Chapter 158
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Eliana’s lashes fluttered as she looked up at him, her gaze earnest. She said, “What do you think?”
Nathan let out a laugh, both exasperated and amused. He said, “Do you really think I’d do something crazy right here?”
Eliana quickly clapped her hand over his mouth, afraid he’d say something outrageous again.
She was honestly terrified of what he might say next. He really had no filter.
Nathan looked at her, his eyes overflowing with adoration.
He gently loosened her hand and locked it in his own. Nathan looked at her with utter seriousness and said, “I’m not going to do anything else. I want to kiss you properly. Is that okay?”
Eliana’s breath went all over the place.
She honestly never expected Nathan to ask her something like this, and the way he said it was just so irresistibly seductive.
She just looked up at him for a long moment, completely at a loss for words.
Nathan gently leaned in, his voice low and sincere. He said, “If you don’t say anything, I’ll take that as a yes.”
With that, he went straight in and sealed her lips with his.
This time, Nathan kissed her with such earnestness and tenderness that Eliana lost herself in the moment, unable to resist at all.
It wasn’t until Irene’s voice came from outside the emergency exit that Eliana snapped back to reality. She pushed him away, hurriedly but softly.
Nathan didn’t make things difficult for her. That kiss had left him totally content. Even his mood was lighter now.
Seeing how flustered she was, Nathan said quietly, “What are you so nervous about? It’s not like we’re doing anything wrong.”
Eliana couldn’t deal with him right now, so she didn’t even bother to respond and headed straight for the door.
But when she reached the door, she didn’t open it right away. She just stood there for a moment, took a deep breath, and tried to calm herself down.
But in that brief moment, Nathan was right there behind her.
Feeling Nathan leaning in close, Eliana didn’t hesitate for a second. She opened the door quickly and slipped out.
Nathan stood there, watching as Eliana made her escape, a smile playing at his lips.
Nathan reached out to gently stop the door from closing, his gaze fixed on Eliana as he traced his lips with his finger
A hint of her lipstick lingered there, sweet and tempting.
Nathan drew in a deep breath, catching her scent, then finally stepped out after her.
Irene saw Eliana come in from the emergency stairwell, with Nathan trailing right behind her.
For a split second, shock flickered in Irene’s eyes, but it quickly turned into a teasing sparkle.
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She shot Eliana a grin and said, “Eliana, what’s up with you two? Sneaking around in the stairwell. What were you doing in there?”
“You must be mistaken. I didn’t come out of the emergency exit. I came out from the other door, and I wasn’t with him,” Eliana said, keeping a perfectly straight face.
If Eliana sounded convincing enough, Irene wouldn’t be able to bust her.
But before Eliana could finish, Irene reached out and pinched her cheek, putting on a mock–serious face. “Eliana, maybe fix your lipstick before you try to lie to me next time?”
Eliana blurted out, a little flustered, “Wait, should I?”
Saying that, she quickly grabbed Irene’s hand and hustled her toward the ladies‘ room. “Irene, come on, I really need to tell you something,” she said, desperate for a distraction.
Irene let Eliana drag her away, but couldn’t resist sneaking a look back at Nathan.
When Irene caught sight of the lipstick stain at the corner of Nathan’s mouth, she couldn’t help but break into a huge grin.
All her shipping had finally paid off. After rooting for them for so long, the last couple of days, they actually got back together.
Irene thought, ‘I just knew Nathan had stayed single all these years because he was waiting for Eliana. Now that’s some serious devotion.“‘
Irene gave Nathan a mischievous look, pointing at the lipstick on his mouth, and for the first time, she found herself wishing she could have a love like that someday.
Irene thought, ‘Honestly, I never give love much thought. I’m always tangled up in real–life struggles, just trying to make it through the day, so romance is the last thing on my mind.
Plus, I never believe in true love. I don’t buy into all that, and honestly, I don’t trust guys at all.
But seeing Nathan’s unwavering devotion to Eliana for a whole decade, it is like someone has injected me with hope.
Honestly, seeing Eliana so happy is infectious. Suddenly, I can’t help but wish for a real, wholesome romance of my own.”
Eliana had no clue what was running through Irene’s mind. Once they got to the ladies‘ room, she started touching up her makeup and said seriously, “Irene, I just bumped into the actual guy you were supposed to meet at the small diner.
“Turns out we really did get the wrong person before. He looks exactly like his profile picture.
‘But honestly, he was such a character. He ordered the cheapest coffee on the menu and then started lecturing me on how to drink coffee, insisting I should savor the taste of the coffee.
“Good thing you went to take off your makeup, because knowing you, you probably would’ve decked him.
“I just told him I’d quit my job and asked if he’d be willing to take care of me. He ran for the hills.”
Irene couldn’t help but burst out laughing, her eyes twinkling. She said, “Well done, Eliana! You really know exactly how to play the game now.”
Grinning, Irene whipped out her phone, opened the chat with that guy, and, acting all casual. She typed out: [So, when are we meeting up again?]
When the dreaded red exclamation mark showed up, meaning the message didn’t go through, Irene felt a wave of pure
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Without missing a beat, Irene snapped a screenshot and sent it straight to her parents, who only ever cared when there was something in it for them.
She typed: [He didn’t even like me, fine, but he couldn’t even cover his own coffee. He made me pay for everything. What a cheapskate! And what kind of relative sets you up with someone like that? Are they just trying to bleed us dry?]
Irene thought, ‘I knew my parents way too well. I knew they’d start arguing the moment they saw that message, which is exactly my plan.
‘If they weren’t going to make my life easy, I am not about to play nice either.
After sending the message, Irene was done talking about that loser. She switched topics right away, “So, what’s the deal with you and Nathan?”
“He thought I was on a blind date,” Eliana said, finishing her makeup and shooting Irene a look. “Didn’t even give me a chance to explain. just swooped in and dragged me off.”
“Bah, he really pulled you in there just to kiss you? You two are seriously my favorite ship!” Irene teased, her eyes practically twinkling with gossip.
Irene asked, “Is he trying to mark his territory or something?”
Seeing Irene’s starry–eyed look, Eliana’s cheeks went red hot. She hurried to change the subject, “Enough about him! Mission complete. Now, hurry up and buy me dinner!”
Meanwhile, just a short distance away, Bobby watched as Nathan couldn’t take his eyes off the ladies‘ room door. He cleared his throat and said quietly, “Uh, Mr. Turner, the client’s been waiting a while. Should we…?”
Nathan finally snapped out of it and turned around.
The client, who’d looked pretty angry just moments ago, instantly slapped on a smile and said, “Wow, Mr. Turner, you and your wife are seriously couple goals.”
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Sara Lili is a daring romance writer who turns icy landscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of Iceland’s breathtaking cold.
