Chapter 22 #3
“You okay?” Nate pulls me into his chest, and he holds me tight.
“Uh-huh.”
I’m too tipsy to fight the connection, so I let him hold me. Linc never showed up, and that’s the coworker I was most worried about.
“When are the speeches?” Juliette yawns.
“Don’t worry about them.” Leo kisses her head. “Take my niece home and relax. Put your feet up.”
“We’ll leave after.” She waits for someone to respond, then deflates. “We missed them, didn’t we?”
“They’re boring anyway,” Leo assures her.
Harrison takes Claud, who doesn’t protest, then pries his wife out of Leo’s arms. “I’ll come home with you.” He leans down and kisses her.
“Aww,” Claudina says, promptly hiding her face in the crook of Harrison’s neck when we all start to ooh and ahh at how adorable she is.
After they leave, Lizzy comes over and suggests that Leo and Nate should make the rounds before the night ends.
Nate hesitates.
“She’s not going to disappear,” Leo says to him.
Nate looks at me, concerned I’ll vanish into thin air. “You won’t leave without telling me, right?”
I shake my head no.
“She should come back with us so we can have a nightcap, and you can show her your surprise.”
“I know about the penthouse.”
Leo’s grin is wicked. “That’s not Nate’s only surprise.”
I turn to Nate, catching the rare flicker of shyness on his face. “Tell me.”
He brushes his lips against my cheek, his voice low so no one can hear around us, even if the music would have masked it. “Guess you’ll have to come home with me to find out.”
And with a wink, he disappears into the crowd, leaving me breathless.
Addie and I are relaxing off to the side, waiting for the guys, where there’s strategically laid out lounge seating. The velvet shades range from dark grays and silvers to midnight blues, complementing the theme perfectly.
“You’ve had a smile on your face all night,” Addie points out.
“It was the copious amount of champagne. The same one’s making this room spin a little.”
She kicks my leg playfully. “Don’t lie to me.”
I roll my eyes. “How would you know? You were too busy with your man in black to notice. Who was he?”
She shrugs. “I don’t know.”
“You talked for almost three hours, and you don’t know? He could be a serial killer.”
She snorts. “Or he could be a porn star and will get me out of my dry spell.”
“Don’t ask me to get you an STD test if he is.”
“So that kiss…”
I cover my face. “How embarrassing was it? I forgot I’m not seventeen anymore.”
She doesn’t answer, and when I turn my head, even through her mask, I see longing.
“It was everything. Exactly what I’d expect from the two of you.” She smiles softly. “So you’re going to make a go of it? Finally.”
My breath vibrates my lips as it wooshes through. “It feels natural, like a day hasn’t gone by where we haven’t loved each other.”
“Has there been a day, though?” she accuses.
“Felt like it for a while.” I shrug. “I…”
“You?”
“I don’t know,” I whine. “I’m so confused. It feels too good to be true.”
“Ready?” Nate’s voice startles me.
My eyes meet his, and in an instant, I’m back in his trance. I immediately forget the past and let my emotions rule over every thought and feeling.
I turn toward Addie. “You coming with us, Ads? Leo will be there.”
“Nah. You go ahead.”
I frown. I don’t want to leave her. “Since when don’t you want a nightcap?”
“Since I really am going home with Mr. Mysterious.” She stands and waggles her brows.
I stand in a rush after her. “Wait. You don’t know the guy.”
“I didn’t know half of the guys I’ve slept with, Maddie. You meet at a bar, you go home, and then sayōnara.”
My nerves must show enough to concern Nate.
“Who is he, Adelaide?”
She points across the room, and Nate narrows his eyes, but no recognition crosses his face.
He takes out his phone, types out a message, waits a minute, then smiles. “All right, you’re good to go.”
“Wait. Wait. Wait. This doesn’t feel safe.” I turn toward Addie. “I know you’re an adult, but I’ll be worried sick all night.”
Nate leans down for only me to hear. “I checked with my security. That’s Cal Elliot.”
My eyes bug out. “The running back for New York?”
He nods. “Probably liked being hidden behind his mask. From what I know of him, he’s a pretty private person. He hates jersey chasers.”
“That’s the last thing Addie is.” I turn to her, smiling, all teeth. “Okay, you’re good. But I’ll warn you, my brother’s going to kill you.”
“I don’t know what that means, but it makes me want to do it even more.” She hugs me and Nate goodbye, and when she’s halfway across the room, she turns and blows me a kiss.
“Alrighty. We ready to roll?” Leo comes up holding a bottle of champagne and three glasses.
“Do we need more drinks?”
He looks at me deadpan. “The night is young, Madeline Grace Cunningham, and we have a twenty-five-minute car ride back downtown.”
“Whatever you say, boss.”
Nate
“You shouldn’t have let me drink anymore,” Maddie mumbles, her eyes closed, while her head rests on my shoulder, just as we pull up to our building. “I’m sooo sleepy.”
“You’re cute when you’re drunk. I guess I’ll show you your surprise tomorrow.”
Her eyes fly open, and she sits up. “I’m good.”
Leo barks out a loud laugh. “You look so unsteady that if I blow in your direction, you’ll fall over.”
“Well, it’s your fault. You kept force-feeding me champagne.”
Our driver opens the door of our limo, and we all pile out.
“Thanks. Have a good night.” I hand him a hefty tip for sticking around longer than we’d hired him to.
He’s not our typical driver, since I rented the limo especially for Claudina tonight.
My girl wanted a princess night, so she got one.
Maddie’s standing on the curb, staring up at the building like she’s seen a ghost. “You okay, Mads?”
She smiles, but it barely reaches her eyes. “I’m processing the fact that you still own this place. The building is just as I remembered it. I loved it most because of the tall ceilings and windows.”
“I remember,” I mumble beside her.
A twist of my stomach lurches. I can’t fuck this up.
There isn’t one part of me that isn’t ready to go full steam ahead. Fuck, I’d marry her tomorrow if she’d let me. I know Maddie still cares deeply for me, even if she’s trying to fight it, but I also know if I push too hard, I’ll scare her off.
I give Maddie the minute she needs to process, allowing her to take in the beauty of the building. It’s cast iron, rather than carved stone, but still mimics the European Renaissance style, making the building highly ornate.
It’s quintessential here in SoHo—large open lofts, tall ceilings, with windows to match the height. Something I know Maddie appreciates.
“What are you waiting for, you two?” Leo calls after us.
Maddie takes one last glance at the building, then walks toward Leo, who’s waiting with the front door open.
“And who do we have here?” Benny, our doorman, looks Maddie up and down.
“Keep your eyes to yourself,” I snap.
My outburst only makes Benny more curious. “Damn, Davenport, look at you all jealous and shit.” He grins, holding out his hand to shake Maddie’s. “Hi. I’m Benny. Who are you?”
I don’t know what comes over me, but my hand flies out and smashes his away before she can touch his.
He barks out a laugh so loud that people on the street stop and look, including Leo, who is hunched over laughing.
Maddie is standing there, fighting a grin.
“Let’s go,” I grumble and pull Maddie along.
Leo is following, still laughing his ass off.
The three of us get in the elevator, and suddenly my nerves are shot. Fuck. What if she thinks I’m out of my mind? Buying the penthouse, her dream apartment, is only one of many things I’ve done to keep the memory of us, her, alive.
I’m pathetic…a lovesick puppy.
Maddie stifles a giggle when we step off the elevator.
“What’s up?”
She hunches her shoulders. “Who knew I’d be living in a penthouse with a private elevator opening right into my place. You two have to share.”
“Ha. Ha,” Leo mocks, then walks down the hall to his door. “I’m going to change. I’ll be over in a few.”
“Wait,” I call out, and of course, since we’re always on the same wavelength, he knows exactly what I’m questioning.
“I closed our adjoining door. She’s on your side.”
Maddie’s eyes narrow suspiciously. “Who’s on what side?”
I link our arms together. “Come on, Goddess. It’s time you met your surprise.”
Maddie’s practically vibrating with excitement as I put my code in to open the door. There’s no denying the loud pitter-pattering of paws waiting for us.
When I push open the door, and Skye comes into view, Maddie loses it, and the waterworks are almost immediate.
“Oh, Nate.” Her big, bright eyes light up, full of happiness. “She’s beautiful.”
“She’s yours.”
“What?” She gasps in surprise. “Mine?”
“Well, ours and Leo’s. We also share custody with Claud. She thought I got the dog for her, so don’t tell her otherwise.”
Maddie drops down to her knees, and Skye’s there to lick her whole face.
“I’ve always wanted a black German Shepherd,” she whispers more to herself.
I settle down next to her and pull her into my side. “I know, babe.”
Her eyes are pooled with tears, but there’s a fire in them that I recognize.
It’s a look I could never forget.
“Maybe you should call Leo and tell him to stay home.”
I lean in closer. “Oh yeah? Why’s that?”
“You know exactly why.”
Then her lips are on mine.