His name was Nathaniel

48

Adaliya woke up to the enticing smell of breakfast wafting through the air. The scent of pancakes and scrambled eggs filled her nostrils, making her stomach rumble. For a brief moment, she stretched and smiled, appreciating the luxury of waking up in such a comfortable bed. But then, last night's memory rushed back, and her face flushed with embarrassment.

She buried her face in the pillow, trying to will away the scene that had played out after they'd both supposedly gone to bed.

It had started innocently enough—she couldn't sleep. The unfamiliarity of Nathaniel's penthouse, paired with the swirling thoughts in her head, kept her tossing and turning. After what felt like hours, she decided to get up and use the bathroom. The only problem? She had no idea which door led to the restroom in this sprawling place.

In the dark, she had crept through the hallway, gently opening doors to avoid waking him. The first room was a closet. The second?

Her heart nearly leaped out of her chest. It wasn't a bathroom. It was Nathaniel's office—and there he sat, shirtless, wearing only pajama pants, sitting at his desk, the glow of his laptop illuminating his toned chest and arms. His dark hair was tousled, and his eyes were wide with surprise, mirroring hers.

Adaliya had frozen, feeling her cheeks heat up immediately as she stared, completely flustered. Nathaniel raised an eyebrow, clearly taken aback by her sudden appearance.

"I... uh..." she stammered, trying to gather her thoughts, but all she could focus on was how well-built he was. The muscles in his arms, his broad chest—it was unfair how much he had changed over the years.

Nathaniel softened after a beat, realizing her embarrassment. "Are you okay?" he asked, his voice low and gentle, concerned.

Adaliya had struggled to find her words, her gaze darting everywhere but back to him. "I was... I was looking for the bathroom," she finally managed, her voice shaky.

He smiled slightly, still sitting at his desk. "It's the third door on the left, not this one."

Her embarrassment only deepened as she quickly muttered a thank you and scurried off, not daring to look back. She hadn't been able to shake that moment, not even as she finally found the bathroom. And now, here she was, fully awake and trying to pretend it hadn't happened.

Adaliya groaned into the pillow, hoping Nathaniel wouldn't bring it up. How could she have been so clumsy? It was bad enough that she had woken him up, but to catch him shirtless?

With a sigh, she pushed herself out of bed, deciding there was no use dwelling on it. She couldn't avoid him all weekend, and the sooner she faced him, the better.

---

Walking into the kitchen, Adaliya found Nathaniel standing by the stove, flipping pancakes with ease. His back was to her, and for a brief moment, she allowed herself to appreciate the sight of him in a plain white t-shirt and sweatpants, looking comfortable and at ease in his own home. He didn't seem like the businessman, the heir to a legacy, that she had always known him to be. He just seemed like... Nathaniel.

"Good morning," she said softly, trying to shake off her nerves.

Nathaniel turned, flashing her a warm smile as if last night hadn't happened at all. "Morning. I hope you like pancakes."

"Love them," she replied, stepping further into the kitchen.

She sat at the counter while Nathaniel finished up, talking casually about the things they could do today. "I was thinking we could explore the city a bit," he suggested as he poured scrambled eggs onto a plate. "There's this gallery exhibit opening downtown that I think you'd like. Or if you'd rather do something more relaxing, we could visit a park or—"

"That sounds nice," Adaliya interrupted, feeling her nerves ease slightly as the smell of freshly cooked food filled the room. "The gallery, I mean."

Nathaniel grinned as he placed a plate of pancakes and eggs in front of her. "Perfect. Then it's settled."

They ate in comfortable silence for a while, but Adaliya couldn't help but replay last night in her mind. She glanced at him from the corner of her eye, wondering if he was thinking about it too. If he was, he certainly didn't show it. He seemed completely unbothered, focused on his food and casually sipping coffee.

She, on the other hand, felt her cheeks warm every time she thought about the way he had looked in that dimly lit office.

Eventually, she couldn't take it anymore. "About last night..." she began, her voice hesitant.

Nathaniel looked up from his plate, his brow slightly furrowed, as if trying to recall what she was referring to. Then, understanding dawned in his eyes, and he gave a small chuckle. "You mean when you almost broke into my office?"

Adaliya winced. "I didn't know where the bathroom was."

"I figured," he said with an amused smile. "You looked pretty lost."

"I was," she admitted, feeling her face flush again. She quickly changed the subject, desperate to move on from the memory. "So, this gallery... what's it about?"

Nathaniel thankfully went along with the change in topic, explaining the new exhibit and how it showcased the works of up-and-coming artists, something he thought she'd appreciate given her background. As they talked, Adaliya found herself relaxing more, the awkwardness of the night before slowly fading into the background.

By the time they had finished breakfast, it felt like a fresh start. The incident from last night hadn't ruined anything. If anything, it had added a new layer of... well, something between them, but it wasn't uncomfortable anymore. Nathaniel, as usual, had a way of putting her at ease without even trying.

"Do you need time to get ready?" Nathaniel asked as he cleared the plates. "No rush, we've got all day."

Adaliya nodded, pushing herself away from the counter. "Yeah, I'll need a bit."

"Take your time," Nathaniel said, giving her a relaxed smile. "I'll be in my office."

As she headed back to the guest room, she couldn't help but wonder what the rest of the day would bring. Being with Nathaniel like this—just the two of them, spending time together—was something she never thought she'd experience again. And now that it was happening, it was both exciting and terrifying.

She had a feeling that today would be filled with moments that would either bring them closer... or push them apart for good.