Page 34 of Babydaddy To Go
“Don’t look so glum,” Nate says, tapping my chin when we get to the top of the stairs. “I’m sure it’ll be fine. My entire team got together and decided we’d keep it a secret. You know, it’ll be great publicity to open the doors and say surprise, this is my restaurant!”
I hadn’t considered that, but he’s right. Surprises have always been on the covers of tabloid magazines. I’m sure Nate’s restaurant will catch the attention of every important journalist in the city.
“This is the bedroom floor,” Nate explains. “This entire hall is guest rooms and bathrooms. Upstairs, there’s a game room, my office that I rarely use, and a couple more guest rooms. I let my parents sleep up there when they come to visit to keep them out of my hair.”
I laugh. “Smart thinking.”
We arrive at a door at the farthest end of the expansive hallway. “This is my room,” he says. Does he sound kind of nervous? My heart flutters.
Inside, I’m struck by how grand it is. The downstairs, of course, looked straight out of an old British show about royalty. I’m not familiar with artists, but the ones on the walls in the hall down there seemed expensive. Nate’s bedroom takes that to a whole new level.
An ornate, claw-foot lounger sits at the foot of the bed. I draw my eyes away from it long enough to see the intricate crown moldings, an Indian-looking tapestry, and a few marble statues by the windows. Am I in a house, or a museum? It’s hard to tell the difference.
“What do you think?” Nate asks expectantly.
“Beautiful,” I breathe. “I’ve never seen anything like it.”
He smiles. “I’m glad you like it.”
I do like it. I love it, in fact. It’s overwhelming, but gorgeous. With every passing minute I notice more details, like the antique carpet under the four-poster bed.
Something on the bed catches my eye. It’s a dress. Not just any dress – a designer dress, for sure. It’s long-sleeved with a deep v-neck. The entire thing glimmers in the sunlight sneaking in through the half-closed blinds. Did some model leave it behind?
No, I think.It still has the tags on it.
Then why is it on Nate’s bed?
He notices me glaring at the sparkling fabric. “I got this for you.” He holds it up so I can see it even better. What I thought was silver is actually a light gold. It’s the most beautiful dress I’ve ever seen!
I give him a look. “You bought me a dress?”
Nate nods. “I hoped you would come with me to the opening tonight, and I thought you might need something to wear.”
“Nate, I can’t possibly take that dress. I don’t think it’ll fit me.”
Looking at it, I’m certain the dress won’t fit my considerable bust and butt. It’s made for stick thin girls with not much cleavage, and while my figure is petite, my boobs are not.
“I have dresses in my apartment. You can have your driver take me home, and we can meet back here, or at the restaurant.”
“Nonsense, it’ll fit. I’m good at guessing sizes.”
I eye the dress. Nate is crazy if he thinks I’m squeezing my curves into that tiny thing. He’s probably used to guessing the sizes of the models always on his arms for events like this.
“You probably had another date lined up,” I say, making excuses. “Even if it’s just a publicity stunt or whatever, I don’t want to get in the way of that.”
“How did you know my dates are usually for publicity?”
I blush. “I don’t know, just the way you look at them, I guess. You don’t look at me like that.”
He grins. “You’re right, I don’t. And I don’t have another date tonight. You have to come with me, and you have to wear this dress.”
My arguments are getting weaker. “Gold isn’t my color.”
“I think gold is exactly your color,” Nate says. He takes a few steps closer, so we’re chest to chest. “You’re wearing gold earrings.”
To really get his point across, Nate lowers his lips to my earlobe and nibbles gently. My entire body reacts. Thank goodness I’m wearing panties or a wet spot would appear in my slacks!
“Please, at least try it on,” he whispers, sending goosebumps up my arms and neck. What is this man doing to me? My breathing gets heavy and my hands find his shoulders just as his lips brush against my neck.