CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE
ELISE
ONE OF THE first things I learned about dating Nathan Edge was that he doesn’t do casual. Not in business and definitely not when it came to dinner dates.
LA stretched below us, twinkling with a thousand golden lights.
From our spot on the rooftop, it looked almost magical, like we were floating above the world instead of sitting at a small, candlelit table for two amongst other couples.
The warm glow of string lights overhead cast a soft halo around Nathan’s sharp features, making him seem less like the intimidating CEO and more like the man who, just this morning, had stolen a bite out of chocolate muffin when he thought I wasn't looking.
“This feels like a setup,” I mused, swirling the white wine in my glass.
Nathan lifted a brow, lips twitching. “A setup?”
I gestured around. “The romantic rooftop. The exclusive restaurant. The fact that I haven’t had to lift a single finger except to drink this very expensive wine. You’re either buttering me up for something or you’re trying to seduce me.”
His smirk deepened. “What if it’s both?”
I laughed, shaking my head. “Dangerous game, Nathan.”
Nathan leaned back in his chair, completely at ease, but there was a flicker of something darker in his eyes. “If I wanted to seduce you, Cupcake, you’d know.”
Heat licked up my spine, but I ignored it, lifting my glass instead. “Then I guess I should just enjoy the view and the food.”
Nathan sat up straight in his chair, his sharp blue eyes locked onto me like I was the most interesting thing in the world. His hand rested comfortably on top of my hand that sat on top of the table.
“You never told me how you got into dancing,” he said, tilting his head slightly.
I smiled, swirling the ice in my drink. “I guess I haven’t.”
“So tell me,” he pressed, his curiosity evident. “Was it something you always knew you wanted to do?”
I let out a small laugh, shaking my head. “Not even close.”
His brow lifted, intrigued.
“I didn’t grow up in a house that played a lot of music.
My mom was always busy running the household, making sure everything was perfect, and my dad worked late, so our house was mostly quiet.
My brother was into more structured things like JROTC.
But me?” I smirked. “I wanted noise. Movement. Energy.”
Nathan’s lips curled in amusement. “Why am I not surprised?”
I playfully nudged his leg under the table before continuing.
“When I was about nine, my cousin, who was Freshman in high school at the time, had a birthday party in their backyard. The moment we walked in, I heard ‘Lose Control’ by Missy Elliott.” I grinned at the memory.
“I had never heard anything like it before. The beat, the energy, the way it made people just move.”
Nathan was fully engaged now, his eyes twinkling with interest. “So what did you do?”
“I danced,” I said simply. “Or, at least, I tried to. I had no idea what I was doing, but I felt the music in my bones. I didn’t care if I looked ridiculous.
I just wanted to move. Next thing I knew, a little circle had formed around me, and people were cheering me on.
I did every little move I had ever seen on TV.
Some of them were probably terrible, but the crowd went wild. ”
Nathan shook his head, clearly impressed. “At nine years old?”
“At nine years old,” I confirmed with a grin.
“After that, I begged my mom to let me take dance classes.” I let out a soft breath, shaking my head.
“That didn’t go over well.” My fingers traced absent patterns against the table as I spoke.
“My parents came to Florida from Haiti with nothing. They worked too hard, sacrificed too much, for me to turn around and say I wanted to dance.” I glanced up at him.
“To them, that wasn’t a dream. It was a waste of time.
Something that wouldn’t pay bills or build a future.
” My lips pressed together briefly before I continued.
“They wanted me to be a doctor or a lawyer. Something stable. Something that made sense. They told me I was being silly.” I paused, momentarily taken back to the year I told my parents I wanted to be a dancer and how it felt when they didn't support that dream like I thought they would.
“So I didn't talk about it anymore.” I shrugged lightly. “But I didn’t stop dancing.” A hint of a smile returned.
“I taught myself. Watching videos, copying choreography, practicing in my room when no one was home or when they thought I was doing homework. I kept going. Quietly.”
Nathan was quiet for a moment before he laced our fingers together. “Your parents might not have seen it,” he said quietly, “but I do.” he murmured.
I felt my heart flutter at the sincerity in his voice. “Yeah?”
“Yeah,” he said, giving my hand a small squeeze. “I see it every time you dance, how free you look, how happy. It’s my second favorite thing to watch you do.”
Warmth spread through my chest, my cheeks heating slightly. Nathan wasn’t always the best with words when it came to emotions, but when he did say something meaningful, it always hit me right in the heart.
I tilted my head at him when his previous words finally registered. “Wait. What’s the first thing?”
“Watching you let go for me.” His eyes heated just enough to shift the air around us.
Check please.
“Nathan?”
The soft voice sent a ripple of tension through Nathan, so subtle most people wouldn’t have noticed. But I wasn’t most people.
I turned just as a stunning blonde approached our table, her designer dress hugging her curves like it had been made specifically for her.
And maybe it had been. I knew who she was the second I saw her.
Not just from the headlines, but from the numerous times she’d stopped by the office to see Nathan.
Because standing in front of me was Sadie Stevens. Hollywood’s golden girl and Nathan’s former favorite pastime.
She was important to him once. Intimately.
And I hated that I cared.
“Nathan,” Sadie repeated, stopping beside him with an easy familiarity that made my stomach tighten. Her gaze flicked to me, curiosity and something sharper flashing in her blue eyes. “And you’re—”
“Elise.” Nathan’s voice was smooth as ever, but I caught a slight edge to it. “Elise, I’m sure you remember Sadie. Sadie, Elise.”
Her lips parted slightly before she gave a knowing hum. “Elise? As in she’s just my assistant Elise?”
The way she said it was like she was finally confirming a suspicion she’d never been able to shake.
Nathan’s jaw flexed, and his fingers tensed around his glass, but Sadie barely acknowledged him. She was too busy watching me, her expression far too assessing for my liking.
And maybe it was stupid, but I couldn’t help but think about what she and Nathan had shared. The kind of history that didn’t just vanish.
Had he brought her here before?
Did he ever reach across the table and entwine their fingers like it was the most natural thing in the world?
Had he touched her the way he touched me?
The thought made my stomach twist in the worst way.
“Hi Sadie,” I said lightly, forcing a breezy smile that didn’t reach my eyes. “I’m not his assistant anymore.”
Sadie’s gaze flicked between me and Nathan, her lips curving slightly as if she’d just confirmed something.
“No kidding,” she murmured before turning her attention to Nathan.
“I miss you. Give me a call when you’re done pretending to be whatever this is.
I mean, I wouldn’t want you to forget what real passion feels like.
” Her eyes flicked to me, lips curling. “Unless you already have?”
“Oh, don’t worry, Sadie,” I said, voice oozing with sweetness. “Nathan’s memory is just fine. If anything, I’d say he’s getting a real education these days.”
Nathan let out a quiet chuckle, shaking his head slightly as he took a sip of his drink, but he didn’t interrupt.
“Now if you don’t mind Sadie,” His hand slid onto my thigh under the table, the warmth of his palm grounding me even as my pulse thundered. “My girlfriend and I have dinner to finish."
Sadie’s gaze snapped to mine, something dark flickering in her blue eyes. Surprise? Annoyance?
A mixture of both, if I had to guess.
But I didn’t care. Because right now, all I could focus on was what Nathan had said.
Girlfriend.
The word settled into my bones, warm and solid and real.
Sadie tilted her head, clearly unhappy but unwilling to show it.
“Girlfriend,” she said softly. “That’s… a first.”
Nathan didn’t take the bait. He simply lifted my hand from my lap and brought it to his lips, pressing a slow, deliberate kiss to my fingers.
I was pretty sure I stopped breathing.
Sadie’s smile thinned. “Enjoy him while you can. He’ll be onto the next soon enough.”
She left without another word, her heels clicking sharply against the floor as she disappeared into the restaurant.
The moment she was gone, I let out a breath I hadn’t realized I’d been holding.
Nathan turned to me, his eyes searching. “I’m sorry about that.”
“It’s fine.” I reached for my glass, swirling the wine before taking a slow sip. “I don’t care.”
His sharp gaze told me he didn’t believe me for a second. “No, it’s not okay. You think I don’t know what’s going through that pretty little head of yours?”
I arched my brow. “What exactly do you think is going through my head right now?”
He smirked, but there was no humor in it. “You’re thinking about all the ways Sadie and I have history. You’re wondering what she and I were, what we had, if any part of it still matters.”
The back of my neck burned because damn him, that was what I’d been thinking.
Nathan sighed, shaking his head. “Cupcake, I haven’t thought about any women, including Sadie, in any way that matters for a long time. And trust me, she hates that. That’s what this was about—rattling you, getting a reaction out of me.”
I let out a slow breath, tracing the rim of my wine glass with my finger. “Well, she definitely got a reaction.”