Chapter 41
Just as the last plate of food gets delivered, drops of rain begin.
It’s slow at first.
One drop.
A few seconds later, another.
“Oh, no.” I look up, holding my breath.
“It might be fine.” Nate’s optimism is commendable.
But then the skies open, and without warning, torrential rain pours down.
The guests squeal, jumping to their feet.
Rain covers everything.
The dinner plates, the decorations, the flowers.
Nothing is spared from getting soaked.
Guests scatter.
“Come on!” Nate grabs my hand, running with me to find some cover. There’s a small overhang from the roof of one of the tiki drink buildings that he heads toward. He pulls me under first, positioning my back against the wall. But instead of standing next to me, he steps in front, his chest pressed against mine, hands resting on my waist.
“Worst-case scenario,” he says with a languid smile.
“This one’s on Isaac.”
“He kind of deserves it. As soon as the rain slows a bit, we’ll go see what we can do about the event.” My mouth opens to protest, but his finger brushes against my lips, silencing me. “It will be okay. There’s nothing that you can do in this downpour besides wait.”
The air in my lungs escapes in one long sigh. The tension in my shoulders relaxes as I let go of my need to control this moment. It’s not at all like me, but Nate’s easygoing personality has a way of calming me when I let it. The world quiets around us as my anxieties drift away.
There’s something about an evening rainstorm that feels wildly romantic—the steady rain pounding on the metal roofs, the water trickling down, the humid air, the scent of wet tropical flowers, and the deep navy sky.
Nate’s fingers slide to my face, softly cupping my cheek. I place my hand on his chest, but I don’t push him away. My breath slows as his eyes trace over my features. There’s a tenderness in his gaze that unravels my resolve. Something in his eyes makes my heart yearn—something steady, unwavering.
He’s somehow managed to break into my soul. I don’t know how, but he’s changed every belief I had about him.
Nate is no longer the bane of my existence.
For all the frustration and annoyance he used to ignite in me, I now feel something so much more passionate than my hatred ever was.
His finger softly brushes away a rain droplet as it rolls over my lips. I arch my back, pressing my body closer to his so he’ll put me out of my misery and kiss me.
He doesn’t rush.
His kiss is so slow and soft I barely feel it at first.
I relax against his body, allowing his gentleness to set the pace. It’s not urgent or demanding. It’s careful and patient, as if he’s conveying something with his kiss—something he’s always known. Unspoken feelings weave into the gentle glide of our lips, feelings that are more real than anything between us has ever been. I feel his warmth, his quiet strength, and the promise that he isn’t going anywhere.
But is it enough to make up for the past?
Is it enough to put my career on the line and trust him with my heart?
Is it enough to abandon the connection I’ve built with Mr. International?
I don’t know.
“Nate,” I exhale, pulling back. “What are we doing?”
His forehead presses against mine as a hint of a smile appears. “Do you really need me to explain it?”
I push on his chest so I can look him in the eyes. “I don’t think we should do this.”
The beating rain is the only sound as he reaches up to brush a strand of hair from my face. “Is there ever a world where someone like you and someone like me work?”
“Maybe.” My shoulders lift. “But I can’t ignore the emotional connection I have with the guy from my DMs. I’m supposed to meet him next week.”
A soft laugh puffs out. “Is that guy your only hesitation?”
“Didn’t you say there was someone else you had potential with? What happened to her?”
“I like her. I like her a lot . ” He squeezes my hips. “But I like this the best.” His forehead presses against mine again. “So besides the other guy and the other girl, are those your only hesitations?”
“We still work together.”
“I can’t do anything about that except promise things will be different than they were with Isaac.”
“It’s still scary for me,” I whisper between us.
“I know, but I’m trying to show you who I am, show you that you can count on me.” Nate takes me into his arms in a perfect hug.
I feel like my heart is being pulled to two different places.
I love my emotional connection with Mr. International. We have so much in common. We’ve built a foundation based on friendship and mutual likes and dislikes. I can see real longevity in our relationship. Our common interests could sustain a lifetime of happiness.
But then there’s Nate. He bothers me in all the best ways. His touch lights a fire inside me and makes me feel more physically alive than I’ve ever felt with a man. He’s both exciting and frustrating, and his kisses fill me with adrenaline. But is it real enough to last? Or is the thrill rooted in months of tension finally coming to a head? A hot flame that will fizzle out quickly.
I wish I could take my emotional connection from Mr. International and combine it with the physical connection I have with Nate. It would be the best of both worlds. And with a combination like that, I’d be stupid to let my fears about dating someone at work get in the way.
But I don’t have the best of both worlds. I have to choose.
Nate may be the more exciting choice, but he’s definitely not the safest.
“We go home tomorrow.” I gently push him back. “And I can’t?—”
“You can’t commit to anything right now?”
“Yeah.”
“I get it. But will you promise me something?” He steps back, keeping my hand in his. “Will you promise me that you’ll keep an open mind?”
“Keep an open mind?”
“Yeah.” He shrugs with a smile that’s so cute I want to drag his mouth down to mine again. “Let’s just see how everything plays out when we get home.”
It’s an easy request.
I’m not promising him my heart or anything—although, if I’m being honest, he already has a big chunk of it.
I’m just promising to keep an open mind.
* * *
When the rain slows to a drizzle, we walk to the lobby to assess the damage from the storm.
Mack is already there, talking to Samorn, while other Pureskin execs gather together, waiting for more instruction.
“I’m sorry, but the hotel isn’t responsible for anything that gets ruined,” Samorn says. “Once we did the weather call and your employee signed off on it, the liability is no longer ours.”
Nate cuts into their conversation. “It’s my fault. I should’ve insisted that we move the event inside the second I saw those clouds.”
Mack turns to him. “Are you saying that to protect your girlfriend?”
Anxiety fills my chest like a heavy brick settled between my lungs.
“Carly had nothing to do with this,” Nate fires back. “If you look at the signature on the weather call, you’ll see it was Isaac who made the choice to ignore the forecast and keep the event outside. But I’m not taking the blame to protect him. I’m taking the blame because I’m in charge of the event. As the leader, the buck stops here. I should’ve stepped in and not allowed him to have any say over my event, regardless of his new position with Pureskin.”
His dad considers him. “I respect that. I like a man who realizes his role as a leader.”
Nate nods and then jumps into action with a plan. “Samorn, tell the kitchen we need the easiest meal for sixty people they can make for us in the shortest amount of time. Then, have the staff set up tables and chairs in the ballroom. Send the DJ there with the speakers. While the guests wait in the lobby, get trays of drinks and hors d’oeuvres sent up to keep them happy.” Nate turns to me. “Send out a push notification to all of our guests that the farewell party will resume in one hour in the ballroom and that if they’d like to continue mingling, they can join us in the bar in the lobby.”
The corner of my mouth lifts.
“What?” he asks.
“I like this take-charge version of you.”
Nate shrugs. “I have no problem being in control of things. I just prefer to sit back and watch you lead. You’re very attractive when you’re bossy.”
I laugh, then I remember that his dad is watching us. My eyes dart to Mack. “We’ll handle this so you can still have an amazing send-off party.”
“I don’t doubt it.” He looks at Nate differently—maybe with a hint of pride. “Good job. I like the new plan. Now, I’m going to go find Isaac and let him know that whatever bill for the damaged decorations the rental company sends will be coming out of his generous sign-on bonus.”
Nate and I share a look as Mack walks away. Isaac will finally get the karma he deserves.
His smile widens. “Are you ready to give these people the best farewell party they’ve ever seen?”
“I feel like you’re being overly confident, but yes.”
“Overly confident? Nah. Getting my dad to say ‘Good job’ was the tough part. Everything from here is a breeze."
I laugh.
Confident Nate has always been the most dangerous.
And the most attractive.