Chapter 52 Nicholas Proposes
Nicholas gazed at her angelic face, her soft pink lips that unknowingly confessed her deepest feelings for him. It was the last thing he had expected to hear, and it made his heart skip a beat with anticipation that maybe she would give their relationship a chance. After getting a taste of her, he was so drunk in her sweetness that the prospect of having a relationship with her pleased him a lot. He knew he needed to make love to her again or he would die! Being in a relationship with her would give him ample chance to do what his heart desired!
“Now that I know, I’ll never let you go. You’re mine for life, Alyssa,” he murmured, planting a peck on her sweet lips.
A euphoric smile spread across his face after having admitted that to her. He didn’t know what he felt for her, but whatever it was, it couldn’t be easily erased. He needed her every day, every minute, every second near him to survive. She had become his elemental need!
Nicholas pulled on his clothes and closed his eyes, trying to sleep, thinking of ways to propose to her tomorrow. He would definitely take advantage of this trip and when they returned, he could talk to her step-dad and marry her. Alexander couldn’t separate him from his Alyssa now! Satisfied with his decision, he fell asleep finally, yet dreams of making love to Alyssa invaded his mind throughout the night.
So it wasn’t surprising that when he woke up, he found himself on top of her!
“God! Get off me, Nicholas,” groaned Alyssa, pushing him away and pulling on her clothes. She was appalled at seeing herself still without clothes. How could she sleep naked with Nicholas?
Nicholas grinned lazily and rolled away, but not before giving her a peck on her pouty lips. “Good morning, girlfriend,” he whispered hoarsely. Alyssa winced as she tried to get out of bed.
“Are you sore?” he asked with concern, getting out of bed to help her.
“Yeah,” she said, as she attempted to go to the washroom but failed. Nicholas picked her up, cradling her against his chest as if she was the most precious thing in the entire world. Her eyes connected with his and her heart skipped a beat, seeing the tender love reflected in them. Was she hallucinating? Did Nicholas love her? No, she was mistaken. He didn’t love her but just desired her.
“See what you’ve done? Now, how will I accompany you to your meeting today?” she groaned. Nicholas didn’t at all look repentant and grinned instead.
“You don’t need to. Just rest the whole day and get better for a repeat in the night,” he winked, his whole body already aroused at the thought.
“There’ll be no repeat ever again,” she said as he set her down inside the en-suite.
“That’s what you think!” he said, walking away with a cheerful grin on his face. Knowing how she felt about him, her words wouldn’t discourage him at all. He knew she wanted him as much as he did.
Alyssa winced in pain and somehow freshened up, but deep in her heart, she knew that what she shared last night with Nicholas wasn’t just se. It was something special and she would cherish the memory for the rest of her life. Did she want a repeat as he suggested? Yes, of course. She loved him after all, and maybe this was the only opportunity they had with one another. Her life would be turned upside down once she reached home.
When she emerged, Nicholas wasn’t in the bedroom, and the smell of fresh coffee and mouthwatering food made her stomach grumble. She limped somehow to the living area and found Nicholas standing at the enormous bay window with his coffee, lost in his thoughts.
“What are you thinking about?” she asked, sitting at the table to pour herself some coffee. Nicholas came out of his daze and turned to look at her. His lips stretched into a heart-stopping smile and she felt her heart skip a beat. He looked so happy!
“How to propose to you!” he stated, his eyes shining with amusement as he came over to sit in front of her, his gaze burning into her soul. Alyssa blushed but rolled her eyes at seeing his flirty mood. She couldn’t figure out if he was serious or joking! Why was he this way? If he wanted to propose, he could do it sincerely, instead of tempting her and teasing her.
“No thanks, I don’t need any complications in my life.”
“Am I a complication to you?” She nodded with an impish grin on her face, refusing to look into his eyes.
Nicholas scoffed, disbelieving her totally. “But you confessed something else in your sleep last night.” Alyssa gaped at him, shocked by his statement, but before she could ask him to elaborate, his phone buzzed with an incoming call and he got up to talk.
“Yes, Luke. What’s up, bro? How did you remember me this early in the morning?” he asked Lucas.
“Haven’t you seen the newspapers? Your relationship status is creating a stir in the gossip columns of most of the leading newspapers. Alexander was here early in the morning and we had quite a fight! His name has been tagged in the article and he has lost his shit!” said Lucas angrily, making Nicholas’s jaws drop with shock. He did not know that Anthony Liang would stoop so low. He might have sold his story to all the leading newspapers overnight!
“I’ll talk to the reporter to take down his story.”
“The reporter hasn’t come out in the open. It’s an anonymous post. Just a staff correspondent doesn’t throw any light. Whom will you sue for this? It isn’t just one newspaper,” said Lucas.
“I know who has done it.”
“Grow up, Nicholas. Why not avoid such controversies in the first place? I thought I asked you to stay away from Alyssa,” said Lucas.
“Why should I when I like her the most in the entire world? I want to have a relationship with her!” he protested while Lucas sighed.
“The consequences won’t be good, Nick. Alexander hates you and will never willingly accept you. There’ll be war,” warned Lucas.
“I’m ready for war. I won’t cower in fright and stop pursuing Alyssa because of Alexander.” Lucas sighed knowing how stubborn Nicholas was.
“Do what you want, then. Be ready to land up in the hospital,” he said, disconnecting the call angrily. Nicholas returned to the table with a frown while checking the article Lucas mentioned on an online news site. He read the headlines and seethed with fury.
An alliance between Titans!
The article explained how Nicholas Donnelly and Alexander Van Every were now related because of Nicholas’s relationship with Alyssa Van Every. It also explained how two people in love were setting relationship goals for others on their trip to Singapore. There were pictures of them together and in no way did they look like they were at a press conference. He had to admit that the photographer had angled his camera too well to get the perfect shot.
“What’s wrong?” asked Alyssa, seeing his change of mood. Nicholas sighed and showed her the article on his phone. There was no way he could hide it from her. She would know about it, eventually.
“Oh, my gosh! Now, what do we do? I knew this would happen. I just wish Alexander wouldn’t see the news!”
“He has seen it. Lucas called to say that the news was printed in the gossip columns of all the leading newspapers in the US. Alexander had gone to Lucas’s house early in the morning to fight.” Alyssa‘s jaws dropped with shock, and she stared at Nicholas accusingly.
“It’s all because of you, Nicholas. Why did you have to lie when we are here just on a business trip and nothing else? Just because we had se once doesn’t make us a couple,” she said, gulping for air out of stress. She didn’t have the courage to face her brother and stepdad anymore.
“We are a couple, and you know that very well. We might not have explicitly admitted that to one another, but what we shared wasn’t just se. Face it, Alyssa. This might be a business trip, but you cannot ignore the spark we share. I’m not scared to admit the truth, and neither should you be. We both are adults and no one can object to our relationship. Alexander has no solid reason to hate me, and I refuse to bow down to him. Why are you so scared? Be my girlfriend, Alyssa, please?” he said, getting down from his chair and kneeling before her on one knee. It was so sudden that Alyssa stood up in a trance and gazed at him with wide eyes. Her mind battled with her heart, confusing her totally. What should she do? Should she give in to her heart? But Nicholas didn’t love her!
So what exactly was he offering?