Nora

Nicole came over for dinner. She was a beautiful young lady with the right sense of humour and a witty mind. She shared most of her characteristics with her brother, and while they both were different people, she looked and sounded so much like Nicolas. She was his family, and I couldn't be happier we got along so well. Nicolas loved seeing us together. He didn't say it, but I could see it on his face. 

The next morning was the same like always. Nicolas got up before I did. We showered together and he made me breakfast. I was cutting through my pancake, looking up at him as he typed on his laptop. I was dressed for work, while he looked like he had no intention of leaving the house.

"You're lucky." I'd said. "You don't need to be at the office everyday."

"You won't as well if you work for me." He'd simply said, effectively shutting me up.

Nicolas was a powerful man. He was used to being in control all the time, and I could tell my disagreement with his proposal was something he didn't like. I appreciated him not pushing me further. Even though he made subtle statements, he respected my boundaries. He was trying so much to make this work, I loved that.

I brought up the topic of Lydia's wedding at the breakfast table. He stopped typing and shut down his laptop, turning to look at me. "Benjamin and Matthew will accompany you."

I scrunched my eyebrows. "At the party? No."

"Yes."

"No." I fumed. "You can't just-"

"I can, and I will." Nicolas stated, folding his arms on his chest. His expression was firm and calm, telling me he wouldn't budge.

"It's a fucking bachelorette party, Nicolas!" I snapped. "I can't have bodyguards lurking around me everywhere."

"Yes you-" 

"Fucking listen to me. That day is for my best friend, okay? She is going to be the spotlight. I understand you're concerned about my security, but sometimes you have to let go, Nico. Everything is not in your control."

He narrowed his eyes at me, then sighed and looked away. "When you stop fighting back and talk like that, it takes everything in me to not kiss you."

I smiled. "You can kiss me whenever you want. You be at my beck and call, I be at your beck and call. Remember?"

Nicolas took a step in my direction and grinned. "I don't remember establishing that. But that sounds perfect."

I held onto his shoulders when he pulled me forward, resting his chin on my head. His fingers played with my hair almost absentmindedly. I buried my face in shirt, inhaling his familiar scent and humming in delight. "You mean more to me than I could ever tell you." I whispered.

He glanced down at me with a fiercely protective look in his eyes. "There is nothing in this entire goddamn world that I won't do for you, Nora."

My chest constricted, heart fluttering dangerously in my chest. He bent down to press a hard kiss to my mouth as I stood on my toes. When his phone rang, he pulled away.

"Reid." His eyes narrowed at whatever was said on the other side. He looked at me and mouthed, "I'm sorry."

My face broke into a smile as I shook my head, standing on my toes to kiss is cheek. I grabbed my purse from the counter and walked towards the front door. I looked back one last time to find his intense gaze already on me. His lips were moving, but I was too mesmerised in his eyes. So blue, so beautiful. I shook myself out of the daze and walked out.

When I reached my office, a dozen red roses were waiting for me on my desk. Freshly plucked, long stemmed, still scented. There was no note attached, but I didn't need a confirmation as to who it was. The dominant way they sat on my table, dulling everything around them told me who it was.

Another surprise waited for me in my office. The smile that had reached my face completely vanishing. "Jordan."

He hastily got up. "Nora, hi. I've been calling you-"

"And I've not been picking up for a reason." I finished.

"I need to talk to you-"

"But I don't want to." I crossed my arms on my chest and I narrowed my eyes at him. "Showing up at my office is pretty bold of you. But it's a waste of time."

"He's not good for you." He walked towards me, his face pleading with mine to understand. "I'm not here to ask you to give me another chance-"

"Good."

"-but I care for you, Nora. You're too good for him. He's a-"

"Ironic, isn't it? You say you care for me when you showed me the exact opposite of care." I said. "And my relationship is none of your business."

"Did you know he was engaged before?" 

I blinked, now suddenly very cautious. "How do you know that?"

His expression dropped. "You do know. Did you know why Sydney broke it off?"

"How the fuck do you know that?" I asked forcefully. Nicolas hadn't gone public with his engagement for a reason. He didn't want people to know. 

"Sydney told me. I met her at a shoot a few weeks back. She broke it off because he cheated on her, Nora."

"She cheated on him." I seethed out. "She slept with a guy-"

"She did. But only because he slept with someone before!" Jordan exclaimed. "Look, I know we didn't end on the best terms, but we had been friends before. I really do care for you. I just-"

"Stop. Don't." I said through gritted teeth. "Get out."

He shook his head, walking out of the door without another word. I didn't believe one thing he said. He was a liar. He twisted people's words and presented his own story. But his visit disturbed my mind. Was Sydney going around and telling people? I didn't understand why she would do that especially when that chapter had closed long back. 

And if she had said what Jordan claimed, if she had lied and tried to sabotage Nico's image, she and I would have a huge problem. 

~~

I stared at Nicolas as he chopped off the garlic. I was sitting on a bar stool, while he cooked dinner. I loved watching him when he couldn't stare back at me. I loved watching him do something he was good at, apparently, everything. I decided to bring up the topic before he found out on his own. "Jordan came to visit me today."

He continued chopping, not looking my way. "I know."

"Then I suppose you know why he came?" I raised an eyebrow. When he didn't say anything, I continued. "He knows about your engagement."

His hand froze. His posture became rigid and cautious as he turned around to look at me. "What?"

"Apparently, Sydney told him." I said. "And, she told him something entirely different than what you told me."

"And you believe him?" 

"No." I said without a beat. "No, I don't."

"What did he say?"

"He said she broke off the engagement because you cheated on her." I watched as his face went from hurt, to furious. I watched as his eyes held the haunted look of betrayal. I noticed a while later that my fists were clenched. I wanted to punch the person who'd hurt him.

"That's absolute bullshit. How can he fucking say that? I would nev-"

"Nicolas, I know." I broke him off. "I know, I believe you."

He swore under his breath, the garlic suddenly forgotten as he paced back and forth. "How can she fucking reveal that to someone? We were supposed to keep it away from the media. For fucking-"

I got up from the chair and walked to him, cupping his face and pressing my lips to his. He took a second to respond, kissing back feverishly. When I pulled back, he looked composed than before. "What else did he say?"

"Nothing."

He narrowed his eyes. "What else, Nora?"

"Just that he thinks I'm too good for you. Just some random shit that doesn't even matter-"

"You're right. It doesn't matter. Because you're not leaving me."

"I'm not." I said hastily. I was amazed by the change in his attitude. He sounded angry a few seconds ago, now he was back to being in control. "Nico, about the-"

"I'll take care of it." He cut me off.

"How? We don't even know if it was him who was lying or her."

"I'll talk to Sydney." He said.

My jaw dropped. "You'll do what?" He didn't reply. "No."

"Don't worry about it, Nora." He dismissed me. "I'll talk-"

"Are you in touch with her? Do you talk to her?" Jealousy swirled in my body like a fucking volcano, ready to burst.

A bone in his jaw ticked. "No."

"When you won't let me talk to my ex boyfriend, what makes you think I'll let you talk to your former fiancee?" I asked. 

"This is different-"

"I said no, Nicolas." I stated forcefully. "That is not up for discussion."

"What the fuck do you want me do, then?" He held up his arms in frustration. "What-"

"I will talk to her."

"No." He said before I could even complete my sentence. "No way in hell am I letting you anywhere near her."

I raised both of my eyebrows at him. "Really? We're gonna fight about this now? You can be all alpha and caveman over me but I can't?"

"This is not about being a fucking caveman, Nora." He ran a hand through his hair. "She might say something to you and-"

"And I'll handle myself." I interjected him. "I could have talked to her without letting you know. But I'm having this discussion with you because-"

"You are-"

"Stop cutting my sentences." 

"I don't want you near her-"

"You're mine and I protect what's mine-"

"That's my line."

"Why don't you understand you'd have done the same if you were in my position? You'd have gone off to talk to the person without even asking me-"

"If it was important, I wouldn't need your permission."

"Well this is important and I don't need your permission-"

"Are you jealous?"

"Stop cutting my fucking sentences!" I slapped my hands on the counter.

"Are you jealous?" He repeated.

"You're an asshole-"

He grabbed both of my wrists and slammed me against the wall, holding them above my head. "Why are you jealous?"

Emotions were running in every vein of my body. I was vaguely aware of him staring at me. His expression was a mixture of anger, awe, and passion. His body covered mine as he pressed me into the wall, his grip on my wrists tight. We both knew he was trying to get me riled up. He loved when I lost control and gave it to him.

Nicolas rarely lost control. He was always in charge. And this was one of those rare occasions where I could see his eyes flickering with so many feelings, calling out to the deepest parts of my soul. He was obsessively possessive over me, but he didn't know I was just as much possessive over him. Every goddamn person in this entire fucking world should know he was mine just as much as I was his. 

"Why-"

"Because I fucking love you!" I shouted. The adrenaline was pumping so hard in my body that I didn't even realise the gravity of my words. I didn't even know I'd said them out loud. "There, I fucking said it."

Nicolas had frozen. He wasn't moving an inch. His hands were still holding my wrists in a tight grip, but his face was ashen. It almost made me want to take back my words. He blinked, opening his mouth, then closing it when no words came out. I was breathing hard by the time his face regained colour.

I already regretted my choice. I'd ruined everything. He would think it was too soon. So I closed my eyes, taking a deep breath. "I-I'm sor-"

"For real?" 

I opened my eyes, having to clutch his arms by the sheer intensity on his face. His walls were completely broken down. He looked so vulnerable only when he climaxed, and even then he buried his face in my neck to not let me see him like that. Right now, he was letting me. I didn't think he even realised it.

"No lies, remember?" I said softly.

He crashed his lips on mine, attacking softly and roughly at the same time. His hands on my body as they wrapped around my waist were gentle, but his mouth was fiercely wild and brutal. He lifted me up, supporting me against the wall. I tugged his hair, running my palm over his chest. He was panting when I pulled away.

Nicolas walked us over to the bedroom and dropped me down on the bed, covering his body with mine and kissing me again. We didn't have sex that night. But we kissed for hours. We didn't sleep. He held me in a protective hold against him all night, not letting go.

He didn't say the words back, but I knew. And that was enough for now.

*

OH MY GAWD I so loved writing this chapter. Nora confessing in this one wasn't planned, it just came to me spontaneously. And I felt it went with the flow. Some might think it happened too fast, but honestly, that's just who they are. They're impulsive, both of them. And I'd never claimed the story to be soft and slow.

Do share your opinions. I love interacting with my readers! <3