Chapter 349 Oliver vs. Nicole: Trace Her Brows

Chapter 349 Oliver vs. Nicole: Trace Her Brows
Oliver got up and went into the bathroom.
Nicole watched his back.
He’d clearly had a reaction—how could he have held back?
A vague sense of disappointment welled up inside her.
Had he lost interest already?
Or had she done something wrong?
Lost in these thoughts, she looked up to see Oliver emerge from the bathroom.
"Go wash up. Let's go downstairs for breakfast."
She let out an "Oh" and scrambled out of bed.
When she got ready and came out, she thought he had already gone downstairs.
But there he was, sitting in the armchair and flipping through the copy of Gone with the Wind she hadn’t finished reading the night before.
He closed the book and set it aside.
Then he pulled her into the walk-in closet and helped her pick out an outfit.
She stared at him blankly.
"What's wrong? Why are you looking at me like that?” He pinched her cheek.
"That hurts," she said, glaring at him.
He smiled and had her sit at the vanity.
He picked up an eyebrow pencil and cupped her chin.
His thumb ran along the line of her brow, slow and possessive.
He leaned in, his face inches from hers, his touch unyielding as he traced every fine detail of her features.
There was no escape from his dark, smoldering stare.
"Oliver, with a face like that, how come you were single?"
"I have a bad temper—nobody wants me." He played with the ends of her hair.
She nodded. "That's true."
He looked at her in the mirror. “With a temper like mine, why did you choose me?”
"Because you're mean. No one dares to pick on me," she said.
"That's actually a pretty good reason."

Oliver dropped Nicole off at Rosalind's first, then headed to the office himself.
Nicole sat in a corner of the bar until Oliver finished up and came to pick her up.
Rosalind leaned against her, watching Oliver and Philip chat across the bar.
"Oliver's only been into you for a short while, and he's already this clingy. Once men fall for someone, all that aloofness is just an act,” Rosalind said with a laugh. "The power of love is truly amazing."
Nicole didn’t respond.
Her mind was still on Oliver. 
Lately, she’d felt that something was off about him. 
“Are you even listening to me?” Rosalind glanced at her.
“I’m listening.”
"Your hair would look great in loose waves," Rosalind said with a smile. "It would be so sexy."
"Rosalind, what on earth is going through your head?" Nicole muttered under her breath, "I just like straight hair—it's so easy to manage."
Oliver happened to look over at her just then. 
Seeing Rosalind’s mischievous grin, he’d guessed what they were talking about.
The corners of his mouth turned up slightly.
Philip followed Oliver’s gaze to Nicole, who was sitting in the corner. 
He’d never seen that kind of tenderness in Oliver’s eyes before.
“Planning a honeymoon?” he asked.
Oliver seemed to have just remembered it. 
“Do you have any recommendations?”
"For Christmas, Chatsworth House in England would be nice. The timing should work out perfectly. She’d probably like it,” Philip said. 
Oliver looked at him for a moment before nodding.
He then lowered his head to take a sip of his drink.
He knew full well that the one-of-a-kind copy of Pride and Prejudice Nicole owned was most likely a gift from Philip.
Chatsworth Hall—Darcy’s estate. 
He’d clearly seen the look in Philip’s eyes as he’d been watching Nicole—it wasn’t entirely the concern of a friend.
Oliver swirled the wine glass in his hand, lost in thought.
Nicole had casually mentioned that if he’d actually called off the engagement back then, she probably would have moved right in with Rosalind. Philip had even made up a bed for her.
At the time, he thought Nicole was joking, but now that remark seems more like a test. 
Thankfully, he hadn’t let her go.
Oliver set down his glass, nodded to Philip, and walked straight over to Nicole.
Philip watched Oliver's back as his hand froze mid-motion.
"Nicole, time to go home," Oliver said, standing before her.
She glanced up at him, then turned to look at Rosalind.
Rosalind quickly nudged her arm. "Hurry up."
Before Nicole had a chance to say goodbye, Oliver took her by the hand and led her away.
Nicole tilted her head slightly to look at him. 
He seemed to be in a good mood.
He slowed his pace, glanced at her high heels, and the corners of his mouth turned up.

Back in the car, Oliver asked, “Did you quit your job?”
Nicole buckled her seatbelt. "Yeah, it was too exhausting, always working night shifts."
"That's for the best," he said as he started the car. "It'll reduce the chances of our relationship falling apart."
Nicole chuckled. "Oliver, are you afraid of that too?"
He replied casually, "Of course I am. After all, we spent so much money on the wedding, and we haven’t recouped our investment yet.”
She paused for a moment. "How do you define 'recouping our investment'?"
He was the kind of person who calculated every move; he wouldn't let himself lose out on anything, not even a wedding.
He smiled. "You'll find out eventually."
She stole a glance at him.
"Any plans after dinner tonight?" he asked.
“None.”
Aside from Rosalind and Emma, she didn’t have many friends these days.
He said, "Then how about we go for a walk together tonight?"
The first time he suggested going for a walk, they ended up on a mountain.
The second time, they ended up in bed.
This third time, she couldn’t guess what he was up to.
Oliver glanced at Nicole and nodded. "Okay, whatever you say."
She clasped her hands together, feeling an indescribable warmth welling up inside her.
Shouldn't she prepare something for tonight?