I’ve heard all day.”
The air between us thickened, every inch of my skin burning under the weight of his gaze.
I swallowed hard, unsure if I wanted to run or lean into the growing tension, but before either of us could say another word, his phone buzzed on the counter.
The sound broke the moment, but Nathan didn’t flinch.
His gaze stayed locked on mine, unwavering, even as he reached for the phone.
“Edge,” he answered, his voice sharp and commanding, a stark contrast to the husky tone he’d been using with me.
I watched as his expression shifted slightly. Still calm, but the faintest crease appeared between his brows. Whoever was on the other end of the line had his full attention, but he never once looked away from me.
“Yes. I know.” His tone was clipped. “I’m handling it.”
He ended the call abruptly, placing the phone back on the counter with a quiet thud. “I have to go,” he said, his voice steady but softer now, as if he was trying to reel himself back in.
“Oh,” I managed, my voice barely above a whisper. “Is everything okay?”
Nathan hesitated, his eyes scanning my face like he was committing every detail to memory. “Nothing for you to worry about.”
I nodded, trying to ignore the strange pang of disappointment in my chest.
He stepped away from the counter, grabbing his jacket from the back of the chair and headed to the front door. As he slid on his jacket, his eyes met mine one last time, and for a fleeting moment, I swore I saw something that made my breath catch.
“See you on Monday.”
“See you on Monday.” I repeated. The door clicked shut behind him, leaving me alone with the silence and the faint scent of his cologne lingering in the air.
I headed back to the living room and sank onto the couch, the tub of ice cream temporarily forgotten. My thoughts swirled, tangled in the memory of his intense gaze and the subtle shift in the way he spoke to me a few minutes ago.
What just happened?
Nathan Edge was my boss. He was maddening, demanding, and impossible to read. But today, today felt different. Like something was changing between us, and I wasn’t sure if I was ready to face what that might mean.
It wasn’t until after Nathan left that I realized something unsettling. I wasn’t upset about him hijacking my date.
I should be. This was the perfect example of Nathan monopolizing my life, taking up so much of my time that I barely had room for a love life.
But I wasn’t upset.
Not even a little bit.