Trouble in Paradise (Arianna and Nicholas)
Chapter 0628

Chapter 0628

For some reason, hearing Nicholas say this made me feel both anxious and afraid. I feared it might be a trap, that if I relaxed even slightly, I would fall back into the mud. The completely enclosed space made it hard to breathe, and I desperately wanted to leave.

"Nicholas, you..." It felt awkward to bring this up, but I had no choice.

"Don't you have the photos? Just look at them." My voice grew lower until I could barely hear myself.

Behind me, his breath became heavy and suggestive, making my face turn even redder than the paused scene on the screen.

Suddenly, a sharp pain shot through my waist, and I couldn't help but gasp.

Nicholas had given me a squeeze on my waist as punishment. When I cried out, it seemed to startle him, and his hand on my waist trembled.

He exhaled sharply, obviously flustered.

"Even if it's a photo of you, it couldn't even compare to a single strand of hair. You smell so sweet, your skin is so soft. I don't even like desserts, but I can't get enough of you..."

His sultry words lingered in my ears, and all I wanted was to escape. But my legs had betrayed me, becoming weak.

"S-Stop saying..."

I couldn't see him, but my mind conjured the scene behind me. Was his shirt already undone, revealing his toned chest? Or was it loosely draped over him, teasingly concealing and revealing?

I knocked on my own head, cursing my thoughts.

Nicholas chuckled softly. "And you still claim you don't love me?"

"Shut up!" I felt awkward as if I had been caught red-handed. "I don't love you!"

"Then why are you blushing? It's just a man doing what men do. If it were anyone else on the street, you'd probably spit on him and walk away. But because it's me, you're flustered."

"Don't flatter yourself. I'm not!"

"Is that so?" He deliberately rubbed his thumb on my waist, his voice dripping with mischief. "Then I guess it's no big deal if you stay here while I finish."

"Whatever! Hurry up!"

I crossed my arms, sitting up straight with my back to him. I closed my eyes in frustration, attempting to hide my embarrassment from him.

I had to be out of my mind to have agreed to stay.

Even with my eyes closed, my eyelids were twitching uncontrollably. The suggestive atmosphere blended seamlessly with the air around us. Once I shut my eyes, everything felt dreamlike, yet intensely real.

"These past few years, my career's been doing well."

Nicholas suddenly spoke. His voice was interspersed with ragged breaths.

I tensed up, wanting to tell him to focus. But I bit my tongue and pretended to be invisible.

"A lot of people have tried to send women my way."

My chest tightened, the heat in my body dissipating slightly. "You don't need to tell me this."

He let out a heavy breath, but I didn't take a single one of them.

"I don't know if it's too late to say this, but I want you to know, I haven't touched any other woman. You were my first, and you're my only one. These years, I've been waiting for you..."

Talking about the past was pointless. No matter how much he said, we couldn't just go through it again.

"Nicholas, just look ahead. The past is over."

He gritted his teeth, groaning in frustration. After a few seconds, he finally spoke again.

"I know we should look forward. But knowing we could've been happier, how am I supposed to let that go? You've come back now, and I've done everything I can to keep you by my side, but all I've done is make things worse.

"Please, Ariana. Just give me one more chance. Whatever you ask of me, I'll do it."