39

A phone started ringing and woke her up, but Suzanne didn't want to get up after the night of passion she had with Nathan.

She still felt very tired, but she stretched and reached out, picking up the phone from the bedside table.

"Why aren't you answering the damn phone?" she recognized that voice immediately and rolled her eyes.

That man never changed.

"Good morning to you too," she said sarcastically.

"Good morning, babe. How are you feeling?" he asked more calmly.

"Tired," she said, hearing Nathan's mocking laugh.

"And why is that?"

"Mr. Strong, you know why," she raised an eyebrow.

"Thank God I'm not there," he said in a husky voice.

"I wish you were here," Suzanne said with a seductive voice.

"Me too, but I have a meeting in a few minutes. In fact, everyone is already in their places, but they won't start without me," he said confidently.

"Then you better go..."

"Don't worry, they're waiting for me."

"Arrogant."

"Careful with that mouth, beautiful."

"Why did you call?" she rolled her eyes.

"Do I need a reason to call you?"

"No, but usually you do it for a reason."

"Well, truth is, I wanted to let you know that Raymond will pick you up at ten."

"Who's Raymond?" she asked, frowning.

"Your driver."

"Oh.”

"I need you to buy something beautiful for tonight; I left some credit cards in your wallet."

"Why?"

"Today is the event."

"Oh, yes, I remember."

Just as Nathan had told her, the doorbell rang promptly at ten.

When she opened the door, a handsome blond guy was there, who introduced himself as Raymond.

The first thing they did was head to a café because she had been feeling very hungry lately and had some mild morning dizziness.

She liked the chocolate cake so much that she ended up having another slice. An idea crossed her mind briefly, but she dismissed it quickly; she didn't want to think about that.

She couldn't be pregnant.

Pregnancy was the last thing she needed; Nathan would kick her out. Being a father was the last thing he wanted.

She pushed those thoughts away; there was no reason to dwell on them, and besides, her period was still a few weeks away.

She wasn't late; that was a good sign.

Suzanne was tired of walking from one store to another; the dresses she had seen weren't to her liking... until she saw a dress that caught her eye.

She returned to the hotel room around six, and minutes later she heard the hotel room door open and then Nathan's voice.

"Suzie!"

"I'm in the bathroom!" she called back, raising her voice so he could hear her.

"Hello, babe," he said from the other side of the bathroom door.

He was holding back from entering; just imagining her naked in the bathtub made him hard.

"Hello, Mr. Strong," she said playfully.

"Suzanne," he said her name in a warning tone.

"Why don't you come in and take a bath with me?" she suggested with a smile.

"No, I can't do that, because if I come in, we'll take hours to get out, and remember, we need to be ready in half an hour for the event," he said firmly, though desire burned within him.

"What are you doing?" she questioned upon hearing his footsteps pacing in the room.

"Just looking for tonight's outfit," Nathan replied.

Suzanne emerged from the bathroom wrapped in a towel that left little to the imagination. She approached him and draped her arms around his neck.

Without hesitation, Nathan took her by the waist and claimed her mouth, but then he pulled away as if she were burning him, leaving her bewildered.

"Where are you going?" she asked, seeing him head to the door with his suit in hand.

"I'll take a shower in the other room and change there. I hope you'll be ready by seven sharp," he said, then quickly left.

As he took a cold shower to quell his powerful erection, Nathan Strong wondered where he had summoned that self-control, when all he had wanted was to throw her on the bed and penetrate her deeply until they were both exhausted.

Meanwhile, Suzanne was putting the finishing touches on her makeup. Normally she went for a natural look, but tonight she opted for something more glamorous, as if the red dress wasn't eye-catching enough.

She finished putting on her earrings just as she heard a soft tapping at the door. She opened it and stood frozen.

Nathan Strong looked irresistible in his perfectly tailored suit, fitting him more than perfectly. But she wasn't the only one mesmerized by him; he had to make a great effort to control himself.

He knew she was beautiful, but tonight she was stunning. The fitted red dress accentuated her magnificent curves.

"She's not like the others, not some skinny girl," he thought with satisfaction.

Suzanne's body was well-proportioned in all the right places, and he wondered what he had been thinking when he had tangled with those skeletal women in the past.

Sometimes he wondered if this girl knew how beautiful she was.

Suzanne, on the other hand, was drawing her own conclusions. Seeing him say nothing, she felt a pang of sadness and insecurity washed over her once more.

She thought maybe the dress wasn't right for her voluptuous body and regretted not thinking about it more. She was worried because not everything suited her well.

Due to the headlines that adorned the magazines about him, she knew the women he used to date were slim, all beauties.

She, on the other hand, had been known as a chubby girl, and because of that, when she turned sixteen, she had resorted to countless diets until she finally lost those extra pounds.

But apparently, she still needed to lose a few more, and her sudden voracious appetite didn't help much.

"If you want, I can change..." she started to say, but Nathan didn't give her time to finish the sentence properly before he had her in his arms, devouring her sweet lips.

"Never doubt yourself again, you are beautifully perfect."

He had praised her body on several occasions, but she hadn't believed him. Now, looking into his eyes, she did for the first time.

"We better get going before I, for the first time in my life, break my word and send that event to hell," he grumbled, then smiled at her. "You look stunning, darling."

"Thank you, you look very handsome," she said a bit shyly.

Suzanne only shed her shyness when she was in bed and completely aroused, with her thoughts in turmoil.

The sexual tension was palpable in the air, but that sexual aura dissipated as soon as they arrived.

Nathan looked at Suzanne and took her hand. He knew she was nervous; all of this was new to her, and he could understand.

He gracefully slid out and extended his hand to help her out, but as Suzie saw the hundreds of camera flashes, she froze in her seat.