Chapter 13

NICHOLAS

I came to a halt when I heard a peal of hearty laughter come from one of the rooms. My feet moved of their own accord like they were gravitating to the sound, and I ended up next to the lounge room on the second floor.

I peeked into the room to find Giselle with a phone pressed up against her ear. She had a grin on her face as she talked to whoever was on the other end.

"Of course, babe." She giggled. "Hate fuck trumps every other fuck there is in this world."

Babe? Was she seeing someone else?

Her words from earlier in the kitchen floated into my head.

I'll extend that same courtesy when I see other men.

Was she already seeing other men, or had she had someone else all along?

"Okay. Don't forget the condom. I don't think I could deal with mini yous."

My nostrils flared in anger. She planned to have sex with another man and give birth to his children?

'Like you're one to talk,' the voice inside my head mocked.

I pushed the voice out of my head. Lenny was a mistake I regretted badly. I'd been a second away from shooting her because of all the things she said to Giselle.

Seeing Giselle handle the situation with Lenny in the kitchen had been a huge turn-on for me, but after Lenny ran her mouth, Giselle had withdrawn into herself like she was close to tears.

"Who's it gonna be next? Some hooker at a strip club?"

Her question had filled me with shame, hearing the hurt that accompanied that laughter of hers. She thought I fucked Lenny after she spent six hours cooking and baking for me. The woman even waited up for me.

I felt like a testa di cazzo for making her believe I fucked Lenny after everything she did for me, but it was too late to make her believe otherwise. She genuinely thought I fucked Lenny last night, when in reality, the one I wanted to fuck was her.

"I love you, too. Don't forget tomorrow."

I saw red. She loved him? I balled my fists in anger before turning on my heels and quietly walking away before I gave away my presence.

She loved another man, and she was mad I'd been with another woman? That sounded a lot like hypocrisy to me. And she was going to see him tomorrow?

Not on my watch. I'd be damned if I let some limp dick idiot put his hands on my wife.

'Your wife?' That taunting voice asked in my head again. 'Since when did she become yours? It's always been Gianna, right?'

For the first time in my life, I pushed the thought of Gianna out of my head so easily. That should have been my first warning that I'd already lost to Giselle.

***

I walked past the lounge room hours later to make it seem like I was going somewhere when in reality, I wanted to check up on Giselle.

Working out hadn't helped to push her out of my head, and the thought of another man touching her made me murderous.

Giselle was asleep on the couch, and she looked like she'd been for hours. She was curled up on the chair, and I knew it wasn't a comfortable position for her to sleep in. She would bear the brunt of it tomorrow.

I walked into the room, picking her up into my arms. She didn't stir so much as stir.

Yeah, she was far gone.

I stood in front of my bedroom, contemplating whether or not to take her into the bedroom I originally prepared for her.

It was just across from mine and would take no effort to drop her on her bed. I could have my bed back, and my first peaceful sleep for days.

But did I do that?

I didn't.

I took her into my bedroom, placing her on the side of the bed she usually slept - my side of the bed.

The next thing to do would be to walk away, but did I also do that? No. Tonight seemed like a night for me to break out of character because I was doing things I wouldn't normally do.

Like carrying her into my bedroom.

Like sitting on the bed next to her.

Like watching her face while she slept.

Freckles dotted her nose and underneath her eyes. She looked every bit a doll; cute, petite nose, plump lips, trimmed brows.

I brought my hand up to her face, pausing when my hand was just an inch away from her face.

"I didn't fuck Lenny last night. She was wearing your perfume, and the only reason I kissed her was because I was drunk, and I thought she was you."

She remained unmoving. I sighed, rising from her side of the bed to climb in next to her, turning off the lights.

***

GISELLE

Someone pinch me and tell me I imagined everything that just happened.

First, Nicholas carried me into his bedroom. I was a light sleeper, so I knew when he picked me up into his arms, bridal style.

That wasn't even the jaw-dropping part of tonight. He thought Lenny had been me when he kissed her.

Me! He thought he had been trailing those kisses down my neck because she wore my perfume.

After my unpleasant interaction with the woman, I knew it was something she could do, but the mind-boggling question was why.

Why did he kiss me - technically Lenny - if he knew it was me? He hated me. He didn't marry me because he wanted me.

He'd said as much more than once, so what changed? Did he suddenly find me attractive, and now he wanted to fuck me?

That couldn't be. I was his ex's sister. He didn't even think of me that way.

'You don't know what goes through his mind.'

That was correct, but still.

He stirred on the bed, and I slid my eyes closed. He had no idea I was awake, and I didn't want to blow my cover.

Soon, I slowly drifted back asleep with one thought in my head.

Nicholas thought he'd been kissing me.