“You know that relationship was doomed from the start, right?” he asked as he took her glass from her. She shook her head.
“What are you talking about?” she asked.
“Eliana was…too much for me. I mean I had just made my first big break after selling my app and the high life was a little hard to understand….” His voice trailed off. “I was really trying to understand what was going on in my life at the time and maybe I shouldn’t have rushed into the whole Eliana thing.”
Natalia looked at him and shook her head.
“Then why did you do it?” she asked in a whisper.
Alex forced out a sad smile as he looked at her.
“Because the girl I wanted was with someone else,” he said.
Even in the dark night, she could still see into his perfectly glossy eyes.
“And who was the girl?” she asked. Alex smiled again, genuinely this time before he reached for her hand.
“Do you really need to ask?” he asked.
Natalia almost blurted out ‘Me?’ because she could not believe that her crush had at one time wanted her the way she wanted him.
“But you seemed so into Josh King at the time…I couldn’t just…” he trailed off. He looked at her and shook his head. “I had everything I wanted at the time but I remember that day I held the party after selling my app to Google, you seemed so happy to be with Josh and I just didn’t think I could cost you your happiness.”
Natalia had to pinch herself to make sure she was not imagining everything Alex was saying at that moment.
“You were into me?” she asked as if she didn’t believe what she had just heard. Alex nodded.
“I am still into you,” he said in a soft voice as he drew little circles on the back of her hand using his thumbs. “I think I always will.”
“But I look different…I am bigger than I was back then,” she said in a soft voice. Alex shrugged.
“So what?” he asked looking into her eyes. “You are still the most beautiful woman I have ever seen plus your curves are just perfect.” Natalia felt her cheeks flush again.
“Alex…” she started before he took her other hand in his.
“Don’t,” he said before she could get a chance to finish what she was saying. “I just want to live in this moment.”
“What moment?” she asked in a soft voice.
“The moment when I get to tell the girl I like that I have had feelings for her all along,” he said in a soft voice.
“Why didn’t you ever say anything?” she asked.
“I never thought I had to.” Alex was whispering now. He began moving closer to her, slowly bringing her head down to meet her lips in a glorious kiss but before he could get to her, she pulled back.
“Alex,” she whispered. Alex closed his eyes and pulled away from her. “I don’t want to…it’s not that I don’t want to…” she shook her head.
“Just shut up, Natalia. You are not making any sense,” she scolded herself as she stood up. She looked at him and fought back a tear that was threatening to roll down her cheeks. “Maybe I should just leave,” she said in a tired, confused voice.
“Fine. I’ll take you home,” he said, standing up.
“But I am here with Elle,” she said in a soft voice. “She is my ride.”
“Elle Voss?” he asked and she nodded.
“You know her?” she asked as she looked at him.
“Not really, but we have brushed shoulders once or twice,” he said. He took a step towards her and she wanted to take one back. But she couldn’t. “Natalia, I leave for New York tomorrow and I won’t be back for another two weeks.” He was standing so close that she could smell his sexy musky scent. He took her hand again. “Let me take you home.”
Chapter 2
The drive to her apartment was quiet and awkward…at least for Natalia. She hated that she had pulled away from him when he leaned in to kiss her. She had dreamed of nothing more than to be in his arms and when she got the chance she had pulled away.
“What is wrong with you?” she wondered as she leaned back in her seat. “This is what you have always wanted.”
“Are you okay?” Alex suddenly asked, snapping her out of her trance. She looked at him and nodded.
“Yeah, guess I am just tired.”
“Really? We left the party almost immediately after we got there.” She shrugged.
“I had a long day today, that’s all,” she said as he pulled up in front of her apartment building.
“We’re here,” he said in a soft voice as he unbuckled his seatbelt. He got out of the car and she watched him as he walked round the front of the car to open her door. He held his hand out to her and she put her small hand in his. She looked at him as she climbed out of the car. “You know I wouldn’t be a perfect gentleman if I didn’t walk you to your door.”