Bab 22: Unforgettable Night

"Nothing like the stars in a desert sky, right?" he asked when she gazed up at the sky for a bit too long.

"... I disagree with that. The sky looks good at any time of the day, in any place, and in any weather."

She continued to gaze up at the sky, deliberately avoiding his intense scrutiny on her face as he waited for further elaboration.

"You see, it's always beautiful. It belongs to everybody…" She laughed at herself. "Do I sound weird?"

"No."

"It's just that when you grow up with very little, you appreciate things differently."

"I think it's less about how much you grew up with and more about you. Just your unique way of seeing things."

She smiled. Alonso was a kind-hearted man who lifted people up instead of leaving them where they are. It was not something someone can fake, at least not this well.

Because of both; the lid on her coffee cup and Alonso's long legs, Natalie was able to lean her back into the soft cushions with her high heels nowhere near the ground and enjoy the soft sway. Sipping on this coffee under the clear sky full of stars was an experience she wouldn't forget. It would have been the perfect night if it weren't for the chill in the air.

Natalie sniffled.

"Here," he gave her his coffee and smiled at her confused face, "I will get that back." He said as he shrugged out of his jacket then placed it over her shoulders.

All traces of the chill were gone when she felt a flush of heat creeping up her cheeks.

"Thank you."

His eyes twinkled, "You're welcome. My jacket looks good on you."

She took a deep breath and shyly shook her head as the warmth from his jacket and the scent of his perfume surrounded her. There was no denying it. Despite their contrasting backgrounds and familial statuses, Natalie and Alonso were remarkably compatible. Mostly mentally for now, but most likely physically as well.

As he reached out to get his cup back, he went for the wrong one.

"Oh, that's my cup," she objected.

"Can I get a sip of your coffee?" He said with a voice that dropped down an octave.

Dear lord, help me.

"Of course, of course you can!" Her voice was an octave higher, "but there's not much left!"

"I would still like to try it."

With how much heat she felt in her face, she had to be visibly blushing.

"You can have some of mine in return," he said decisively then snatched her cup away.

While she was trying to look anywhere but his face, she heard a gulp followed by an appreciative hum.

"I knew it. Your coffee tastes so much better."

She zeroed in on him, watching as he took another sip with a playful glint in his eyes that shifted to the cup she still had in her hand.

Are you testing me?

Raising his relatively full coffee to her lips, she downed it all in one go as if it were a cup of orange juice.

"Is it any good?" he asked with an amused smirk.

"It tastes exactly like my coffee!" She chuckled at herself for entertaining the notion that it would somehow taste different. Her laugh was abruptly cut short when his thumb brushed over the upper part of her lips.

"…You had some foam there."

With his eyes on her lips and his thumb brushing that tingling skin again. It was impossible for her eyes not to slide down to his lips as well.

TOO FAST!

Internally screaming at herself, she turned her face to the other side and took a deep breath. If she continued to stay with this man, she might end up in the last place she wanted to find herself – his bed.

"Natalie."

She slowly turned to face him again, "Yes?"

"I think we should call it a night."

"Oh," was all she was able to let out.

He ran a hand through his hair and chuckled, "You can get some sleep in your suite and we can drive back together in the morning. Or we can head to L.A. right now if you prefer."

Alonso offered her two straightforward choices for parting ways, but the longing expression in his eyes contradicted his words.

"If we leave now, you won't get much rest before another working day," she mused.

"So you prefer to return now?"

Natalie would be lying if she said she didn't want to head back immediately. Staying here was too dangerous.

Alonso nodded.

"I have an early morning meeting that I haven't canceled yet. I would appreciate it if you could keep me company along the way."

Mentally assembling her own list of observations about Alonso's character, Natalie had already acknowledged his charm and thoughtfulness. He earned extra credit for skillfully handling other women too. While all of that was commendable, his ability to find an excuse for both of them to leave the hotel was beyond sweet. It demonstrated that he was prioritizing her and genuinely taking care of her.

She beamed at him. "I know the best car games to keep you awake!"

He beamed back, "Let's meet in the lobby in twenty minutes, baby girl. Would that be enough time for you to change into something more comfortable?"

He used the same nickname as before, but this time it didn't sound strange to her. Twenty minutes seemed a bit short, but she didn't want to say no to him.

"...Yes."

That was a 'yes' Natalie would come to regret before the next day's sunrise.

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