Law #1: Never Bet on Love: A Sweet Billionaire Love Story (Laws of Love) by Agnes Canestri (the beginning after the end novel read .TXT) 📗

the reason my body locks up with tension. It’s the realization about whom I’m going to see as I turn the corner.

Chapter 7

(Eva)

Nathan.

It’s indeed him leaning on our fence in a relaxed posture. He’s ditched his custom suit for navy slacks and a white buttoned-down shirt that’s open at the neck. A pair of comfortable dress shoes in a butterscotch hue and a matching belt complete his casual look. Despite the apparent laid-backness of his style, all the pieces he wears are posh and tailored superbly to enhance his manly form.

I adjust my glance to stay at his eye-level as I approach him, hoping that he didn’t notice me checking him out before. Especially not when my eyes wandered below his waistline.

“Hi, Eva.” He greets me as naturally as if he were a regular guest in my house and not a stranger who’s turned up announced.

I lick my lips and pray that my voice isn’t going to crack before speaking. “Hi, Nathan. What a surprise. What are you doing here?”

“Oh, I was just in this neighborhood.” He waves around, expecting me to believe that he’s been driving around aimlessly in our less-than-fancy barrio.

My brows arch. “Sightseeing a little?” I retort with the same challenging edge that defended me well against Nathan’s charm last night, even if I keep my voice low to avoid anyone overhearing us.

The buildings in our district are so tightly lined I could reach out of my bedroom window and turn on the water in our neighbor’s shower if I wanted. This great proximity has two consequences—everybody knows everybody, and nobody ever minds their own business.

Instead of becoming cocky like I expect him to, Nathan only gives me a genuine smile. “Busted. I’m sorry, I’ve lied. I wasn’t really just driving around. I actually came to see you.”

“Me?”

Nathan came to see me? Why? And how does he even know where I live?

Nathan rubs his neck. “Yes. I wanted to excuse myself. You obviously found my proposal yesterday…uhm, unacceptable? Even if I didn’t mean it as you must have interpreted it, I still wanted to say I’m sorry.”

A glint that I can best describe as flustered-sexy creeps into his eyes. To fight back the effect it has on me, I resort to mocking once more. “Did you consult a coach on social manners?”

His jaw hardens and I feel awful all of a sudden.

Did I have to be this rude? The guy just admitted that he behaved inappropriately with me. No, he actually said he never intended to be inappropriate in the first place. Why couldn’t I just accept his words with a gracious “thank you” and be done with it?

“So how did you find out where I live?” I add to soothe the edge of my previous comment. Also because I’m truly curious to know his answer. I suspect the involvement of my boss.

“It was Alfonso,” he says lightly.

Huh, I knew Alfonso wouldn’t be able to resist Nathan’s money. How much did he pay him to get my address?

As if Nathan realizes what I’m pondering, he lifts his hand. “Before you make any wrong assumptions, I didn’t offer Alfonso money.”

“So why would my boss give you personal information that he isn’t supposed to tell any guests?”

Nathan’s lips move into a coy smirk. “I might have visited him this morning at the bar and told him you lost one of your earrings.”

He pulls out a diamond drop from his pocket.

I gape at his hand, then my eyes automatically dart around checking who else might have noticed my unexpected visitor and the sparkling stone he’s holding.

At the house across from us, Señor Moreno, the bold, fat man with that ridiculous Chihuahua is standing on his sad joke of a terrace. Though he’s pretending to water his plants, it’s obvious he’s spying on us.

I move a bit closer to Nathan, so that my body shields the view from my prying neighbor. “And Alfonso believed you?” I ask. “He should know I could never afford an expensive jewel like this. Also I’d have guessed that he tried to persuade you to give this earring to him.”

And sell it off as soon as you were out of the door.

I bite back this comment because I don’t want to joke with Nathan at Alfonso’s expense. After all, my boss did take me back when I needed his help, so I have to show a certain degree of loyalty.

Nathan snorts. “He offered to keep the diamond for you. But I told him I’d prefer to bring it back to you personally.”

“I can’t believe you tricked him with such a fib.”

Nathan reaches into his pocket again and produces the other piece of the ravishing earrings. He holds his palm out to me. “Well, these are yours now. I bought them on my way to see Alfonso to make my story believable.”

Is he kidding me?

The two gems sparkle in the crease of his hands, reflecting the bright sunshine in an almost eye-blinding manner. They’re wonderful, absolutely perfect. Despite their allure on me, I shake my head. “No thanks. I can’t accept them.”

Nathan’s eyes widen. “You don’t like them? Are they too small?”

Oh, gosh. What is he even thinking? “No, Nathan. They’re gorgeous but it’s better if you return them to the shop. I can’t let you give me a pair of diamonds. Why should I?”

Nathan shoots me a haven’t-I-just-explained glance and clicks his tongue. “I got these for you. And not just to build a good cover story, but also to excuse myself.” He is still keeping those marvelous little rocks in his hand as if he’s expecting me to change my mind.

I put my fingers around his palm, forcing him to close it. “No, Nathan. I can’t. I’m sorry.”

Even if the earrings are the most exquisite piece of jewelry I’ve ever seen, it would be wrong of me to take them from Nathan. On so many levels. Their price probably equals six months of our rent. Also, I’m sure that such a generous