If Shay was to attend a Hollywood party on her brother's arm, she couldn't do it looking like she did and with the clothes she had brought with her, which meant that a day of pampering and shopping was required.
It had been so long since she had a day doing those very things that she was almost giddy.
Off came her hair. It was time to go back to her pixie cut that she loved. She always felt it defined her high cheekbones better, and it showed off her long neck and slim shoulders. It made her feel more feminine.
The dress she chose was an amethyst silk slip dress that fell above her knee and once again showed off her shoulders and neck. The silk was smooth on her skin and felt decadent, and when she paired it with a killer pair of stilettos, she felt as if she could take on all comers for Nate's attention once more.
She looked at her reflection as she fastened her amethyst earrings. She felt more like her old self than she had in a long time. It was funny how she had spent the past two years trying to find herself, but in reality, she had been there all along. She just hadn't realized it.
Striking off on her own hadn't taught her much about herself, but it gave her the career that she had been missing, and it introduced her to Nate, which, if nothing else, taught her that there were still decent men in the world.
Shay turned and picked up her shawl, which was in a slightly darker shade than her dress, and her matching clutch, then exited her room. It was only half-past eight, so she should make it to her brother's apartment with time to spare.
She stopped short when she saw Nate standing over his laptop and rolling up his sleeves as if he was about to spend the evening getting work done. It immediately made Shay feel guilty. She had wasted an entire day when she should have been working.
It was the first time she had seen him since the night before when she had left him alone with Reyna. Nate had already returned to the party when her mother had come to get Pops, so Shay decided to call it a night. That morning, when she had awoken and ventured into the suite's main room, there was no sign of him.
"I feel like I should stay and help you," Shay softly said from across the room.
Nate looked up from what he was doing with a polite smile, but when he saw her, it faded.
"It's fine," he said as he studied the changes in her appearance, his face void of emotion.
"That still doesn't keep me from feeling guilty." Shay shrugged, and Nate's eyes fell to her shoulders and breasts for the briefest of seconds before they snapped back up to her face.
Shay didn't mind his wandering eyes in the least.
"You left before you could tell me how you knew who my parents were." Shay still hadn't decided if she was concerned that he knew or not. Nate hadn't tried to take advantage of who her parents were in any way, and he hadn't even acknowledged that he knew. But past experiences taught her that there was almost always a game to be played when someone found out about her family's fame.
"Does it really matter?" Nate asked as he turned his attention back toward the computer.
"Yes, Nate. It does." It was the first time Shay had called him Nate. She had done her utmost to avoid calling him anything because she wasn't sure what she should call him.
His head jerked up at his name. Saying his name made it serious.
"Do you mind me calling you Nate?" Shay asked as she licked her lips in nervousness.
"No," Nate said as his eyes followed the movement. There was a tense silence before he continued. "Danica-"
"The woman that sometimes comes to the office?" Shay asked. If it was who she thought it was, then it was the woman she had met on the day she had interviewed with Nate. She was the one who thought that she recognized Shay.
"Yes." He raised an eyebrow asking for her permission to continue with the story.
Shay had never met a man who was so good at expressing himself without saying a word. It was a true talent.
Shay nodded as she licked her lips again, and Nate took a deep breath and closed his eyes.
"Danica mentioned that she recognized you." Nate opened his eyes and reached for a pen, clenching it in his hand as he crossed his arms almost defensively.
"So, she figured out who I was?" Shay frowned. For some reason, the idea of that woman knowing who she was, upset her. Danica, as she was called, probably would be the type to take advantage of her family's fame as soon as it was possible for her to do so.
"Not as far as I know." The muscle in Nate's jaw was jumping again.
"Then how-"
"I decided to use Google. It was that simple. I typed in your name, and that was all it, t-took." Nate took a deep breath.
It sounded reasonable. Shay knew that there were plenty of photos on the internet, and after tonight there would be even more. She nodded that she understood.
"How did it go with my mother?" Shay changed course.
Nate smiled. "Fine, I made a few suggestions that she appreciated."
"She liked you. I could tell." Shat smiled in return. "Pops liked you too."
"I liked both of them." Nate threw his pen down on the table.
"Just wait. If you work with them for very long, their crazy eventually shines through." Shay's smile turned into a grin. "My father is a method actor, so he feels he must live whatever part he is preparing to play. Last month, he played a chef and set Sawyer's kitchen on fire."
"Method to the madness." Nate nodded.
An odd silence descended between them. It wasn't uncomfortable, though. If anything, it was thoughtful.
Shay looked at the clock on the wall and shook her head.
"I had better go. Otherwise, I'll be late." Shay turned to leave.
"Shay," Nate called, and Shay turned to look at him.
"You don't mind if I call you Shay?" he asked, returning the favor.
"Haven't you been already," she frowned.
"Only a time or two." He cleared his throat. "Is it alright?"
Nate, a man who controlled companies and was a master in a boardroom, seemed hesitant suddenly, and it went right to Shay's heart. He was such a gentle man, and that was a truth that had never changed.
"No, I don't mind, Nate." Shay's voice was soft, as if she was giving him permission for much more, which she would never do as his employee.
"The car is ready for you. Please take it."
Shay nodded as she bit her lip. Her heart suddenly swelled with so much emotion that she wanted to kiss him, and her eyes fell to his lips.
"Thank you." It was a husky whisper.
Nate nodded. "You – look – lovely, Shay."
Shay didn't trust herself to speak, so she nodded before turning and forcing herself to leave before she did something she couldn't take back.
If she wasn't in love with Nate Wright already, she was desperately close to falling.
YOU ARE READING
Trust In Me (Triplets book 2)
Romance#1 in Chicklit One day, in the elevator at work, Shayne Richards saw him. He was handsome and quiet, and he drew Shay like a moth to a flame. It became her one bright spot in an otherwise dull existence to see him every day at the same time in the s...
