Page 69 of Designs on You

He looked up to find the most beautiful woman he’d ever seenstanding in front of him. Natalie looked amazing in long black leggings, a white tee, black cardigan, and white tennis shoes. Simple outfit, but her hair fell like shiny brown silk against her cheeks, and her lips sparkled crimson, making him want to grab her and mess up those lips with a hot kiss.

He got up and took the bag from her hands, slid his arm around her, and pressed a kiss to her cheek, not wanting to mess up those lips. Not yet, anyway. “Nothing funny. You look spectacular.”

“Stop.” She took a seat and he sat next to her. “Okay, don’t stop.”

He smiled and picked up her hand. “Ready to go?”

“So ready. When I tell you it was a lot of maneuvering to get all the chess pieces in place for me to take this trip…well, it was.”

“I’m sorry. I wasn’t thinking about your kids and the dog and your job. I should have been more sensitive to your obligations.”

“Oh, the job part was easy. I’m not at a critical point with any of my design clients—including you. It was just the kids and the dog.”

“Sean isn’t taking them?”

“He is for his normal designated weekend. But not for today and tomorrow. My mom and Paul are watching them. I dropped them off last night.”

Eugene frowned. “Why wouldn’t Sean take them the extra days?”

“Honestly? I have no idea. He launched into some denigrating conversation about how it’s my responsibility to take care of my children, and that he shouldn’t have to give up the things that are important to him just because I want to jet off with my lover.”

Eugene choked out a laugh. “What? Was he being serious?”

“Oh, he was definitely serious. He’s very traditional in that way. The woman stays home and takes care of the kids. No career, no girls’ weekends.”

“So, no fun for you, then. He thought of you as basically just an unpaid nanny.”

“Yes.”

He took her hand. “I’m sorry. You must have been miserable.”

“Actually, not at first. I know I’m making him out to be the bad guy, and from a feminist point of view, he definitely was that. But he was also kind and generous and loves his children. I think he’s having a really hard time reconciling with the divorce and the fact that I didn’t turn out to be the ideal wife he thought I’d be.”

“Oh, too bad for him. And if he really loved his children he’d be thrilled to spend as much time with them as he could. Don’t make excuses for him, Natalie. He’s a jerk, and he needs to do some work on himself.”

She sighed. “You’re right, of course. But he’s also the father of my children, and they love him. So all I can do is hope he realizes the mistakes he’s made and corrects them.”

Eugene realized he was stepping into something that wasn’t his business and it was time to back off. “Of course. I have no right to interject my opinion.”

She lifted her gaze to his. “No, you can feel free to say anything you want.”

“And you can feel free to tell me to shove it, okay?”

“Deal.”

“Now, enough about your ex. Let’s talk fun plans for our trip. Anything you really want to do when we’re in New York?”

He saw the way she relaxed, and he was happy about that. He made a mental note not to mention her ex again unless she brought it up and asked for his opinion. There were some things that were hot-button, don’t-talk-about-it issues.

Ex-husbands definitely rated at the top of that list.

• • •

Their flight into New York City went surprisingly smoothly. They grabbed their luggage and Eugene had arranged for a car to pick them up outside. Having never been to New York, Natalie gawked at everything as they drove into Manhattan.

Other than her and Sean’s honeymoon in the Bahamas, she’d never been anywhere exciting. Or anywhere, really. She’d gone to college for fashion design at the University of Florida, hadn’t taken any trips outside of the state while in school, so other than traveling throughout the state, and then her honeymoon, she’d been nowhere.

Until now.

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