Chapter 35
Natalie was frozen in place, her earlier panic morphing into perturbation. She couldn’t face Shawn, not after their first encounter in four long years. She was a mess, while he seemed to radiate elegance.
Shawn shrugged off his suit jacket, casually tossing it over her trembling shoulders.
Startled, Nataliec murmured, “Thanks.” Her voice was just loud enough for Shawn to catch.
Crouching down, he lifted her effortlessly and strode toward the exit.
Tracy, who had rushed over, watched the scene with wide eyes and called out urgently, “Shawn!”
Pausing beside Tracy, Shawn said without turning, “Eric will drop you off later.” Then he was gone, leaving Tracy to fume at their receding figures.
Hushed voices buzzed around Tracy.
“Who’s the mystery woman? Why’s Mr. Guzman carrying her off?” one voice wondered.
“And he left Ms. Grant behind,” another added.
Tracy’s anger boiled at these remarks. She’d be damned if four years of careful nurturing of her relationship with Shawn would be upended by Natalie’s sudden appearance.
Meanwhile, James, who had been in a back room for a meeting, had just caught wind of the drama. Hearing that Natalie had been whisked away by Shawn, he tried her number, but it went unanswered.
Natalie was dazed as Shawn settled her into his car. When she snapped out of it, they were parked in front of the villa they’d once shared. Shawn got out, opened her door, and carried her inside without a word.
With her head hung low, Natalie protested, “I can walk. Put me down.”
But Shawn, stone–faced, ignored her plea. Natalie squirmed and struggled, but Shawn halted and said in a low, stern voice, “Stay still.”
Natalie, wide–eyed and frightened, had to let him carry her to the bedroom.
Laying her gently on the bed, Shawn went to fetch some ointment for the swelling red mark on her face.
Natalie, perched on the bed, looked around the room, a time capsule from four years ago. The suit jacket Shawn had draped over her carried his familiar scent, and tears welled up in her eyes, her sniffles barely contained.
Soon, Shawn returned with the ointment, his gaze soft as he saw her red eyes and nose. He thought of the earlier incident and moved closer, dabbing the ointment gently with a cotton swab.
“Ouch, be gentle,” Natalie whimpered. She had been so focused on getting away from that man that she hadn’t noticed the pain on her face, and she had been dizzy since seeing Shawn. But now, as she calmed down, she couldn’t help but wince at the sting.
Shawn winced at the sight of the bruise, his brows furrowing and his eyes glistening. He silently cursed the man responsible,
In silence, Shawn continued to care for her injury.
Natalie, lost in his concentration, found herself staring.
She couldn’t deny it; Shawn was as handsome as ever. His long lashes, straight nose, and the serious set of his lips as he focused–Zayn had inherited his features.
Their faces were inches apart, his shallow breaths warm against her skin. Natalie felt her cheeks flush, the urge to pull back growing.
“Done. Don’t wash this area tonight. Apply it three times a day, and it’ll fade in two days,” Shawn instructed, capping the ointment and handing it to
her.
“Thanks,” Natalie mumbled, still avoiding eye contact.
Then Natalie’s heart skipped a beat as she suddenly remembered her forgotten bag and the hurried departure without saying goodbye to James.
“Could I use your phone? I left my bag at the hotel,” she asked, her voice barely above a whisper and her usual timidity around Shawn in full display.
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Chapter 35
Shawn slid his phone across to Natalie. She punched in James’s number and said quickly, “James, it’s me.”
“Nat, are you okay? I heard a woman was being hassled. Was that you?” Worry echoed in James’s voice.
“Just a case of mistaken identity with some guy. I’m good now. I ran into a buddy and had to bounce. Didn’t get a chance to tell you,” Natalie said, her tone light to case James’s guilt.
“I’m sorry, Nat,” James said, his voice weighted with regret.
“James, it’s all good. Just hit the hay,” Natalie replied, her voice soothing.
“Are you home? I’ll come over to make sure you’re safe,” James insisted, still worried.
“Not yet. We’ll catch up later,” Natalie said, trying to brush him off.
“Nat, is your friend Mr. Guzman?” James asked, having caught wind that Shawn had taken Natalie away.
“Yep, that’s him,” Natalie admitted, no point in lying, though she left out the specifics of her past with Shawn, who was standing right there, ear to
the call.
“Alright, get some rest,” James finally relented.
Then Natalie hung up and turned to Shawn, handing him his phone back. “Thanks,” she said, a bit flustered.
“You’ve thanked me three times tonight now,” Shawn said with a teasing smile as he took his phone back from Natalie.
With her head down, Natalie thought about her two little ones at home. She knew they must be wondering where she was. Seeing Shawn about to leave, she quickly asked, “Wait, can I use your phone again? I need to make one more quick call.”
Shawn handed her the phone without a word.
Natalie quickly took it, and noticing Shawn wasn’t leaving, she moved to the window and dialed Sherry’s number.
“Sherry, are Zayn and Emma down for the count? I’ve got some stuff to sort out and won’t be back till morning. Yeah, thanks for looking after them tonight. Okay, let me talk to them,” Natalie said in a low voice. After giving some instructions, she ended the call.
She thought, ‘No way I’m going home with my face all puffed up. The kids would be worried if they saw me like this. I’ll just find a hotel for tonight, and by tomorrow, the swelling should be down. I can put on some concealer then!
After the call, Natalie handed the phone back to Shawn, a bit embarrassed. “Sorry to keep you waiting.”
“Could you call a cab to take me back to the hotel? I need to get my bag,” Natalie said. Her phone and wallet were still there. Without them, she could do nothing.
“You can crash here tonight, and I’ll send someone to grab it for you tomorrow,” Shawn offered.
“Thanks, but I’m sure someone at the hotel can help me. I’ll go myself,” Natalie said.
She thought, ‘Staying here? What would people think? We’re divorced, and Ms. Grant would hit the roof if she found out.
“Really, it’s fine. Just get me a cab. I don’t want any misunderstandings,” Natalie said, avoiding Shawn’s gaze.
“Who are you worried might misunderstand?” Shawn’s sudden closeness startled Natalie, his breath warm on her face, causing her to step back and slump onto the bed.
Shawn thought, ‘Is she seeing someone else? Was it James on the line, or the one she quietly talked to for half an hour earlier?‘
At close quarters, Shawn’s eyes swept over Natalie, who was clad in her black dress. His suit jacket was draped over her shoulders, bringing out the natural glow of her flawless skin in the chest. His gaze traced the contours of her figure and the delicate curve of her waist. Fixing his eyes on her glistening lips, Shawn lowered his head and inched nearer.
Suddenly, a text notification sounded, breaking the short silence, and Natalie turned her head away.
Shawn stood up, his voice deep and husky. “Don’t stress about it. You’ll sleep here, I’ll take the guest room. I’ll have someone bring your bag tomorrow, and you can leave whenever you want.” He left the bedroom without looking back, taking his pajamas with him.
After Shawn left, Natalie sat on the bed, her face flushed, confused by her reaction to him. She had been so easily tempted by his charm.
With no other choice, Natalie decided to stay the night. Opening the wardrobe, she was oddly relieved to find no women’s clothes. She took one of
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Chapter 35
Shawn’s shirts and headed for a shower.
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