CHAPTER 103: SOMETHING YOU CAN DO (1)

Georgia’s POV

We returned to the hotel, and before I could even set my bag down, Katie launched herself into my arms as soon as I entered the bedroom.

She and her nanny were watching TV. Her small body was warm, her grip tight, and just like that, the knots of the day began to ease.

"I’m so sorry I couldn’t play with you today," I murmured, brushing a silky curl away from her flushed little face.

"That’s fine!" she said, eyes bright as stars. "Nanna and I went to the play jungle after you left. It was so much fun!"

I glanced at Wendy, the silent question already on my face.

"Nick introduced us to his driver," Wendy said in a low voice. "He handed me his black card and told me to do whatever it takes to keep Katie entertained. He said he didn’t know how long you’d be gone, but said he’d keep me updated through Vicky."

My brows arched. "Wow, that’s impressive," I breathed, my gaze flicking back to Katie, though my chest tightened at the thought of Nick’s concern.

"Then we went to the hotel’s indoor pool," Katie continued, bubbling with excitement. "They have this huge water play area, and I made friends!"

"She crashed the moment we got back," Wendy added with a fond smile. "I had to wake her up for dinner, or she’d be up all night."

I laughed softly. "Tomorrow, we’re going to Ocean Park. You’ll love it there."

Katie practically bounced off the bed, her squeal pure joy.

"Which means, young lady, bedtime," I teased, coaxing her to curl between me and Wendy.

Ella and Vicky arrived soon after, their exhaustion written in the slump of their shoulders. They barely made it to the other bed before sleep claimed them.

The room settled into stillness. Everyone was breathing deeply, lost in dreams... everyone except me. Sleep refused to come. My mind was a restless tide, churning with unspoken thoughts and images I couldn’t banish.

The guilt in me for ruining Nick’s career still lingers, and I don’t know how to compensate him for that.

Finally, I can’t take it anymore. I have to sleep or I’ll suffer tomorrow. I slipped from bed, padding quietly to the kitchen in search of... something. Anything to calm me and make me sleepy.

I stopped in my tracks.

Nick was there. Sitting alone at the small table, the low warm light catching in his hair, cutting shadows across his sharp jaw that I love to touch and kiss.

A glass of wine sat by his hand, a tablet glowing faintly in the other. He looked completely absorbed until I spoke.

"Can’t sleep?" My voice was casual, but my pulse betrayed me.

His eyes lifted, slowly, and a half-smile curved his lips. "Yeah... you too?"

I nodded, moving toward the counter to pour myself some wine, keeping my back to him just long enough to steady my breathing.

"Join me," he said, the two words wrapped in something heavier than invitation.

"What are you doing?" I asked, nodding toward his tablet, catching a glimpse of some kind of document.

"Just going over something for work," he replied simply, then stood. His gaze didn’t waver as he said, "Can we talk on the balcony?"

"Why not here?" I asked, though my hand already itched to reach for his.

"Because someone might walk out of their room," he said, his voice dropping, "and I don’t want them hearing us."

Oh my God! What does he want to say that others can’t hear? This is really making me nervous.

When he extended his hand. Without thinking, I placed my fingers in his, letting him lead me out into the cool night. The door shut behind us with a quiet click that felt... final.

He guided me to a rattan sofa layered with soft cushions, setting his glass down on the low coffee table. Then he turned fully toward me.

My pulse kicked up, nerves buzzing under my skin. His eyes held an intensity that made it impossible to look away. And when he reached for both my hands, my breath caught entirely.

"I’ll be honest with you..." he began.

FUCK! That sentence... When something starts with those words, it’s not good. Totally bad news.

I don’t want to hear it. My heart is already aching. I can’t breathe.

I think my heart just stopped!

Panic flared in my chest. I lifted a hand, a weak smile tugging at my lips. "Nick, you don’t need to explain. You’ve already done so much for me, and I’m grateful. If you need to go... you’re free. I won’t stop you. I don’t have the right."

Nick’s eyes locked on mine, his frown deepening with every passing second.

The silence between us wasn’t just awkward, it was suffocating, the kind that wrapped around my chest and squeezed until I could barely breathe.

I wanted...no, needed to know what he was thinking, but he just kept staring, as if trying to read my soul before deciding whether to crush it.

What’s going through his mind? Is he stringing together the right words to break me gently... or is he already imagining life without me in it? The thought burned through my chest like acid.

God. I feel like I’m dying right here. If disappearing were an option, I’d vanish in a heartbeat.

Unable to stand his silence, I forced myself to speak. "I’m sorry... I’m so sorry I ruined your career. I know you had plans, bigger, brighter things ahead of you, but you ended it all because of me. You could’ve had a graceful retirement, but instead... I ruined it," My voice faltered, shame clawing at my throat.

He said nothing. Not a word. That silence was worse than any accusation.

"I don’t know how to make it up to you," I continued, my heart pounding in my ears. "I don’t even have the money to repay you for everything you’ve done. But if there’s something, anything I could do to show my gratitude... to honor the sacrifices you’ve made for me... I would."

That’s when it happened.

His lips curved, not in kindness, but into that devilish, slow-spreading smirk that told me danger had just entered the room and taken human form. Mischief flickered in his eyes, sharp and certain. He’d made up his mind.

"There is something you can do," he said, his voice low, curling into my veins like smoke.

My throat tightened. I swallowed hard. "What is it?"

His gaze burned into me. "Date me..."

The words slammed into me like a free fall. My jaw and my heart didn’t just drop, they plummeted, all the way past the balcony, past the ground floor... maybe even straight into the basement of hell itself.

I was stunned!

********

Thank you for the gift!

Edna_R2679