Chapter 10 Good For The Ego
GOOD FOR THE EGO
Natalie hadn’t expected Arik to question her motivations.
The sad truth, she wasn’t so sure what they even were.
And when he brought it up, she doubted it more.
She took the five-minute reprieve to set up their dinner and gather her thoughts.
But once they were seated at the table, his gaze didn’t waver and his fork remained untouched.
“Truthfully, I’m not sure why I said yes. I have a million reasons to say no and yet once you told me the dress code, I looked at my work schedule and decided. I don’t go back on my word.”
“Hmm,” he said. “So you’re being spontaneous?”
“You could say that.” At least he wasn’t insulted she’d said she agreed once she had the proper clothing.
She’d have to figure out how to let her parents know. Could be that was playing in her mind also.
She had to be nuts to go through with this. They’d want to know where she was. Needed to know. She’d never been this irresponsible before, never left the island without telling them. What if something happened to her?
But she would be flying over on the helicopter and there would be a record of that.
Not enough of one and she was even more messed up in her mind to think she could keep this quiet and use that excuse.
Her plan was to tell her parents when she returned. She’d fill Avery in prior so someone had the knowledge and plead with her sister-in-law to keep the information to herself.
“And you’re not a spontaneous person?”
“No. I’m not someone who opens up with people often. Or at least those I’m not close to.”
“But you did with me on Sunday. And even last week. You admitted that. You let down that big steel wall and got sarcastic too.”
“It felt good,” she said, smirking.
She wouldn’t say she wasn’t a happy person. She was fairly content in her life.
But she was bored.
There was something undeniably appealing about the idea of waking up and doing whatever you wanted. Not that she’d ever be in that financial situation. But shouldn’t she at least try to do something entertaining now and again?
Everyone was right. Work was her life.
It didn’t need to be that way.
“I’m glad,” he said. “I hope to make you feel even better the more time you spend with me.”
Which, truthfully, scared her. The whole point of the contract was less about keeping him in check and more about keeping herself in line.
He was just too dangerous for her hormones, especially with the boyish grin that screamed he’d won again.
He did. She wouldn’t admit it and have his head grow any bigger.
Since they were talking, she picked up her fork to eat. He could follow along or let his dinner get cold. His choice.
“I’m sure I will.”
“And there is the prim and proper reply that I hoped not to get.”
She giggled, looked at the humor in his eyes, and said, “Spending time with you makes me laugh. It will be difficult not to have a good time.”
“Thank you,” he said. “A little flourish to the words is always good for the ego.”
“Are you going to be this impossible the whole time?”
He held his thumb and finger up as wide apart as he could make them. “Most likely. Do you think you’re up for it?”
“I guess we’ll find out.”
“You won’t change your mind?”
“No. I wouldn’t do that unless there was an emergency.”
“And the emergency can’t be you changed your mind,” he said, pointing his finger and squinting his eyes. “I can put that in the contract. Neither of us has signed it yet.”
She winked. “I didn’t sign it yet because we might have to add a few more things.”
“I’m good,” he said, lifting his eyebrow at her.
“So far it seems I am too.” Which took a lot for her to admit.
They ate their dinner in silence. She was comfortable without noise, but Arik was jostling the table every time he moved, shifting from one position to the next.
“Are we going to see each other again before Friday?” he finally asked as if he had to process that question a few times before the words could escape.
“Considering you’re living where I work, the chances are high.”
He rolled his eyes and waved his hand. “I mean on another date?”
She smirked at his exasperated motion. “Oh. You should have been more specific. I’m not sure. Since I am taking Friday afternoon off, there are a few things I need to get done prior.”
“I’m sure the hotel isn’t going to fall down without you there to answer a question for a guest. You’ve got staff under you to do those things, correct?”
“I do.”
“Do you utilize them?”
“Yes,” she said, the word dragging out.
“Since this trip sounds fun to you, we can try to do something fun before that.”
“What do you have in mind other than eating those desserts you ordered?” she asked. He was being pushy, but she didn’t mind. She wanted to spend more time with him.
“Oh, you wanted one of them? You should have said something.”
She grinned, her foot lightly kicking his under the table. “You’re going to get soft if you eat them both.”
His jaw dropped. “I’ll have you know I’ve been in the gym every day but Sunday.”
“And what do you think of our establishment?”
“Ugh. There is that boring work voice again. Can’t you put it on silent for the rest of the night?”
Her mouth opened, a squeak escaping. “Wow. Is it really annoying?”
“Makes me want to get up and shake my arms off to see if there are any bugs on my skin.”
He had to be joking, yet he wasn’t smiling. “That’s mean.”
“Natalie. No one has been polite in my life. They sure the hell didn’t have that soft soothing voice that made you feel as if everything was going to be okay.
The calmness that you carry washing over them in waves while you try to correct whatever horror they may think they have done.
In my life, there was cold sarcasm, heated arguments, and nasty accusations. ”
“I’m sorry for you,” she said. “That you had to live with that.”
“Since my mother won’t be at the wedding, you won’t see that side of things. Cold sarcasm, sure. That’s always present.”
“You’re not cold.”
“Nope. That might be why I distance myself so much.”
She couldn’t fathom her family acting that way. She’d left to see more of the world and couldn’t wait to return to those who understood her the best.
Maybe if she had opened herself up more to Arik back then she would have had a slice of that there.
She was a firm believer in fate. Their lives were on a course they had to steer and neither of them was ready.
“But you’re going back.”
“I’ll always go back for my grandmother. She’s the only one. The rest, I barely tolerate.”
So he had one person in his life that meant something to him.
It was important for her to know that.
Anyone who lived on the edge, who could pick up when they wanted with no recourse, wasn’t someone who was going to fasten on for long.
They’d end up breaking free and making a run for it.
But Arik always returned to his grandmother. It meant there was space for him for someone else.
Whether she was that person, she didn’t know.
In order to find that out, she had to spend time with him.
Last Sunday was more fun than she remembered having in years.
If she didn’t go with him to this wedding, she’d lose this weekend. She was too busy during the week.
When he returned from Baltimore, he’d only have two more weekends left on the island.
“And you’re being polite saying it that way.”
He pointed his fork at her. “See, you get me.”
Few understood her and she was used to that.
They finished their dinner and she put the plates back on the serving tray.
“Are you going to share your dessert with me?”
“I’ll share anything with you that you want,” he said, wiggling his eyebrows. “You know, making it fun and all.”
She brought over the two desserts. His comment didn’t warrant an answer. “Well then, we can split them both.”
“That had been my plan all along. You’re not afraid of getting soft, are you?”
The way his eyes were looking her over as she stood next to the table, the burning she felt in his gaze on her body, told her he appreciated what was in front of him.
“Would it bother you if I was?”
“Hell no,” he said. “Not to sound sexist.”
“But you’re going to anyway. Hit me with it.”
“Since you said I could. What you’ve got going on works well for me.” His hands were weaving in and out as they moved up and down. “But it’s more important about how it works for you.”
Her shoulders slumped and she leaned over to give him a kiss on the cheek. Just testing it out...
“That’s very sweet of you to say.”
His arm went around her waist and pulled her closer. “We should try that on the lips at least once, don’t you think?”
This was getting into dangerous territory, but she started it.
“For research purposes. You know, need to make sure one of us isn’t repulsed,” she said.
“Not happening on my end.”
She leaned down and quickly put her lips to his. Not on her end either.
“That is the definition of a peck.”
“You never said how many times I could peck you though,” he said, laughing.
Why did that have to sound so scandalous?
Thirty minutes later, she was pushing the cart out of his room and into the elevator.
Staying any later was going to make her change her mind about the weekend.
Not because she was afraid of him, but more fearful of herself and what she was already feeling.
The warm flood of tingles as if she’d tried to stand after her legs had fallen asleep for days.
Only this wasn’t painful but craved.
The soft sound of his wicked laugh when he knew he won. The way it glided over her body caused her to sway toward him.
The touch of his smooth lips against hers and the ringing in her ears that followed.
She kissed him first. She started it.
And she was glad she had.
“Are you going to leave the elevator or stand there staring at the wall?”
“What?” She looked at Hunter laughing at her. She was on the first floor and hadn’t realized the doors opened.
“Sorry. I was lost in thought.”
“It looks it. And it’s not your job to do that. Not to mention you should have been out of here two hours ago.”
She wouldn’t admit where she’d been or with whom. “I’m leaving now. Just going to bring this down the hall. See, have my purse and everything.”
“See that you do leave. Good Lord, Natalie. Sometimes I think you might work more than me.”
“I doubt it. Have a good night, Hunter.”
She returned the cart and then made a quick dash for her car so she could call Avery and tell her of her weekend plans.
This might be the most excited she’d been in years!