Page 1 of Critical Mass
CHAPTER
ONE
Natalie Ravenscroft watchedas the fading sunlight flickered across Timothy Shaw’s face. He sat across from her at a table by the window of their favorite oceanfront restaurant in Virginia Beach.
Outside, the bustling boardwalk offered endless entertainment—bikers, rollerbladers, tourists with ice cream, and surfers coming in after a long but exhilarating day in the water.
This was the perfect place for people watching—and spending time with Timothy.
For a moment, Natalie forgot about everything else. All she could think about was the way Timothy’s eyes crinkled when he smiled. The careful attention he paid to every word she said. The strong set of his jaw.
He was almost too good to be true.
“You’re thinking too hard again.” Timothy’s voice sounded warm with affection as he gazed at her. “I can practically see the gears turning.”
She laughed and pushed a strand of hair behind her ear. “Sorry. It’s just been a long week at work.”
“Curating lots of positive publicity has got to be a hard job sometimes.”
“Something like that.” She loved that he remembered the little details about her work, her life.
After three months of dating, Timothy still asked questions as if her answers actually mattered to him. He made her feel respected and valued, not just like arm candy.
She’d never felt this way about anyone before, and sometimes she pinched herself to make sure this was real. After years of dating the wrong men, had she finally found her Prince Charming?
Her phone buzzed in her purse, and she glanced at the screen.
Dad.
Her stomach clenched.
“I’m so sorry.” She stood. “I need to take this.”
Timothy nodded, understanding as always. “Take your time.”
She stepped outside into the breezy evening, her heels clicking on the sidewalk as she moved away from the windows. It was always best to have some privacy when speaking with her father.
“Hi, Dad.” She tried to sound cheerful.
“Natalie.” Her father’s voice carried the crisp tone that meant business. “Where are you?”
“Out with a friend.” The lie came easily—too easily. She’d been practicing variations of it for weeks now.
Her father could be overprotective and overbearing. Sometimes it was nice to make decisions without having to explain herself, get the third degree, or worry about her father’s approval. He never approved of the men she dated, and she just wanted to enjoy her time with Timothy without her father’s feelings tainting everything.
Her father was a powerful man, used to those around him doing exactly what he said. People practically kissed his feet.
For a long time, so did Natalie. But not anymore.
She loved him, but she couldn’t let him control her.
At twenty-eight, she deserved some independence—which was exactly why she was considering not working for her father anymore. Any other job would probably mean a pay cut, but she’d decided it would be worth it. She needed to stand on her own two feet, to plan her future autonomously. She appreciated her father’s help and protectiveness, but it was time to prove to herself she could manage life on her own.
She simply hadn’t gathered the courage to tell her father yet.
“What friend are you out with?” he demanded.
She glanced through the window at Timothy. “Just someone I met at cooking class.”
