Page 7 of Deadline for Love

Chapter 3

We got in his black Porsche, and he drove while I navigated to the address. We didn’t talk much on the way, but it was by no means an awkward silence. It felt good to just sit and listen to the slow music coming from the radio and drive through the night.

I stared out of the window and followed the road. Nathan’s car had a nice masculine scent, which smelled rich and luxurious. It was pleasant to smell and somehow calming. The whole scenery was calming and made me relax.

I glanced over to glimpse Nathan and admired his good looks. His gaze was fixed firmly on the road, and his strong arm casually gripped the steering wheel while the other hung on the armrest. His hair was slicked back, and his flawless face was now displayed. There was no understatement about how good-looking he was.

However, before I could completely lose myself, I checked the tiny pink handbag lying on my thigh. I opened it and found a wallet and keys.

Sighing, I closed the bag again and thought about the crying, lonely-looking woman.

“You had been watching the woman for quite some time before you paid attention to me.” His voice sounded raspy because we hadn’t spoken for a while. My stomach began to tingle. I really enjoyed his low, vibrant tone.

“She was beautiful, and yet she was crying,” I explained, hugging myself to give me a little more warmth. It wasn’t cold in the car, but the thought of this woman made me shiver. I knew too well how it felt like to dress up and be stood up... It was only an assumption, but I still saw myself in this woman. “Sorry I was distracted... But a lot has been going on.”

“It’s okay, I wasn’t particularly talkative either. It’s been a long day…”

His statement made me feel understood and believe he had also had a busy day.

We stopped by the police station to turn in the bag. Before leaving, I looked at the notices of missing persons hanging on the board in the hall. There were no new cases, which was a relief. Nevertheless, it worried me that the two women I had written about in my last articles had yet to be found. They were women in their twenties and looked similar in type, blonde hair, blue eyes, and slim builds. My feeling about this was not good because the women had been missing for over a week—I still held out hope that they would be found, though I knew those chances dwindled dramatically every day.

Once again, I was in the car with Nathan. Time seemed to pass quickly, and he pulled outside my apartment complex and switched off his engine at some point.

Unfastening my seatbelt and grabbing my bag, I removed his jacket and put it on the back seat.

“It was really nice to meet you, Bella.” Nathan was the first to break the comfortable silence.

I turned to him and nodded. “Thank you. It was a delightful evening, all things considered.”

“I enjoyed the last bit with you more,” he admitted, leaning back slightly. “I don’t know about you, but Justin talked me into this date because he said he didn’t like being the third wheel with you two.”

My brows flew up. “He said that?” I at once leaned back in my seat to see Nathan better; his features looked relaxed, and when I started to speak, he had a slight smile on his lips again. “That’s interesting! Amara told me something very similar.”

A seductive chuckle escaped his smooth mouth. “I’m sensing some collusion.”

“I’m strangely not surprised.”

We both started laughing, which filled the car and when it slowly died down after a while, I heard Nathan whisper, “I’m kind of glad about that.”

My heart skipped a beat, and a pleasant tingling sensation spread through my body. We both stared deep into each other’s eyes. No further words were spoken, and yet a lot was said. His gaze showed genuine interest, curiosity, and desire. I was curious, too, but also confused.

I closed my lids and tried to suppress my feelings. “Nathan… I…” I broke off in the middle because I didn’t know how to tell him.

“It’s okay if you don’t feel that way,” he said quickly, but I could tell from his tone that he was a little disappointed. So, I opened my eyes and found his gaze lowered.

“No—no! I actually think you’re attractive and you seem really kind. But... I haven’t had great luck in the dating department and I just don’t know that I’m ready to dive into anything.”

I tilted my head and awkwardly tapped my fingers on my pocket; my insecurity got the better. “I don’t want to ruin someone’s happiness with my insecurities.”

Nathan bit his lower lip, speaking again, “Let me make that call. Besides, we can take things slow.” Immediately, his confident voice returned, and he gifted me a charming smile again.

I swallowed hard after his statement, and my eyes widened as he gently took my hand. He pulled it close but bent down midway to gently kiss its back.

“I hope you’ll give me a chance.”

My face felt warm, and the tingling sensation on my skin made my heart skip a beat.

“Eh… Yeah, well, thanks again for everything.” I pulled my hand back, letting the warmth vanish and opened the door.

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