Page 15 of New York Love Stories: Vol. 1

Grinning smugly, I nudge her. “I’ll take that as a yes. You’re not so bad yourself, by the way.”

She crosses the divide to poke me in the stomach, which makes me chuckle. I clench my abs to make it worth her while.Of course.She says, “I bet you say that to all the girls.” It’s not lost on me how a look of approval flashes across her face.

I might have been enamored with her the first time I looked into her eyes but getting to know the real Natalie feels like a reward. That she’s comfortable sharing more about herself is the cherry on top.

There are hints of her socialite status, something I’m familiar with back home, though she doesn’t appear to carry her worries in bags around with her—designer or not. She’s opened her up in ways the rum hid prior. My stomach rumbles, and I rub my stomach. “I’m starved. I was about to order food before acertainsomeonebarged into my room.”

Laughing, she says, “And here you had me believing I’d made your night better.”

“You did. So much better. I’m glad you’re here, Natalie.”

She moves in such a seductive way, sliding her hand along the railing before she turns with the grace of a ballet dancer. “So am I.”

Her eyes flash to mine, knocking the breath from me. If she can capture me with a look, I can only imagine what else she has in store for me. I clear my throat. “Would you like something to eat?”

“I could eat. You left me craving?—”

“Touché.”

“Ha! Actually, I was referring to the In-N-Out talk. I’d love a burger, cooked medium with all the toppings.”

“Lettuce, tomato?—”

“Everything. Even the ones that cost extra.” Her little wink is cute, though the sassy side of it is more dominant. “Oh!And I want a mound of fries,” she says, demonstrating with her hands. “Not just a side. A whole plate dedicated to them.”

I’m almost afraid to ask. “Anything else?”

“Extra ketchup on the burger and for the fries. A soda?—”

“Let me guess. Large?”

She nods excitedly. I can’t wait to watch her eat a meal that could feed a linebacker.

“Got it.” I go inside and call room service. It’s then I realize that I’ve held the key to her presence in my pocket the whole time. What can I say? She’s very distracting. I find myself smiling while watching her nose around the terrace.

When I hang up and fill the doorway, I debate for a hard few seconds, but I know telling her is the right thing to do. “I can call Harrison for you. He could let Tatum know you’re locked out of the room.” I regret the moment the words leave my mouth because, if I’m honest, I don’t want that. If she takes me up on the offer, she’d be gone before we have a chance to get to know each other.And I definitely want to get to know her better.

I hold the phone out for her, wanting to see something in her eyes that tells me I’m not alone in this desire to spend more time together.

Her bottom lip is tugged under her teeth as she appears to have her own internal debate. When her gaze glides up to mine, she says, “It’s fine. It’s a party on a yacht. They can’t make it return to shore, so I’m good waiting. She’ll return eventually.”

Pocketing the phone, I reply, “The island is small. I’m sure they won’t be gone all night.” I’m tempted to text Harrison to stay away a little longer. “But we should have time to eat before they return.”

“We can still eat together even if they do,” she says. “And I bet the boat doesn’t have burgers.”

“No,” I say, enchanted by the way she thinks. “I bet it doesn’t.”

“What should we do in the meantime?”

“Meantime is such an interesting phrase. The space between, the time difference between the past and the future.” She comes toward me. “Whatever happens in the meantime doesn’t count, right?” The words are subtle, but I hear the same desire to stay.

“It’s time unaccounted for.”

“Under that definition,technically, we can do whatever we want.” Her eyes brighten with possibility as she looks into mine. “What should we do with thismeantime?”

Stretching my arm out, I signal behind her. “A dip in the plunge pool?”

A smile tugs at the corners of her lips. She comes to the door and leans against the frame, her body silhouetted in the doorway with the sun shining behind her.

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