Chapter 33

Nathaniel was standing at the base of the stairs waiting for Paige. He was wearing an all black tuxedo that fit him a little tight to show off his muscular body. His hair was perfectly coifed and he looked like a picture-perfect gentleman. His eyes were trained on the direction of Paige's room. Arthur had told him that she was coming down, and had gone to wait by the front door.

Nathaniel saw Paige come from his wing of the house and his heart stopped. She was a goddess. He had never seen her hair like this and he wanted to run his hands through it. The dress she was wearing hugged every inch of her body under the coat that was unbuttoned. She looked so stunningly beautiful. He took mental pictures of her to commit this moment to memory; when they were old and gray, he'd tell their grandchildren how gorgeous their grandmother was. He would have the pictures to prove it. She smiled at him as she walked down the stairs to meet him.

"Hi, handsome," she purred. He gulped and offered her his arm.

"Paige, I think I almost died when a saw you. I couldn't breathe because you are so stupefyingly beautiful that I forgot how to," he said in a husky whisper. Paige was feeling something similar herself. When she saw Nathaniel in his tuxedo, she was very impressed with how handsome he looked.

"Thank you for the compliment and the help," she said, blushing. "You look amazing as well."

They walked out of the house and a limousine was waiting for them. The driver opened the door and Paige sat down first with Nathaniel beside her. Nathaniel grabbed her hand and kissed it, staring at her.

"Are you okay, babe? You're hardly speaking," Paige asked.

"I am trying so hard to restrain myself from ravaging you in this limo," he said, the strain apparent in his voice.

"Nathan, you don't have to say all this stuff. I look better now with the effort that was put in, but I'm not that pretty," she said softly, looking at her lap. Nathaniel gently placed his hand under chin and made her rise to meet his eyes.

"Paige Everett, I have always thought that you are the most beautiful woman that has ever graced this Earth. I know that you sat through a few hours of torture and put in extra effort today, but I felt this way when I held you in your apartment when you had no makeup on and were wearing leggings. I felt this way when you were working out. I felt this way when you were in a coma. I'm sorry that your past didn't give you the confidence that you deserve to have about your beauty, but do not ever doubt my sincerity for one second, baby," he said gently. Paige looked into his eyes and a tear fell down her cheek. Nathaniel hurriedly wiped it away, and she cupped her hand on his face and gave him a sweet, gentle kiss. She pulled away and smiled at him.

"Thank you, Nathan," she whispered. Nathaniel was going crazy trying to stop himself from deepening the kiss. Thankfully, the limo stopped. They had arrived. Nathaniel got out and assisted Paige with getting out.

Paige looked up at the skyscraper in front of her. Nathaniel offered her his arm and they walked inside.

"Mr. Donovan, good evening," a man said, coming to greet him. Nathaniel shook his hand stiffly.

"Mr. Clark, thank you for the reservation. I appreciate you working to ensure tonight is special," Nathaniel said. There was no emotion in his voice.

"It is my pleasure, Mr. Donovan. Please, let me escort you to your table," he said, gesturing to the elevator. They got on and Mr. Clark pressed a button labeled '50'. They rode up in silence, Nathaniel hugging Paige close to him. The elevator stopped and they got out. Paige looked around in awe. They were on the roof! There was a single table in the midst of a beautiful scene. There was a string quartet that started playing as they arrived, a small pond that had a pink, blossoming tree beside it. There were string lights around the edge of the roof, providing soft lighting but they could see every star in the sky.

Nathaniel studied Paige's face, trying to determine if this was romantic or cheesy. He prayed she was happy. Paige looked at him with a smile as they walked to their table and sat down. He also ensured there was a small heat lamp next to her seat in case she got cold. He caught a glimpse of the back of her dress and felt himself start to get hard. He focused on the table and then Paige's face again.

"This is amazing! How did you find this place?!" she asked excitedly but also kept her voice down. Nathaniel looked at Paige from across the table, frowned, then waved the waiter over.

"Move my place setting so that I'm next to my date," he said coldly, getting out of his chair and bringing it next to Paige. A second waiter came over and assisted with the transfer. Their glasses were filled with water but a waiter brought over a menu.

"Any of our cocktails can be made nonalcoholic," he said. "Please let me know if you'd like any recommendations or have any questions." He went back to his spot by the entrance.

"Have you been here before? What should we get?" Paige asked, looking at the menu. To Paige, everything looked delicious. Nathaniel chuckled at her.

"I have only been to their main restaurant downstairs for business meetings. I saw this place when my helicopter was taking me to my office from the airport one day and thought it looked nice," he said with a grin. "Everything I've ever eaten here is delicious. The chef is extraordinary. We could do a tasting menu, if you'd like?"

"That sounds perfect. Let's do that," she said with a grin. Nathaniel knew the first time he had dinner with Paige that food was a way to win her over. This chef was the best in the city. Nathaniel waved the waiter over.

"Please have the chef prepare a 4 course tasting menu and asked the mixologist to prepare two nonalcoholic cocktails that compliment the meal," Nathaniel said emotionlessly. The waiter nodded, taking the menus from them. He and the other waiter left. The music from the string quartet was soft and delicate and the candlelight was illuminating Nathaniel's soft eyes that were gazing lovingly at Paige.

"You went through a lot of trouble for tonight. Thank you," she said softly.

"It wasn't trouble at all," he said grinning. The waiters brought their drinks. Paige took a sip. It was a minty berry flavor that danced in her mouth. Sweet but not too sweet. She enjoyed it. "Not bad," she heard Nathaniel say. They had also brought a basket of fresh made bread, which Paige had a bite of. It was delicious. She didn't want to eat too much because she knew there would be a lot of food and she was excited to try it all.

"Baby, what's your favorite color?" Nathaniel said, turning to her suddenly. Paige looked at him questioningly.

"Green, why? What's yours?" she asked. He looked at her and brushed a piece of hair from her face.

"It used to be blue, but now I have a few," he said softly, staring at her.

"What is it now?" she asked, wanting to know more.

"The shade of green that I see in your eyes. The shade of pink that your cheeks turn when you're feeling shy or when I've said something that… excites you. The red color of your lips after I've kissed them. Those are my new favorite colors," he said seriously.

"Do you take classes on this? Is it something they teach boys in school so that they can seduce women?" she asked, trying to hide that she was falling even more for him. It was a defense mechanism. She tried to joke when she felt vulnerable.

"Classes? No. However, I do feel poetic when I speak or think about you, so I'm more prone to saying things that I'd normally not," he chuckled. He found her hand and brought it to his lips. Then, he kissed each of her fingertips, softly suckling at the ends. Paige felt her breathing change, turning into soft panting and her core begin to dampen.