Page 54 of Heart of Stone
I shrugged one shoulder. “Perhaps. But I’m not keen on you doing too much. In fact, I think that might be grounds for me to give you the rest of the day off today.”
“What? No. I can’t do that.”
“Not even if I ask you to help me with something?”
Natalia grew curious as her chin tipped up to one side. “That’s different. I can forego doing the things I need to do to help you with your work. What’s going on?”
Immediately, there was a lightness in my chest that I hadn’t experienced since the last time I’d spent extended, uninterrupted time with her. It was all I could do to hide the growing sense of satisfaction I felt.
“Alright. You’re going to need to shut everything down in here, since you won’t be back until Monday, then.”
She arched a gorgeous brow. “Oh?”
I smiled. “I suspect this is going to take until well past the time that you’d normally be done at work. And since we’re leaving this building now to take care of this project I’ve got, you can shut down everything until Monday.”
Whatever Natalia thought, she didn’t say. But she looked like she had dozens of questions running through her mind. Clearly, she was trying to work out precisely what I had planned, but instead of asking me for more information, she merely shifted her attention to her computer and worked on shutting it down.
I didn’t hesitate to use that time to simply take her in. It was strange. No matter that I saw her every day—though sometimes it was only briefly if we were both swamped with work—it felt as though it had been weeks since I last saw her.
Truthfully, it was Thanksgiving when I’d last been able to spend some quality time with her. After a week of craving more of it, I didn’t care how this would look. I was willing to do anything to have her all to myself for a couple of hours.
“All set?” I asked when she finally returned her attention to me.
Natalia jerked her chin down. “Anxiously waiting to see what this project is. Excited about it, even if I don’t know what it is.”
And it was that attitude right there that made her so captivating. I wasn’t quite sure there was anything that she wouldn’t be up for. Natalia had no clue what this was about, and she was eager for whatever it was.
Jerking my head toward the exit, I said, “Let’s go.”
Natalia rounded her desk as I swept out my hand and urged her through the door ahead of me. And a few minutes later, we were outside, making our way across the property.
“Now will you tell me what we’re doing?”
There was an edge of excitement in Natalia’s tone. When I glanced down and saw the same reflected in her features, I almost gave in. But I wanted to see her face when she finally saw what I’d planned.
“You’ll see when we get there.”
She growled with frustration, but that only served to make me laugh.
“Can you at least give me a hint?”
“You’ll like it.”
She ground to a halt. “That’s it? That’s my hint?”
I stopped moving after taking two steps past her and turned around. My lips twitched at her mock outrage. “Yep.”
“I’ll like it?”
I nodded. “Yes. And if you keep walking, you’ll find out what it is sooner rather than later. We’re almost there.”
Natalia began moving again. “We’re heading toward the lake and the cabins where you’re staying.”
I said nothing.
“Is the surprise at the lake?”
“Maybe. Maybe not.”
