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17

Natalie

N atalie’s heart was pounding as Sven disappeared down the stairs. The moment before his phone rang was electric. She really needed to find a way to reel in her feelings. Her life was a mess, and his seemed to be kind of, too.

But even knowing that, something about him made her want to know him better. Like why he went dark after his dad had called. It was probably for the best because it threw some water on the heat building between them, but she wanted to know why. She also wanted to make sure he was okay.

Winnie gave a little squeal and banged on her high chair tray.

“What do you say to a bath?” Natalie said as she stood and started getting Winnie ready for her bedtime routine.

Natalie went through the steps of bath time and bottles and stories and all of it with the look on Sven’s face after he’d gotten off the phone with his dad. After she laid Winnie down in her crib, she found herself making her way to the basement stairs.

She was just going to go tell him she was headed to the pool house. That was it. She was not checking up on him. At least that’s what she told herself as she opened the door and descended the stairs.

There was a grunt of exertion followed by a thud. She heard this over and over as she made her way to Sven’s home gym. As she turned the corner, he came into view. The sight of him stopped her in her tracks. He was there, standing in front of an area that looked like a mini hockey rink. His shirt was off... because of course it was, and he was hitting puck after puck into the net. The way his muscles rippled in his back was mesmerizing. She couldn’t keep her eyes off him.

As she watched him, she realized he had stopped moving. She looked up and caught his gaze in the mirror across from them. His smirk told her she’d just been caught checking her boss out.

She cleared her throat and averted her eyes.

“Did you need something?” he asked.

“Oh, ummm, I was just going to tell you Winnie is in her bed,” she said, still trying to divert her eyes.

He picked up his T-shirt from the floor and wiped the sweat from his brow before wiping it from his pecs and chest. And, fuck. She was looking at him again. And he was still smirking. Natalie’s heart was racing from panic and a lot of embarrassment, but she would be lying to herself, denying the arousal.

“I have to go.” She turned to quickly leave the room but ended up walking smack-dab into one of the support beams in the basement. It gave a thud as she whacked it head-on.

“Ouch,” she cried as her hands flew to her face.

“Fuck, Natalie. Are you okay?” Sven asked as he was immediately at her side.

He pulled her hands away from her face to examine her injuries, only to find her hands covered in blood. Immediately, he held the T-shirt, the one he’d just been wiping his sweat with, to her face. That should have been gross, but it wasn’t. But before her brain had time to pick a train of thought, Sven was guiding her upstairs.

He got her to the kitchen and swapped out the sweaty T-shirt for a kitchen towel before making her an icepack.

“Here, let me have a look,” he said as he pulled her hands away and inspected her nose. “It looks like the bleeding is slowing.” He went over to the tissue box, tore a piece off, and wadded it up into something akin to what she would call a nose tampon. “Here, put this in.”

She carefully put it in tender her nose.

“Now, hold this to your nose,” he said as he gently held the ice bag to her face. “I think you’ll be okay. I don’t even think you should have too much bruising,” he said, bending down and inspecting her.

“I’m sorry,” she said.

She wasn’t sure why she said it. Sometimes, apologies just came from being uncomfortable with her.

“What are you sorry for?”

“I got blood on your shirt,” she said, glancing down at the bloody shirt on the counter next to her.

“I’m not even a little worried about it.” He was looking into her eyes, still seemingly inspecting her for further injury. “How does you head feel?” Running his hands through his hair, he felt around for a bump.

“My head is fine. I think my nose took the brunt of my clumsiness,” she said, trying to joke.

But then his piercing blue eyes caught her gaze. He was so close. All she would have to do was lean forward just an inch, and she could kiss him. She felt herself leaning. Why was she leaning?

“I have to go,” she said as she put her hands on his bare chest and pushed him away.

“Natalie, wait a minute. Are you sure you’re okay?”

She turned around and opened her mouth to tell him she was fine and was going to bed, but the look on his face stopped her in her tracks. It was a mix of concern and confusion. There was something behind his eyes she didn’t care for. Whatever it was it looked painful, like rejection and hurt. With his cocky smirk gone, it was more evident than it ever had been. But the more she thought about it, the more she thought it was there more often than she wanted to think about.

“I’m okay.” She stopped and took him in.

“You’re good?”

“I mean... my nose hurts. But, yes, Sven. I’m good.”

A warm smile spread across his face. It was different than any smile she’d seen before. It was genuine. It stirred things in her that she should leave alone.

“I’m going to go.”

“Be careful out there. Watch out for poles,” he said, that signature smirk returning.

“I think I can manage.”

“I’ll stay right here. I don’t want to prove too distracting again.” He winked.

Her mouth hung open. Did he really just call her out for checking him out in the basement?

“I’m sure I don’t know what you’re talking about?” she said, calling on all her Southern belle self-control.

“Of course not,” he said with a slight raise to his brow.

“Good night, Sven.”

“Good night, Natalie.”

He watched him one moment longer with the self-assured smirk. She huffed and rolled her eyes and turned from her. As she opened the patio door, she bit back the smile. What was she going to do?

***

The next morning, she woke up and rolled over in bed, only to knock her sore nose. Maybe Sven was right, and it wasn’t as bad as they thought. Making her way to the bathroom, she saw her nose was slightly swollen, but there was no bruising, so that was good at least.

As she continued to get dressed for the day, she couldn’t help but play over some of the events from last night in her head. She had come close to kissing him. Twice. All while saying they needed to keep their relationship professional.

She made her way into the house. Ms. Malone was in the kitchen, putting groceries away.

“Good morning,” Natalie said as a smile as she went over to help her.

“What happened last night?”

“What do you mean?” Natalie asked, trying to keep the defensiveness out of her voice.

“I just saw a bloody rag and T-shirt in the laundry room.”

“Oh, that... I got a nosebleed, no biggie.”

As she was saying that, Sven made his way down the stairs with Winnie.

“Good morning, Winnie-Bell,” Natalie said as she went over and got her out of his arms.

Sven had his packed bag with him.

“We’re headed out of town on the road trip.”

“I remember,” Natalie said, trying to pretend like this wasn’t awkward.

“Do you mind if we FaceTime?”

“What?” Natalie asked, her heart starting to race.

“Yeah, before Winnie’s bedtime. I just don’t want to miss much while I’m gone.”

“Oh,” she said, shaking her head a bit. He wanted to FaceTime Winnie... Of course he did. Why was she being so strange? “Of course.”

“Well, I gotta hit the road. I’ll miss you, sweet girl,” he said, bending over to kiss Winnie.

Natalie closed her eyes, ignoring how good he smelled.

“Are you doing okay?” he asked, still too close to her.

“I’m fine,” she said a couple octaves higher than normal.

“Your nose is okay?” he asked slightly as he gently held her chin and raised her head to get a different angle.

“I’m fine,” she said again, a bit more adamantly, pulling her chin out of his grasp.

“Good, take care of yourself. And be vigilant for any sketchy looking poles.”

“Goodbye, Sven,” she said, shaking her head at him.

After one last kiss to Winnie’s squishy cheek, Sven turned and head out the door.

When Natalie turned, Ms. Malone was looking at her with an interested expression.

“What?”

“Oh, nothing,” she said before she turned back around to put groceries away.

Natalie’s phone buzzed in her pocket.

Alice: Do you want to get coffee?

Now this sounded like exactly what she needed.

Natalie: Yes!

Alice: Yay! Let’s meet tomorrow at 11 at the Spot.

Natalie: Perfect!

***

The next day, she was weaving through a coffee shop with Winnie on one hip and a diaper bag slung over her shoulder to a waving Alice.

“Hi,” Alice said as she pulled out the high chair. “I got this in case you brought her.”

“Thank you,” she said as she got Winnie situated.

“Can I get you a coffee while you get settled in?”

“Oh, sure! A vanilla latte would be great.”

Soon, Winnie was all settled with a fabric book to play with, and Alice had returned with their drinks.

“So, you have to tell me, what is it like working for Sven?”

“Oh. He’s great. He’s a really good dad,” she said, stifling a smile.

“That’s amazing. Even with her dark hair, she looks so much like him,” Alice said, smiling at Winnie.

“She does.”

“How are you liking New York?”

“Well, besides the cold, I like it.”

“Well, it is the first day of March, so we should only have a couple more cold spells. How’s living with Sven?”

Natalie stopped and took a long sip of her coffee, and Alice gave her a knowing smile. “Nothing like that. He’s good. He’s been calling every night to talk to Winnie. I tried to talk to him about his game the other day, but sadly, I don’t understand much when I watch it.”

“Do you want to watch a game together? Being the daughter of a coach, I know more about hockey than I care to.”

“That would be wonderful! Do you want to come over tomorrow?”

“I’ll be there.”

Natalie smiled as she took another sip of her coffee. Having another friend in the area would be a good thing. It would give her brain something else to focus on, which she sorely needed.