Chapter 546 Jacob, I Got Married 3
"Theron." Nicole's voice was husky and raw, carrying an unmistakable feminine allure. "We're moving too fast."
"Nicole, we're not moving fast at all," Theron replied, his fingers intertwining with hers in an intimate embrace. "I've been in love with you for eight years."
His confession poured out like a dam bursting, voice thick with emotion and longing. "I've loved you since the moment I first saw you at the University. For me, this isn't fast at all. You have no idea how many times I've watched you, so trusting and unguarded in my presence, and wanted nothing more than to make you truly mine—not as a wife in name only, but as my real partner. I wanted to stop worrying about whether you still thought of someone else, stop fearing you might leave me, and simply claim you as my wife forever."
His voice grew rougher, more passionate as he laid his heart bare, waiting for her verdict. Love him, or don't.
Nicole stared at him in stunned silence.
Eight years.
So their marriage hadn't been born of circumstance or convenience—he had married her because he wanted to. He had known about Jacob all along but never confronted her about it, allowing them to coexist peacefully, even happily, for two years.
Theron's thumb traced her cheek with infinite tenderness. The way he looked at her was unmistakably that of a man seeing his woman, yet he respected her autonomy. Even consumed by desire as he was, he wouldn't dare take what wasn't freely given.
Tears gathered in Nicole's eyes as she made her decision in those few precious seconds.
It would be Theron.
How many people could love someone faithfully for eight years? She had given Jacob six years of her youth, only to receive nothing in return—no acknowledgment, no commitment. To him, she had been a burden, someone he couldn't proudly introduce to the world.
Her body trembling slightly, she reached up to wrap her arms around his neck, surrendering herself completely. From now on, he would be her husband in every sense, and she would learn to truly love him.
Nicole's delicate nose flushed pink as she spoke, her voice soft and vulnerable. "Theron, I'm not as wonderful as you think. I'm rather simple, really."
The same words she might have spoken to Jacob in shame now carried a hint of playful confession. Somehow, she knew Theron wouldn't mind.
"I know," he said simply.
Theron had started to reach for the drawer but stopped, his arm falling back as he gazed into her eyes with profound intensity. "Can we do this without protection? Not just for tonight's pleasure, but for a lifetime together. If we have a child, we'll welcome them. We're already married, and I promise to love our children completely. I'll be the best father I can be."
Nicole remained silent, looking up at him with such pure, trusting eyes that he was reminded of that night when she had swayed like a young fawn, innocent and endearing.
Desire darkened Theron's gaze as he lowered his head to claim her lips, slowly and reverently making her his in every way.
Moonlight streamed through the windows, casting their silhouettes together against the wall.
Theron began with exquisite gentleness, treating her like precious porcelain, but as passion overtook them both, his restraint crumbled. Later, he would tease that absence truly did make the heart grow fonder.
Afterward, Nicole lay curled against his chest, murmuring complaints about exhaustion, calling him insatiable and shameless, claiming she'd been thoroughly deceived.
"If I treat you well, how is that deceiving you?" Theron replied with a tender smile, gazing down at his wife. As an experienced man, he understood what physical intimacy meant for a marriage—if her body could accept him, surely her heart had made room for him too.
They hadn't used protection, and he found himself hoping for the gift of children. A son who might resemble him, a daughter who would mirror her mother's beauty. Perhaps in a few years they would be blessed with both, and when his schedule allowed more freedom, he could take on their education while Nicole pursued whatever brought her joy.
But even with children, he knew Nicole would always be his greatest love—the girl he had cherished for eight long years.
Now, finally and completely, she belonged to him.