Satisfied, Alyx turned to face Nathan, saying innocently, “What’s that you’re asking?”
Nathan dealt her an odd look but asked all the same, “Were you talking about the book’s success?”
Alyx didn’t even hesitate. “Yep.” Everyone nodded and agreed, except for Daria, who Nik still kept busy with his kiss.
“Where have you been?” she asked, changing the subject.
“Ah.” A vaguely distracted look fell over Nathan’s handsome face. “Just a bit of trouble with the project I’ve undertaken for my godfather.” It was not precisely a lie, but it was better than the truth, which was the fact that Rima had been calling him nonstop.
“Anyway, we shouldn’t waste time talking about me, sweetheart. We should focus on you and your budding career as a poet.”
“Yuck.”
Nathan laughed. “But it fits you, sweetheart.”
“It. Does. Not.”
Subjecting her to a contemplative look, he said slowly, “We’ve never talked about it before, but are you planning to eventually go back to your old job?” He knew, of course, that one of the major reasons Alyx had turned her back on her former career was because she had believed falling in love for a married man had made her morally and ethically unfit to be a journalist.
But things had changed now, Nathan thought, more than what either of them expected.
“I haven’t thought that far ahead actually,” Alyx admitted. “But I don’t miss my old job as much as I should.”
“In any case, there’s no need to hurry.”
And there it was again, Alyx thought despairingly. That sexy, mild, accented voice of his which was both an oasis of calm and a force of seduction at the same time.
His fingers suddenly twined with hers under the table, and when she glanced at him in surprise, he gave her a little smile that made her melt in different ways.
“Y-you really shouldn’t do that,” she whispered.
He turned to her, asking under his breath, “Do what?”
“I keep telling you.” And even knowing she shouldn’t because she didn’t have an actual reason to, she just couldn’t help it. She reached out to arrange his bow tie, needing an excuse to touch this man that had given her a reason to hold her head up high again. “If you need to bend your lips like the Beckhams---”
Nathan’s broad shoulders shook at Alyx’s choice of words.
“Can’t you be more like Victoria than David? Your legion of fans is going to start trolling my blog again if another new smiling photo of yours shows up on the Internet.”
And of course her words only had him smiling more widely.
“You really love seeing me in hot water, don’t you?” she muttered.
“Yes,” Nathan agreed without hesitation. “Preferably naked and wet, not because of the water, mind you, but because you want my cock---”
Color exploded in her cheeks, and she hissed, “Nathan!” Alyx couldn’t help looking around furtively, making sure that no one else in the table had heard his words.
But then she heard Daria and Nik discussing the stock market, Yanna and Constantijin – infamous for their dislike of politics – were talking about the results of the recent elections, while Anneke and Farica – both of whom had sworn off men – were talking about dating.
“Give it up,” she snarled, throwing her hands up in a fit of frustration.
Her words worked as her friends’ cue, and as the whole table shook with laughter at Alyx’s expense, Constantijin leaned forward, asking Nathan seriously what his girlfriend meant when she mumbled something about this being an ‘FML’ moment.
“Fuck my life,” Nathan explained apologetically.
“Ah.”
Overhearing the conversation, Alyx butted in, saying sweetly, “And let that be your TIL.”
The Dutch billionaire frowned. “TIL?”
He slanted an amused glance at Alyx, who looked gleefully triumphant for causing Constantijin more confusion. Towards the other man, he translated, “Today I learned.”
The two other billionaires shook their heads. “Where do you learn these things?” Nik asked.
“It’s probably because you guys are too stuffy to move in the right circles,” Farica interjected.
“Oooh. I high-key love that.” Alyx and the younger woman high-fived each other.
Nathan chuckled. “Now you’re just baiting them.”
The event’s female DJ started spinning just then, putting an end to the conversation. Nathan smiled at Alyx. Wanna dance?
Alyx couldn’t reply right away, a part of her suddenly aching.
Weren’t only couples in love supposed to be able to communicate without words?
So how could they do this when he couldn’t say the words to her?
Nathan’s brows furrowed at Alyx’s continued silence. “Sweetheart?”
She quickly summoned a smile. “Are you sure you can handle me on the dance floor?”
“Dance with me,” he murmured huskily, “and we’ll see if you think there’s even a need to ask.”
And he was right.
People who knew of Nathan Callis would be forgiven to think that he’d be just as formal and aloof on the dance floor. Hell, Alyx was sleeping with the ex-model, and she thought the same thing.
But it wasn’t like that at all.