Chapter 22 #2
Natalie brushes her fingers along the edge of a cream settee before checking the specifications on its price tag, her brow furrowing in concentration.
“This is so unnecessary. We don’t need?—”
“It’s not about need,” I say, trailing her like a shadow. “It’s about replacing what hurts you.”
She gives me a look that could melt steel. “Ethan…”
“You said your back’s been killing you.”
“I’m pregnant, not ninety,” she retorts, tossing her hair back.
“And I’m a CEO, not a caveman. I know the difference.” I nod toward a steel-framed recliner. “That one’s orthopedic. Made with memory foam. Rated for prenatal lumbar strain.”
She stares at me, eyes widening slightly. “You researched pregnancy furniture? ”
I shrug. “I research everything that touches you.”
She tries to hide the flush climbing her neck but fails. I allow myself a small moment of satisfaction as her cheeks turn a delightful shade of pink.
Mike Levy walks towards us. “Mr. Wilder. Is there anything I can help you two with?”
“We’re just looking,” Natalie says quickly.
Mike nods, shooting her a curious look.
Natalie wanders toward a curved loveseat—soft blush with gold piping. She sits, tentative, legs tucked to the side. I hate it instantly. It looks like it would crumble under a stiff breeze.
“That thing won’t survive your third trimester,” I tell her.
Her lips twist. “You’re impossible.”
I lower myself onto the couch beside her, letting my arm stretch out behind her. “I’m practical.”
Her body relaxes against me—slightly. She doesn’t always realize she’s doing it, but I do. I know every angle of her. Every micro-expression.
This is the most peaceful I’ve seen her all week.
Then I feel it.
That static buzz under my skin. The one I’ve spent years sharpening into instinct.
Eyes.
I scan the reflection on the boutique’s polished surfaces. Shelves. Mirrors. Glass. I can feel a pair of eyes on us. I quickly turn around and stare out the large display window. People are passing by, but I can’t seem to pinpoint anyone in particular.
The skin on the back of my neck crawls. We are definitely being watched.
Natalie doesn’t seem to have noticed. She’s looking at a catalogue that Mike is showing her about baby furniture, her fingers tracing the edges of a mahogany crib.
“Stay here,” I murmur, kissing the top of her head and walking towards the entrance .
“Ethan?” She rises out of the seat but doesn’t follow.
“I’ll be right back.”
I head out and stand in the doorway, the crisp October air cutting through my suit jacket as I scan the sidewalk. A few early fallen leaves skitter past in the evening breeze, but I see no one out of the ordinary. The feeling is gone.
Whoever it was, has either left or concealed themselves.
I don’t like this.
I return to Natalie’s side. She doesn’t look very satisfied with whatever is in the catalogue. “If you don’t like it, we can go elsewhere.”
She shoots Mike an apologetic look. “Sorry.”
He smiles at her. “It’s no problem. We focus more on office furnishings, anyway. If you would like, I can give you a list of places that sell furniture for infants.”
“Send the list to Clarice, Mike,” I tell him, and he nods.
I slide my hand into Natalie’s. “Let’s go eat.”
She studies me, her eyes narrowing with suspicion. “What’s going on? You’ve been acting suspicious for a while now.”
I don’t lie. “I think someone was watching us.”
Her hand tightens around mine, but her voice is calm. “Did you find out who it was?”
“Not yet. But I will.”
Her lips press together, and she nods.
Once we get into the car, she keeps glancing outside. “Let’s just go back. Today’s been stressful enough. I would rather shower and eat.”
I reach over and rest my hand on her thigh. “What do you have in mind?”
She lets out a laugh, pushing my hand away. “Not whatever it is you have in mind. I’m still sore!”
I give her a deceptively innocent look. “Now who’s the pervert?”
“You used that tone of yours! What am I supposed to think? ”
I grin, starting the car. “I don’t have a tone.”
“Yes, you do,” she argues back, struggling not to laugh. “That husky bedroom voice that makes me forget my own name.”
Seeing her like this makes my heart turn light.
“Maybe you’re the one who’s in the mood for it. I did read that pregnant women have more fierce appetites?—”
“Ethan!”
Natalie’s face is a bright red, her hands covering her cheeks.
I pat her leg. “Feel free to use me to feed those appetites of yours. Anytime.”
“Pervert!” she laughs, batting my hand away. “Let’s just go home. We’ll get Chinese.”
My eyes soften as I look at her, and she blushes deeply. “What?”
Taking her hand in mine, I intertwine our fingers and press a kiss to the back of her hand. “Home. I like it when you say that.”
She just smiles softly and looks away, the streetlights casting golden shadows across her profile.
My thumb rubs over her ring finger.
One day.
Soon.
???
At the penthouse, she heads straight to the shower while I order us food. I lay out some comfortable clothes for her, and as she steps out, a towel wrapped around her, she finds me staring at the silk pajamas I’ve put on the bed.
“You okay?” She comes to stand beside me, droplets of water still clinging to her shoulders.
She smells like lavender and vanilla. I want to sink my teeth into her, but not today.
I want to give her a break tonight. Besides, I feel a strange sensation in my chest. “I was just thinking that I quite like this domestic bliss with you, laying out your clothes, feeding you, looking after you. I’ve always hated sharing my space with anyone. But with you, it feels natural.”
She leans against me. “So, does this mean I’m domesticating you?”
I give her an amused look. “Depends on your definition of the word.”
Leaning down, I brush my lips against hers. Once. Twice. The warmth of her skin penetrates through my shirt.
She sighs into my mouth.
Before my hands can reach for her towel, I hear her stomach rumble, and I exhale.
“Right.” Pulling away from her, I give her a critical look. “Food first, and then we have to talk.”
The smile slips from her face. “Didn’t we talk this afternoon? I thought everything was?—”
“Not that.” I kiss her forehead, reassuring her. “It’s about something else. But first, change.”
I head into the bathroom to take a quick shower as well, and when I come out, she’s poured out two glasses of juice and is sitting cross-legged on the couch, looking at something on her phone.
“Did Jake know I was expecting before I revealed my pregnancy in your office?”
“Why do you ask?” I pick up my glass from the kitchen counter.
She shows me her phone screen. “Just curious. He didn’t seem very surprised back then. He also just sent me a link to this stroller.”
I check the image. “It’s too early to think of strollers, and yes, he knew. I told him if he didn’t watch himself, he’d have no access to the baby.”
“Well,” Natalie mutters, “he’s persistent, I’ll give him that. Like someone else I know.”
The corner of my lips tug. “If you want, I can go beat him up for whatever he said to you that day. The only reason I’ve not gotten involved is because you insisted.”
“I can beat him up myself,” she says, a challenging glint in her eye.
I sit down next to her. “I’ll hold him down for you.”
“What’s this?” She blinks at the second picture before her eyes narrow. “Is he for real? Look at this! Look at it!”
It’s a picture of Jake grinning and wearing a t-shirt that reads ‘Favorite Godfather’, with his thumb up in the air.
“He certainly moves fast,” I murmur.
“He’s not going to be the godfather,” Natalie says darkly. “I’d sooner give the honor to the pizza delivery guy.”
“He’s not going to stop trying.” I get up and take out the bowls, setting them on the island counter. “He’s very persistent. We have a wager. If he doesn’t win you over by the time the baby is born and you make him the godfather, he is on diaper duty during any and all family events.”
“And if he wins.”
“He gets to see the baby first.”
I see the gleam in Natalie’s eyes. “Diaper duty, huh?”
I can’t help but chuckle. But before I can say anything, there is a knock on the door.
“I’ll get it. It must be the food.” She sets her phone down and gets up from the couch.
“Wait—”
If it was the food delivery guy, he would have asked to be buzzed up. But Natalie is already opening the door. I’m behind her in an instant and blink when I see the person standing outside.
“Caleb?”
“Hey.” He grins, holding up the plastic bags of food. “Hope you don’t mind. My apartment got flooded. Mom and Dad are having one of their parties, and Elisha said I can’t stay at their place. I don’t even know where Jake is. ”
“So get a hotel room.” I stare at him.
“Can I stay, Natalie?” He ignores me. “I hate sleeping in hotels. And three’s a party, you know?”
“No, three’s a crowd,” I say pointedly, but Natalie elbows me out of the way as I add, “He can’t stay.”
“Come in. Of course you can stay, Caleb.”
“You’re the best!” Caleb says cheerfully, sticking his tongue out at me when he’s sure she can’t see.
“I picked up some garlic bread as a peace offering, but you already have Chinese. The guy was outside the door, so I paid him.”
“Thanks.” Natalie beams at him. “I’ll go unpack this. Have you eaten?”
My younger brother ignores my glare, putting on the most pitiful look he could muster. “I didn’t get the chance. I even had to skip lunch.”
“I remember Clarice getting you fried chicken from that Korean place that you like.”
Caleb instantly switches gears. “I only ate a little.”
“Come eat with us. Ethan doesn’t mind. Do you, Ethan?”
Watching her treat this place like her own and making decisions has me giving in. “Fine. He can stay.”
“Don’t get too comfortable,” I mutter as he walks past me.
He just grins.
Caleb washes up and helps with the food, and I sit down beside Natalie. She hands me a plate and touches my thigh gently, grounding me. Her presence has a way of pulling me back from the edge.
We eat in silence for a while—steamed dumplings, sticky rice, and orange chicken, accompanied by the garlic bread that my brother was so gracious enough to get.
Natalie can’t handle the garlic bread so Caleb steals the pieces on her plate.
He is halfway through his second helping when I finally speak .
“Caleb’s joining the company next week. He has to wrap up a project before he joins.”
Natalie pauses with her fork halfway to her mouth. “I know. He came by my office around four.”
Caleb chews his food slowly. “I signed the contract. So excited.”
Natalie gives him a look. “Try to look it, too. Caleb Reynolds. I’m going to have to get used to calling you that. Don’t worry, I told Iris you were very talented.”
“I am talented.” He makes a face.
“But she doesn’t know that yet, does she?
” Natalie waves a fork in the air. “I’m going to take the two of you out to lunch this week, do an informal introduction before you start.
She’ll warm up to you faster if she thinks I like you.
She’s handpicked a majority of her team, so you being imposed on her is a tough pill to swallow. ”
“She doesn’t know it yet, but someone is intentionally sabotaging her,” I interject. “Someone in her department is feeding information outside the company. I want to know who.”
Caleb frowns. “So you’ve confirmed the existence of a mole then?”
“We had two of our marketing strategies leaked to our direct competitors last week. Two very major campaigns. Your job is to observe and report. Get close to the team.”
“And what if someone recognizes him?”
“They won’t,” Caleb responds confidently to Natalie’s question. “I’m mostly a name brand. I rarely show my face. So even if someone knows of my company, they won’t know me.”
“There’s another reason you’re here, Caleb. Till the threat to Natalie has passed, you will accompany her every time she leaves the office. I don’t care if she’s going to get a cup of coffee. You will be there with her.”
Natalie stiffens.
Her eyes flick to mine. “That’s not necessary. ”
“It is.”
“I won’t be a prisoner, Ethan,” she says, her voice sharp with determination.
“No, you won’t,” I agree, “but Lucas wasn’t behind the threats to you, and we don’t know who it was. Either way, you are in danger. And I will feel much more comfortable with Caleb by your side.”
She looks away, her jaw tightening.
Caleb clears his throat. “Look, I get it’s weird. But I’m not just here to babysit. I’m here to help him figure out who’s messing with you. With Iris. With everything.”
Natalie sighs. “Fine. I rather like staying alive, as it is.”
We finish dinner, and I wait for Caleb to move to the couch before approaching her. “You’re taking this better than I thought.”
She sighs. “I’m not thrilled about needing a bodyguard. But I trust you.”
Those words hit harder than I expect, a warmth spreading through my chest.
She takes out the prenatal vitamins and pours herself a glass of water. “Just don’t start treating me like I’m breakable.”
“You’re not. But you are everything.”
Her eyes lift to mine, softening around the edges. And for a moment, the tension eases.
Back in the living room, Caleb is already sprawled on the couch like he owns the place.
“Go to bed, Caleb.” Natalie tells him. “You have a long week ahead of you.”
He salutes her with a lazy grin.
I lean against the doorway, watching her as she picks up her things, the curve of her neck illuminated by the soft kitchen lights.
She catches me staring. “What?”
“Nothing. ”
“Ethan.”
“I keep thinking about the furniture store. Somebody was watching us. I know it.”
Her posture stiffens slightly. “You think it was Lucas?”
“Possibly. But Lucas isn’t the type to follow you around. I’ve put out feelers for his location, but he seems to be lying low.”
Natalie leans back against the counter. “I hate this. All of it.”
“I know.”
“I just want to enjoy this, this baby, us.”
“I’m trying to make that happen.”
“I know.” Her voice softens, vulnerability peeking through the cracks. She wraps her arms around my waist.
“It’ll be fine. I’ll make sure of it.” I murmur.
She turns around in my arms and I hold her close, burying my face in her hair, breathing in her scent.
“I can’t lose you,” I whisper.
“You won’t.”
I tighten my hold. God help the person who even tries to separate us.