CHAPTER 78: AN INVITATION (1)

"There are two bedrooms in this suite," Vicky said as she tapped the keycard and pushed the door open.

The luxurious space opened before them. Plush carpeting, modern decor accents on the walls, and city lights spilling through the floor-to-ceiling windows. "Georgia and I will take the one on the right. You guys can take the left."

Before anyone could move, Nick lowered Georgia to her feet, but his hand stayed on her waist. "Actually, Georgia and I will take the right—or the left. Doesn’t matter. As long as we’re together."

Vicky stopped mid-step and turned with a glare sharp enough to cut glass. "Excuse me? Are you saying I should sleep with those two?" Her expression turned sour. "Absolutely not. The room on the left has two double beds. The one on the right has a queen. That queen bed is perfect for Georgia and me."

Nick crossed his arms, jaw tightening. "You can take one of the doubles. Let Liam and Ollie share the other. The queen bed is ours. Georgia and I are staying there—end of discussion."

Tension sparked like flint striking stone. Georgia stood in the middle, eyes bouncing between Nick and Vicky as their voices began to rise.

Then Nick turned to her, voice softer but no less intense. "Georgia, you want to stay with me, right?"

She opened her mouth, unsure how to answer—until Vicky cut in.

"Of course she doesn’t!" Vicky snapped. "She’s been around you long enough. I’m sure she’s craving a female companion by now. And let’s not forget—if she sleeps beside you, you’ll just ruin her skin again with all your—" she motioned vaguely to Georgia’s neck, "aggressive affection."

Georgia’s cheeks flushed, but she couldn’t respond—not before another voice cut through the awkward air.

"Bro, just stay with us tonight." Liam appeared suddenly, tossing his arm lazily over Nick’s shoulder. "Let the girls have their little sleepover and late-night chats. Come on, don’t you miss us? You’ve been gone eight months."

Nick shoved Liam’s arm off, clearly unamused. "We see each other at the port whenever we dock. We have a group chat. Why the hell would I miss you?"

"But I missed you," Liam said with a grin—before grabbing Nick’s face and pressing a loud, exaggerated kiss to his cheek.

"Fuck—! You’re disgusting!" Nick recoiled, wiping his face with the back of his hand. "Try that again and I swear I’ll kill you in your sleep."

Liam lunged forward for another kiss, and Nick dodged with a growl.

The tension shattered as Georgia burst into laughter, the tension finally releasing from her shoulders. Vicky rolled her eyes and sighed, clearly not liking what her two brothers were doing.

As Liam continued to chase Nick around the suite with obnoxious affection, laughter echoing through the walls, Vicky gently reached for Georgia’s hand. Her grip was soft, but her tone carried quiet authority.

"Come on," she said with a sly smile. "Let’s go to our room. It’s ours now—he can’t do anything about it."

She tugged Georgia toward the door on the right. But as they stepped inside, Georgia came to a sudden stop.

Two double beds.

She blinked, momentarily confused. ’Hadn’t Vicky said there was only one queen bed?’

Before Georgia could question it, Vicky let out a knowing giggle. "Relax. I only said that to rile Nick up. If I hadn’t, he’d be in here by now trying to monopolize you."

Vicky walked over to the table and lifted several paper bags with elegant ribbon handles. She turned and handed them to Georgia with a smile.

"Here. I bought a few things. Didn’t know exactly what you’d want, so I just picked whatever looked like you."

Georgia peered inside one of the bags, her fingers brushing soft fabric—dresses, casual tops, a pair of sleek trousers, and beneath them... delicate lace and silk. Her cheeks warmed slightly.

"I didn’t know your style, so I guessed," Vicky added with a wink. "But I’m good at guessing."

She motioned toward the door beside the dresser. "Bathroom’s right there if you want a proper bath. I’ll be outside—I need to send some emails before the office hour ends."

Georgia nodded, still overwhelmed by the quiet care in Vicky’s gestures. As the door closed behind her, Georgia slowly set the bags on one of the beds and began pulling out the contents. She laid the clothes neatly across the comforter.

In the silence that followed, the echo of chaos from earlier still lingered faintly in her mind. She sat on the bed and finally felt the exhaustion from everything that had happened today.

Just as Georgia reached for a shirt from the bed, the door suddenly creaked open.

Nick stepped inside, the tension in his shoulders easing slightly. "Hey, I just want to check on—" he paused mid-sentence, his eyes landed on the two beds.

He froze. "That brat," he muttered through clenched teeth, a storm flickering in his gaze.

Georgia bit back a laugh, the way his expression twisted from concern to sibling irritation far too amusing. "Vicky was right," she teased lightly. "I should stay with her. You, on the other hand, should enjoy your boys’ reunion."

Nick turned to her, the frustration in his eyes melting the moment they landed on her face. He walked over and knelt in front of her like gravity had pulled him down.

Gently, he reached up and cupped her cheek, his thumb brushing the faint pink mark still left behind.

"Still a bit red," he whispered, his voice thick with guilt. "Are you sure you don’t want me here tonight?"

Georgia gave a small, reassuring shake of her head. "I’m fine, Nick. Vicky’s really sweet. I like her company."

He smiled, the corners of his lips twitching upward. "Yeah... She can be sweet. But don’t let that fool you—she breathes fire when she’s mad."

That earned a small laugh from Georgia, until his hand framed her face again and his expression grew darker, more tender.

"I’m sorry," he murmured. "We went straight to the police station as planned after you were taken. His bodyguards slowed us down. I should’ve gotten to you sooner."

"Don’t," Georgia said, placing her hand over his. "You did come. When he took me, all I could do was pray you’d find me. And you did. That’s all I could have asked for."

Nick’s jaw clenched, his forehead lowering to rest against hers. "But it wasn’t fast enough. If I had been there just a minute earlier, he wouldn’t have laid a hand on you... I saw him, Georgia. Over you. Touching what isn’t his. I wanted to kill him. Right there." His voice broke, filled with restrained rage. "But if I had, I would’ve ended up behind bars—and you’d be left alone."

Georgia’s grip on his hand tightened. "But you didn’t. You came just in time, before he could take anything more from me. That’s what matters."

Nick’s eyes searched hers, tormented and burning.

"I should’ve chosen a better plan... A better way to protect you," he said quietly.

Her lips parted, her voice soft but sure. "Then erase the part of me he touched. Replace his memory with yours..."

The air between them crackled as Nick’s breath hitched, and his pulse thundered in his ears. Georgia’s words weren’t just comfort—they were an invitation.

His grip on her face grew firmer, desperate.

"Fair enough," he breathed. "Then let me erase every part of him... Until all you remember is me."

He crashed his mouth onto hers—hungry, unforgiving, full of fire and need. Not just to claim her, but to comfort her... to make her his again.

********

Thank you for the Golden Ticket Its_Noaj!