Chapter 31
The atmosphere surrounding them for the next few days was awkward.
Nicolas had been giving Emily the silent treatment. Much deserved in her opinion. What she’d been considering was a low move. Divorcing before the one-year timeline. But that was only at the beginning of this arrangement. Before she got to know Nicolas. The real him.
Emily wasn’t thinking like that now.
Ironically, she could hardly bear the thought of parting with him.
She knew that she’d gotten attached to her fake husband. His small smiles and reassuring gaze. His Post-it notes. His artistic rants. His goddamn beauty mark. Everything that made Nicolas Re the man he was.
Yes, it was downright stupid of her to let feelings grow after what she’d experienced with Jake, but she couldn’t help it.
He listened when she spoke, remembered the smallest things she said, and treated her with a respect that felt foreign after Jake’s indifference.
Those gestures, simple as they were, got her thinking maybe this time it could be different.
Her heart clenched remembering the expression he wore back at the restaurant.
He looked hurt.
She wanted to say something. To tell him she was just overstimulated from seeing both her parents again on the same day. That he didn’t deserve to have that frustration taken out on him.
Emily made up her mind and stormed into his home office he’d occupied often since their argument.
It was times like these when being an actress came in handy. She’d feign confidence. She’d make him listen to her explanation.
She’d just have to not crack under his consuming stare…
“Nicolas!” she yelled as she barged through the door. “I need to speak to you.”
Her husband’s eyes narrowed. He looked up from his computer screen.
“I told myself that I was going to wait,” she said, voice tight, “but I don’t think I can anymore. I can’t keep doing whatever this is between us.” Her arms flailed at the word this, as if the gesture could untangle the mess between them.
“Emily—”
“No, Nicolas. Listen.” She saw his pupils dilate as she came closer. He looked between her and the screen.
“Look,” she blew out. “I don’t know what else to say, but I’m sorry. I’m sorry that I blew up on you like that. I was way out of line. I get that now.” He was silent. “But you still had no right to tell them like that.”
He nodded. “Understood. Let’s just say that we’re even now.”
She rested a hand on her hips. Her night gown crawled up a bit. “No, I don’t think—see! You’re not even looking me in the eye!”
His gaze flashed back to hers. He’d been looking at that goddamn screen.
He really is one to hold a grudge.
Sighing she asked, “What’s it gonna to take? Do I have to get down on my knees and—”
“Emily!” he shouted.
He stood up from his chair abruptly. It screeched at the force.
His outburst shocked her. Even more so when Nicolas took her by the shoulders and spun her around to face the door.
She felt his body bend as he said, “I’m sorry for the interruption, but let’s have a ten-minute break, shall we?”
Oh shit…shit shit shit. He’d been on a call with someone?
Emily caught it the moment she turned back around, even with Nicolas’s hand firmly on her arm. The computer screen lit up with the face of a middle-aged man. He was wide-eyed and flustered. His gaze had landed not on her face, but lower. Her cleavage through the lacy gown.
Nicolas stiffened beside her.
Her scream tore through the office. Her hands shuffled to cover herself just in time as he clicked the video call off.
There was a beat of silence.
“Were…were you talking to him this entire time?”
Nicolas’s dark eyes trailed over her. “Yes. I had a business call with the CEO of Black Corps. Obviously, it had to be cut short because of your little show.”
“S-show?” She coughed as she wrapped her thin clothes around her. It wasn’t like she’d done it on purpose. She’d always worn stuff like this to bed. Her drive to end their feud had caused an oversight in changing. But why was he so angry anyway?
His eyes were like a lion’s. They fell momentarily onto the top of her breasts. His jaw clenched. And that was when she had an epiphany.
Nicolas was mad at her because of the early divorce thing, yes, but he seemed more upset that she’d unintentionally flashed his colleague.
She felt as if the world had tilted on its axis.
His jaw remained locked and his hands kept to themselves. But she saw his index finger twitch and for the first time, there was nothing she wanted more than to break down those walls of self-restraint. Emily didn’t want him hiding away. She’d made him mad, yes, but he did so to her too.
Every. Single. Day.
If only he knew how much simply living with him drove her manic.
It was like constantly engaging in an eighteenth-century waltz.
Nicolas would move toward her, hold her hands, then back off.
Then he’d come back around, at his own pleasure, as smoothly and elegantly as one could under such heated circumstances.
She loathed his discipline.
“I didn’t mean to barge in like this. Especially not with you in a meeting.” Emily decided to take another route. “I just wanted to clear up the misunderstanding we had between us.”
Nicolas stared at her. “There’s no misunderstanding between us.”
She shook her head. “Yes, there is. I don—”
“I know you want to end this marriage prematurely, Emily.” He cut her off like he’d been practicing for this talk too. “I’ve decided to not hold it against you.”
His tone was tired. Was that defeat she heard?
“Nicolas, I don’t.” She grappled for the right words to say as he watched her. “I don’t want to end this marriage…at least not right now. You were right about what you said, but that’s before I knew the real you. The one who takes care of me like no one else does.”
“Are you afraid I’ll retaliate? I can assure you I won’t. You can leave if you want. It’ll cause me some issues, but they won’t take long to solve. It’s not the first time I’ve had to face reality when it comes to you.”
It felt like a punch in the gut to hear him say that. As if it’d only be a matter of time until she’d be replaced. She’d be damned before she gave him the chance to.
“I won’t. I don’t want to leave.”
“Are you sure?”
Her eyes took him in.
He looked so wickedly tempting: hair neatly combed, dark eyes dancing, and that mouth...
“Y-Yes,” she finally breathed. “I’m sure.”
Nicolas tilted his head, analyzing her. His gaze flickered to her lips for a millisecond causing butterflies to erupt in her stomach.
She wanted him to kiss her again.
This was the perfect timing.
Please, please, please—
“Why are you staring at me like that?” He snapped her out of her desire-filled chant.
“As if you don’t know.”
As soon as the words left, she clamped a hand over her mouth. She hadn’t meant to say that out loud.
His eyebrows raised at her tone.
Emily blinked. “I’m sorry. That was—”
“If I didn’t know better,” he purred, stepping forward and causing her core to tighten. “I’d think you know exactly what you’re doing.” His fingers raised and traced her bottom lip.
She sucked in a breath.
“Tell me I’m wrong,” he murmured. “Tell me you’re not a master of seduction. Tell me you’re not trying to reel me in with this act of innocence.”
“A m-master of—” she sputtered. “I’m not. I’m far from that actually. I’ve never…never even done it before.”
Nicolas looked like she’d poured a bucket of ice water over him. “What?”
She blinked. Oh God, why did she find it important to tell him that now?
His Adam’s apple bobbed. “You mean—”
“Yes, I’m a virgin.”
Might as well finish what she’d started.
He looked like the walls were caving in. Her eyes stayed on him. To spot any misplaced emotions, but all she witnessed was a tinge of fear—horror.
“Fuck me. Fuck me a thousand times,” he whispered in slight panic.
She couldn’t help but find it amusing.
His hand combed through his hair, eyes meeting hers. “You wouldn’t lie about something like this, would you?”
She frowned deeply. “Why would I?”
She’d been a virgin by choice, not out of religious obligation or some lofty ideal.
Simply put, no one had ever tempted her enough to go all the way.
Except Jake. He would’ve been the one, if not for the bet she and Zariah had made: a challenge to see if he could hold out until marriage.
And he’d obviously failed. Now, her mind reeled again at Zariah’s uncanny foresight.
Her best friend should’ve been a psychic.
When Nicolas found no hint of deceit, he dragged a hand down his face. “Why didn’t you…why didn’t you mention that before? Before doing what we did in the bathroom?”
“Would that have changed something?”
“Of course!” He quickly regained his composure. “Of course. I wouldn’t have been so…”
“Rough?”
He faltered, then collected himself again. “Yes, Emily.” He sighed. “I would’ve been gentler. I wouldn’t have wrapped my hand around your throat for Christ’s sake.”
“I didn’t need gentle at that point. You’d already given me enough of it in our conversation before everything happened. I needed you exactly as you were, and in that moment, you were perfect.”
“So are you, Em.” The words spilled out of him like he had no control over them. Her heart fluttered. “But let’s stop here for today. I’ll make it up to you some other time. I really have something important to discuss in my meeting.”
“More important than me?”
She knew it was a little vain of her, but Nicolas didn’t seem to mind.
He actually indulged it by stepping forward and grasping her cheeks, staring at her softly.
“No, not more important than you.” Her eyes lit up at his revelation.
“But still of top priority. Is it okay that I continue my meeting, baby?”
Her lips parted, the endearment playing with her heart.
His gaze betrayed him as his eyes fell to her mouth.
“I want to kiss you so badly,” he groaned.
Finally, they were on the same page.
“Then do it.”
His eyes snapped back to hers in surprise.
For what reason, she wasn’t sure.
Nicolas gave a small nod, his eyes searching hers once more before his lips met hers. She’d expected hunger like the last time, but this kiss was light and feathery. His mouth moved against hers delicately like he was scared of breaking her, like she was the most precious thing on this planet.
When they broke apart, Emily glanced up at him and mumbled, “I shouldn’t have told you I’m a virgin.”
Nicolas burst out laughing then kissed the side of her mouth. “Get out of here.”