Page 32 of Reputation (Tempt)

But when he’d talked about “going all out,” as Brooklyn put it, I’d figured he’d have his staff do most of the work. And yes, they’d definitely done their fair share. But Nate had decorated his own tree—with Brooklyn’s and my help. And I got the feeling he’d wrapped every single present himself.

“Well then, thank you, Nate.”

He smiled and pulled out a chair for me, leaning down until his mouth was next to my ear. “Hungry?”

I shivered from his words and his proximity. “You have no idea.”

“I wouldn’t be so sure about that,” he said, his hand skimming my shoulder. Or at least, that’s what I thought I heard before he moved away and lifted the first dome.

My mouth watered. “Breakfast tacos? Are you serious?”

“Dad’s idea,” Brooklyn said, and I found him watching me with eager anticipation.

I’d once mentioned my love for tacos in passing—not just breakfast tacos, but any tacos, any time of day. They were so versatile. So delicious. I’d had no idea he was paying such close attention. And the idea that he wanted to please me made my skin heat for an entirely different reason.

“I thought Andre had the day off,” I said, glancing around for Nate’s private chef.

“He does. Brooklyn and I made them.”

Nate had cooked me breakfast? My favorite breakfast, no less. I was so touched I nearly started crying.

Instead, I turned to him. “Thank you. This…” I cleared my throat. “It means a lot to me.”

“BRB,” Brooklyn said, seemingly unable to sit still. But her absence meant that Nate and I were completely alone.

“I appreciate you,” Nate said, sincerity ringing through his voice. “And I’m really glad you’re here.”

What?I nearly choked on my tongue.Am I dreaming?

Boss. He’s your boss, Em.

He’s paying you to be here. And what hemeansis that he appreciates that you take care of his daughter. When it came time to open gifts, I worried that what I’d gotten Nate seemed silly, but it was incredibly difficult to find something that was both appropriate for my boss and a billionaire. I mean, what was I supposed to get a man who could buy literally anything?

Brooklyn went first, gushing over the waterproof camera and temporary tattoo pens I’d given her. Then it was Nate’s turn. I chewed on my lip while I waited for him to open his gift from me. It was a daily calendar, each day with a different picture of Brooklyn.

He flipped through it and smiled before glancing up at me. “Thank you, Emerson.”

I’d never had the full force of one of his smiles directed at me, and it was…wow. It was like being bathed in sunlight. I felt like I must be glowing in return.

Off-limits, I reminded myself even as I fought to deny the attraction I’d always felt toward him. Attraction that had only grown since the night of Brooklyn’s slumber party. It was no longer a silly crush based on an idea I’d built of a man I didn’t know. It was powerful and potent and real. And perhaps even reciprocated, judging by Nate’s behavior that night.

I held my breath as he unwrapped the next box from me, hoping he’d like it as much as the last one.

“Is this a scrapbook?” Nate asked, while Brooklyn hopped up from the couch and darted toward the door. She and I shared a conspiratorial smile.

I refocused my attention on Nate. “I, uh—” I tucked my hair behind my ear, feeling shy all of a sudden. “I know how much you hate being apart from Brooklyn, so I filled it with pictures from when you were away. So maybe then you could feel like you were still part of everything.”

He finally met my eyes, and when he spoke, his voice was clogged with emotion. “Thank you. That’s…the nicest thing anyone’s ever done for me.”

I dipped my head, unable to handle the intensity of his stare. “Of course.”

I shouldn’t have worried he’d think the gift was silly or cheap. He turned the pages slowly, lingering on the images with a loving gaze.

When Brooklyn returned, she was wearing the costume I’d designed for this song. For the one she wanted to perform for her dad. And her guitar was slung around her neck.

“I wrote you a song.” She beamed.

“You did?” He grinned, then teased, “Nice to know that your guitar lessons are paying off.”

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