Law #1: Never Bet on Love: A Sweet Billionaire Love Story (Laws of Love)

by Agnes Canestri

  Nathan shrugs. “Because. I wanted to see you.”

  Now that’s a cool way of saying something. His tone is so even and natural, as if he’s just stated that the grass is green. Even if his phrase should be embarrassing for him. After all, I was the one who shut the door on him last time we met. Still, it’s my pulse that picks up speed.

  I fold my arms in front of my chest. “How did you know I was here? Don’t tell me you purchased a sapphire tiara or a ruby necklace and then used them as an excuse to track me down?”

  Nathan chuckles and takes two steps forward. “No, not today. I went back to your house, actually.”

  “You went back to my house, actually?” I’m all too aware of echoing him word for word like a moron. But I’m trying to figure out what I should think, and repeating his phrase grants me some time.

  For now, I’m leaning toward the explanation that Nathan is an extremely stubborn womanizer who needs to succeed with whomever he decides. Him driving to my place should make me wonder whether he is a stalker. Instead, it sends an odd giddiness into my stomach.

  “Yes. That’s what I said.” He grins. “I’d have called you to see if you were at home first, but you didn’t give me your phone number yet, so…”

  A sudden idea occurs to me and I freeze.

  Did Nathan bump into Abuelita? Oh, no.

  “Who did you meet in my house?” I ask, my voice slightly trembling.

  After his last visit, I told my grandmother he was just a man who got lost in our barrio and needed directions. Had it been up to me, I wouldn’t have mentioned him to her at all, but Juan decided to meddle, so I had no choice but to lie. I never thought Nathan would show up at my doorstep again to confute my story.

  What did Abuelita think when Nathan’s fancy car rolled into our driveway?

  Nathan’s answer brings me back to the present. “No one. Unfortunately, nobody was home.”

  My shoulders relax.

  Right, Abuela must have already left for Tia Maria’s. While Juan and Espie, for the first time in their lives, must have decided to respect my rule about not answering the door when they’re alone. Either that, or Juan’s stereo was on, and they didn’t hear the bell at all.

  I nod distractedly. “I see. But then who told you that I’m at the florist?”

  My mind goes through every possible suspect who could’ve informed Nathan about my whereabouts, but I can’t figure out who outed me.

  “Ah, it was that elderly guy from the balcony across from your house. He must’ve recognized me from yesterday. He even asked my name.”

  Señor Moreno. Ah, I should have known. “You told him who you are? Your real name?” I ask with a hint of resentment.

  Nathan gives me a look as if I’ve just sprouted a horn. “Of course I did. He asked my name. Why? Is something wrong with him?”

  “No, nothing.” I shrug. “It’s just…that old guy is worth a hundred Mexican ladies when it comes to his eagerness to gossip. He’ll make sure everyone in our street knows that you were there.”

  Yes, it won’t be long before Señor Moreno sashays over to Abuelita, invites himself for tea, and spills the beans to my grandmother about who was looking for her granddaughter.

  Nathan arches a brow. “Why would anyone care that I came looking for you?”

  How can he even ask this question? Isn’t it clear enough? “You know, Nathan, getting a visit from one of AMEA’s owners isn’t a usual occurrence in my district. If you haven’t noticed, most people who live there are poor. Probably just the sight of your car will keep their fantasies occupied for weeks.”

  Nathan narrows his eyes, his forehead furrowing. “Wait a minute, Eva. Are you saying that you were in such a hurry to send me away the other day because you felt embarrassed that a rich man came to see you?”

  “No! Yes…I mean, partially, maybe.” A mocking glint invades his eyes, and I feel the need to explain myself further, though each word comes out more awkwardly than the next. “I might or might not have felt slightly uneasy when you showed up with your giant Bentley. It doesn’t matter.” I drop my gaze.

  Nathan clears his throat. “Okay, let’s forget why you did what you did, okay? Just know, it hurt my feelings a bit.”

  My eyes dart to him. “Are you serious?”

  I’d assumed that he has already forgotten all about my existence like I have about his… Or at least tried to forget, but haven’t quite succeeded just yet.

  Nathan pulls his face into an earnest frown. “Yeah, I am. But, since I also stepped on your toes with my invitation in the bar…let’s say we’re fifty-fifty now.” He tugs at the neck of his blue shirt—a color which brings out a trace of irresistible teal in his grey eyes.

  I once took an art class where the teacher said that this rare shade is called marengo. I liked the sound of it back then, but seeing it now in real life…oh, boy…

  I shift my weight to ease the pressure on my knees. “Yeah, fifty-fifty. I like that. That’s…uhm…it’s a good way to look at it.”

  His face illuminates at my moderately kind words, and it’s so sexy on him, I’m almost sorry I didn’t say something more appreciative.

  “I’m glad to hear this.” He punctuates his phrase with a little nod that’s filled with enough manly confidence to halt my breathing. “Since we’re even, how about grabbing a coffee together? Get to know each other a bit? I promise there’s more to me than my wealth. Since that aspect obviously puts you at unease.”

  Jeez, what am I supposed to say?

  The polite pause after Nathan’s question is quickly stretching into a weird silence.

  Say, yes. Agreeing to chat won’t do any harm. Also, you’re intrigued by him, Eva. So why not get to know him a little more?

  The part of me that refused to let go of Nathan’s memory these past two days is the first one to advise me. But my cautious self isn’t sleeping either.

  Every big mistake starts with some innocent thing. Even something as simple as a coffee. No, no. It’s better to keep your distance. Especially because your cells do this funny dance when he’s close.

  I can’t decide which of the voices I should listen to. I haven’t had such contradicting wishes about anyone lately. Or possibly ever. Before Fernando, I didn’t date. And after him? Only guys I knew I didn’t like. Safety has been my top priority. Therefore the naughty voice of temptation is a newcomer in my head, and weirdly enough, it’s pushing its way into my heart.

  After some contemplation, I choose to follow my judicious side. I’m not ready to take risks. “Nathan, it’s sweet of you to be so persistent, it really is, but I—”

  Before I can continue, Cathy trudges out carrying a bunch of cut flower stems and leaves in her hands and a broom pressed under her armpit. She yells over to Nathan, “I see you’ve found Eva. Why don’t you give her a hand with those begonias? She’d surely appreciate it.”

  Nathan’s brows arch.

  What the heck is Cathy doing?

  As if my friend has decided to dig the hole in which to bury me deeper, she adds, “Eva came without a car today. Be a gentleman, Nathan, and give her a lift home, will you?”

  A grin spreads on Nathan’s face as if Cathy has just asked him to accept the Nobel Prize. “It’ll be my pleasure.”

  Cathy bumps the stems into a compost bin and drops her broom onto the ground. “Great. I’ll be back in a sec to help you pack them up.”

  As she disappears, Nathan pivots to me. “You don’t mind, do you?”

  I’m chewing on my lip, trying to wrap my head around what Cathy has done. And the fact that she and Nathan are on a first-name basis.

  “Eva?” Nathan touches my arm when I don’t answer.

  I flinch. “Oh, I…”

  What should I say? I can’t lie about having my car parked nearby. Cathy already destroyed that excuse.

  Nathan lowers his chin to capture my gaze. “What’s the matter, Eva? Did I overstep your line of courtesy once more by offering you and your plants a r
ide home?” His voice is concerned, but his lips are still stretched in a friendly smile.

  It’s hard to resist the way his lips curl up.

  I take a small step backward and press my hands to my legs. “It’s not that, Nathan. It’s nice of you to offer to help me. But I don’t understand why you want to do it?”

  Indeed, I don’t get what Nathan’s deal is. Why all this effort? He can’t be that desperate. With his looks, his money, and his charisma, he could certainly woo anyone. Why does he want to please me?

  A confused grimace settles on his face. “Why do I want to do what? Take you home when you are obviously in need of a hand?”

  Putting it like this, my reluctance does seem illogical. Even discourteous.

  Ah, it was so simple to know what to think of Nathan in the bar when he strode off to a table before I’d even agreed to it. Or when he’d bragged about owning a private jet that could take us to the ocean.

  But now? With that boyishly startled look on his face, I have a much harder time knowing how to react to him.

  I shake my head. “No. I mean, yes. It’s just weird. You’re behaving differently than I expected, and it’s disconcerting. You shouldn’t even be here now.”

  Nathan’s eyes widen as if he doesn’t see my point.

  “Look…” I decide to explain myself better. “Your proposal in the bar was…how should I put it…it was arrogant. And—”

  Nathan holds up his palms in protest. “I already apologized for that.”

  “Yes, you did. After you dug up my address and came to see me at my house. With a pair of diamonds, no less. Then you invited me to tag along while you returned the said earrings, which I refused. But here you are again, at Cathy’s, offering to bring my grandmother’s begonias home…”

  Nathan opens his hands. “So what?”

  “So…?” I roll my eyes. How can he not see this? What’s his angle? “You’re a friggin’ billionaire, Nathan. Don’t you have anything better to do than chase a simple dancer like me? Like closing some gigantic business deal or something? Didn’t I make it clear that I won’t be hopping into your bed no matter how much money you flash?”

  Nathan’s mouth twitches as if he’s trying to hide a smile “Yes, crystal clear.”

  “Then why are you so eager to fill your luxury ride with my dirt-covered seedlings? Don’t you know that soil can leave permanent stains on your precious upholstery?”

  I don’t know whether I’m trying to make him see the absurdity of his actions or whether I’m arguing against my own tempting self that keeps whispering inappropriate thoughts into my ear. The only thing that’s sure now is that Nathan must have an ulterior motive with his chivalry. He just has to.

  Nathan throws back his head and bursts into a whole-hearted laugh. “It’s incredible,” he says after catching his breath. “You’re like a whiff of fresh air, Eva. So piercingly honest and to the point.”

  “Oh, yeah? Then why are you chuckling about what I just said?” I narrow my eyes.

  “Because you’re perfectly right. But if you just factor in one other aspect, the whole picture changes, I assure you.”

  “What aspect?”

  “That I’m truly interested in spending time with you. I was when I made that invitation after your dance performance. And I am now. It doesn’t matter if I have to get these flowers into my trunk. They can even land on my backseat. I don’t care about stains. My car gets cleaned every day anyway. Having money does come with a few perks.” He winks.

  I should’ve guessed that someone would be sprucing up his car each morning. But I wasn’t suggesting that Nathan would clean the stains himself. My point was…

  Okay, if I’m honest, I don’t know anymore what it was. The unshakable certainty in Nathan’s voice when he said he was interested in me, or at least in spending time with me—which kind of boils down to the same thing—has left me with a brain-freeze.

  It takes me at least five seconds, a real borderline-explicit sign that his words have affected me more than I’d like, to gather my wits and utter, “Right. How handy that you have people to take care of that for you.”

  “Indeed, it is. So, Eva…Do I have your permission to assist you? Or shall I go and tell Cathy that you’ll leave your flowers here?”

  To say that I’m torn would be an understatement. If I give in, it’s like I’m backing out on my previous position. It’s not so much a question of pride that makes me reluctant. More a question of trust. Do I trust Nathan enough to believe that he means well and has honest intentions?

  I’m not sure.

  At the same time, it would be great to bring these seedlings home and surprise Abuelita.

  I point my finger at him and then at the store’s door. “Why was Cathy so insistent about you driving me? Did you agree with her on it before coming out to me?”

  Nathan snorts. “You might be slightly paranoid. No, I think Cathy just wants you to take those begonias away today. But perhaps…” His mouth moves into a lopsided grin. “She also finds me charming. I know you don’t, but some women actually do.”

  Stupid heart. Stop stuttering.

  I flash an aren’t-you-so-cute smile at Nathan, just to show that I couldn’t care less about the second part of his reasoning.

  And I couldn’t.

  At least the reasonable part of me. The jitterbug that my heart has been doing since Nathan said he’s interested in me is irrelevant. Which is why I can safely accept his offer, right? I need a hand, and Nathan wants to help. So why not use him? It’s true that Mom always warned me about dating wealthy guys. But she’s never said anything about accepting their help to carry my gardening purchases.

  “Very well, Nathan.” I nod. “I’d be grateful if you can help me take these plants home.”

  Nathan pumps his fist in the air, and I almost giggle at his victorious gesture.

  “Good decision. I’ll go tell Cathy.” He turns and darts to the shop.

  “Wait, she said she would be back so you don’t need to…” I call after him, but the door has already slammed behind Nathan’s wide shoulders.

  I sigh and blink at the flowers.

  Abuelita will be pleased about them. And since she won’t be back before dinner, she won’t run into Nathan while we’re unloading them either. So my concession shouldn’t have far-reaching consequences. It’s just a quick lift home, and then I’ll send Nathan away.

  Chapter 10

  (Eva)

  “Where shall I put these for you?” Nathan switches off the engine and points toward the backseat at the large crates filled with begonia pots.

  We’re back in front of my house. My eyes dart to Señor Moreno’s window, but his blinds are shut, which means he’s gone into town for his usual chess game.

  “It’s okay, I’ll carry them in myself.”

  Nathan blinks at my arms, then gives me a mocking smirk. “You wouldn’t be able to lift them if you tried.”

  He’s probably right. The wooden crates are extremely heavy. But they wouldn’t be if Nathan hadn’t decided to go behind my back with Cathy. I furrow my brows. “If you had just let me take the twenty seedlings I was planning to purchase, then maybe—”

  “Ah, Eva!” Nathan shakes his head. “Let’s not start this discussion again. I wanted to gift a few begonias to you. That isn’t a crime, is it? It’s not a precious stone. Just flowers.”

  “Not a few!” I exclaim indignantly as I push the door open and hop out.

  Nathan jumps out too and opens his trunk.

  I point my chin at the three other crates that come into sight, as if they confirm my point.

  Which they do. When Nathan went into Cathy’s store, not only did he tell my friend that we were ready to pack up my flowers, but he actually paid for my begonias. And not just for the ones I wanted. All of them.

  Every. Single. One.

  He even threw in a bunch of tulips for good measure. What was he thinking? It’s a wonder we managed to fit all the plants in his car. M
y only consolation is that we ended up using his backseat to squeeze in all the seedlings. The dirty smudges on his posh upholstery aren’t likely to go away, even if he gets three employees to scrub at it. It might teach him a lesson about controlling his unasked generosity. Or not…as he can just purchase new upholstery for his seats. Or a new car.

  Nathan fidgets with his car key. “Your friend Cathy said—”

  I roll my eyes. “Don’t even get me started on Cathy. I’ll need to have a private chat with her. It’s a pity I couldn’t do it because of the customers that came in as we were leaving. How could she even—”

  Nathan puts up both of his hands. “I beg you, Eva. Stop. We’ve been over this. You spent the whole car ride huffing about your friend. Cathy made a great business deal today. Be happy for her and just accept my present as a gesture of courtesy, will you?”

  I don’t know how much Nathan paid, but it must have been in the three-digit ballpark. Way too much for it to be considered a gesture of courtesy. At least in my books.

  Cathy, the savvy merchant she is, of course had no problem with taking his loads of cash instead of my considerably fewer bucks. So much for the strength of sisterhood. Didn’t she realize she’d put me in Nathan’s debt?

  Nathan interrupts my mindtrip by grabbing one of the crates from his trunk. He blinks at me. “You know, I was looking forward to the time in the car to get to know you more. But for now, the only extra information I’ve acquired is that you don’t like men who buy you flowers.”

  His disappointed grimace softens my heart.

  Maybe I’m reading too much into this? Perhaps Nathan didn’t mean to squeeze me into a corner where I have to reciprocate his favor. He could have just wanted to buy me flowers. Likely he’s just unaware that a small bouquet would’ve been sufficient.

  I sigh. “Fine, Nathan. I’m sorry. I might have acted a bit too hostile with you. I understand that you wanted to please me. It’s just that what’s normal for you, given your financial circumstances, comes across as an exaggeration for me.”