CHAPTER 104: SOMETHING YOU CAN DO (2)

Nick’s POV

"Date me..."

There. I’d said it.

The words left my mouth like a shot, no way to take them back, no way to soften their impact.

It hit me the second she’d finished speaking. Georgia still didn’t understand. She still couldn’t see what she meant to me, no matter how many ways I’d tried to show her.

And if my actions weren’t enough to break through that dense wall of hers, then fine. I’d go for the kill—direct, undeniable, impossible to misinterpret.

From now on, I’d give her both. My words and my actions. No shadows, no half-measures, no leaving space for doubt.

But now... now she was staring at me like I’d just dropped the ground out from under her feet. Her wide eyes locked on mine, and for the first time, I didn’t know if she was about to run... or fall.

I caught her hands, lifting them to my lips, kissing each one slowly, carefully. "What do you say? Will you date me?"

She blinked, swallowed hard. "D-Date you?"

I bit back the urge to groan.

No, Georgia, I’m not asking you to repeat it—I’m asking you to answer!!!

What the heck!

Worse—something in her tone told me she was about to misinterpret my intention all over again. I leaned forward, refusing to give her the chance

"Georgia, listen to me." My voice was low, urgent, my pulse hammering like I’d just gone ten rounds in the ring. "I know this feels like going backwards after... After what happened on the island, what we did there.

But I want to make it right. I want to treat you right. I want to give you what you deserve in this lifetime, and nothing less. Let me, please?"

Her brows pulled together. "So... you don’t want to leave me and go back to your old life. We’re not getting married, either. Just... date?"

I almost smiled—because of course she’d frame it that way. "Yes. That’s exactly what I want... if you want it too. Your problem with Raymond is gone now. There’s no reason to tie yourself to a marriage that was born out of desperation instead of love.

For now, I want to take it slow. I want to show you who I am, what I can give you... and prove I’m worthy of you. I won’t chain you to a solution. I’m asking you to choose me for me.

Give me that chance, Georgia. Because right now..." My throat tightened, and I didn’t even try to hide it. "Right now, I can’t bear the thought of letting you go."

Christ!!!

This wasn’t me. I don’t beg. I don’t bare my throat to anyone. I don’t chase women. Women come to me on their own and beg for my attention. I am always the one who leaves first.

But for her? I’d throw every last piece of armor to the wind.

Because if she walked away without understanding what I felt—there’d be nothing left of me worth keeping.

She smiled... not just with her lips, but with her eyes—straight into my chest, straight into my damn soul.

I held my breath, waiting for the words that could either shatter me or set me on fire.

"Okay, Nick. Let’s date..." she giggled, soft and sweet, the kind of sound that made me want to devour her—not sexually, no, no—just a playful bite on that perfect arm, like I could somehow claim a piece of her.

My heart didn’t just skip a beat—it shot straight into a roller coaster, looped three times, then slammed back into my ribcage.

I couldn’t hold back. I crushed her into a hug so sudden she let out a startled cough, and I immediately pulled away, stealing a quick kiss before I could stop myself.

"Thank you, God, thank you!" The joy spilling out of me was too much to keep in. I stood, threw my arms to the sky, and shouted, "YES!"

Her laughter, gods, that laugh, spilled out like champagne, and I swear I could live off it forever.

She reached for my shirt, tugging me back down. "Nick, sit down and be quiet! People are sleeping."

I dropped beside her instantly, still holding her hands, still grounding myself in her warmth. I’ve never felt this before. Never wanted something so purely. The women before... they were blurs, distractions. This... Georgia... is my clarity.

Our hearts felt aligned... but then it hit me like a punch to the gut.

Wait!!!

I haven’t even asked her the most important thing.

"Georgia," I said, my voice low but steady. "I need to know one thing."

The warmth I’d felt seconds ago twisted into a knot of nerves in my chest and stomach. My palms were damp. My heartbeat? Loud enough to drown out the world. I drew a deep breath, trying to anchor myself before the words slipped out.

"Do you like me?"

Yeah, I knew it was a stupid question—especially after all the times I had her beneath me, wrapped around me, crying my name, me inside her—but this wasn’t about the sex.

This was about making sure my heart won’t get torn apart like it had years ago.

She laughed softly, rolling her eyes, but I held her gaze. I needed the truth, straight from her lips.

"Isn’t it obvious, Nick? I do like you. But... what about you? Do you like me the way I like you? Because for a while, I thought maybe this was just about sex—or about helping you find my brother’s real killer to clear your name completely. So... how do you really feel about me?"

Her words hit me harder than I expected, like a punch straight to my precious balls. She had been doubting me all this time.

I couldn’t blame her. With the reputation I have and what she found out about me and Sarah. She has every right to doubt me.

But... I couldn’t let her believe that for a second longer.

"Gods, Georgia... you have no idea how terrified I was asking you to date me. I thought you’d turn me down. That the second Raymond was out of the picture, you wouldn’t need me anymore. But I like you. I like you so damn much it scares me."

I took her hands, kissed them one by one, lingering just to feel her warmth against my lips. "Please, don’t ever think I’m only after your body. You’re so much more than that to me."

...Though, unfortunately, my cock didn’t seem to care about my heartfelt speech—it was already aching, pressing against my jeans.

So I added with a slow grin, "But... if you want me right now, we can make it happen. Here. In the loo near the entrance. Or—" I let my thumb stroke over her knuckles, "—I can book another room and keep you up until morning."

Her smile faltered, her jaw dropping.

I almost took it back. Almost.

Then she chuckled—and the spark in her eyes told me she wasn’t just considering it. She was already imagining it.

*******

Thank you Edna_R2679 for the Golden Ticket!