Hired a Gigolo Got a Billionaire (Zoey and Christian) novel Chapter 284

Chapter 284

Nathaniel’s POV

I took a deep breath, feeling the weight of the words I needed to say. The moment seemed perfect-just the two of us alone on the bridge, Bath glowing all around us, Annie leaning against me with that look of pure happiness.

It was now or never.

The irony was that this was the only part of the day I hadn’t meticulously planned. I’d organized every detail- the Jane Austen Centre, the Roman Baths, the underground chamber-but telling her the truth about Wanderer … that had simply hit me in the moment. Maybe because she looked so happy with how the day had unfolded. Maybe because it felt like we’d grown even closer. Maybe because, for the first time, I felt secure enough about us. She’d understand. Wouldn’t she?

“Annie…” I began, my voice sounding tighter than I meant it to. “I need to tell you something about—”

The sound of hurried heels on stone cut through my words. I turned and saw Tori approaching fast, clutching her coat closed and clearly freezing in the sharp night air.

“Sorry to interrupt,” she said once she reached us, brushing a strand of hair out of her face. “But Mom’s calling for you two. It’s time to get ready for dinner.”

A wave of frustration crashed through me. Just a few more seconds and I would have told Annie everything. Now the moment was gone, and I had no idea when I’d get another perfect opportunity like that.

“Your feet must be freezing,” Annie said, eyeing Tori’s elegant shoes with a mix of admiration and concern. ” And you’re still standing on those heels. I’m impressed!”

“Mom was getting anxious,” Tori replied, grimacing as she flexed her feet. “And honestly, I’m kind of used to the torture.”

Annie laughed softly.

“I thought heels were always comfortable for people who wear them all the time.”

“Only people who are used to them know they’re never comfortable,” Tori corrected lightly, and for the first time since we arrived, I saw the two of them share a genuine smile.

Maybe there was hope for them after all.

As Tori stepped closer, the streetlamps catching her face, she gave Annie’s hair a curious look.

“This Bath humidity makes everyone’s hair misbehave,” she said. “I have a great cream for that if you want it.”

I saw Annie blush slightly, and felt my own face heat in response. I knew exactly why her hair was rebellious. The images of our hour in the underground baths flooded my mind. The steam, her hands tangled in my hair, the way she whispered my name…

“Sure!” Annie agreed. “Thank you!”

Tori watched us with that sharp, familiar curiosity, like she was trying to figure out exactly where we were coming from and what we’d been doing.

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“Let’s go inside,” I said quickly, before she could ask anything else. “We don’t want to keep Mom waiting.”

When we stepped into the house, warmth wrapped around us immediately, along with the delicious smell of something roasting in the oven. The kitchen was buzzing. Elizabeth moved between pots and pans with the ease of someone who’d orchestrated dozens of Christmas dinners. From the back of the house, the soft sound of the piano drifted through. My dad was playing one of the classic Christmas pieces he always practiced this time of year, probably something by Bach or Handel.

“Where’s Oliver?” I asked, noticing he wasn’t part of the usual pre-dinner chaos.

“He went to pick up Sarah,” Tori said, already heading for the kitchen counter. “He said he’d be back in time for dinner.”

“Oh, you’re back!” my mother said, looking over her shoulder while stirring something in a pot. “Tori, I need you to finish that sauce for me.”

“Mom…” Tori groaned, rolling her eyes. “I just finished getting ready. My nails are done and—”

“It’s just the sauce,” Elizabeth insisted. “You know I get nervous when I leave things half-finished.”

Annie stepped forward, always eager to help.

“Can I do anything, Mrs. Carter?”

“Elizabeth,” she corrected automatically with a smile. “And thank you, sweetheart, but Tori’s already here. You two can go upstairs to change. Dinner will be in an hour.”

Tori sighed and went to the counter, pulling her phone from her pocket.

“I need to look up the recipe online…” she muttered, staring at the screen. “Damn, it’s dead.”

Without thinking, I pulled my own phone from my pocket, unlocked it, and held it out to her.

“Here, use mine.”

“Thanks,” Tori said with a quick smile, taking my phone and already typing something as Annie and I headed

toward the stairs.

We walked up in silence to my old room. As soon as I closed the door, Annie turned and wrapped her arms around me, rising onto her toes to kiss me.

“Thank you for the most perfect day of my life,” she whispered against my lips.

I held her close, overwhelmed by a mix of happiness and guilt. She looked radiant, completely blissful, and I still carried that secret that could change everything between us.

“It really was perfect,” I agreed, pressing a soft kiss to her forehead.

But as I held her, I couldn’t stop thinking about the moment we’d lost on the bridge. I’d been so close to telling her about Wanderer, to finally being completely honest with her. Now I’d have to find another moment, another opening.

Well… I still had until the end of the holidays. Gwen had given me that deadline, and I intended to use it. I just needed the right moment, the right place, the right words.

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Annie pulled back slightly to look at me, her eyes shining with that pure happiness that made me feel like the luckiest man alive, and also the biggest coward.

“What were you going to tell me on the bridge?” she asked, playing with the collar of

my

shirt.

I looked at her, the weight of the truth sitting right on the tip of my tongue. But I couldn’t tell her now. Not with barely any time and my family waiting downstairs for dinner. A conversation about Wanderer needed time, privacy, and space to explain everything without interruptions.

“Nothing important,” I lied, forcing a smile. “It can wait.”

She nodded, trusting me completely, and that blind trust only made the guilt twist deeper in my chest.

Soon, I promised silently. Soon I’d tell her everything, and I just hoped she could forgive me for waiting this long.

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