The Captain I Married by Chance novel Chapter 209

She meant it as a total joke. There was no way Nathan would seriously entertain the idea.

But to her surprise, the man looked right at her, his expression entirely serious. "I'll have to think about it."

Wait, what?

Nora let out a baffled laugh. "What exactly is there to think about?"

"A high-society charity auction requires a formal invitation. It's not the kind of place you can just flash your police badge to get into."

Nathan held her gaze. "I'm aware."

Then why act like he could just stroll in?

"Maybe I have an invitation too," Nathan said, his tone impossibly casual.

Nora assumed he was just playing along with the joke.

"Alright, alright. Then I look forward to seeing Nathan tomorrow night. Those banquets are incredibly boring anyway. If we run into each other, at least I'll have someone to talk to."

The corner of Nathan's mouth tipped up in a devastatingly handsome smirk. "Deal."

Nora laughed out loud.

"I'll do a lap around the ballroom as soon as I get there to see if I can spot you. If you actually show up, just call me."

Nathan nodded. "I will."

The smile on Nora's face widened. The banter was childish, a silly game of make-believe, but it was exactly what she needed. The suffocating gloom brought on by her father's phone call instantly evaporated.

Ding.

The elevator finally arrived at the lobby floor. The metal doors slid open smoothly, revealing a man in a dark baseball cap stepping out.

Nora shifted slightly to give him room. The man kept his head down, the brim of his cap pulled dangerously low, and brushed past her without a word.

"Hold on," Nora called out suddenly.

Seeing her tie herself in knots over it, Nathan reached out and gently patted her shoulder. "Take your time. No rush."

Suddenly, a faint trace of the scent caught Nora's nose. Without thinking, she grabbed Nathan's wrist.

"It's exactly like this," she said, leaning in. Like a curious puppy, she pressed her nose close to Nathan's palm, taking a deep sniff.

"It's this weird, complex blend of metallic and chemical smells." Still unable to pinpoint it, Nora looked up at Nathan, her eyes bright with curiosity. "What exactly did you touch with this hand?"

Nathan stared down at her. Her face was inches from his.

A flicker of intense heat flared in his dark gaze, his pupils narrowing.

"I—"

The moment he spoke, he heard how dangerously raw and gravelly his own voice sounded. He stiffened, quickly clearing his throat to force his tone back to normal.

The sudden movement snapped Nora out of her investigative trance. She blinked, suddenly hyper-aware of how intimately close she was standing to him.