Trouble in Paradise (Arianna and Nicholas)

Nicholas's gaze was intense. It seemed like if I didn't make this call, I wouldn't be able to leave. But what did he mean by saying he would take care of Tabitha?

Unable to hide my sarcasm, I asked, "So? Are you planning to take responsibility now?"

Sweat beaded on his forehead. He closed his eyes briefly. When Nicholas opened them again, the heat in his eyes had faded a bit. He nodded at me with a resolute expression.

I frowned. "Sleep with me once, and now you want to take responsibility?"

If he really wanted to, I wouldn't be the only one he owed. And if he had truly wanted to take responsibility, we wouldn't have ended up here today.

Sometimes, it was pretty off-putting when someone was just being perfunctory.

Nicholas replied in a hoarse voice, "Tomorrow morning, we'll go to the court and remarry."

My gaze grew colder as I looked at him.

"Why are you ruining the mood with this talk? We're both adults. It's not just you who has needs, I have them too. Why should one night of fun cost me the rest of my life? Nicholas, I'm done playing. I'm not doing this anymore."

I didn't want to have another one of his children anymore. I hadn't seen a man who could spout nonsense like this in a long time. Honestly, he surprised me!

I felt genuine anger, gripping the car door with all my strength. I couldn't count how many times I had tried to open that door tonight, but I failed every time. Nicholas held my wrist down and trapped me in his embrace. He gently bit my earlobe as if to punish me, his hot breath brushing against my ear.

"If you're not playing with me, who are you going to play with? A male companion or Pete?"

His voice turned cold, laced with anger. "Seems like Ms. Jones has been having fun these past three years!"

Nicholas was indeed angry. He had to admit, what first attracted him to me was my fiery boldness, but only when it was directed at him.

In fact, no man disliked a bold

woman, and Nicholas was no

exception. He even enjoyed it. Over

the past three years, despite his

intense desire, all he had were my

pictures for comfort.

He would fantasize about our past, imagining me seducing him and doing all the things he liked. His hands were his only solace. Even then, he would call my name when he climaxed.

He had never sought out another woman to vent his desires. But what about me?

I was already daring and uninhibited when it came to intimacy. In the past three years, how many men had I been with?

Nicholas's eyes were bloodshot as he slowly released me from his arms. Few people could cause him pain, but I was one of them.

He looked at me with a mix of

resentment. His jaw clenched with

frustration, but he didn't know what to do with it. All he wanted was pin me down and make up for everything he had missed in these three years.

As the tension mounted between us, my phone suddenly rang. It was Pete. Glancing past Nicholas's shoulder, I tensed up when I saw Pete standing in front of my car, looking around.

Nicholas noticed as well. He leaned in close, his voice cold. "Not going to answer?"

For some reason, seeing Pete made me feel uneasy. I didn't want him to see me with Nicholas. It would take too much explaining.

Pete leaned against my window, peeking inside.

Nicholas sneered.

"No wonder you dared to come today. You already found yourself a knight in shining armor. The sound of the phone ringing is louder than our voices.

"If you don't answer, he'll soon hear it and look in here. Or would you prefer to let him see you like this?"

A smirk tugged at the corner of his lips. "If he sees you like this, would he believe we've done it or not?"

Then, Nicholas grabbed the hand holding the phone and raised it to my face. "Answer it. Or are you afraid of getting caught?"