Chapter 68 Chapter 68
A man like him could easily have devoured her.
But he was holding back—and that made the moment even more intense.
His tongue explored her mouth so voraciously that Caroline began to run out of air.
Her head was spinning.
Her heart was beating so fast it almost hurt.
At the edge of breathlessness, she pushed him away with trembling hands.
Nicholas pulled back a few inches, breathing deeply, his eyes darkened with desire.
Caroline gasped, bringing her hand to her chest.
Her face was on fire.
So was his... but not from embarrassment.
It was pure control broken—and rebuilt at great cost.
He looked at her as if she were the most delicious thing in the world.
As if he had just tasted something addictive.
Caroline quickly turned her face away, trying to hide her blush, and hurriedly opened her suitcase.
“I'll... unpack. And... if you want to stay here tonight... I'll sleep on the couch,” she murmured, her voice trembling.
Nicholas chuckled softly.
A warm, deep, dangerous sound.
“My love...” He walked slowly toward her. “How could I let you sleep on the couch? You'll stay in the bed. I'll stay on the couch.”
Caroline bit her lip.
The couch was too small for him.
Nicholas was almost 6'3" — he would never fit there.
“The couch is tiny... you won't be able to sleep well.”
His eyes sparkled with an almost mischievous satisfaction.
“Then I'll sleep in your room.”
Her eyes widened.
“N-No.”
“All right.” He shrugged, as if it were the most natural thing in the world. “Then I'll sleep on the floor. There are extra blankets. I'll manage.”
Caroline blinked, stunned.
Before she could argue, he added calmly:
“Carol... you won't let me sleep in bed with you. That's fine. But to deny me even the floor?” He brought his face close, almost touching hers. “Don't forget... we're married.”
His voice grew lower.
More intimate.
More irresistible.
“It would be too cruel to kick your newlywed husband out of the bedroom, don't you agree?”
Caroline swallowed hard.
Exaggeration or not... he was right.
Reluctantly—and deeply blushing—she nodded slowly.
“O-Okay... I'll get some extra blankets.”
His smile widened.
Devastating, satisfied, dangerous.
“Great. Then I'll take a shower in the meantime.”
He loosened his tie and walked toward the bathroom.
Caroline blinked rapidly.
“Wait! You didn't bring a change of clothes!”
Nicholas was already at the door.
He turned, leaned his shoulder against the doorframe, and said:
"I asked Bratt to bring my clothes. He should be here soon. Get it for me when they knock.
And he entered the bathroom.
The water started running a few seconds later.
Caroline stood in the middle of the room, unable to react.
Her whole face burned.
He... had planned everything.
Since before he got there.
This man...
He came with the clear intention of sleeping there — with her.
The bathroom lights cast a diffuse shadow through the frosted glass.
She couldn't see details... but she could see his silhouette.
And what a silhouette.
Nicholas took off his shirt...
And the muscles in his arms and chest were defined against the glass — like a living painting.
Caroline felt her heart race even faster.
She tried to look away... but couldn't.
And then the forbidden memory of that night — the one she was desperately trying to forget — came back like a hot flash.
She remembered his voice, hoarse, saying “Carol” against her ear...
She remembered his strong hands holding her body... She remembered the muscles beneath her fingers...
And she remembered that — as chaotic as that night had been — the body that touched her was like that.
Strong.
Warm.
Impossible to forget.
Caroline closed her eyes.
It can't be him... it can't...
But every time Nicholas called her Carol, her heart reacted with that same buried memory.
Suddenly, his cell phone rang beside the bed, pulling her out of that whirlwind.
She looked at the screen.
The display read:
Hiago Roque
Caroline swallowed hard.
Now what?
Caroline blinked at the cell phone screen, remembering that Nicholas had mentioned a close friend: the eldest son of the Roque family. The Roque family... one of the oldest, richest, and most influential in São Paulo — as powerful as the Wolfs.
And now the name Hiago Roque was flashing on the display.
The phone kept ringing.
The constant sound of water in the shower reminded her that Nicholas wasn't going to answer.
She took a deep breath and slid her finger across the screen.
“Hello...?”
On the other end, a male voice fired impatiently:
“Brother! Didn't you say you'd bring your sister-in-law to meet us today? Why isn't she here yet? You said she was shy and didn't want us to scare the poor thing, so we sent all the beauties here away! Do you know how boring it is to have a bunch of guys standing around drinking, waiting for you?” Don't tell me you're not coming anymore!“
Caroline's eyes widened.
Sister-in-law?
Nicholas dismissed his friends because of her?
”Yeah...“ she said, not quite sure what to say.
The soft sound of her voice immediately caught the man's attention.
There was an abrupt silence.
Then a shout:
”SISTER-IN-LAW?!"
Caroline blushed to the roots of her hair.
She raised a hand, covering her mouth, as if that would help in any way.
“M-Mr. Roque... hi...”
“Wow!” His excitement exploded through the speakerphone. "So it's true! It's really your sister-in-law! Hello, sister-in-law! I'm Hiago Roque, Nick's childhood friend. Soul brothers! Brothers in arms! Brothers in everything—except blood!
Caroline let out a nervous laugh.
“Really?”
“Of course!” He seemed to vibrate on the other end of the line. “When Nick said he had finally found a girl, I thought it was another one of his jokes. Who would have thought?! I used to tease him all the time, saying he would die single!”
Caroline didn't know where to hide her face.
“I'm so happy for him!” Hiago continued dramatically. “Now I won't have to worry about him never looking at a woman again!”
“H-He... never...?”
“Never!” Hiago seemed offended by the mere idea of the contrary. “Since he was a kid, he rejected all girls.” ALL of them. And there were many. He was always handsome like that, you know? I've seen girls cry because he didn't reciprocate their feelings. But if any of them touched him, he reacted as if he had been assaulted!
Caroline's eyes widened.
“Nicholas?!” she whispered, incredulous.
“Exactly!” Hiago sighed. “I spent years trying to understand what this disorder was. I swear, I even thought he liked men...! And I was afraid he would show up one day and tell me he had fallen in love with me! For God's sake, he saw me naked several times in the locker room! I PANICKED just thinking about it!”
Caroline blinked slowly.
Is this man real?
Hiago continued, possessed by the drama:
“And ATTENTION: I have nothing against gay people, okay? But... I don't want to be my best friend's crush! Can you imagine how awful that would be?!”
Caroline pressed the bridge of her nose.
His exaggeration was so... theatrical, so absurd, that she didn't know whether to laugh or hide under the bed.