Strangely, Nicholas wasn’t there with her on the bed, although the place beside her was warm. It only meant that Nicholas had slept with her without her knowledge, but why? He had shown no indication last night that he intended to sleep with her! Did he try anything with her without her knowledge? Looking at herself, she found she was fully clothed. This was getting weirder day by day!
She got out of bed and went to the washroom to freshen up. When she emerged, the beauty around the place blew her mind away. The entire room was filled with light streaming in through the enormous wrap-around windows she had seen last night. The magnificent views of the Long Island Sound had her fascinated as she stared out of the windows, seeing the herons, egrets, and migratory birds flying around.
“Good morning, Alyssa. I came to pour water over you to wake you up,” chuckled Nicholas, while Alyssa turned around slowly to face him. Her eyes roamed over his bare, shirtless body and she felt the urge to kiss him rather than throttle him.
“Let me see you try. As if I would leave you afterward,” came her quick response.
Nicholas walked closer to her, and she wondered what he had in his mind now. “Don’t challenge me, babe,” he winked.
“Stop right there. First, you need to explain why I’m here. I was sleeping comfortably in the room I chose last night.” Nicholas chuckled while Alyssa glared at him. “What’s so funny?”
“The bedroom you chose was the nursery attached to this master suite. It’s the kid’s room. So the bed was too small for you. If I hadn’t rescued you, you would have been down with a backache today.” He laughed while Alyssa’s cheeks flushed red with embarrassment.
“I didn’t notice. Thank you for rescuing me. I’ll move into the other room tonight,” she said, while Nicholas’s face fell with disappointment.
“You can sleep here as well. Don’t worry, I can behave.”
“No, I’ll move to the other bedroom,” she insisted stubbornly. Nicholas raised an eyebrow at her, giving her a suspicious look.
“Why? Are you afraid you would lose your self-restraint if you slept with me?” he asked with a wicked glint in his eyes. Alyssa scoffed at his arrogance, although she knew it was the absolute truth.
“You don’t affect me, Nicholas.” Nicholas turned her around to face him.
“Really? Then prove me wrong. Sleep with me. Show me how unaffected you are,” he challenged.
“Fine, I’ll sleep with you and prove you wrong, but you have to play fair.” Nicholas chuckled, his eyes shining with mischief while Alyssa knew what did was getting into. He led her outside to the great room to have coffee and breakfast.
The impressive great room, surrounded by floor-to-ceiling windows, was the ideal place to eat their breakfast. With the coffee table laden with mouthwatering food, Alyssa sat down to tuck in.
“Who made this? They taste like yours.” Nicholas smiled, happy that she could differentiate his cooking from that of the others.
“I’m honored that you can differentiate,” he said, before sitting down beside her to eat. “It shows how much you know me.” Alyssa smiled, but didn’t admit that she could recognize his food even with her eyes closed. It wasn’t because she was a foodie, but because she loved him. The stuffed omelet, the toast, and the bacon tasted heavenly only because he made them for her.
“I’m eager to go on a cruise around the Norwalk Islands or maybe take a stroll around the island. Whatever you say!” Alyssa smiled, seeing the boyish enthusiasm in him. It made him endearing and suddenly her heart swelled with more love for him. Why wouldn’t she enjoy her stay here? She would give in to the temptation and do what her heart desired.
“I’ll go on a cruise, explore the place as well as do everything else you’ve planned for us.” Her answer stunned him, and he blinked at her with surprise. How did she agree to spend time with him so readily? How was it that this time she didn’t take offense at anything he did? His heart sang with hope and he looked forward to spending the day with her, getting to know her. He wouldn’t touch her, although he was dying to. He wanted to prove that this wasn’t all about physical intimacy. They would enjoy everything together and it would prove they were destined to be in a relationship. It would convince her to agree to be his for life!
“That’s great! Let’s get ready to leave in an hour. I’ve arranged for a boat to take us around the place,” said Nicholas, disappearing upstairs to the master suite to shower. Alyssa smiled at his immaturity. If she wanted, she could have escaped in that boat, but maybe she didn’t wish to escape her abductor. Walking out of the great room, she checked out the porch. Without a doubt, the large screened porch was the centerpiece of the villa and provided unobstructed views of the Long Island Sound. She was eager to see the rookeries on Cockenoe Island. After a while, she went upstairs to the other room to shower and get ready for the tour. Nicholas had ordered attractive yet comfortable clothes for her and she had to appreciate his taste. All the clothes fitted her perfectly, and she wanted to thank him later for his thoughtfulness. Wearing her bikini underneath, she put on a pair of shorts and a tee shirt and pulled her hair up into a ponytail.
When she went downstairs, Nicholas was ready and waiting for her. He looked relaxed and in a holiday mood, wearing a pair of khaki shorts and a white tee shirt. “Ready?” he asked, flashing her a grin.
“Yes, thanks, for the clothes. They’re beautiful and I’m thinking of keeping them. How much did they cost? I’ll pay you when we reach home.” Nicholas waved her off.
“They’re a gift. I won’t accept any payment. Anyway, you could thank my friend who chose them for you. I simply paid her,” admitted Nicholas, while Alyssa’s face paled. Her? Did he ask his girlfriend to get dresses for her?
“Which friend? Did you ask your girlfriend to choose my outfits?” she asked, looking jealous and annoyed. Nicholas chuckled and shook his head, making her angrier.
“I knew you would react. I knew you would get jealous. Tell me now you don’t want to be mine!” With that, he sauntered out of the house, leaving Alyssa gaping after him. What did that mean? Did he conjure that up just to make her jealous? Confused, she followed him out, walking towards the pier where she could see him talking to the boatman. An idea hit her seeing the boatman. She would take his number in case she needed to escape from Nicholas. Anyway, she would lose her job if she stayed here for a week. She wondered what Eva was doing. Was she angry with her? Was she worried about her? Did she miss her presence last night? Alyssa knew Eva would be upset and purposely kept her phone switched off since last night. She didn’t wish to be disturbed for a few days. She wanted to find out what Nicholas’s motive was, behind this abduction. If he didn’t want physical proximity, then what did he want?
“Alyssa, are you dreaming about me? I’ve called you thrice already,” said Nicholas, leaning in towards her. If she wanted, she could stretch a little and plant a kiss on his lips, but with the boatman staring at them, she took a step backward.
“No, I was thinking about Eva.” Nicholas groaned and rolled his eyes.
“Let Maxwell take care of her. Why don’t you forget everything and everyone for a few days? I want you to only think of me,” said Nicholas.
“I’ll try. Stop being so demanding, Nicholas. You’re becoming a possessive husband material day by day,” she complained, making his jaws drop with surprise.
“I will be one day. So why not get some practice already?” he wiggled his eyebrows and Alyssa laughed, pushing him away. He was a bundle of energy and there never was a dull moment with him!
“Go and practice with the woman you will marry.”
“I am with her!” Alyssa stopped in her tracks and gazed into his ocean-blue eyes with shock. Did she hear him correctly? Did he indirectly suggest that he was contemplating marrying her?
“What about that lady friend you mentioned a while ago?” she reminded him.
“That’s my childhood friend, Everly. Do you remember, you saw her in Singapore? She’s a fashion designer and has her own clothesline with branches all over the world.” Alyssa’s eyes widened, remembering Everly and her husband Seth. She had made a fool of herself in front of them out of sheer jealousy.
“Oh, you should have said so before.”
“Why should I? I wanted to feel your jealousy. It proves how much you want me.”