Chapter 6 - First Kiss

After they finished breakfast, they began walking in the direction of their homes. Neither wanted to end their time together. Hayden didn't want to push her too fast, and Natalia didn't want to encourage him that she was open to more. He took her hand casually as they walked, and she felt her heart race. When they got to his building, they stopped.

"This is where I live. Do you want to come up for some coffee?" Hayden wasn't ready to let her go. He held her hand a little tighter, liking how it felt. He had never been the hand-holding romantic type, but with her, it felt natural.

"I should get home so I can do some work," Natalia said reluctantly. She had fun with him this morning but was hesitant to go into his apartment. She didn't think he would try anything, but she was scared to get any closer to him. What if she got hurt again?

"Then how about I walk you home and make coffee there while you work?" He said with a smile, and she laughed.

"You want to come to my apartment and make me coffee? Who knew a big-time CEO knew his way around a kitchen." Natalia said as they continued to stand next to his building.

"Hey, I'm hurt. I can do more than make coffee. I can cook actual food. It helps me think." She stopped mid-laugh and looked at him in surprise.

"You can cook? I don't even cook. I would burn water if I tried to boil it." She started thinking maybe there was more to Hayden than she thought.

"Take me to your home, and I'll be your butler. While you work, I'll make sure all your needs are met." He slightly bowed to her, and she couldn't help laughing again.

"Alright, let's go. This is something I've got to see for myself." She was nervous about spending so much time with Hayden but also unwilling to leave him. Natalia had never laughed so much or had so much fun in her life. As she pulled his hand to walk toward her place, he stopped.

"We've been running, and I would like to shower. Do you have a spare room I can shower in at your place, or do you want me to do it here?" Natalia blushed slightly, thinking of him in her shower. She shook her head to clear her thoughts from going into dangerous territory.

"You can shower at my place. Do you want to run up and get a change of clothes?"

"Yeah. Would you like to see my place? It's nothing fancy." Hayden pulled her toward the door, and she hesitated but eventually followed behind him.

"Sure." To her surprise, they got on the elevator, and instead of going to the top floor like she expected, they stopped on the tenth. He led her down the hall to apartment 1004. He stepped back when he opened the door so she could go in first. Natalia looked around in shock; it was nothing like she expected.

His home was smaller than hers, and from where she stood, she saw a small living room with a brown leather couch and chair. There was an end table next to the chair and a television hanging on the wall. She saw a small kitchen table with two chairs sitting in the dining room's tiny area. As they walked further in, she saw the kitchen that was smaller than her bathroom.

"Are you surprised?" He asked, enjoying her expression as she looked around.

"I would never think that you're one of the wealthiest men in the city by looking at this place." Natalia looked at him with wide eyes.

"I don't like to waste my money on unnecessary expenses. I've lived here since graduating and decided if it's not broken, why fix it. I don't have many people come here." She smiled as she looked at him. He was different from the other men she knew. She liked that he wasn't over the top and flashy. That spoke volumes to her about his character.

"I'm impressed. I lived in the brownstone that I rented after graduating until recently. The only reason I moved was because of our number of break-ins. After the fourth one, I decided it was time to upgrade." Hayden took her hand again and smiled.

"See, we have more in common than you think. Let me get my clothes, and then we can walk to your place." He left in the direction she assumed was the bedroom while Natalia walked around. She was concerned about the warm fuzzy feeling she was getting around him. When he returned to the room carrying a bag, he stopped and stared at her. She had a small smile as she looked out his window. She turned and started walking toward him.

"Are you ready?" She asked, and he couldn't help but notice her eyes had more light in them. Hayden hoped she was starting to have a fraction of the feelings he was getting for her.

"Yes." His throat felt tight looking at her. As they walked out the door, he put his gym bag with his clothes over his shoulder and took her hand. Natalia intertwined her fingers with his and leaned closer as they walked out.

It took them about ten minutes to walk to her building, which was not far away. When they arrived, Albert held the door open and hid his surprise at seeing Natalia holding hands with a man. She never allowed anyone up to her apartment, so he knew this young man must be special.

When they got to her apartment, Hayden smiled as he looked around. He didn't know her well, but this was exactly what he pictured her place looking like. It was classy yet comfortable. Natalia saw his expression when he walked around her kitchen, and she giggled.

"Your kitchen looks brand new." He said as he looked around in awe. It was three times the size of his tiny kitchen. He was already picturing himself cooking her dinner on that beautiful stove.

"I told you I can't cook. The only thing I use the kitchen for is making coffee. It's really a waste." She leaned against the bar across from him.

"It's time for it to stop being a waste. Will you let me cook you dinner tonight?" She bit her lip and tilted her head to one side.

"You bought me dinner last night and breakfast this morning. Now you want to cook for me? Do you usually do this much for people you go into business with?" She asked with a smile. Natalia knew there were more than just business feelings between them, but she worried about feeling too much.

"I have never cooked for anyone, business partner or otherwise. This is my way of getting to use your phenomenal kitchen. You can go and work, and I'll play in here all day." Hayden ran his hands lovingly over the stove and countertops. She couldn't help melting a little at the sight of him looking like a kid on Christmas morning.

"Have it your way. If this is how you want to spend your day, who am I to argue. I do have pots, pans, and utensils. Don't ask me why, but I thought I should at least give the appearance that they would get used." He walked around the bar and leaned next to her.

"Show me where I can shower, and then I'll work on making a grocery list of food to be delivered. Is there anything you don't eat or are allergic to?" He spoke softly, standing only inches from her. Natalia felt her pulse rising as she looked into his green eyes. Her eyes fell to his mouth, and she wondered what it would feel like for him to kiss her. She cleared her throat and looked back into his eyes.

"Uh, no, I'm not picky, and no allergies." She felt the heat rising in her cheeks as he moved closer and brushed the loose strands of her hair away from her face. His fingers lingered on her cheek, and she thought she was going to stop breathing.

"Natalia." The way he said her name in a soft whisper made her knees feel weak. She looked up into his face just inches from hers and leaned forward at the same time he did.

When their lips touched, they both sighed in satisfaction. She wrapped her arms around his neck. He put his arms around her to pull her flush against him. Their lips moved together, and the heat began to rise between them. Natalia opened her mouth, and he slid his tongue inside to find hers. They tasted each other hungrily as the kiss deepened.

Natalia felt her body warming up even more from his possessive kiss. His hands slid up her back into her hair, releasing her ponytail so he could put his hand on her head to hold her mouth even closer.

Hayden couldn't believe she was kissing him back. He had never felt so many emotions from a kiss. His heart was pounding with excitement. He pulled back before it got out of hand. They were both breathless as he put his forehead against hers, still holding on to each other.

"I've wanted to do that since the first time I saw you." He whispered as he kissed her forehead and then her cheek.

"This isn't a good idea. I don't want my heart broken when you get tired of me. We're moving way too fast. We don't even know each other." Natalia said softly, letting her vulnerability show. She wanted to be honest with him about her fears to see what he would say. If he said he only wanted something casual, she would need to end it because she was already beginning to have feelings for him. If he wanted something more, it terrified her and excited her at the same time. Hayden lifted her face to look into his eyes.

"I promise to never break your heart. Give me a chance to prove that I won't hurt you. I've never felt like this for anyone before I met you. I know it's only been two days, but you're all I've thought about since seeing you that first time. Let me erase the pain that's in your heart." Hearing his sweet words as he looked into her eyes was all she needed to hear. Natalia pulled his face back down to hers and kissed him again.