Chapter 63

AURORA.

‘I need to talk to you. Please wait behind after working hours.’ Satisfied that it was succinct enough, I hit send.

The text message ticked twice, indicating that the message had been delivered and Nathaniel had seen it. I dropped my phone on my desk, going back to work. It was two hours to closing and most of it had been spent thinking about Nathaniel and the circumstances surrounding our relationship. It left little time for productivity.

There were questions I needed answers to that only he could provide. If there was a way to move forward with… whatever we were, I was open to it. This conclusion had taken me some time to come to. I’d examined the pros and cons of pursuing a relationship with Nathaniel, even though we were already married. And from where I was standing, I could only see one con.

Soon enough, it was five p.m. I waited a little for Doris to pack up and leave with her friends like she always did because I did not want her to see me going into Nathaniel’s office after closing hours. Doris was a likable person but she was also very talkative.

Once she was gone, I immediately headed for Nathaniel’s office. I raised my fist and knocked once and was just about to knock a second time when the door immediately opened and I came face-to-face with Nathaniel.

Blinking, I realized he’d been right in front of the door the whole time, waiting for me to knock. It also did not fail my notice that we were suddenly standing very close to each other. My cheeks began to burn. For some reason, Nathaniel made me extremely nervous. My heart raced whenever he was this close to me and I was always left speechless.

“Sorry.” He cleared his throat, stepping back three paces. “I didn’t mean to startle you.”

I nodded, willing my heart to freaking slow down otherwise I’d go into an apoplexy. “It’s alright. Thank you for waiting. I wanted to speak with you.”

He gestured for me to come in with a hand. “Sure. Come in.”

I did as he said, following behind him as he led me to the small sitting area in the spacious office. I’d never taken the time to really admire how beautiful Nathaniel’s office was. It just seemed so… him. “What’s going on?” he asked once I was seated on the sofa he gestured to me.

“Uh…” I began before I could change my mind. While I understood that there was a lot that had changed between us since his revelation last night, I didn’t want to lose him as a friend. Because it was true. Nathaniel was first and foremost my boss, but he was also a friend to me. “Why did you think I was cheating on you? During the meeting with your lawyer, you seemed so convinced that I’d done something wrong. Did you see something or...?”

I’d been branded a cheat and a liar once, by a man I loved deeply and even though I didn’t feel for Nathaniel now the intensity of what I felt for Mateo then, it still didn’t change the fact that that incident had scared me. It drastically reduced my self-esteem and made me more reclusive.

Nathaniel did not seem surprised by my question. In fact, he gave a breathy chuckle before turning his head sideways to stare at the window wall, deep in thought. “What was his name, Justin? Yeah, Justin. I called one time to talk to you and he picked up the phone. And then the following week, I was heading to your apartment so I could finally tell you I wanted a real marriage and there he was, casually strolling out like he owned the place.”

He met my eyes. “I didn’t realize that he was just a friend. I probably should have asked who he was to you but honestly, I only saw red. I didn’t know of his sexual preference and so I assumed he was a boyfriend or some such. It was stupid of me and I’m sorry.”

I listened to his explanation, seeing how the situation might have been misconstrued. He had meant no harm from the sound of things and he genuinely seemed sorry. While he was right that he should have asked, I understood why he hadn’t. Anger was easy and jumping to conclusions was easier.

“Thank you for clearing that up,” I said.

He nodded. I noticed then that he wasn’t wearing his jacket and was in his two-piece. His sleeves had been rolled up his arm, revealing hard flesh sprinkled with dark hair that traveled up into his shirt. There was something else I wanted to know, something that had been on my mind since last night.

“You said you loved me.”

His brows raised only slightly before he nodded. “I do.”

Swallowing because his words disconcerted me, “Do you really love me for me or because I’m your wife?” As soon as the question left my mouth, I knew it didn’t make sense. It also didn’t help that Nathaniel looked confused.

“I’m sorry. That came out wrong.” I bit my lower lip, wondering how to rephrase. “What I’m asking is, do you love Aurora or Ysabel?”

“Oh,” he murmured, finally understanding my meaning. “I love you before I even knew you were Ysabel. And while that little fact gave me the freedom to fully express my affection, it doesn’t change the fact that Aurora was the one who captured my heart.”

I would not deny that little butterflies began to flutter in the pit of my stomach. I met his gaze head-on, searching for any indication that he was being false and finding none. I wondered if I should tell him that I also had feelings for him. Maybe not as deep as love, but something akin to romantic affection.

If I were being honest, there was nowhere else to go but forward. Granted, he had withheld important information from me but it didn’t matter anymore. What mattered was he had told me and he was willing to make this work. I supposed it was only fair I made an effort as well.

Why go through with the divorce if we didn’t have to?

There was a possibility of something growing here, between us. Wouldn’t it be wise to pursue it? We were already married and I had no interest in continuing with the divorce now that I knew Nathaniel was Thane.

“Alright,” I said, straightening my spine. “I’m willing to give you a chance to pursue me. As a suitor.”

Nathaniel blinked for a few seconds. “Are you serious?”

I nodded. In one split second, Nathaniel stood from the leather couch opposite me and before I knew it, he had reached me in one long stride and with his strong hands, scooped me up from the sofa and spun me around in the air, all the while laughing.

“Oof!” Stunned, I hid my smile behind his head so he would not see that his laugh was contagious. Then I remembered that his hard front was pressed tightly against my soft front and I was blushing hard.

“Thank you,” he laughed into my hair. “I promise you won’t regret this. I’ll make you see that I can genuinely make you happy.”

I had no doubt about that but I held my tongue. I was not trying to make this easy for him. He’d put me through a lot and I would make him work for it. “Can you put me down now? You’re just a suitor, don’t forget. You’ll have to remember to keep your hands to yourself.”

“Oh, right.” Nathaniel quickly dropped me on my feet and stepped back to his original position, awkwardly rubbing the back of his neck. Yet, I didn’t fail to see the glow of excitement still burning in his eyes. “Sorry.” His voice was small and timid, a far cry from the confident man I was used to.

“Uh… one more thing. Could you not tell anyone or do anything to show people that we’re married? I hate being the center of attraction and I would hate for people to think that my working here is due to your position.”

“That’s fine,” he said. “I won’t tell anyone. I know how low-key you like your things to be.”

“Thank you.” Nathaniel still didn’t know about my past in Mexico and I would like to keep it that way. He might have thought that I liked living with a low-profile personality, which wasn’t far from the truth, but there was more to it. I absolutely hated living with the glances and the hushed whispers. And if people found out that I was married to the boss, it was sure to be uncomfortable.