Page 7 of The Himbo and the Lord
“What did you tell Clara?” I wonder. Will I get to meet her before the end of my trip?
I’m already warming to the woman who can push the COO of a multinational financial company out of his house by having a few friends over.
“If you’re thinking I told her I was having to entertain you as an excuse, then you’d only be half right.” He laughs again. “She knows how I feel when her friends get together. Luckily, they take turns hosting it, so it’s only a couple of times a year. She prefers it if I make myself scarce.”
The waitress brings our food and we tuck in. There’s a reason why I was more than happy to come back here. The food is delicious.
I’m really pleased he’s being honest. I think we’re going to have a great professional relationship, and maybe even become friends. There’s something I do want to check out now I feel more relaxed with him, though.
“Well, in that case, I’m glad I could be yourdatefor the evening.” I use the word deliberately to test his response. I’ve never mentioned my sexuality, it’s not necessary or appropriate, but I’m not going to make a secret of it, especially not here, thousands of miles away from my father’s eyes. It would make working with Cieran a lot more comfortable if I knew it wasn’t going to be a problem for him.
“I couldn’t wish for a more handsome one,” he says gallantly, raising his glass in a toast to me. He must catch the surprise on my face because he laughs.
“I know you haven’t asked, but for what it’s worth, I’m bi. I’m happily married,” he adds quickly. “But I have no problem being out with another guy.”
I don’t answer. I don’t feel like blurting out that I’m gay despite his admission of his own sexuality. He’s handsome himself, tall and dark haired, but he’s not really my type. I don’t go for older guys, but I can definitely see his appeal.
I return to attacking my food.
“Did I pass your test?” he asks, and I look up to see his smirk. Damn. I swear under my breath and quickly compose myself.
“Perception is a really good quality in a COO,” I say, and he laughs again. “It’s not a secret, but my father doesn’t approve, so it’s not something I make public,” I add, unable to keep the bitterness from showing on my face.
He gives a small nod as if understanding, and then distracts me with a wonderful tale of how he met Clara while he was dating her brother. I relax some more as I feel we’ll become friends, and I ask if I can meet his family before I return home. I only want to meet Clara more now.
We’re just finishing up our main course when I get a curious sensation and the hair on the back of my neck stands up. I look up from my plate and across the restaurant, straight into the pair of green eyes that have haunted my dreams for the last week.
My breath leaves my body. I can’t believe Nate is here. He looks to be with a group of friends, all of them as good looking as him—tanned and gorgeous, as if they spent the week on the beach. They probably did, a bunch of rich playboys with nothing else to do.
Nate tilts his head and I look past him to where he’s indicating, to the passage that leads to the bathrooms. I see him catch one of his friends on the shoulder and whisper something to him before making his way to where he showed me.
“Is everything alright?” Cieran asks and my attention flicks back to him.
“Um, yes. Fine. I just need to use the bathroom. I’ll be back soon.” I stand and button my suit jacket. I don’t know why I do that, except it feels like a layer of defence against Nate.
Do I need one? Maybe, because here I am, trotting after him after one look from those emerald eyes.
As I reach the passageway I find him waiting for me. He’s still as beautiful as the first moment I saw him, and my eyes flick over him, remembering those abs and the perfect globes of his arse. He sees me looking, and smirks before walking off without saying a word. That riles me up and I remember what a snarky bastard he is.
“Hey!” I call after him, and when he doesn’t stop I follow in his wake. “No hello? How are you? What are you doing here, anyway?” I make it sound like he’s been following me, and he glances back over his shoulder, a feral grin showing on those perfect lips of his.
Lips I’d committed to memory while he lay sleeping. But he doesn’t slow down and I continue to follow him. His silence annoys me, but not as much as my own body for betraying me by being drawn along like some invisible cord. We reach the bathrooms and Nate pushes open the door. I follow a beat behind, then stand in the middle of the room while he continues to ignore me and pushes the door of each cubicle to see if it’s empty.
“Look, I’m not some sort of dog who can be beckoned over?—”
“And yet here you are.” Nate stops in front of me and spreads his arms wide. “You got up from yourdate, leaving him to come running after me.” His voice is mocking but I notice a slight edge to it. Is he jealous? I was going to protest that Cieran was just a work colleague—I’m his boss for Christ’s sake—but now I’m not going to.
“I don’t think that’s any of your business,” I say sharply, and see his jaw tighten.
That he’s affected brings me some sort of pleasure, and warmth spreads through my belly that he might be concerned about who I’m out with. I decide to goad him some more, trying to get more of a rise out of him. I want to see those pretty eyes turn even greener, and just as I haven’t seen him all week, I’m pretty sure when I walk out of this bathroom I’m never going to see him again.
“I just happen to like older guys. There’s something about them. They really know how to treat a guy well.”
Nate steps into my space, pushing me back against the wall. Those perfect lips meet mine, hard and fast, and for the second time in the last few minutes, Nate steals my breath.
CHAPTERSIX
Nate
