Chapter 46 Want to Possess Everything
The second Blake finished speaking, I felt two burning gazes lock onto my face. How did I suddenly become the referee here?
Nicholas jumped in eagerly. "Cate, don't listen to his nonsense. At DI, you have to watch out for the Rosewood family causing trouble and your own coworkers stabbing you in the back." He kept pushing. "But at my company, it'd be different. We could commute together, and you wouldn't have to deal with either of those problems."
He made a compelling case. I felt myself wavering, but then Blake cut in coolly. "And then what? Setting aside the fact that you two aren't even officially together, how do you think that would look to her coworkers?"
I nodded in agreement. Gossip could be deadly.
Blake continued. "Besides, Catherine studied jewelry design. She should specialize in what she loves. Nicholas, are you really asking her to give up her dreams for work she doesn't even want to do?"
Every single point hit home. Nicholas fell silent. He really hadn't thought it through. But he still looked at me hopefully. "Cate, what do you think?"
My instinct was not to disappoint him, but I couldn't go against my own wishes either. Plus, I'd just gotten early promotion. With that in mind, I decided to decline Nicholas's offer.
"Nicholas, I think Blake's right."
"Hear that?" Blake shot Nicholas a smug, triumphant grin, like a dog who'd just earned his owner's praise.
Nicholas couldn't hide his disappointment. "Sorry. I wasn't thinking about your feelings."
I couldn't help reaching up to ruffle his hair. "Nicholas, you didn't do anything wrong. Thank you for caring about me. You only suggested I quit because you were worried. I'm not upset. But I'm really fulfilled at DI right now. I don't have plans to leave."
I wasn't taking sides—just following my heart. That's all.
The doctor came in for rounds just then, so neither of them said anything more. After prescribing medication and telling me to rest well, the doctor left.
Normally I wasn't this fragile. It was just that Elaine had put me through the wringer this afternoon, and then running into Sabrina and Jason on top of it... They were, after all, the main architects of my miserable death in my past life.
I shook my head, pushing the thoughts away. Bottom line, Elaine's words hadn't actually affected me. I'd learned long ago that no matter how much you did, people determined to be dissatisfied never would be. Why obsess over it?
We left the hospital together. Blake headed home, and Nicholas drove me back. He didn't come upstairs, saying he had personal business to handle. I didn't pry.
He kept staring at me, though. Without thinking, I said, "Come back early."
A hint of pleasure colored his expression. He adjusted the coat draped over my shoulders. "Go on up. The doctor said you need rest."
I nodded. He'd insisted on giving me his coat before we got in the car earlier.
---
In the early hours of the morning, half-asleep, I suddenly heard knocking at my door. I jerked awake, my heart pounding. A thousand possibilities flashed through my mind—the Rosewood family showing up in the middle of the night, Daisy's enemies tracking me down. But I never expected...
I crept toward the door and listened carefully to the sounds outside, then grabbed my tablet to check the electronic lock's security camera feed. Thank god I'd splurged on a high-end lock when I first moved in.
When I saw the man on screen, I froze. Then relief washed over me completely.
I unlocked the door. Nicholas practically fell through the opening the second it cracked open, half his weight leaning on me. The sharp scent of alcohol surrounded him.
"Nicholas, you went drinking?"
I asked while locking the door behind us and guiding him toward my room. Nicholas naturally wrapped his arm around my waist. "Just a little."
Worried he'd fall, I didn't insist he keep his distance. When he spoke, his breath was hot against the back of my ear, ticklish.
I helped him to the couch. "Let me get you some water."
The moment I stood up, a strong force yanked me back down. I fell into his lap again, completely unprepared. I was still wearing nothing but a thin nightgown.
Nicholas pulled me possessively into his arms, his gaze unfocused as he looked at me. "Catherine, I want to completely possess you. You can only be mine!"
I pushed at his shoulders. "Stop messing around."
I figured he was just drunk and acting out. But Nicholas, as if trying to prove something, lowered his head and kissed me forcefully.
His mouth still carried the sharp, rich taste of alcohol. Surrounded by the scent of liquor clinging to him, my own consciousness started to blur.
Was I... drunk too?
Before I could figure it out, Nicholas pulled back slightly, reminding me to breathe. I gasped for air. The second I opened my mouth again, his tongue slipped inside skillfully, exploring deeper.
It hadn't been that long, but Nicholas's kissing technique had improved dramatically. My mind couldn't help wandering.
Noticing my distraction, he lifted my chin, stared into my eyes and—I clearly felt a pinch on my waist. "Pay attention."
Embarrassed and annoyed, I finally refocused. The broken, intermittent kisses continued for a long time. He trailed kisses down to my collarbone. Certain physiological desires crept up unbidden. I panicked, trying to figure out how to escape him.
Then a hot, wet sensation suddenly drew my attention. I focused carefully and gasped in surprise. "Nicholas, why are you crying?"
He didn't answer, just pouted, looking incredibly wronged. "Why did you take Blake's side today? Have you already fallen for him? I knew it. You spend every day with him."
Nicholas laughed self-deprecatingly. I had no doubt that if I had any alcohol in the house, he'd keep drinking.
But watching him alternate between trying to claim me and breaking down crying, that strange feeling in my heart grew wildly.
He was... jealous?
All those romance novels I'd read as a teenager suddenly became reference material. I forced down the smile trying to break free and cupped his face patiently. "I don't like Blake. I made a comprehensive decision today—that's why I turned you down. And besides, we commute together and eat together almost every day. We actually spend way more time together."
With alcohol fueling him, Nicholas turned unreasonable. "Are you sad that you don't spend enough time with Blake?"
I shook my head frantically. Nicholas wouldn't let it go, clinging to me and kissing me again for a while. Only when my lips started feeling swollen and sore did I manage to push him away.
Nicholas's expression grew even more pitiful. "Catherine, you really do hate me."
I waved my hands desperately. I'd never dated anyone—how was I supposed to know how to handle a drunk guy?
Nicholas leaned in close again. "Catherine, do you like me?"