“Out of the question.”
“I’ll ask him,” Sasha said, hopping off the bed and walking for the entrance. She was wearing a green sweater with curve-hugging skinny jeans and looked fearless as she sauntered out of the bedroom in search of Nathan.
“No! Sasha, wait!” Lillian hissed, but it was too late, and she felt exasperated as she followed her incorrigible friend into the living room.
“Nathan! Nathan, where are you?” Sasha called in a playful voice. “We have a question for you about tonight!”
“Hush.” Lillian caught up with her friend and grabbed her arm, trying to silence her, but then the door to Nathan’s study opened and he was standing there, appraising them with a cool expression while he leaned against the doorway.
“Yes?”
Sasha thumbed her hand at Lillian. “She wants to ask you on a double date. For tonight.”
Nathan didn’t look as if he could have been more surprised if someone shot him. He nearly lost his balance against the doorway and had to right himself quickly before walking over to them. “What?” He looked at Lillian. “Is that true?”
Lillian felt her cheeks flaming. “I… Only because Sasha needs me.”
He cocked his head, and his perfectly coiffed dark hair tilted slightly. “Sure. Where would we be going?”
Lillian’s jaw dropped at his easy acceptance of the situation, despite his shock.
“A restaurant my date picked out,” Sasha said. “I only just met him, so I’d rather have someone there.”
Nathan smiled at her and folded his arms. “Lillian and I will be sure to keep an eye on him.” He sent her a playful glare and put out an arm to pull her against him. “On our date.”
“Geroff me,” she mumbled, shoving out of his grip.
He laughed and walked back toward his office, giving them a wave.
“You two have fun exploring the house. Let me know if you need anything.” He gave Lillian a sultry look over his shoulder as he opened the door to his study. “And, Lillian, I’m looking forward to our date.”
Then the door shut behind him, and Lillian let out a long-suppressed groan.
“He’s impossible,” she said, staring at the door he’d gone through.
Sasha smiled, walking forward to stand next to her friend. “You know what? I think he’s good for you.”
“Hey, I—”
Sasha put up a hand. “You can protest later, once you’ve had a date with him. Who knows? Maybe you’ll be thanking me.” She sprinted for the stairs that led up to the next floor. “Now show me everything about this place!”
Lillian let out a sigh but couldn’t help catching her friend’s excitement.
For just this afternoon, she could forget about news stories or threats or mysterious men who were too sexy for her own good and just have fun with her friend.
Chapter 11
Nathan had to chuckle a bit at fate as he looked at the restaurant Sasha’s date had chosen.
Phillip was hovering over Sasha, exclaiming over the quality of the lasagna, and Nathan shook his head as Lillian looked up at him curiously.
“Something wrong with this place?”
“No, I just know the owner. Well, I’ve met her.” He rubbed the back of his neck as they walked into the restaurant, wishing he’d brought his sunglasses and trench coat so as to not be noticed.
Hopefully, being in a group like this would be better.
When they walked in, he looked up to see if the huge, white-haired hulk, Chromium, was working tonight. Sure enough, he saw a familiar head busying itself in the kitchen.
He didn’t recognize the hostess who came to seat them, and since it was a corner booth, Nathan decided they would probably go unnoticed and be able to have a quiet meal.
He opened the menu and pretended to study the options as if he would actually enjoy the food here.
Or any human food at all.
“Interesting,” Lillian said. “There are so many other things than lasagna.” She threw a wry look at Sasha’s date, but Phillip was too busy trying to catch and twirl a lock of Sasha’s hair to pay any attention to her jabs.
To his credit, Sasha didn’t look displeased by the situation, and Nathan supposed he should distract Lillian from being overprotective.
“Hey,” he said, nudging her gently. “What looks good?”
She narrowed her eyes at him. “This isn’t a real date, you know.”
“You’re paying?”
She frowned. “No.”
“You’re planning to hang out with someone else?”
“No.”
“Then it sounds like a date to me.”
She slammed down her menu. “You don’t need to go on dates with women like me.”
He put an arm up over the edge of the booth. “Women like what?”
“You know. I have a lot on my mind other than dating.”
He studied her, letting his eyes rake over her. Despite her protests, he didn’t believe her lack of interest. Her eyes settled on him whenever she got a chance, and she would blush and turn away when he noticed her.
She looked beautiful tonight in a low-cut, sleeveless red shirt that hugged her curves and looked good with her black skirt.
Sasha was wearing a pretty teal dress, and Phillip seemed to be happy with it.
Nathan kept his attention on Lillian, hoping to somehow bring her out of her shell and make her stop denying this thing that was going on between them.
She was never going to figure out his secrets, so she might as well just start enjoying all the other things they could have together.
To his surprise, Lillian scooted over to him in the booth, leaving a bigger separation between the two couples. She leaned forward, whispering in his ear,
“I don’t like him.”
Her breath tickled his ear, making him think of so many other things they could do in the dark. Or the light. Wherever, really. As long as it was with her.
“Would you like anyone Sasha dated?” he whispered back.
“She’s too naive,” Lillian muttered, looking down at her glass. “She thinks the best of everybody.”
Nathan looked over at Sasha and Phillip, but they were too busy giggling and talking about the menu to overhear them. “As opposed to you, who thinks the worst of everybody?”
“Not everybody, just you.”
He sighed, rubbing some of the condensation off his glass of water. “Still? Even after all I’ve done for you?”
“What have you done? Besides appear at arson sites, looking suspicious.”
“Given you access to my home and work, came over to save you from a stalker, allowed your best friend to move into my home while you’re there, allowed you to stay until you’re safe.” He ticked them off on his finger, looking at her expectantly.
“He really has been awesome,” Sasha chipped in.
Lillian scowled at her, then softened toward Nathan. “Look, I’m sorry. I had a rough go of it growing up. I don’t really trust men. I just…” She ran a hand through her curls, which she’d left half down tonight. “Can we start over? I can do a real story on you, no biases, and I promise to be a bit more open-minded.”
“Thanks, I’d like that.”
She sighed as she put her chin on her hand and leaned on the table. “You really do seem like the standup guy everyone thinks you are. Pity.”
He laughed. “Why is that a pity?”
“Because it’s boring.” She perked up slightly. “Though, you do have the midnight thing, and you don’t seem to have any family or friend connections, so that’s something.”
“I have a family.”
“Oh? You do?” She pulled out her phone to take notes. The waitress came right at that moment, and they gave their order. Nathan ordered the lasagna because it brought back fond memories of harassing Chromium.
He could eat human food. He just didn’t particularly enjoy it.
When the order was placed, Sasha and Phillip went back to flirting, and
Nathan and Lillian were left in awkward silence.
He cleared his throat. “But yes, I have family. Two brothers.”
“Are they close to you in age?” Her eyes were lit with interest.
“Yes, I suppose.” Being triplets meant that, but he couldn’t really say more about it because the other thing they all shared was being more than a hundred years old.
They’d been so young when they’d been given their ledgers.
That made him nostalgic and caused him to feel something like pain, so he pushed it aside and gave her a charming smile.
Her brows lowered. “What was that?”
“What was what?”
“What you just did. For a moment, you looked… human. Then the mask went back up.”
He raised a brow. “Mask? I’m afraid I don’t know what you mean.”
“Yes, you do. You were thinking of something disturbing, and then you pushed it away.” She shook her head, making her curls bounce. Her lips were painted a beautiful shade of red. Very kissable. “See, this is why I wonder about you having any family. You seem like you haven’t ever had anyone to confide in, and you seem to keep all your secrets close to the chest. In the two days I’ve been with you, I haven’t seen anyone call you. A guy as popular as you. How is that possible?”
“You haven’t been with me every moment.” But an uncomfortable weight in the pit of his stomach told him he knew she was right.
“Did anyone call, then? Anyone who wasn’t asking something work related?”
“So I’m a loser. Happy?”
She shook her head, a sad expression on her face. “No. Not a loser. Never a loser. But it is another piece of the puzzle that a guy with so much also has so little.”
“Thanks for the insult,” he said dryly.
She looked up at him, shocked. “No, truly, I didn’t mean it like that.” He was surprised when she put a hand over his. Was she actually touching him? On purpose? Non-sexually?
His heart nearly contracted when she squeezed his fingers.
“Look, from now on, you have a friend in me. We’re working together on this story, and you’re helping me out with my stalker. And yeah, if something’s bothering you, you can talk to me.”
“Won’t it end up in your story?”
“Not if it’s off the record,” she said. “So just say that if you want to tell me something, and I’ll make sure it stays private between us.”
He sat there rigidly, one of the most powerful creatures in the universe yet at this moment completely taken aback by what a simple human was saying.
She wasn’t giving him everything, but unless he was wrong, this human was presenting him with the offer of… something like love.
He felt blood rush into his neck, along with a sense of indignation.
He’d always been fine on his own. He didn’t need anyone.
“No offense, but the last person I’m going to talk to is a journalist,” he spat, angry that she’d seen a weakness in him. Angry at being offered her mercy for reasons he couldn’t understand.
She pulled back, burned. “Oh. I’m sorry. I was just trying to help.”
“I don’t need your help,” he said sharply. He saw fire in her eyes and knew that was what he was more comfortable with. She should be angry with him, fear him, anything but pity him.
Pity was the last thing he wanted from a woman who, in another world, could have very well been his mate.
Chapter 12
Lillian wasn’t sure how she’d managed to take a huge step back with Nathan. She thought she was offering a peace treaty, but he apparently was bent on war.
Well, that was fine with her, then. The emotionally constipated man could go right back to hiding his feelings until they exploded inside him. And judging by the expression he’d had just a moment ago, he was hiding some very dark feelings.
She knew the look she’d seen on his face, even just for an instant. Growing up as she had made it so she was very attuned to someone’s expressions and the emotions that might be behind them. It had been important to know who to trust.
Or at least try to.
Desolation. That was what he’d been feeling. But maybe he didn’t even know that himself. Maybe he was in denial about it.
But what could a billionaire like him have to be sad about? If he wanted friends, he could surely buy them. Then again, that would be really sad.
She rested her cheek in her hand, knowing the last thing he wanted was her pity yet unable to give up on trying to figure him out.
He looked so handsome tonight in a tailored gray silk shirt and slacks. His hair was pushed up in a way that made him appear a little more masculine, edgy. Casual. Phillip was no slouch, but next to hard, tall, muscular Nathan, he kind of looked like a pile of dough.
The beige polo he wore didn’t help.
Nor did the fact that Lillian instantly disliked anyone Sasha was dating. She couldn’t really put a finger on it; she just knew most of them were players who reminded her a lot of her dad.
“So, Phillip, what is it you do for work again?” Since Nathan was apparently not going to talk to her, she might as well figure out more about the guy she was trying not to hate.
“Banking. My father owns Grand Region.”
Hm. So he was rich, then, and rich people sometimes thought they owned everything. “What do you do there?”
“I go between branches and check how things are running. My dad is grooming me to take over as CEO.”
She stifled a snort as she raised the wine glass the waitress had brought to the table. Typical nepotism beneficiary, happy to just skate along on what they’d been given through no virtue other than birth. “Interesting.”
But her tone really didn’t do a good job of convincing anyone she meant it.
Nathan sent her an amused glance as he sipped at his drink.
Maybe she was just projecting her feelings onto him, but she could somehow sense he didn’t have much respect for Phillip’s career either.
“Don’t get me wrong, though.” Phillip continued. “I know how it sounds. But I work really hard. With three brothers, it’s competitive.”
“Nathan has brothers,” Lillian said, turning to Nathan. “Is he right? Is it competitive taking over Daddy’s company when you have siblings in the way?”
Nathan shrugged and adjusted his collar. “I wouldn’t know. My father didn’t start my company.”
“Oh?”
“Well, my adoptive father. Anyway, I started the company.”
“That’s hilarious,” Phillip said. “Lancaster, Inc. didn’t just pop out of nowhere, and there’s no way you’re the age that you could have done it on your own. I call bullshit.”
Sasha pulled back from her date with a frown. “Well, that’s rude.”
Phillip had the good sense to look abashed. “Uh, yeah, you’re right. But it’s no worse than you all assuming I only benefit from nepotism.”
Sasha smiled. “You’re the one who brought up that it was your father’s company. None of us would have mentioned it.”
Phillip was ruffled now. “Well, I was being honest. Now, if we can just forget this happened and get back to dinner?” He leaned in toward Sasha, and his whisper was probably louder than he intended so Lillian still heard it. “Honestly, this is why we should have just come alone, sweetheart.”
Sasha pulled back, this time shoving herself at least a foot away from him. “Now hold on. You don’t get to insult my friends that way. I barely know you.”
“Well, you know I’m not a liar like him.” Phillip’s cheeks were red as he stared at Nathan.
Nathan was calm as usual, but there was tension in his body as he studied his drink.
He hadn’t done anything to purposefully provoke Phillip, but in stating that he was basically richer than Phillip and had done it on his own, he’d made an already insecure man feel worse about himself.
And Phillip had just proven himself the type that lashed out when that happened.
/> He should have known bragging about his father’s money would backfire on someone like Sasha. Maybe it impressed other women, but Sasha cared more about what was inside a person than what was in their wallet.
“I think maybe we should go,” Sasha said quietly.
But just then the food came, and everyone distracted themselves with eating.
Lillian even saw Nathan putting actual food in his mouth, which she’d noticed was kind of a rarity.
Phillip, however, was still pouting. “I don’t get why a dumbass billionaire gets to ruin my date.”
Sasha looked at him, offended. “I think maybe you really should go. Now.”
Phillip looked up at her with a pleading expression that kind of grossed Lillian out. “I’m sorry. Please give me another chance. The thing with my father, I’m kind of sensitive about it.” He looked at Nathan. “I apologize for overreacting.”
Nathan gave him a casual wave, as if brushing aside the matter, but she could see something odd in Nathan’s eyes as he studied the smaller man.
Something that made Nathan’s whole body tense as he took a deep breath.
The next moment, Nathan was pressing his hands to the table, closing his eyes as his breathing grew shaky.
Lillian tapped on his shoulder. “Nathan? Nate? You okay?”
His eyes flew open, and even though he still seemed consumed in whatever was bothering him, she could swear she saw relief when he looked in her eyes.
“Sorry,” he said, regaining his composure. “Dizzy spell.”
She narrowed her eyes, not sure she could accept that as an explanation.
He smiled slightly. “Nate?”
“Does anyone call you that?”
“No.”
“Can I?”
“Sure,” he said, cheeks flushing.
She wanted to reach out and brush his hair back. Right now, whether it was whatever happened a minute ago or because he seemed so weirdly pleased by her calling him Nate, he seemed really adorable.
Or maybe it was the wine.
“Regardless, we should all finish our meal and split for the night.” Phillip scooted over to Sasha and put an arm around her. “I want at least a little time alone with my date.”
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