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

by Agnes Canestri

  She didn’t want me to stop wanting to see her! Me. Nathan. And not her ex.

  My cells infuse with an injection of joy, because my lips curl up and my forehead smooths. I open my arms and haul Eva into a tight embrace.

  She leans her forehead onto my chest and her crying becomes audible.

  I’m not sure what’s the most appropriate thing for me to say. “Don’t worry, I don’t mind your brother is in prison as long as you want to see me,” would sound insensitive, but I can’t come up with anything else. So I just stroke her head gently. The heat seeping from Eva’s body into my chest slows my mind down. It envelops me in a delicious brain fog. I want her to feel better, but I also want to be able to hold her like this for ever.

  After a few minutes, Eva sniffs and moves back. She wipes her cheeks with her palms. “I’m terribly sorry, Nathan. I’m a mess right now. I really need to get to Litchfield. Visiting hours finish soon. But this stupid car,” she points at the sedan, “just decided to stop working.”

  “I can buy you a new car,” I say instinctively.

  Eva twirls her finger beside her temple. “Are you nuts? I have a problem with you buying me begonias. Do you think I’d let you gift me a car?”

  “Sorry, Eva, old instincts die hard,” I murmur. “What I really meant is, could I offer you a ride?”

  “You want to take me to the prison?” Eva gapes at me.

  “Well, it’s a slightly different activity than the one I had in mind for our date, but I’d love to meet your brother. If you’ll let me, that is.”

  Eva’s face illuminates. “Yes, I’d love that. Thank you, Nathan.” She raises herself to her tiptoes, and before I realize or even anticipate what’s happening, she plants a kiss on my mouth.

  It’s feathery light but sends me into such euphoria, I can only compare it with the memory of sniffing giggling gas when my tonsils were removed as a teenager. My whole body goes weightless and a giddiness settles in my chest. My head buzzes with ideas that might be just momentary madness but are so delicious I can’t dismiss them.

  I’m drunk from the sweetness of her touch and my hands itch to do something. No, not something. Only one thing. To pull her close and kiss her again. But if I do, I know I might not be able to stop there, and Eva needs to go to see her brother.

  And I? I need not to put a label on what I feel right now. Because if I did…oh, man, would I be finished.

  I point at my car. “Shall we go then?”

  Chapter 27

  (Eva - Day 6)

  Nathan bumps fists with Alejandro as the bell signaling the end of our visit echoes through the visitor area.

  In a prison, all sounds seem shriller and more unpleasant to the ear. Or at least, this is the case in Litchfield for me each time I visit. It doesn’t matter whether it’s the shoes of the inmates shuffling, the buzzers going off, or the iron doors swinging open—each and every sound unleashes a cold shiver in my spine as it bounces back from the barren walls and the red-painted cement floor.

  I flinch and Nathan extends an arm to pat me on my back, while his eyes remain on Alejandro’s face.

  It’s crazy how Nathan seems aware of every change in my mood lately. He can read me well, and is able to give me just what I need. His touch fills me with an unexpected sense of calm, and I manage to ignore the stench of cleaning products, mildew, and sweat that’s been bothering my stomach ever since we entered the room.

  Ale’s eyes glisten as he smiles at Nathan. “It was cool to chat with a fellow Avengers fan. I didn’t realize billionaires went to the movies, too.”

  “You kidding?” Nathan grins back at him. “I love going to the movies. Sometimes I book an entire cinema hall just to be able to watch a film without any spectators chewing popcorn in my ears.”

  “An entire hall?” My brother’s jaw goes slack.

  I roll my eyes as Nathan plays up his rich guy charm. But I must admit, he is pushing all the right buttons with Alejandro. Just like he can do with me by now. The boy is in adoration of him after only an hour. No wonder. Nathan asked him questions, listened to him, and didn’t speak down to him. He even managed to slip some advice to my brother in the form of quotes from their common interest, the Avengers. Who knew comics were so full of pearls of wisdom? I’ll need to watch this Avengers someday. Maybe with Nathan?

  My eyes wander to him.

  He notices me watching him and flashes a smile. His dimples appear like two perfectly round holes that lend a boyish charm to his manly face.

  Maybe my confession about Alejandro didn’t go down exactly as I planned, but I’m so glad I finally came clean. I was using Ale’s situation as a safety blanket against Nathan. Even in the moments where I told myself that I should trust him, there was still a part of me holding off. I doubted that he’d want to get serious with a girl who has a convicted brother and a drug dealer ex. Which billionaire would, right?

  Nathan, however, surprised me on all fronts.

  He offered to drive me to Litchfield. He didn’t seem fazed by the controls at the gate, obeyed the plethora of rules without so much as blinking an eye. He didn’t complain when the guards searched through his clothes after he’d beeped at the metal detector. He didn’t flinch as we walked through the corridor of the detainees. Instead, he took my hand and squeezed it, as if he wanted to show that I belonged to him when some of the men began whistling at me.

  As I observe Nathan’s straight nose and masculine chin, I can’t help but think that he might just be the first decent man I’ve met. And I’m so glad there are no lies between us anymore.

  The guard comes into the room. “Visiting time is over, y’all. Sorry.” He lifts the handcuffs and dangles them. “We need to put these back on, Alejandro. Rules are rules. Let me see your wrists.”

  This is always the hardest part.

  I glance away and bite the insides of my cheeks to stifle a sob. I hate seeing my brother dragged away, those rings tightened around his wrists.

  Nathan’s warm palm lands on my back once again and this time he rubs me gently. “Stay strong, Eva,” he whispers.

  His touch is soothing, and his words give me the courage I need to blink at Ale.

  Nathan ruffles my brother’s hair that for some reason seems shinier than ever. “Be good, Ale,” he says.

  I pull my brother into a hug. “Just a few more days, little brother. Soon you’re coming home.”

  The guard clears his throat. “Sorry, Miss Flores. We really need to go back.”

  “Don’t worry, Eva.” Ale winks at me. “I’ll be fine. Will you bring Nathan to pick me up?”

  I don’t know how to answer. Would Nathan want to come? “Ale, we’ll have to see. Nathan is a busy businessman.”

  The corners of Ale’s lips turn down. He must have enjoyed Nathan’s company more than I thought.

  Nathan pats my brother’s arm. “I’ll do my best to come. But In any case, once you’re out, I’m taking you to see the new Avengers movie. What do you say?”

  “In a cinema just for us?” my brother asks with puppy eyes.

  “Sure thing.” Nathan grins, then turns to me. “I think we need to leave now, Eva.” He cocks his head to the guard who is drumming his fingers on his belt.

  “See you soon, Ale.” I wave to my brother.

  As we walk out of the visitor area, Ale yells behind us. “Any last advice, Nate?”

  Nathan glances back and points a finger to the ceiling. “Just one. Never forget—‘With great power comes great responsibility.’”

  I see the guard rolling his eyes, and I grab Nathan’s elbow. This time I’m the one pulling him toward the exit. “All right, Stan Lee, let’s move.”

  We go to collect our belongings we’ve left at the gate, and in a few minutes, we’re outside, sitting in Nathan’s Jaguar.

  I lean back on the comfy seats and let the tension dissipate from my muscles. I’m so grateful to have come with Nathan. I won’t have to endure the journey back alone. It’s a time when I always
feel emotionally vulnerable. His presence envelops me in a warm sense of protection, which is relaxing and confusing at the same time.

  Nathan’s smooth baritone wakes me from my contemplation. “You look more at ease now. It must be tough to carry so much responsibility for your family.” He shakes his head. “Honestly, I don’t even know how you do it.”

  “You work for your family’s company, right? You’re responsible for them, too.”

  “Not in the same way as you. I make money for them. But it’s the satisfaction of succeeding at my own goals that drives me. I’m not altruistic like you are. Or this caring. Facts that have turned against me and…I’ve been considering changing lately.” There’s an odd edge to his voice.

  “What do you mean ‘turned against you’?” I ask.

  His chin hardens. “Let’s not speak about this. Do you come every week to see your brother?”

  “I tried. At first, I missed my visiting times, because I was busy with settling back in San Sebastian. But, lately, I’ve paid attention not to go a week without dropping by. Even if he’ll be released soon, he still needs to know we haven’t forgotten about him and are waiting for him. This sense of family should help him stay away from the bad people in the future, I hope.”

  Fernando’s sly smirk flashes into my mind and I shiver. If only I could find Alejandro a suitable job once he is out…

  As if Nathan can read my thoughts, he furrows his brows and asks, “Are you afraid Alejandro will fall back in with your ex?”

  “No, I doubt that. But Ale is a busy bee. He needs constant action and wants to feel useful. I guess that’s how he ended up seeing Fernando and his pals in the first place. Ale was looking for a job and being a well-paid delivery guy to a friend sounded like a dream. If he doesn’t get employed soon after he’s released, he might decide to search for something in the wrong circles. Believe it or not, our barrio is pretty full of those…”

  My lips twitch as I recall my talk with Abuelita this morning. She urged me to ask Nathan if he knew someone who might hire. I told her I didn’t know how Nathan would react when he discovered our family’s situation so she couldn’t expect me to beg him for favors after I dropped a my jail/dealer-ex bomb on him.

  “Doesn’t the correction facility have a reintegration program?” Nathan says.

  “Yes, but not for detainees with such short sentences as Ale’s. My brother will get a parole officer, but I doubt he’ll have much help with finding employment. Ale’s a smart kid, he always had good grades. But that doesn’t mean much with a criminal record. I doubt any good employer would take a gamble on him. I’d hate to see my brother’s talents wasted, but it’s a risk…” I stare at my hands.

  Nathan’s breathing grows heavier. “Eva, listen to me. I won’t allow anything to happen to your brother. I’ll see to it that he stays out of trouble. My aunt is well connected. She knows countless humanitarian organizations. We can surely find him a decent job.”

  “No, Nathan…I couldn’t ask this of you…” I don’t want Nathan to think that I would use him or his connections in any way. It’s not what I like in him or want from him.

  Then what do you want from him? A small cheeky voice in my head asks as if tempting me to admit what I feel once and for all.

  Nathan smiles at me, a dark glint filling his eyes, like clouds gathering before a storm. “You don’t have to. For you, Eva, I’d do this and more. Your family is important to you. So it’s important to me. Alejandro will have a job by the time he’s released. Don’t you worry.”

  He takes my hand and lifts it to his lips. He blows a soft kiss on each of my knuckles.

  My heart is racing as his kind words settle in my chest. I know that the last tiny remainder of my resistance to Nathan is about to dissolve. And for the first time, I don’t even try to put up a fight. I’ve gone through all possible excuses of why I need to battle against my feelings for him. Nathan has shattered each of them with his kind persistence and his honesty.

  I was wrong to build up walls and blindly believe that, just because my mother had such bad luck with my father, I was destined to the same fate. Life doesn’t work like that. People can’t be put into categories of right and wrong based simply on the size of their wallet. Nathan has proven to me that a billionaire can have a real, gentle soul. His words about my family are more precious to me than anything else he could have said. They’re proof that we are going somewhere together.

  Somewhere that isn’t a short-lived fling or a distraction.

  From now on, I want to be able to feel about him the way I do so that I can be courageous enough to answer the voice in my head. Because I know what I want from Nathan. I want the same from him as what I’m feeling for him. Love.

  Yes, I love Nathan.

  I’ve fallen in love with him. And I’m not going to stop myself from diving deep into this precious feeling. Not now, not ever.

  Chapter 28

  (Nathan)

  “Here you go, my dear boy.” Eva’s grandmother smiles at me and puts two giant, steaming enchiladas onto the plate Eva helped her prepare for me while I played pirate war with her siblings. She tops them with avocado and cilantro and plenty of sour cream for good measure while adding, “Big men like you need this to build muscles.”

  Eva leans close to me and whispers, “If you were a young girl, she would still sell this dish to you the same way. But don’t worry, her cooking is yummy.”

  Abuelita points the spoon at her. “What are you gossiping about?”

  “Nothing.” Eva gives her an innocent smirk. “Just saying how you’re the best cook in this town.”

  “Well, that’s kind of true.” Abuelita nods. “Even at Church events, the people can’t get enough of my burritos.”

  “I’m sure they will be delicious,” I say, and my phrase earns an appreciative glint from Eva’s grandmother. My comment wasn’t just to collect points with Abuelita, though. The fragrance wafting around us is so mouth-watering that the question will be whether I can hold myself back from devouring the whole pan of it.

  “I’ll get some water, and we can start.” Eva straightens and walks to the fridge.

  As I follow her slender figure, I can’t stop thinking how much spending an evening at Eva’s house is very different from what I’d expected. I thought I’d feel like an outsider when she invited me to dine with them after returning from Alejandro. After all, I’ve met her grandmother, Juan, and Espie only once. But as we sit in their cozy kitchen, my shoulders are relaxed and I’m completely at ease.

  Eva comes back, puts the bottle on the table, and hops down on the chair beside me. The pavement creaks with her sudden movement. It must be even older than I guessed if her light weight can extract such noises from it.

  Eva shoots me a smile, the warmest and brightest I’ve ever seen from her. “Is everything okay, Nathan? You look a tiny bit caught up in your thoughts.”

  “All is great. I’m just amazed what a nice experience a family meal can be.”

  Abuelita’s wrinkled forehead creases more as she arches her brows at me. “Oh, my dear boy. Don’t tell me you don’t take time for proper dinner, either. Your brother, Murphy, men—ouch!”

  She hisses in pain and her eyes dart to Eva.

  Eva beams innocently at her, but there’s a weird intensity in her glare as if she’s trying to transmit a message to her grandmother.

  “What happened?” I ask.

  Abuelita shakes her head. “Nothing worth mentioning. Just a bit of rheumatic spasm in my elbow. Almost as if someone poked me with a fingernail.”

  “I see. Aunt Marjorie suffers from that, too. You were saying about my brother?”

  “Just that he once came to our church’s meeting. An agreeable gentleman, indeed.” Abuelita forks a bite and pops it in her mouth.

  Juan and Espie begin telling jokes and soon we all have trouble concentrating on the food from the gurgling laughs. But we still manage to clean our plates, and in my case, there is still an extr
a portion of the incredible enchiladas.

  After we’re all done with the main course, Eva serves us dessert. The churros with chocolate dip manage to quiet the children long enough for us to exchange a few words.

  “Eva.” I lean in close to her, while her grandmother is busy wiping the kids’ chocolate-mustaches clean. “You remember that I made us stop at my office to get something before coming here?”

  “Yes, of course. You said you needed some files you want to finish reading tonight. Why?”

  I clear my throat. I’ve waited so long with inviting Eva to the ball. What made me choose this hectic moment when her entire family is present I can’t say? Unless I’m hoping for the backing of her grandmother. Abuelita seems to harbor enough goodwill toward me that she might help convince Eva to attend this event in the dress I bought for her.

  “I lied to you about the files. That’s not what I went to grab.”

  “Ah, no? Then what?”

  “A gift for you.”

  “For me? Why? It’s not my birthday.” Eva’s mouth moves into an adorable circle, and I almost move forward and kiss her for it.

  “Birthday? Who has a birthday?” Espie is beside us in a second, raising her curious glance at Eva.

  “No one.” Eva presses the tip of her sister’s nose. “Why don’t you sit back in your place?”

  “But I heard you speak about presents. I did!” Espie whines.

  I straighten up. “Well, if you did, Espie, then there has to be one. Let me just go and check outside to see whether you’re right.”

  I hurry to my car and get the black box from the trunk. Let’s hope I’ve picked the right size. I’m sure about the color, and pretty confident about the style too. I ordered this off-the-shoulder evening gown after seeing her in that blue dress with a similar neck arrangement. But Eva has such a slender waist, and the model on the picture seemed bulkier somehow…