Hired a Gigolo Got a Billionaire (Zoey and Christian) novel Chapter 297

Chapter 297

As soon as we pulled away from the Carters’ driveway and hit the main road, I couldn’t hold it in anymore. The laugh I’d been choking back ever since Nate refused to give Alexandra a ride finally burst out-starting as a snort and building until it turned into a full, genuine laugh.

“I can’t believe you actually did that,” I said between giggles, turning toward him in the driver’s seat.

“I can’t believe it either,” Nate admitted, shaking his head with a half-smile that looked as stunned as it did amused. “I mean, she set it up perfectly. Right in front of my parents to pressure me into agreeing.”

“But you didn’t,” I pointed out, still grinning wide.

“Nope.” He ran a hand through his hair. “I was raised to be polite and gentlemanly, especially with women. My mom would kill me if she knew I refused to give someone in trouble a ride. But Alexandra has been getting under my skin lately.”

“That wasn’t impolite,” I said firmly. “I mean, you’ve got full permission not to be nice when the person in question is just a low-grade strategist using awkward situations to get what she wants…”

Nate laughed, finally looking like he could fully relax.

“You’re right. And honestly? It felt liberating. I’m tired of pretending I don’t see what she’s doing.”

We drove in easy silence for a few miles, watching the English countryside drift by. The biting winter cold gave everything that melancholic December feel-golden fields, bare trees, the whole picture-perfect British scene.

“Actually,” I said eventually, breaking the quiet, “Alexandra said something that got me thinking.”

I felt Nate tense slightly behind the wheel.

“Don’t let her get in your head, Annie,” he said quickly. “That’s exactly what she wants.’

“That’s not it,” I replied, shifting in my seat to get comfortable. “But maybe she’s right about one thing: maybe we shouldn’t go together to the Kensington New Year’s party.”

Nate actually looked hurt. I could see his expression change in the windshield’s reflection-a mix of frustration and something almost sad.

“Annie…”

“Listen,” I said softly, resting my hand on his arm. “Even before Alexandra showed up yesterday, you knew we couldn’t go together, right?”

He let out a deep sigh.

“Yeah,” he admitted reluctantly. “Since we’re keeping things quiet until you’re completely in the clear, it would make sense for us to go separately. Or… I don’t know, skip it and do something else.”

“As COO, you know skipping it would look bad. But now that Alexandra knows about us,” I continued, “it doesn’t make sense to show up separately.”

“Yeah,” Nate agreed, frowning. “She already knows and she’ll use it against us, so pretending doesn’t help. Which is why I don’t get why you suddenly don’t want to go with me.”

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“Because apparently she doesn’t want us going together either.”

“And you want to give her what she wants?”

“It’s not giving in,” I explained carefully. “It’s sticking to our original plan to keep things quiet until everything settles down. And honestly, I kind of get why she doesn’t want us showing up together.”

“Why?”

“Because she’ll probably try to force herself into being your date at the party,” I said. “Like she always does.”

I watched Nate’s jaw tighten as he processed that.

“Makes sense,” he muttered. “It’s exactly the sort of thing she’d pull.”

“And I’m not putting up with that. We can go separately, but we’re not going with anyone. You’re not going with her, and I’m not going with anyone else.”

“Deal,” Nate said instantly. “I’d much rather go alone than give her the satisfaction of trying to use me as her plus-one.”

“Exactly.” I smiled, feeling a lot better about the plan. “We show up separately, keep things looking professional, but we don’t give her what she actually wants.

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“Which is an excuse to cling to me all night,” he added with disgust.

“That annoying girl…”

We drove in silence for a few more minutes, both of us lost in our own thoughts. The road was quiet, and the soft hum of the engine made the whole moment feel almost meditative.

“But,” Nate said eventually, breaking the silence with a lighter tone, “I’ll still figure out a way to kiss you at midnight.”

My heart did a tiny skip, and I couldn’t stop the smile that spread across my face.

“I wouldn’t expect anything less,” I teased.

“It might have to be hidden,” he warned with a mischievous grin. “Maybe on the terrace or in some corner where no one’s looking.”

“Even better,” I said, turning to look at him. “Makes me feel like a teenager.”

“You like that?” he asked, clearly curious.

“I like the thrill of having a secret,” I admitted. “Of having something that’s just ours and nobody else knows. It’s exciting.”

“It is,” he agreed, taking my hand and lacing our fingers together. “Even if it’s frustrating not being able to touch you at the office.”

“We’ll always have a bathroom somewhere,” I said with a smirk, remembering our run-in on the plane, which made Nate burst out laughing.

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“It’s going to be torture seeing you looking gorgeous at that party and not being able to show you’re mine.”

“It’ll be torture for me too,” I confessed. “Especially if Alexandra tries to glue herself to you.”

“She can try,” he said with conviction. “But she’ll have to deal with the fact that I’ll be looking for you in the crowd all night.”

“And I’ll be watching you from across the room,” I promised. “Making sure she doesn’t get even a second of success.”

“It’s a plan,” he said, lifting our joined hands to kiss my fingers. “A night of pretending in public and stealing kisses in private.”

“As long as we end the night together,” I said, giving his hand a squeeze.

“Always,” he promised. “No matter how many games Alexandra plays, you’re going home with me at the end of the night.”

The certainty in his voice warmed me in a way the car heater never could. No matter Alexandra’s schemes, the work complications, or the secrecy-we were us. And that was all that mattered.

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