"How did you even build something like this?" Vivian asked, looking at Nick with genuine curiosity.
As she studied him, she suddenly realized something she hadn't really paid attention to before.
Nick was handsome.
Not movie-star handsome. Just effortlessly attractive.
The gray shirt, dark jeans, and easy smile made him look like the kind of guy every girl noticed in high school without meaning to. The realization hit her so unexpectedly that her heart skipped a beat.
Heat rushed into her cheeks.
At first, she'd only been curious about him because of his company. A young founder with real talent wasn't someone you ran into every day.
But now...
Now things felt different.
"Hey, are you okay?" Nick asked when he noticed her face turning red.
"Yeah. Fine." Vivian jumped to her feet a little too quickly and disappeared into the guest bathroom.
Nick watched her go, puzzled, then shrugged and stabbed a slice of pear with a toothpick.
A while later, Vivian emerged and wandered through the penthouse while Nick worked in the kitchen.
The place was enormous. Four bedrooms, multiple bathrooms, two balconies, and enough space for a family twice its size.
The surprising thing was how clean it was.
The master bedroom was spotless. The guest rooms looked untouched.
Only one room showed signs of constant use.
The study.
Or what Nick called a study.
To Vivian, it looked more like a private laboratory. Computer parts, circuit boards, monitors, tools, and half-finished projects covered nearly every available surface.
She smiled to herself.
Brilliant nerd. Socially questionable.
That was her current assessment.
"What are you making?" she asked, leaning against the kitchen island.
"Dinner," Nick replied while washing vegetables. "Since you're here, I figured I should be a decent host."
"Move over. I'll help."
Before he could stop her, she rolled up her sleeves and started cleaning a bunch of green onions.
Nick laughed.
"You're surprisingly good at that."
"I should be. I cooked for myself for four years in England."
"Seriously? I wouldn't have guessed."
Vivian shot him a look.
"What exactly did you think I lived on?"
Nick grinned. "Takeout?"
"I tried. British food nearly convinced me to learn cooking out of self-defense."
That got a laugh out of him.
"When I first started, everything I made was terrible. Burned rice. Undercooked chicken. You name it."
"But you figured it out."
"Eventually."
She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.
"When you're living alone in another country, you learn a lot of things."
For a moment, Nick could hear the loneliness hidden beneath her casual tone.
"Then maybe you should cook tonight," he suggested. "Let's see how good you really are."
Vivian immediately rolled her eyes.
"This is your apartment, Nick. What kind of host makes his guest cook?"
"I was trying to avoid embarrassing myself."
"Too late. You're already cooking."
Nick laughed and surrendered.
"Fair enough."
An hour later, the dining table was covered with food.
Vivian stared at it.
"You told me you just started cooking."
"I did."
"This doesn't look like someone who just started cooking."
Nick pulled off his apron.
"I've been practicing."
"Clearly."
She picked up her chopsticks, took a bite of the sweet-and-sour fish, and froze.
"Oh wow."
Nick immediately looked nervous.
"Good or bad?"
"Very good."
The relief on his face made her laugh.
A moment later, she snapped her fingers.
"Wait. Didn't I buy a bottle of Cabernet?"
"You did."
"Then go get it."
Nick hesitated.
"You drove here."
"And?"
"And you're supposed to drive home."
Vivian waved him off.
"If I drink too much, I'll call a rideshare."
"And if that doesn't work?"
She smiled.
"You have three empty guest rooms."
Nick opened his mouth.
Then closed it.
She had a point.