Chapter 116

“It’s on me.”

“I’m the only one who ate.” I point at my plate. “You lied to me, Nathan . You weren’t even hungry, were you?”

“Iamhungry, Natalia . But not for food.” His intense stare leaves no question about his meaning.

“Oh,” I whisper, my mouth gone instantly dry.

As he works on calculating the tip for our meal, I stare at him. At his handsome features. He must be in his early thirties; however, very few lines mar his face.

I recall my mother saying lines on your skin are like a map that tells you where someone had been. Crinkles around the eyes and mouth say a person has known joy. But if they’re on other parts of the face, parts that don’t normally pull when a person smiles, that means they’ve been through hell.

Nathan doesn’t have lines around his eyes or mouth. His are between his brows and one long indent that forms on the side of his cheek when he’s deep in thought. Like now.

“Nathan ,” I say.

He signs the receipt and places his credit card back into his black leather wallet,