His Blue Moon Princess
His Sunshine Baby Chapter 27

"Man, you're crazy."

Isaac is observing me, slowly playing with the wine glass between his fingers. But I ignore him. I'm content with myself and enjoying this steak. We are face to face, having lunch in one of my restaurants, a stunning view on Silver City right next to us.

"Seriously, Nate... A White Moon girl..."

"Aren't you the one who said to have fun?"

"I suggested having s*x with her once! Not to pursue her all the way there under her Alpha's nose!"

"I didn't pursue her..."

"Oh, really? How would you call it then?"

I don't really know how to answer that. Sure, I did suggest the White Moon to Liam, and I may be a bit more persistent than usual when it comes to Elena. But I have to say, those stolen minutes with her in the bathroom were... Damn, I have to stop thinking about it before I embarrass myself in the middle of the restaurant.

"Nevermind, I'm not debating your choices. I'm just saying, I can't blame her for being cautious, Nate. Sleeping with you is pretty much against any Clan's rule."

"Well, you missed the part where they tried to push another girl on me."

"Really?"

That was rather annoying. What was her name? Violet? No, Iris. That girl kept coming at me obviously, and her father was just as pushy. Not only is she far from my type, with the innocent act and all, but I couldn't really notice any other girl than Elena. Damn, that red skirt... If it were just the two of us, I would have laid her right then and there, on that table.

"Earth calling Nate?"

Isaac is giving me the glare for ignoring him. I tell him more about the dinner, and the Opale Moon Alpha's attitude, but like me, he doesn't show much interest in the other girl. Eventually, the conversation circles up to go back to Elena. "So, you're seeing her tonight?"

I nod. I'm not very satisfied with our exchange of texts. Elena sent me one Saturday morning, just asking where and when. Disappointed by how short and straight to the point her reply was, I added a few questions, asking basic things like her preferences and all. Then again, she eluded me, not giving me any details except a stupid melon allergy.

"What's your plan?"

"What plan? A dinner, and then s*x."

He scoffs, looking at me like I'm helpless. What did I say now? Isaac sighs, putting his glass down.

"Nate, I think you're getting ahead of yourself there."

"What? She accepted the dinner, isn't that pretty much accepting a relationship with me?"

He scratches his head, looking for his words.

"Look, from what you've told me and what I've seen, Elena is a strong, smart and independent woman. And she is far from stupid. So, I would say she is probably still considering. The s*x might be great, but her reputation is at risk there. You might not see that kind of things because you're pretty much untouchable, but she has a lot to lose if this comes to light."

Right, she mentioned that too... Honestly, I don't really care for that. Like Isaac said, this isn't the kind of concern I usually have. My previous partners were aware it would be a one-time thing only, so none of them were really afraid to be caught. Elena is the first to seem to care about it so much. But then again, she is the first one I want to keep this going with...

"Isn't it easy? This is my turf. If she comes here..."

"People talk, Nate. And they are not blind. If they see a pretty blonde coming in and out of the hotel every time..."

"I'll make sure they don't. You know me, Isaac, if I want people to shut up, the first one to open their mouth will regret it."

He sighs, but he knows I'm right. The best example, when it comes to my brothers' privacy, I'm a f*****g monster. I destroyed the reputation of a journalist who took a picture of Liam once, and any employee who opens their mouth about Damian gets fired in a snap. If I say I'll protect Elena's privacy, I will.

"Alright. You're the Boss....But let me do a background check."

I glare at him.

"On Elena? Are you kidding me?"

"You know your brother will ask for it. And honestly, I'm curious too."

"Isaac, Damian doesn't need to know who I f**k. He doesn't need to know anything about my private life."

"Well, you tell that to the King when he replaces out. I'm not going to snitch, but someone will sooner or later. So I'm doing that background check, whether you like it or not. But I promise I won't interfere. I'll just see if there's anything smelly, and if not, I promise I'll keep my hands off and let you have your fun. Deal?"

Whatever... I don't like the idea of him digging into Elena's matters. I'm barely getting to know her, why would Isaac get to know her shoe size or her love history before me! But I'm not discussing this any further. He can do whatever he wants as long as I get what I want with Elena.

So, a few hours later, I'm thoroughly showered, groomed, and well dressed for our dinner. It feels a bit odd to get ready as if this was a date, but I play to win. I'll convince Elena and put an end to her objections. If I do this right, we might even finish the night together, a few floors above...

I picked one of my hotels for this meeting and texted her the address earlier. One that is close to the border between our turfs, but high class enough to not be crowded. Not on a Sunday evening, anyway. Moreover, the staff is already warned and better keep their lips tight about whatever they see or here tonight...

Surprisingly, I found myself giving very precise orders for tonight. Our dinner will be in a private room of the restaurant, where no one can intrude or spot us, with a dedicated, experienced waiter. Am I getting into this too much? Probably. I feel like I'm playing a game, carefully placing my chess pieces to win this. It's strangely thrilling.

Finally, here I am, twenty minutes before our agreed time, having a glass in the Hotel Lobby, scanning any woman that comes in. The waitress came to see me five times for no good reason at all until I eventually asked the manager to be left alone. I regret it a bit though, now that my glass is half empty and I'm feeling a bit lonely. I check my phone often in case she might send a text to cancel, but aside from work-related emails, nothing.

Minutes slowly go by, and I feel like an i***t waiting alone. Why did I come so early? It would have been more impressive to play the busy man and come down a few minutes late. Or would she have left right away? I imagine several scenarios, my fingers dancing on the armchair.

My thoughts get more profound, and I now imagine what our conversation might be like. But the talking isn't my main objective. Flashes of Elena's body and reactions take me to more... salacious ideas. On this leather sofa, for example... Leather suits her slightly tanned skin. So did the red color. Though I can't forget about the tempting dress she wore on our first meeting. This was a quite unforgettable sight.

I check the clock on the wall again. Two minutes past seven. She's late... She wouldn't stand me up, right? I play nervously with my watch. I don't think I have ever waited for someone other than my brothers... And she is now five minutes late. I glance towards my phone, hesitant. Should I send her a text? No, it's only been five minutes, it's nothing. Maybe some traffic, or someone holding her up. Perhaps she took too much time getting ready. I wouldn't mind that.

But... Wait, what if she had an accident or something? I didn't even think of how she would come here? By car? She mentioned she was using her friend's car. Seven minutes...

I grab my phone. Just a text, to check if she's alright. Someone late would at least have sent a message, right? Her profile status says she's been offline for an hour... I click my tongue and start redacting. How do I say this? Damn, I don't want to sound worried or annoyed. Should I...

"Nathaniel?"

I suddenly raise my head. Damn.

Elena is standing right in front of me, and a wave of relief splurges over me. I swear, this woman...! I put down my phone. Elena sighs and immediately apologizes.

"Sorry, a guy from my pack caught me near the border, I had to go a long way around. Did you wait long?"

"Not at all, I just got here."

...My dignity is officially on sale.

We both sit down after an awkward second of not knowing how to greet each other, and I signal the waitress to come over. While Elena orders something, I can't help but notice her outfit. This is the most casual I've seen her, but I like it just as much. She is wearing a brown dress with a camel belt and a denim jacket. It's a more bohemian style, but it still emphasizes her femininity.

Meanwhile, I realize I probably look a bit too dressed up compared to her. I focused on the dinner and picked a dark shirt and pants ensemble...

I feel a bit embarrassed until I notice she just checked me out too and blushed slightly. So she likes it, hm?

Her order arrives, a simple cocktail. The waitress gives me a new glass of whiskey, but at this rate, I'll be drunk before we get to the dessert, so I ignore it.

"This one is yours too, I presume?" She asks while looking around.

"Yes. How did you...?"

"Well, all of the staff is giving you glances every five seconds and not only the women, so..."

I chuckle. Her sarcastic tone is not directed at me but at the waitresses. Elena is probably a bit annoyed by all the attention I'm getting, so I bend towards her and get to the point.

"So, first, thank you for coming. I just want to discuss with you, and you're free to go at the end of the dinner if you don't like it."

"Meaning I could also stay."

"Well, I do own the hotel so..."

She has one of her little laugh, a discreet but charming one. I discovered her eyes seem to smile too when she's sincerely amused, and there's something strangely addicting in this vision. I only witnessed it a couple of times last Friday, but I want to see it again. "Alright M.Black, let's discuss then. What are you expecting of me?"

I frown. She is going straight to the point... And for some reason, it annoys me a little. Is she in a hurry to get this over with? I take a sip of whiskey.

"Well, if we are going to discuss the possibility of a... long-term relationship, Miss Whitewood, maybe we would need to know each other a bit better?"

Elena looks surprised and tilts her head.

"You said long-term relationship, but isn't it... Just physical? Why would you need to know me any further than that?"

Damn this woman is not making it easy. I carefully pick my words, trying to replace the best answer to that. Problem is, she's not wrong. How do I put this...

"If that was a case, I could just pick anyone and not bother with a second or third time. But if this is to happen several times, I would want to know what kind of woman I'm dealing with. I think I have... A rough idea of who you are. But that doesn't tell me why you are so against relationships, for example, or why I would be certain you will never have... Deeper feelings for me."

Here. This seems like a reasonable one, doesn't it? But to my surprise, Elena seems a bit hesitant and brushes away a bit of her hair before answering.

"You want to know why I can't fall in love anymore?"

"Well...

I wouldn't really have put it that way, but...

"It's very common. Heartbreak, and scars that will never heal."

"Well, I guess everyone has..." I start, but she interrupts me.

"No, I'm talking about actual scars."

I almost drop my glass.