His hand moved to flick her nose. “I need energy to kiss you, and food gives me energy. I’ll make us dinner. Let’s see what happens after that, okay?”
Emily pulled her hands back, heat rising to her cheeks.
She stood, smoothing her shirt with a nervous flick. “Okay, I’ll set the table.”
He stood alongside her. His brow raised, eyes softening with amusement. “You’ve never done so before.”
She shot him a look. “Well, there’s a first time for everything. Don’t get used to it.”
“Oh, I plan to.” He leaned forward with a grin. “You might not know it, Em, but I’ve already planned to get used to everything involving you.”
She gawked at him.
This was so unlike him, but at the same time, it so was.
Her concerns about Jake and Stella melted away at Nicolas’s antics. She appreciated how she could be honest in front of him. She didn’t have to be strong like she was in front of her family, Talia, or any of her other acquaintances.
Nicolas went inside roughly thirty minutes he presented her with a home-cooked meal.
“Here you go, my spoiled little wife.”
She smiled at him.
He took a seat beside her.
This was new.
He always sat across from her, like she was an adversary he needed to study. Their shoulders brushed as they talked for the next hour while eating. About her schedule, hisprojects and family. She felt the warmth of him, willing her to lean in.
And she did.
He reciprocated with draping his hand over her chair.
A small fear grew in the back of her mind. One that, for the first time, drowned out the rest of the words he was saying.
It was the scary reminder that this was only temporary.
33
Emily drew closer to Nicolas and could smell the scent of wine. She looked at David who dragged him inside the house. “Why is he like this?”
“Business function,” David replied. “It went on for longer than expected, so he kept having to drink more than usual.”
She ushered the assistant to Nicolas’s room.
Nicolas snored lightly as he rolled onto his side, digging his face further into the comforter. She couldn’t erase the image of how cute he looked in that moment. Her concern was momentarily overshadowed.
She smiled at David.“Thank you for bringing him home.”
“It’s my pleasure,” he said before leaving out the door.
Emily’s eyes went to Nicolas. His body was still, apart from the steady rise and fall of his chest. Her eyes trailed down to the pair of shoes onto his feet and went to take them off. After that, she struggled to remove his suit and tie.
“Come on!” She groaned, finally pulling the last of the material from beneath his arm.
Panting heavily, she was about to head to her room after covering his body with the comforter, but a hand grabbed her wrist.
She looked down to see Nicolas staring up at her with pleading eyes.
