Chapter 11 Zofia
zofia
After bringing Nicolas to meet my family, it felt like the dynamic between us had changed once again.
He’d been amazing, and I didn’t know why I was surprised. I’d always known how charismatic he is, from that very first day. He was always a charmer—probably why he’d been able to talk me into being his assistant despite my reservations.
I didn’t even want to think about how he could just flash that brilliant smile of his and have practically any woman falling at his feet.
Mostly because I didn’t enjoy thinking about Nic with other women, especially not in his bed.
Which was strange, because I’d technically never been in his bed either. Not really. So why was I feeling so possessive over my fake fiancé—and my husband to be?
That’s not what this was, I reminded myself. Fake nuptials or not, Nicolas and I weren’t real. Ours was built on trust and mutual respect, but not on love. That was what we both wanted. It was just a contract—something I needed to remember on nights like tonight.
I lay on my bed, cuddled up with Duchess, petting her soft fur.
My phone vibrated with a text, and I pulled it out from underneath my cat. I shouldn’t have been surprised that he was texting me, but it made my heart flutter. Just like it had when he’d given me the bouquet of pink peonies earlier this evening.
Nicolas
Having cold feet yet?
Sitting up, I rested my back against the headboard as I typed a reply.
Zofia
No. Are you?
No.
Good.
Great.
I had fun tonight.
Me too. More than I thought I would. Even if I thought my parents were going to lose their minds when you told them we wanted to get married next month.
Your family is pretty great.
Even if your brother thought we were having a shotgun wedding.
Good thing we’re not, right?
I bit my lip, wondering why the idea of having a child with him didn’t sound so bad. That was the craziest thought I’d had all night, so I quickly shoved it away.
Yeah.
Anyway, I just wanted to check in before bed. I’ll see you at the office tomorrow.
Good night, Nicolas.
Good night, Zofia.
Sweet dreams.
I fell asleep with a smile on my face, trying to ignore the fact that I was a little giddy over the man who was going to be my husband.
I tucked the ring Nicolas had given me into the velvet box, leaving it on my dresser.
My hand already felt bare without it, but wearing it to work—when we hadn’t told anyone else about our engagement, fake or not—didn’t make much sense.
Still, I rubbed my ring finger, wondering how when I’d worn it for less than twenty-four hours, it already felt like it belonged there.
Nic was in the middle of a call when I got to the office, and I settled at my desk, beginning to go through emails and making sure his calendar was set.
We had a shareholder meeting later in the day that we’d need to prep for later.
We had a lot of events and travel coming up, not to mention trying to figure out where our wedding fit into all of that.
I was also already working out the details of our annual charity gala, held every winter. It was one of my favorite parts of my job. Since Willamette Tech didn’t really have an event planning department, I got to partner with Marketing whenever we had anything coming up. I loved it.
In another life, I like to think I would have become an event planner.
One where I didn’t have bills to pay or worry about where my next paycheck was coming from.
Unfortunately, I didn't have the luxury of being born a billionaire—not like Nic—so I’d picked my job based on practicality, even though I’d wanted to get an event planning certificate and follow my passion.
Maybe someday.
After all, I wouldn’t be Nic’s assistant forever.
It wasn’t the first time I’d had that thought—of course, I wouldn’t be an assistant for the rest of my life—but it was the first time I’d considered the fact that I was his assistant… and I’d agreed to be his wife.
“What’s wrong?” Nic asked as he perched against the side of my desk.
He was wearing a navy blue suit today, a fancy watch on his wrist, and he looked every bit the executive that he was.
Well built, tall, and handsome as ever, even with the freckles that made him look rather boyish—all part of his charm.
This was the man who was going to be my husband.
My mouth was dry. I’d forgotten how to speak, apparently.
I knew Nic. After working for him for a year, I understood him almost as well as I did myself. In all that time, I’d never seen him with a girlfriend. Never in a serious relationship.
Last night, after he’d found out about Samir—a shortened version, at least—he reassured me he’d be loyal.
Deep down, I’d never had to worry about that.
Somehow, I knew he wouldn’t be a bad husband.
Maybe because he had the biggest heart of anyone I knew.
I’d never heard him speak in a harsh tone with anyone, and he was always smiling, reassuring his employees.
“Zofia?” He looked down at my ring finger and frowned, and I knew what he was thinking, but what was I going to do? Scream to the entire office that we were engaged? That he was mine?
That I’d done what no other woman could before—making an honest man out of Nicolas Larsen, playboy extraordinaire? I quickly brushed away the thought. No. Absolutely not.
The possession was a startling, sobering thought. He wasn’t really mine.
I cleared my throat. “Sorry. Nothing. Lost in thought, is all.”
“Was it your mom again?” He frowned. “I can talk to her, if she’s pressuring you—”
“No.” I waved him off. “She’s fine. Taking the whole thing better than I expected, honestly.”
His teeth dug into his lower lip. Soft, pink plush lips that had been surprisingly welcome against mine. Lips I’d have to kiss again, considering he was going to be my husband. But that was all playing pretend, and it wouldn’t mean anything.
Soon, everything would change. Part of me couldn’t wait. I looked down at my empty ring finger, missing the weight of it.
What did that say about me, that I couldn’t wait to play pretend? For a while, I could imagine that he really wanted me, and it wasn’t just a marriage of convenience.
Like we hadn’t signed a contract with an end date in mind.
God, I needed to think about something else. Anything else. He hadn’t kissed me last night—not on the lips, anyway—but I couldn’t get it out of my mind. Maybe it was because he’d been so sweet, holding my hand and telling me we were a team.
We’d always been a team, but recently things had shifted. I didn’t feel like his assistant, even if he depended on me to keep everything together… This felt like more.
“I have an idea,” Nicolas murmured, his voice a welcome rasp against my ear. His voice was deep, and it made my nipples pebble in my bra, which thankfully was padded enough that they wouldn’t show in the air-conditioned office.
“What?” I asked, but he didn’t explain further.
“You’ll see. Come on.” He extended a hand out towards me, and I took it, rising from my desk chair.
“Where are we going?” I asked Nic, following him towards the elevator.
“Lunch.”
I gave him a look. “Well, obviously.”
I’d never met someone as food motivated as Nicolas. He loved to eat. In every sense of the word.
He gave me his signature grin—one that made me feel things I shouldn’t be feeling, like he knew exactly what dirty thoughts I was thinking.
“Live a little, Gorgeous,” he said, interlocking our fingers as we walked out the front door and onto the sidewalk. It was a beautiful day in Portland, so I thankfully didn’t need a coat, even though I’d brought one into the office with me.
“Okay.” I resisted rolling my eyes, instead enjoying the fresh air and sunshine, and the feeling of Nic’s hand in mine. It was warm, his grip firm, and I really didn’t hate it. Especially not because it felt like his fingers fit mine perfectly.
Maybe I shouldn’t look too deeply into that. Definitely not.
“I was thinking we could hit one of our favorite food truck spots,” Nic told me.
“Sure. Sounds great.” There was so much good food in Portland, and I loved being able to try new places often. So did Nic—though I wasn’t sure I’d ever met a food the man wouldn’t eat.
As we walked through downtown, he never let go of my hand, always keeping me on the inside of the sidewalk.
Even better was how he slowed his pace, keeping in time with me.
Even though I was tall for a woman, at five-foot nine, Nic had a good five inches on me, and his legs were a lot longer than mine.
He really was the perfect gentleman.
Nic’s eyes caught mine, and his eyes lit up, his face breaking out into the most brilliant grin.
My heart fluttered, because damn him. He was always calling me gorgeous, but I couldn’t deny just how handsome he was. He knew it, too.
Those panty-melting smiles probably worked on lots of girls over the years.
My mood soured. I didn’t want to think about everyone else.
Not when I’d been with enough men in my life to count them all on one hand—including Nicolas.
I liked sex, but I was a committed relationship kind of girl. I didn’t have one-night stands.
Until Nicolas.
Though I was starting to feel like I didn’t really know how him at all.
I knew his reputation with women. Had heard stories about his past exploits—when he’d had a different woman on his arm for every event.
He was still a giant flirt, but I had such a hard time reconciling those stories with the man next to me today.
Maybe because he seemed to have everything together now, and I hadn’t seen him flirt with another woman in the last year.
He’d struggled in the beginning to adjust to the role of CEO. Partially because his dad had sprung it on him sooner than he’d ever expected, but we’d found our groove. Still, I couldn’t imagine leaving him to fend against the wolves without me. Like it or not, he needed me.
Just like he needed this marriage.
I knew Nic planned to tell the board, but I wasn’t sure what he was waiting for.
I was fine with it, with no one knowing yet, because I wasn’t ready for everything to change once again.
We’d gotten used to our new normal after Napa—after spending that night wrapped up in his arms—but this would change everything.
After we ordered and got our food, he led us over to a picnic table, nestled against the backdrop of the city.
No matter where you went in Portland, there were trees and greenery everywhere.
It rained almost the entire year—it felt like a constant drizzle every month except summer—but that made the scenery unbeatable.
“This is just what I needed,” I said, taking a deep breath before diving into my food.
Nic smiled at me as he took a bite of his own food. “Good. You looked distracted, maybe a little nervous, and I wanted to fix it. You’re always doing so much for me, and I wanted to do something for you, too.”
“Oh, Nic. You don’t have to—”
“I know what you’re giving up to marry me, and I don’t want you to regret it.” He shook his head. “So just let me, okay?”
I kissed the back of his hand, because what else did you say to that sort of thing?
I wanted to tell him I wasn’t giving up anything.
That I’d long ago resigned myself that I’d never have that.
Especially when I loved my life and didn’t want someone else to change it.
Instead, I just said, “Okay. Thank you.”
He smiled at me, and for the moment, it felt like everything was going to be okay.