Page 13 of Forbidden Fiancé

Ethan didn’t hear the tension in her voice, he certainly didn’t see it in her stance, or in how she looked at me. I couldn’t understand why she would be mad at me. It wasn’t like I knew who she was before she gave me the best night of my life. Though I wasn’t sure if it would have mattered.

“Wonderful,” Ethan said.

“Mom, Charlie!” Ethan called. “Natalie’s here.”

“What was that?” Gwyn asked and then stepped into the kitchen with us. “Oh Natalie, you made it. Wonderful.”

Gwyn pulled Natalie into a hug and she was more receptive. I watched as she looked over Gwyn’s shoulder and nodded at Charlie. I hadn’t known they had met Natalie before. I wasn’t sure how I felt about that information. Not that there was anything that I could do about it.

“I’m so glad you could make it. Ethan was so worried about you,” Gwyn said.

I had to resist the urge to tell Natalie that wasn’t the case at all. Ethan hadn’t been any more concerned about her than he was about missing some luggage or a book he wasn’t going to read. Gwyn was trying to smooth things over and luckily was not trying to figure out how Natalie could be on the boat with the rest of us.

“He’s such a caring guy,” Natalie said as she stood next to Gwyn.

“Did you get a tour of the boat?” Gwyn asked.

“Stop pestering the poor woman, she just got here,” Charlie chastised Gwyn.

She turned and glared at her husband. “I wasn’t pestering her. I was just making sure she was okay and settled.”

“Have you eaten?” Charlie asked.

“You can ask her that, but I’m pestering?” Gwyn asked and put her hands on her hips.

“I had some coffee but I am a little hungry, thank you Charlie,” Natalie said.

“Of course. We want you to think of this as your home for the next couple of days and be as comfortable as you can,” Charlie said.

I wanted to tell him it was my boat and I would make people feel welcomed. I wanted to remind Natalie just how comfortable I had made her feel the night before but, of course, I couldn’t do that.

“Why don’t we all sit on the sun deck and have a little brunch,” I suggested.

“That would be lovely,” Gwyn said.

I watched as Ethan went to Natalie’s side and put his arm around her and guided her out to the sundeck. I watched her go, looking at her incredible ass as she did. I wanted her to look over her shoulder at me. I wanted her to reassure me that this was all a misunderstanding. I wanted her to push Ethan’s hands away and tell him she was with me, not him.

But she wasn’t going to do that. She wasn’t a woman who would make anyone else feel uncomfortable. She would sit and smile at Ethan, talk to us, and have a meal. She would do what she had to do until we could be alone and talk. I would have to do the same thing, even though it was the last thing I wanted to do.

I followed everyone out to the sundeck. It was a sprawling area secluded from the wind but allowing for plenty of sun. There were four loungers along with a jacuzzi tub and a large table. Under the roof was a small barbeque, a bar, and a countertop for setting up food. Hector and his staff had put out some pastries and fruit. I watched as Natalie and Ethan went and got themselves a plate.

It was one of my favorite places to be on the boat. It had a panoramic view of the ocean and you could get sun throughout the day. It was where I spent most of my time when I was cruising and had most meals. I had been excited about showing it to Natalie. To even getting in the jacuzzi with her and seeing what might happen.

Now I wasn’t sure if I was going to do any of that.

Natalie chatted easily with Gwyn and Charlie while Ethan went and sat next to her. He put his arm around her chair, getting as close to her as he could. I wasn’t sure what he was doing. He had never been one who had been affectionate with his women. He hardly acknowledged them most of the time. He certainly wasn’t one who would be attentive to them like he was with Natalie. I could only surmise that he was trying to make us think they were a happy couple.

I knew it couldn’t be further from the truth. There was no way that Natalie could want to be with him. Not after how we had been and what we had shared the night before. The connection we had, what we had said to each other, it was too intense, too life altering to just brush it aside.

Yet, that seemed to be what Natalie was doing. She hadn’t looked at me since Ethan had hugged her. She was doing everything in her power not to. I needed to look into her eyes. I needed to communicate with her as we had before. I needed her to reassure me that we would be together. I needed her to tell me that Ethan meant nothing to her. I had to hear her tell me I was the only one who mattered.

I sat across from Natalie and Ethan at the table. Gwyn and Charlie were on the other side. It annoyed me how they all looked like happy couples. It hadn’t bothered me when I had originally agreed to this trip. Now, it was all I could think about. Natalie should be sitting next to me. I should be the one with my arm around her shoulder. I was the one who should be whispering into her ear and making her laugh.

“Luke, are you okay? You look like you ate something bad,” Gwyn said.

I shook my head and smiled at her. “No. Not at all.”

“Well, then get that scowl off your face. We’re here to have a good time and celebrate the newest addition to our family.”