CHAPTER 9: CHAPTER 9: ARE A MAN’S HANDS REALLY THAT GOOD-LOOKING?

Natalie Vaughn wasn’t naturally obedient; she only pretended when necessary, but she thought those tricks were insufficient in front of Zane Thorne.

Zane wasn’t annoyed upon hearing her words; he simply glanced at her.

Natalie wore a knee-length dress, ivory white, her hair pulled over her shoulders, slightly curled, adorned with a pearl hair accessory—a complete typical lady’s outfit.

But as soon as she spoke, it was clear she wasn’t of a reserved nature.

Zane slightly squinted his eyes and noticed the band-aid on Natalie’s palm, suddenly leaning towards the passenger seat.

Natalie widened her eyes, already leaning back.

Before she could question him, Zane had already taken the phone from the passenger compartment and handed it to her.

Natalie naturally recognized it was her phone, opened her mouth but didn’t know what to say.

So, Zane recognized her? But why did he show no surprise at all? Not even a slight fluctuation in emotion could she detect.

Zane saw Natalie motionless, so he tossed the phone onto her lap.

The phone was spotless, clearly cleaned by someone.

Natalie pouted slightly, suppressing the questions in her heart.

"Thank you."

It wasn’t just about the phone, but also the day he took her to the tent and got her the medical kit.

Zane merely glanced at her, curled his lips, and finally said something.

"It’s my first time seeing someone so big that they can fall while walking."

Natalie: ...

This man not only laughed at her but also belittled her—what kind of lousy temper is this?

Natalie didn’t bother about the little curiosity she had about Zane anymore; while buckling her seatbelt, her expression cooled.

"Even someone like Mr. Thorne would be forced into blind dates by his family?"

Upon hearing this, Zane glanced at Natalie, not in a hurry to answer, and waited until the car entered the main road before he spoke.

"Are you some kind of fortune teller?"

Natalie never expected Zane to say such a thing, so absurd that she couldn’t manage her facial expression momentarily, her surprise seen clearly by Zane.

Zane squeezed a laugh out from his chest.

"If you’re not a fortune teller, how do you know what kind of person I am?"

Natalie: ...

This man not only mocked and belittled her but also challenged her back. The funny thing was, she didn’t know how to return the challenge.

With a blockage in her chest, Natalie rolled down the window, looking outside, clearly not intending to continue the conversation. Yet after a while, she suddenly remembered why she asked Zane to pick her up.

It wasn’t to have Zane infuriate her.

Thinking of this, Natalie turned her head, her gaze fell on Zane’s hands on the steering wheel.

Nature worked its charm; the sun emerged, casting perfect sunshine on Zane. The veins on his hands, aside from being sexy, carried an added aesthetic beauty. At the turn, his hands controlled with ease.

Natalie’s eyebrows twitched; she wasn’t wrong.

Those hands driving—damn, they’re both handsome and sexy.

Natalie rarely cursed, but the thought did pop into her head just now, seemingly the only way to fully describe the sensation of Zane’s hands driving.

Her gaze was bold and direct, making it hard for Zane not to notice.

Following her gaze, it landed on his own hands, and Zane raised his eyebrows, unclear why his hands were so captivating.

But Natalie’s gaze seemed glued to his hands, making him feel slightly uncomfortable under her scrutiny.

"What are you looking at?"

As Zane spoke, his right hand dropped, and his left hand took control of the steering wheel single-handedly.

Then he found Natalie’s gaze was focused on his left hand.

Zane: ...

Rarely curious, he took advantage of the red light and turned to ask.

"Are men’s hands really that appealing?"

Natalie finally responded a bit, retracting her gaze and looking into Zane’s eyes.

It’s not that men’s hands are appealing, but yours are appealing. Zane’s hands weren’t the slender, exquisite type; rather, they were somewhat rough, with pronounced veins protruding on the back of the hand, which made them extraordinarily sexy.

She happened to be into that type.

However, Natalie didn’t voice her thoughts but didn’t hide her interest in Zane’s hands either, so she nodded under Zane’s gaze.

Zane frowned, first glancing at his own hands, then at Natalie’s hands resting on her lap.

Fair, tender, slender, and long.

He clicked his tongue, thinking women truly are peculiar creatures.

Zane was not much of a talker, and Natalie wasn’t one to initiate conversations either; what’s more, her mind was completely occupied with Zane’s hands, so the journey continued in silence.

Until the car stopped, they walked to the restaurant entrance, and Natalie suddenly asked.

"Why did you agree to the blind date?"

Zane glanced at her, responding with a question.

"Why did you?"

Upon hearing this, Natalie looked up at Zane.

She was nearly one-seventy meters tall, wearing high heels, already not too short, but in front of Zane, she still had to make an effort to look up and meet his gaze.

Naturally interested in you.

Natalie didn’t say this out loud, but her curled lips and the interest in her eyes were oh-so-clear to Zane.

Zane squinted his eyes.

By now he had discerned a bit of Natalie’s nature. She was bold and direct, didn’t hide her interest in a man, but refrained from speaking out, using those eyes to steadily capture a man’s attention.

What is this?

A Persian cat, noble and haughty yet coquettish.

Playing hard to get.

Zane merely found the young lady a bit interesting; his right hand pinched his left wrist, leaned slightly, and pushed the door open.

Then, the so-called proud Natalie he saw suddenly took a deep breath, blinked, adjusted her facial expression, a faint smile on her lips, those almond-shaped eyes narrowing into two crescent moons, eyes carrying a hint of charm.

Instantly turning obedient and harmonious with her attire.

Zane raised an eyebrow, thinking she was becoming increasingly intriguing.

....

Mrs. Vaughn and Mrs. Thorne had been chatting for quite a while. Hearing the sound, they simultaneously looked towards the door. They saw Natalie and Zane standing together, the girl looking obediently petite beside the man.

Mrs. Thorne felt a rush of happiness, quickly gesturing for them to come in.

Natalie originally had an innocent appearance, and before elders, she restrained her temperament deliberately, at a glance, genuinely seemed gentle and soft.

Zane sat aside watching his mother chat with the young lady, seeing her effortlessly win his mother’s affections, he suddenly recalled a saying.

Never judge a book by its cover.

In interactions with elders, Natalie was already adept. Noticing Zane’s gaze, she confidently looked up in return, showing no qualms about displaying dual personas around Zane, not worried he’d reveal it to the elders.

With confidence naturally comes poise.

Both ladies were attentive, noticing the eye contact between the two; they exchanged a knowing look, feeling pleased, thinking the pair had mutual interest.

"Nina, although Zane is a few years older than you, only someone older knows how to take care of a person. Don’t be fooled by his current demeanor, he’s really considerate."

Mrs. Thorne indeed liked Natalie, hoping to set the match today right at the dining table.

Hearing this, Natalie’s eyebrows rose, teasingly looking towards Zane.

Knowing how to care?

Earlier at the school gate, acting like a lord, it was she who opened the door and got into the car.

Zane understood what Natalie meant, also feeling his mother’s words were quite exaggerated.

Mrs. Vaughn had been observing silently; although Zane wasn’t verbose, he replied earnestly to every mention of him. She always thought Zane was handsome, tall, and full of a sense of security. A man like this could protect his woman well. She’s seen all kinds of people, and a reticent man, when truly invested, will indeed cherish his wife.

The more she thought, the more satisfied she was with Zane, even discreetly sending Natalie several signals.