Page 109 of Never With You
“He doesn’t have a girlfriend.”
“Fine, a wife, then.”
I scowl. “He doesn’t have that either.”
“How do you know?”
“Because I asked him.”
“Just because you asked him doesn’t mean he was honest with you.”
“I know his character. If he says he doesn’t have a girlfriend or a wife, then I believe him.”
“Pfft. You know his character,” he scoffs. “You’ve never even met the guy.”
“Yeah, but we’ve been talking for ten months. Character and values can’t be hidden or faked. They ripple into all areas of a person’s life, especially after that long.”
He grins in his smirky way. “Before this trip, you thought I didn’t have any character or values, and now you really like me.”
“Are you sure about that?”
“I hope so.” The smirk in his smile morphs into something a little softer. “I’m working hard to convince you.”
What do I do with the genuine look in Nate’s eyes and the nagging feeling that there’s potential between us? I can’t puzzle it out because we work together, and Mr. International wants to meet. It’s all too much, so I just avoid and ignore it.
My eyes drop to my salad. “The Caesar salad isn’t my favorite.”
“The second I saw those anchovies, I knew you wouldn’t like it.”
When did I tell Nate I don’t like anchovies?
“So, since you come from a big family, do you want a lot of kids like your parents?”
“I find that there are two types of people who come from large families. The ones who love it and want a big family and those who are traumatized and don’t.”
“And you’re traumatized?”
“Maybe because I was the oldest and a lot of responsibility fell on me.” My shoulders lift. “I’m sure I’ll have kids, but not that many.”
Nate lifts his hands. “I want a lot of kids.”
I can’t keep the shock from my face. “You do?”
“Yeah, like a whole army of little Nates.”
“I didn’t know that.”
He puckers his lips like he’s thinking. “So I guess that seals it. You and I don’t have that much in common after all.”
“I guess not.” I fake a laugh while secretly dying inside, as if my heart holds out hope for Nate against my will.
“Where do you see yourself in five years?” He takes a sip of his drink.
My eyes narrow. “What’s with all the deep questions?”
“I like asking random deep questions. It’s my thing. But also, I’m trying to get to know you better. It seems like most of our problems started because we didn’t take the time to get to know each other first.”
“No, most of our problems started because I showed up at Voyager Travel on day one, and there you were, handsome and charming as could be. Isaac had just broken up with me, and I’d promised myself I’d never date another guy from work again. No matter what. So I kept you an arm's length away. You were just another casualty of my messy breakup.”
