My eyes drag up to Nate’s, who’s looking down at me with mischief. Before I know it, his hand circles the back of my neck, squeezing once before he pulls me in for a kiss.
The moment startles me, eliciting a low, hearty laugh from Nate as his lips move against mine. I try my hardest to keep a front by resisting his advances, but it isn’t long until I cooperate.
Melting into his kisses is easy, but it isn’t until I pull back to catch my breath that it all dawns on me.
“We’re in public. We can’t be making out like that.”
Nate caresses the side of my worried face before tucking a strand of hair behind my ear. “Don’t worry. There’s nobody around who cares enough.”
I’d like to think he’s right, but that couldn’t be anyfurtherfrom the truth.
The fountain. The spark. The tabloids. If nobody cared, we wouldn’t have found ourselves here in the first place, and I wouldn’t have ever known of his existence. I’d be miserably finishing my PhD with little to no funding, while Nate’s company would be operating perfectly fine.
For some reason, that thought makes me sad.
I can’t remember a time when Nate Archer wasn’t in my orbit. I’ve grown to enjoy his company, appreciate his mind,and revel in the sound of his laughter. And now the thought of living without him…
Fuck. Evelyn might be right.
Thankfully, I’m interrupted by a light tap on my ass.
“Now get your cute ass in the truck,” he says as he opens the door for me. “We can talk about your conference dilemma on our way to your big surprise.”
With that, he shuts the door behind me, and for the total of five seconds it takes Nate to round the car and get settled, I can’t help but wonder what would happen if I fully let my guard down and suggested we see this thing through outside of our arrangement.
But my gut tells me nothing this good ever lasts.
CHAPTER 29
NATE
“Gosh, this is so breathtakingly beautiful,” Vivienne says in awe as she stands near the edge of the cliff.
Infinite white dots litter the darkened sky, the stars scattered across it like tiny diamonds, glistening in the moonlight. And while it’s a gorgeous sight, it doesn’t quite compare to when Vivienne turns around, her smile wide and her eyes just as bright.
I lean back on my hands as I admire the view, legs dangling from the open tailgate of the truck I borrowed for this surprise.
With an air mattress snugly set up in the back, it was the perfect spot to lie down and stargaze. But in true Vivienne fashion, she was too excited to see where we were and jumped out of the car the second I put it in park.
“What’s that?” she asks with a point of her finger when she finally notices.
I shrug with a smirk, trying to act as casually as possible. It’s then that she dashes, colliding into me hard enough that we both stumble back. Her loud giggles mix with my laughsof disbelief as I lie there, the air mattress bouncing lightly beneath us.
“Thank you. Thank you. Thank you,” Vivienne squeals as her arms wrap around my torso.
A warmth fills me from the inside out as my heart patters against my rib cage.
Everything about this moment felt right—from the scent of her citrus shampoo to the way she held on to me like I was her lifeline. Getting everything organized on time had been a hassle, but her reaction made it all worth it.
“Congratulations on making your compound,” I whisper in her ear as my fingers pass through her dark brown strands.
It’s then that Vivienne pulls back from me, glassy eyes meeting mine as a soft smile tugs at her lips. “Thank you,” she whispers, slowly shuffling up my body until our faces are just inches apart.
Her lips brush mine in a delicate peck, and I linger in the sensation. So plump. So full. So utterly mine. I’m not sure what she put on them, but she tastes like a cinnamon roll.
“What made you want to come here?” Vivienne asks as she rolls off me, falling on her back to admire the night sky.
I grab one of the pillows I tossed in the back, tucking it beneath her neck before draping a blanket over her.
