25. Nicholas
Nicholas
"I am so glad it's Friday."
Nicholas was on the couch, already changed, relaxed in a way that made the room feel different from every other room she'd walked into this week. She stopped when she saw him.
"You're here already. I thought I would be first."
"It's been a long week," he said.
"It sure has."
He smiled. "What do you feel like having for dinner? Lilac?"
She walked over, sat beside him, and kissed him. It wasn't for show; she just wanted to. When she pulled back, she asked, "Why do you treat me so good? I'm not used to this."
"Because you're worth it." He said it simply, without ceremony. "What about dinner?"
She thought for a moment. "Lilac sounds great, but honestly, I really liked last night. Just being here with you. Something simple. T-shirt and shorts, no plans."
"Sushi," he said, reaching for his phone. "I know a great place. I'll have someone pick it up. We can stay in."
"Sounds wonderful."
"And I'll order a good bottle of wine from downstairs." He started dialing. "Time to relax."
She laughed, the sound loose and easy. "I can't believe how special you make me feel."
He smiled and made the call.
After he hung up, he pulled her close, and they kissed for a while, slow and unhurried, letting the week fade away. Then he said softly, "I haven't showered yet. Maybe we can do that together before the food comes."
She smiled. "You must be reading my mind."
Steam filled the bathroom until the marble walls faded from view.
Under the running water, Nicholas pulled her in and kissed her, deep and desperate, the kind that started warm and grew intense.
Her moans rose above the water, and his hands moved over her with the focus that always made her feel like the only thing that mattered.
He dropped to his knees.
His mouth found her right away, and she grabbed the back of his head, holding on.
The marble was cold behind her shoulders, the water hot, and he didn't let up.
His mouth and fingers worked together until her first orgasm hit her fast and completely.
She was still shaking when the second one came without warning, even stronger, making her knees buckle.
He held her steady through both of them.
When she finally slumped against the wall, wrecked and breathless, he stood up and wiped the water from his eyes.
"I have never known such pleasure," she whispered. "Never back to back like that. I didn't even feel the second one coming until it erupted." She looked at him, still catching her breath. "Nicholas, you've ruined me. What you make my body feel is beyond anything I ever dreamed."
He smiled, warmth and certainty in his eyes. "You make it easy. I've seen beautiful bodies before, but none have ever made me feel the way you do. Pleasing you means more to me than it ever has with anyone." He looked at her. "Olivia, you are the most gorgeous woman I've ever known."
She didn't answer with words. She pulled him close, her mouth finding his, and then she turned and placed her hands against the cold marble wall—an invitation that needed nothing added to it.
He entered her from behind.
The friction was electric. He didn't hold back, moving with a raw, powerful force that made her feel claimed in the best way. She arched into him, her head falling forward.
"Yes, give it to me."
Her muscles tightened around him, the contractions deep and rhythmic. She heard him groan and felt him grab her hips, and then he exploded inside her, his vision going white, her name somewhere in the sound he made.
The silence that followed was filled only by the spray of water.
They stayed like that for a moment, tangled and spent. Then Nicholas pressed his lips to the side of her neck.
"We should finish up before the food arrives," he murmured.
They both laughed, the sound light and easy. They moved under the spray together, lathering soap over warm skin. She watched him rinse his hair and felt a quiet, simple happiness that didn't need anything more.
He stepped out first, dried off, and pulled on shorts and a T-shirt. The doorbell rang almost immediately.
He glanced at her through the steam, closed the bathroom door gently behind him, and went to get the food.
The dining table was covered in black lacquer trays and cedar planks, the sharp scent of ginger and soy filling the suite. Olivia stopped in the doorway and stared.
"You ordered enough for an army."
Nicholas leaned back with a slow smile. "I love sushi. Take your time—we have all night. Whatever's left goes in the fridge. Maybe we'll want more after the movie."
She laughed and sat down, and they ate. The wine was cold and exceptional, and the sushi was the best she'd ever had.
Somewhere between the second glass and the yellowtail, she felt her shoulders finally relax.
The week started to let go. She watched Nicholas pour more wine and thought that this, just this, was something she could get used to.
He set the bottle back in the ice bucket, and his expression changed. Just a little. Just enough.
"I spoke with two attorneys today about your situation."
Her hand paused over a piece of sushi.
"Most importantly, I spoke with Alexandra V.
DeLuca. She's the best family divorce lawyer in the state and a personal friend of my uncle.
" He kept his voice even, watching her carefully.
"She told me she doesn't care what you signed.
Mark cannot legally prevent you from retrieving your belongings.
If there's any trouble tomorrow, she'll make one call, and the police will intervene.
You'll have the law entirely on your side. "
Olivia felt something loosen in her chest that she hadn't realized was still pulled tight. For the first time since Mark had sent those texts, tomorrow felt survivable.
"She also reviewed the prenup I sent her." He paused. "She has some questions for you. But from what I described and what she read, it's something you can fight, Olivia. It's far too one-sided. She said so herself." He held her gaze. "She'd be glad to sit down with you. If that's what you want."
The loosening stopped.
Olivia set her chopsticks down. The hope that had just started to breathe pulled back in on itself.
"Nicholas, I told you—I can never afford someone like her. And I can't travel to Miami."
"No fees," he said. "She'll handle most of it with you on Zoom. If she needs to see you in person, she comes to Tampa."
Olivia shook her head, her jaw tight. She felt her familiar pride rise up, stubborn and protective, the part of her that had managed her own survival for years and didn’t know how to let someone else help without feeling smaller.
"There is no way she does all that for free.
And I already told you, I don't want you paying for things on my behalf.
I mean it, Nicholas. I don't want to feel like a charity case. "
He put his wine glass down and leaned forward, his hands covering hers on the table. He waited until she looked at him.
"I heard you. And I'm not paying for it." His voice was steady, not defensive, just certain. "You may not realize how much business my family gives her firm. The same is true for the movers tomorrow. These are favors they do because of what Stratus Meridian Group means to them. I don't call these in often, but I'm calling them in now." He held her eyes. "For you. Because I want to. Not because I think you can't handle your life. You’re tougher than you give yourself credit for. Look at what you’re facing: someone trying to control you, a family with money and influence stacked against you. And still, you’re standing your ground with nothing but grit and determination. I’m not here to take over. I’m here to make sure the fight is fair. You’re a brave, capable woman, and I’m proud to stand beside you.”
She looked at him across the candlelight, the sushi trays, and the half-empty wine glasses, and felt her resistance soften. It wasn’t because he’d overpowered her, but because he understood. He saw the pride behind her pushback and didn’t try to argue it away. He just told her the truth.
"You don't owe me anything," he said quietly. "The only question is whether you want the help."
She studied him for a long moment.
Then she leaned across the table, took his face in her hands, and kissed him, deep and unhurried, with wine and relief on both their lips and a small tremor moving through her.
She pulled back just an inch.
"See why I love you."
He held her eyes, and something moved across his expression that wasn't quite a smile or words, but was entirely real.
"I'm here for you, Olivia," he said. "I'm someone you can count on."
They finished what sushi they could, put the rest in the fridge, and moved to the couch with their wine. The earlier weight had lifted, not completely, since tomorrow was still on their minds, but enough. They sat close together in the quiet suite and let the evening be simple for a while.
Olivia's eyes were already open when the alarm cut through the silence at 6 AM.
She was in the shower before Nicholas had fully surfaced.
She was almost finished when he stepped in behind her. The steam was thick, the bathroom close and warm. He wrapped his arms around her from behind, and she felt her whole body tense up, not with desire, but with the tension of someone bracing for something difficult.
He felt it immediately. He turned her around.
Her jaw was set. Her shoulders were drawn in. Her eyes looked distant, as if she was already at the house, already at the door, already imagining everything that could go wrong.
"Hey," he said quietly, over the sound of the water.
"This hug isn't about desire. I just want you to remember you won't be alone today.
Everything is going to work out." He held her against his chest and let her stay there.
"Tonight, when we're having dinner, you're going to say, 'Why did I bother to worry?’ Everything worked out fine. "
She exhaled—shaky and slow—and pressed her forehead against his chest and held on.
They got dressed in silence. The day sat heavy in the room, almost physical. Olivia stepped behind him while he fixed his collar and wrapped her arms around his waist, holding on for a moment longer than necessary.
"I don't know how I would have handled this without you," she whispered.
He looked at her in the mirror. Her chin trembled slightly, her jaw set. But beneath the nerves, something fierce and steady looked back at him, the same quality that made her step between him and a gun in a diner without hesitation.
He turned, and she kissed him softly, and they walked to the elevator.
The lobby was quiet, early light coming through the glass in pale gray lines. Jim and Dan were already there. A third man stood with them—younger, built like someone who'd spent years being useful in difficult situations.
Jim stepped forward. "Nicholas, as you asked, Dan and I will go with Olivia today. Grant assigned Patrick to you."
Nicholas nodded at Patrick, sized him up in two seconds, and was satisfied.
Outside, the humidity was thick and immediate. Dan opened the door of the black SUV. Olivia paused, her hand gripping the frame. She looked back at Nicholas for one last look, searching for something to hold onto.
"I will see you at the apartment in a few hours," she said.
He stepped close and lowered his voice, so it was only for her. "Take your time. Take everything you want."
He kissed her, not as a goodbye, but as a promise, and closed the door.
He stood on the sidewalk and watched the taillights disappear into the morning traffic. Then he pulled Jim aside, his voice dropping low.
"She is your number one priority. Keep her safe."
Jim didn't hesitate. "You can count on me."
"Hourly updates. Texts are fine."
Jim nodded and got in.
Nicholas stood there until the SUV was gone. The silence that followed settled over him, heavy and real.
He turned and went back inside.
Work was waiting upstairs.
His mind was in the SUV.