Page 74 of Heart of Stone
They had not a clue.
None of these people who worked and lived and visited here had any idea about why I’d really wound up as the temporary boss. They blindly trusted that everything would be as it had always been. They weren’t worried about their jobs or the fate of this place.
Maybe that was just the kind of environment my father had created here for not only his guests but also his staff. It was such a shame I hadn’t been able to see it sooner.
I needed to find a way to tell Natalia the truth, but I couldn’t risk doing it before having a discussion with my father. If nothing else, I owed him the truth. And perhaps an apology as well.
Once the contract was ripped up—or, at least, once he knew that my intentions were to keep this place running as it had been—I could come clean with Natalia.
Forcing a smile onto my face, I said, “That’s the plan.”
Natalia and Danielle exchanged a few more words before Danielle and her boyfriend took off to mingle with others. Natalia and I did the same.
And if there had been any shock or surprise about the two of us being together the way we were, nobody seemed bothered by it. If anything, I’d noticed the way a lot of the women would look at our interlocked hands and smile. Like it was just what they’d been waiting—hoping—to see.
Either we hadn’t done a great job at hiding what had developed between us over the last five or six weeks, or everyone expected this would happen, given just how wonderful a woman Natalia was.
If anyone had told me two months ago that I’d be here at this retreat celebrating the holiday with one of the women who worked here, I’d have laughed in their face. I’d have insisted they didn’t know a thing about me or my utter disdain for this place.
But Natalia had changed it all.
Now I was here at this retreat, having the time of my life with this beautiful woman, who was giving me more than I could have ever hoped for or imagined. And I got the distinct feeling that this wasn’t going to end here. It wasn’t just going to be good times and dates and laughter and fun between us. Something told me Natalia was going to be the reason I finally swallowed my pride and healed my relationship with my father as well.
For the next several hours, I didn’t worry about what was down the road, though. I spent my time fully engaged in what was happening around me. Natalia and I laughed and talked and ate and danced. There wasn’t a single moment of downtime. And I could say, unequivocally, that I’d never had more fun in my life.
I’d gone from having her open her door to me earlier in the evening and me not wanting to even attend this thing to completely losing track of time and her needing to point out that things were winding down.
Natalia and I said a round of goodbyes and made our way outside, our golf cart parked precisely where I’d left it.
After getting Natalia safely to her seat and covered with the blanket—it was notably colder than when we’d arrived—I took off for her cabin. Natalia rested her head on my shoulder. “Oh, that was so much fun. My feet are going to be aching tomorrow, but it was so worth it. I hope you had a great time, Reid.”
Placing one hand on her thigh, I assured her, “I thoroughly enjoyed myself.”
I felt her head move against my shoulder and looked down to find her staring up at me. “I’m so glad. I love that you’ve been so willing to give this place a chance, so you could really enjoy yourself these next couple of months that you’re here.”
I smiled at her. “Me, too.”
Though I could’ve easily stared at her for the rest of the night, when she shivered against me, I returned my focus to the trail and on getting her back to her cabin. We made the journey insilence, but I enjoyed every second of it. There was something about having her cuddling close and trusting me to get her back to her place safely. I recognized the strength it must have taken her to be willing to trust me to do so when she’d endured such horrible circumstances after her last relationship.
We made it back, and I walked her to her door. “It was my honor to spend tonight with you, Natalia. Thank you for accompanying me.”
She smiled, something I couldn’t quite read lingering in her stare.
“What is it?” I asked, unable to let it go.
“You said something earlier tonight that I just can’t seem to forget,” she shared.
Confused—and slightly concerned that I’d made a huge mistake and said something horrible—I took her hands in mine. “What did I say?”
Natalia hesitated for a few beats, her eyes roaming over my face. When she didn’t immediately respond, I worried that perhaps it had been worse than I thought. But finally, she revealed, “You said that you felt like you didn’t have enough of me. I guess I’m wondering what exactly you meant by that.”
Evidently, I hadn’t been wrong when I thought I saw something in her eyes right before Danielle had walked up and interrupted us.
“I don’t know that I meant anything in particular by it.” I dragged my thumb over her knuckles. “You’re always on my mind. And there have been so many moments when I’ve had to resist the urge to call you, to walk to your office, or to come here to your place whenever I miss you. I feel like every moment we’re not together, I’m craving more time and wondering when I’ll see you again. That’s all.”
She nodded her understanding, licking her lips at the same time. “I like knowing that. Tonight was a big deal for me. If I’mhonest, these last few weeks have been a lot for me to adjust to. I don’t want you to think that’s a bad thing, because I’ve enjoyed every second of it. But where I’ve been very willing to be friendly with everyone for years, I’ve been against ever wanting to try for a romantic relationship. You’ve been so patient through my caution, and you’ve gone above and beyond to prove to me that it’s okay to be happy and try again.”
I hadn’t been expecting to hear those words, but they were certainly appreciated. Releasing her hands, I wrapped my arms around her and hugged her. “I can promise you’ll never have to be afraid with me, Natalia. Never. You can trust me.”
