Hired a Gigolo, Got a Billionaire

Chapter 283 I was finishing the last button on my blouse when I heard Nate laughing softly behind me. I turned and found him watching as I tried to tame my hair, still slightly damp from the steam of the hot springs. "What?" I asked, running my fingers through the strands in a hopeless attempt to fix them. "Nothing," he said, stepping closer to help, his fingers replacing mine as he gently smoothed a few stubborn pieces. "You just look... radiant." My face warmed a little.

There was something about that underground chamber, something about what we'd shared there, that had created a whole new kind of intimacy between us. It felt like we'd crossed some kind of `threshold together. "I don't think I'll ever be able to step into a normal pool again after this," I said, taking one last look at the historic chamber before we left. Nate finished fixing my hair and pulled me in for a quick but intense kiss. "Then I guess I'd better keep the standard high," he murmured against my lips, wearing that teasing smile that always made my stomach flip.

"You've got your work cut out for you," I shot back, grabbing my bag and heading toward the stairs. We left the Roman Baths through the same discreet entrance we'd come in through, Dr. Harrison greeting us politely and wishing us a wonderful Christmas. When we stepped out onto the street, Bath had transformed completely in the hour we'd spent underground. The streets were lit with warm golden lights that cast magical halos around the old lampposts. Storefront windows glowed, showing off their elaborate Christmas decorations, and the sharp late-afternoon chill made the air feel crystalline.

There were only a few pedestrians out, giving the whole city a calm, intimate atmosphere, like we were walking through a movie set. "Have you always been this good at surprises?" I asked as we walked hand in hand along the stone streets, our steps echoing softly in the quiet Christmas Eve air. "Only for the people who really matter," he said, brushing a kiss against my temple. The simplicity of his answer hit me harder than any grand declaration could have. There was a naked honesty to it, a sincerity that made me understand just how much I really meant to him.

push aside any longer. "Can I confess something?" I asked, stopping beside an ornamental fountain that reflected the golden streetlights. "Always,"

Nate sighed, running a hand through his hair in that familiar gesture that told me he was sorting through his thoughts. "Tori's... complicated," he said finally. "She's made plans for her life that, unfortunately, involve things she shouldn't be meddling in. Like me and Alexandra, for example. And

"Oh my God... Christian? That actually makes sense, you guys have been friends forever

to kiss him. "I'm completely yours.' When we pulled apart, I glanced toward the Carters' house. "As for your sister..." I let the sentence drift, still amused. We

gently beneath us, reflecting the golden city lights like thousands of liquid stars. The silence was broken only by the soft rush of water and the cold night wind whispering through the