One Midnight Kiss: A Billionaire Fake Fiancée Holiday Romance
One Midnight Kiss: Chapter 19

The first night of the symposium was supposed to be a simple showcase. It was a chance to let investors and industry folks see the new tech rollouts and shake hands with the right people. This was the night for schmoozing and having a good time.

But standing in the hotel lobby, I felt anything but relaxed. In an effort to make me seem more relatable, I had been told to ditch my flashy designer suits to wear something a little more conservative. The dark gray button-down shirt I bought for tonight felt too tight around my neck. I pulled at the collar, unbuttoning the top two buttons and rolling up my sleeves until I felt like I could breathe again. I wasn’t wearing a jacket tonight. I wasn’t sure I was going to be wearing one tomorrow night either.

Looking at my watch, I realized I had been standing there for too long. I was early—damn it. Now I looked like I was waiting for her.

The elevator doors opened, and Natalia stepped out.

I had seen her in business attire with all polished edges and sharp lines. But tonight? She was wearing a little black dress that hugged her body in a way I couldn’t look away from. It was different than the dress she had worn the night her tire blew. I never really got a chance to check her out in the dress that night. My mouth went dry, my tongue sticking to the roof.

Her hair was down, styled in its natural curls. Fresh faced, she looked almost unrefined, softer. My breath caught for a second. I wasn’t sure if it was the shock of seeing her like this or the memory that slammed into me uninvited—the woman from Paris, turning to face me, her curly brown hair catching the soft lighting just right.

“Hey,” she mumbled as she walked toward me. “I couldn’t find my toiletry bag after I checked my luggage, so…” She gestured awkwardly to her hair, almost embarrassed.

“You look amazing,” I said, voice sounding rougher than I intended. “I mean, fine. You look fine.”

“Uh huh.” She gave me a funny look, like she wasn’t sure whether to believe me or roll her eyes. I took her arm, steering us out the door before I made a bigger idiot of myself.

It was these clothes, throwing me off my stride. I needed to get my head straight but every time I looked at her it started spinning.

The convention center was right across the street. We joined a large crowd making their way over the crosswalk. I could feel the excitement the second we stepped inside. The buzz of energy hit us like a wall. This wasn’t the usual stiff, buttoned-up crowd talking policy over champagne in a brightly lit room. No, this was different. Lights were flashing, music was playing, and booths were set up with tech everywhere: drones, AI bots, holograms, interactive displays. It was all light and action and color.

I glanced at Natalia, expecting her to look overwhelmed or out of place, but instead, she just looked intrigued. She raised an eyebrow at me. “Not what I expected.”

“Yeah.” I grinned. “Welcome to the circus.”

“I had no idea tech geeks knew how to party.”

I laughed. “You know what they say, all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.” I waggled my eyebrows.

She laughed, a sound I was quickly becoming addicted to. I found myself grinning like a fool. She lit up the room without even trying. I really wished she would laugh more often. She was the most beautiful woman in the world when she let loose.

We hadn’t been there five minutes when a robotic waiter rolled up to us, holding a tray with two shots of tequila.

“We didn’t order these,” I told the thing, but it didn’t budge, just held the tray steady between us. It beeped and booped like it was telling me to hurry up and take the drinks.

“Bad robot. Go away.” The little bastard wasn’t registering my commands. “What a piece of junk.”

Natalia plucked one of the shots off the tray. “Let’s not upset the terminator robot. The thing obviously wants us to drink.” Before I could stop her, she knocked it back and put the glass back down with a flourish.

An LED smile appeared on the screen that served as the robot’s face.

I couldn’t help but laugh. “Alright then, clockwork man.”

I took my own shot, feeling the burn settle into my chest, loosening me up a bit. He grew excited again when my empty shot glass landed on the tray. It was weirdly heartwarming to see his little smile. I wondered if I could put Hanna in something like that.

A message flashed on its robot face, announcing round two.

I grabbed Natalia’s hand and led her away. “Let’s get out of here before he peer pressures us into smoking a joint next.”

Natalia laughed again and I felt like I was floating beside her. We fled deeper into the chaos. If she was game for a night like this, I decided I wasn’t going to waste it.

I gave her the grand tour, pointing out some of the other companies I was familiar with, making jokes about the flashy products, half of which would never make it to market.

She was laughing at my commentary. I couldn’t stop staring at her. Her hair bounced when she laughed, her eyes crinkling at the corners. I realized I didn’t know if I’d ever seen her like this before—free.

She didn’t have to be the Natalia that was afraid to be happy. I loved that she was able to let go of all that baggage and just have fun. This was the woman she was before her life imploded.

We ran into more alcohol bots or maybe the same one kept following us. Either way, we indulged in a few more shots, cheering when we made the little guy smile. I needed to get one of these for the penthouse.

Natalia looked around the grand hall. “You haven’t seen any taco bots rolling around, have you?”

“Hungry?” I asked after a while, nodding toward the exit. “There’s food trucks out back.”

“Lead the way.”

Outside, the back parking lot had been turned into a makeshift food court, with string lights hanging overhead, casting a warm glow over the scene. We ordered fries from one place, the kind of fries smothered with cheese, bacon bits, and sour cream. We grabbed a table, and I left her munching on fries while I got us tacos. When I stumbled back, nearly dropping the tray, she burst out laughing.

“Careful there, hotshot,” she teased.

“This is why the robots are going to win,” I said, putting the tray down with a flourish. “They’re better at holding their liquor than people.”

The tequila on an empty stomach had me feeling a little buzzed.

“They’re better at holding their food trays, anyway.” She rolled her eyes and reached for a taco, grinning at me. We talked as we ate, the conversation flowing easily for once.

“I hate speaking at these events,” I said. “It’s all performative bullshit, less about the tech and more about riling up the crowd for investors. I feel like I’m conducting a circus.”

“You’re great at it, though,” she said between bites. “I saw a couple of your videos on YouTube. You captivated the audience.”

I laughed. “It’s an act. And that was different. This is all very different. They want flashy, exciting things they can keep in their pocket and show off. It’s hard selling them on something that gets installed into walls.”

She tilted her head, considering. “You just need a new angle,” she said, slurring the last word a bit. Her giggles gave her away.

“Are you drunk?” I asked, amused.

“I am not drunk,” she said, pointedly. “Not yet. I’ll know when I stand up. The fries are helping soak up the liquor.”

“Are we partying tonight?” The question slipped out before I could stop it, but the idea thrilled me. I wanted to spend more time with this version of her, guard down and trusting me.

She looked surprised, then thoughtful. “You know, I don’t do this.”

“Get drunk with men?” I teased.

“Just you, I guess,” she said. There was something soft and honest in the way she said it.

Curious and a little emboldened by the tequila, I leaned in.

“So what’s your dating life like?”

She rolled her eyes, groaning. “Nonexistent.”

“Come on,” I pressed. “You’re telling me there aren’t guys lined up for you?”

She laughed, shaking her head. “I downloaded one of those hookup apps once,” she admitted, dropping her voice like she was telling me a secret. “Women reach out to the men, so it felt safer. You can list all the things you like and don’t like. Your kinks and fantasies.”

“And?”

She swiped her tongue along her lower lip. “I got nervous. Never went through with it.”

I leaned forward, lowering my voice. “You did, didn’t you? Dirty⁠—”

“I got nervous!” she interrupted, but she was laughing now. “I’ve never—never…”

“Never what?”

She bit her lip. My eyes dropped to her mouth. I realized my heart was pounding in my chest.

“I’ve never been able to… finish, during sex,” she admitted, looking right at me.

I felt like the wind had been knocked out of me. This did not feel like a taco conversation but clearly it was important to her. “You were married, though, right? I mean, you’re not a virgin, are you?”

“Obviously not,” she said with a sigh. “But I am in a way, I guess.”

I felt something electric pass between us. The things I could show her…

The lights around us started shutting off, signaling the end of the night. I hadn’t realized how late it had gotten, how long we’d been sitting out there talking, lost in each other.

“I guess that’s our cue,” I said.

We both laughed as I stood, swaying a little. She grabbed my arm for balance.

“You good?” I asked.

“Yep. All good.”

As we made our way back to the hotel, I spotted something shiny on the ground. Bending down, I picked up a diamond ring.

“Think it’s real?” I asked.

“I don’t know,” she said. “Does it matter?”

I bit it. Not hard but joking around.

“Ew!” She scowled, recoiling at the action. “Do you always put random things you find on the ground in your mouth?”

“It’s fake,” I said, grinning. Then, on impulse, I dropped to one knee in the middle of the street and grabbed her hand.

“What are you doing?” she squealed, laughing and swatting at me.

“Proposing, obviously,” I said, deadpan, pushing the ring on her finger. “Will you make me the happiest man alive?”

“You’re ridiculous.” She laughed, but she didn’t pull her hand away.

I got to my feet and together we made our way into the hotel lobby. We were still laughing as we got into the elevator. The doors closed and it was just us.

Suddenly, everything felt sharper, more intense. Without thinking, I stepped closer, pinning her to the wall and kissing her.

I expected it to be messy or a little sloppy, but it wasn’t. It was earth shattering.

Her lips parted beneath mine. I felt like I had been struck by lightning. When I finally pulled back, her cheeks were flushed, her eyes heavy.

I knew she wanted me to keep going—she started to pull me back as the elevator dinged, doors opening on our floor—but I shook my head.

God, I wanted her. I had a list of things I planned to do to her based on the kinks she’d hinted at earlier. But we’d both been drinking, and I wasn’t going to let this moment get lost in a blur. I wanted to remember every minute, every second. I wanted her to remember it.

I kissed the corner of her mouth, lingering there for a moment. “I’ll see you in the morning,” I whispered, my voice rough with restraint.

I watched her walk into her room, heart pounding, wanting nothing more than to follow her inside. But I forced myself to go into my room. I closed the door to my own room behind me.

It was going to be a long night.