Hired a Gigolo Got a Billionaire (Zoey and Christian) novel Chapter 273

Chapter 273

The soft lighting in the living room created a cozy atmosphere that contrasted perfectly with London’s restless energy outside. I’d put on a quiet playlist of classic rock while making tea for the two of us, still trying to prolong the peaceful feeling our day in the countryside had brought me.

“That mug is… interesting,” Nate laughed, holding up the cup I’d handed him.

I glanced at the design and couldn’t help but laugh too. It was one of my favorites. It was an illustration of a lazy cat with the phrase “Don’t talk to me before my third coffee” printed in giant letters.

“A gift from Zoey,” I explained, settling onto the sofa beside him and tucking my legs under me. “She said it matched me perfectly.”

“Your sister knows you well,” he said, taking a sip of the earl grey tea I’d made. “Three cups of coffee, really?”

“On bad days? Could be four,” I admitted with a laugh. “Sometimes five, if it’s Monday and raining.”

“And here I was thinking my morning caffeine dependency was intense,” he teased, pulling me a little closer on the couch. “So what made the poor thing get replaced by tea tonight?”

“I figured serving coffee to a Brit after five p.m. was a crime against the Crown. I don’t want to get deported.”

“Definitely don’t want that,” he laughed.

Nate glanced around the room with a renewed curiosity, as if he were really seeing the space for the first time. His gaze lingered on the photos scattered across the shelf: Zoey and me posing dramatically on Ipanema beach; a Verdanian Christmas family picture with all of us crowded around the tree; Matthew striking some ridiculously dramatic pose on a trip to Buenos Aires.

“You all look really close,” he observed, gently picking up a photo of the three of us at a June Festival, dressed in full traditional outfits.

“We are. Sometimes I think that’s what I missed the most after moving here,” I admitted, watching him take in every detail of the picture. “That feeling of having people around who’ve known you forever-who know all your embarrassing secrets and love you anyway.”

“And now?” he asked, wrapping an arm around me as he carefully set the photo back on the shelf.

“Now I’m building new connections,” I said, leaning into his chest, feeling the warmth of him through his shirt. “Some very unexpected ones.”

“Unexpected how?” he teased, kissing the top of my head.

“Like finding out my boss is actually a man who collects vintage vinyls, plays piano like an angel, and takes me to secret little towns in the English countryside.”

We stayed there talking about small things we’d never shared-discovering layers of each other that went far beyond the professional tension that had always dominated our interactions. It felt like we finally had space to just be people, without titles or corporate complications.

“What’s your favorite color?” I asked, absentmindedly playing with the buttons on his shirt.

“Navy blue,” he answered without missing a beat. “It reminds me of the school uniform I wore from eight to eighteen. I was happiest there during my teenage years.”

“Mine changes with my mood,” I admitted, feeling a little less sophisticated. “But lately it’s been green. It makes me feel calm. Like the grass in that field we saw today.”

“Movie that impacted you the most?” he asked, running his fingers through my hair in a slow, absentminded rhythm.

“Lawrence of Arabia,” he replied, and I could hear the nostalgia in his voice. “My father took me to a special showing when I was twelve. It was the first time I understood that movies could be art, not just entertainment.”

“Mine was Harry Potter,” I admitted, feeling slightly embarrassed for not being more intellectual. “It’s what made me actually enjoy reading. Before that, I only read because school forced me to. Then Jane Austen dragged me into the classics.”

Nate’s face lit up with an expression that carried something nostalgic and deeply personal.

“What is it?” I asked, noticing the subtle change and adjusting to face him better.

“I know it’s sudden,” he began, his fingers nervously playing with a strand of my hair, twisting it around his fingers. “But Christmas is coming. And I remember you said you aren’t going to Verdania this year.” He studied me carefully, as if trying to interpret each tiny reaction. “And… well, I’d like you to spend Christmas with my family. I could show you Bath properly, not just a quick tourist visit.”

The invitation caught me completely off guard. It wasn’t just spending a holiday together. It was letting me into the most intimate part of his life, meeting the people who truly mattered to him, being welcomed into the family he clearly cherished. It was a level of commitment and seriousness that would fundamentally shift our relationship.

I adjusted my position on the sofa, still in his arms, trying to process not just the invitation but everything it implied.

“This fast?” I asked with a soft smile.

Nate cupped my face in both hands, looking at me with an intensity that made my heart trip over itself and my breath hitch slightly.

“I think it’s already taken too long,” he said, his voice firm with a sincerity that left no doubt about the depth of his feelings.

“You’re right,” I whispered against his lips. “I don’t want to waste any more time when it comes to you.”

I saw something flare in his eyes.

“Is that a yes?” he asked quietly, with a half-smile that completely melted me.

“It’s a yes.”