Page 4 of “Not” Engaged to the Grumpy Billionaire

Feigning innocence, I shake my head, keeping my tone light.

"Nope. Haven’t seen a thing."

He narrows his eyes, but a smirk tugs at the corner of his mouth. His attention shifts back to the curtains, and he takes a step closer.

"Is that so?"

I nod, doing my best to keep a straight face.

"Absolutely."

Nate’s smirk grows as he closes the distance to the curtains. Deliberately slow, in fact. His eyes gleaming with amusement. It takes everything for my jaw not to drop in astonishment. The change on his face making him drop dead gorgeous sends flutters to my belly.

"Well, in that case..." He pauses for dramatic effect before whipping the curtain aside.

"Gotcha!"

Max erupts into giggles, doubling over as Nate scoops him up into his arms, holding him upside down. Boomer barks in excitement, bouncing around their feet. The room fills with laughter, the sound infectious, drawing a smile from me.

Max squirms in his dad’s arms, laughing uncontrollably.

"Supernova! Daddy, Supernova!" he shouts through his giggles. I assume it's their safe word.

Nate sets him down, ruffling his hair affectionately. His own laughter fades into a soft chuckle. Max looks up at him, breathless but beaming, while Boomer hops around, tail wagging furiously.

Once the excitement settles, Nate glances back at me, his eyes softer now.

"Sorry for the intrusion," he offers, his voice more composed, though the warmth from earlier still lingers in his expression.

I shake my head, smiling.

"No need to apologize. It was a nice wake-up call."

Max, grinning from ear to ear, looks up at me, his eyes shining with excitement.

"Liz, will you play hide and seek with us later?"

I can't avoid chuckling. "Sure, Max. Sounds like fun."

His eyes light up at my response. But, before he can say more, Nate gently places a hand on his son's shoulder and guides him toward the door.

"Come on, buddy. Let’s leave Liz to rest for now."

Max throws one last excited glance my way before following Nate out of the room, Boomer padding along behind them.

As the door closes, the quiet returns, but the warmth lingers. I sink back into the pillows. A soft smile tugs at my lips as I reflect on the moment that just unfolded. I’ve never seen this side of Nate before, playful, relaxed, so full of life. The contrast between the stoic man who greeted me yesterday and the one who just walked out of the room is startling, and yet... it makes sense.

***

Evening settles around the house as I head towards the kitchen, refreshed and curious after unpacking. The clink of utensils and the savory aroma of dinner draw me in. To my surprise, Nate is at the stove, adeptly maneuvering pots and pans. Max swings his legs from a stool at the island, chattering away.

As I enter, Max catches sight of me and leaps off his stool, bounding into my arms with youthful exuberance.

“Liz! You missed so much today!” His excitement vibrates through me, his arms tightly wound around my neck.

Laughing, I set him down.

“Oh? Tell me everything.”

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