Chapter 5 A Cruel Joke

Nickolas knew that morning that Grace was coming to see him, to discuss an important matter. He had finally given in to meet her after months of countless calls and emails that she sent to his secretary. In all honesty, he only agreed to the meeting out of curiosity. He could not possibly imagine what was it that she would want to talk about after the way she left him.

One minute they were making plans about their future in his suite and the next minute she vanished. without even the audacity to leave him a pathetic note. The rest of his cruise had been tarnished, he wanted nothing to do with her until recently.

The moment she walked in, Nickolas was taken aback by how beautiful she was, and had grown in the last few months.

He could not trust his legs to hold him up, so he remained seated until the buzzing in his head subsided. When he felt brave enough. He Stood in front of her, taking her all in. it took everything he had not to kiss her and start again where they left off on the ship.

He went to make drinks to distract his nerves.

When Nickolas settled next to her on the couch he thought that maybe...maybe if she explained they might just go back to how things were... Until... she took his hand and put it under her coat. His ears started buzzing and he suddenly felt suffocated. It was a cruel joke. An unexpected wave of anger bubbled too close to the surface, 'why now?' realizing his voice had a sharp edge to it when he tried to talk, he did not trust himself to have a normal conversation with her.

He needed air. He needed to get out.

*****

When he came back in later to ask Grace to join him for supper, he found that she had fallen asleep on the couch. She had taken off her coat and shoes. Now he could have a proper look at her body without that massive coat.

He ran his hand ever so gently on her belly and thought he felt a sharp kick. Terrified he removed his hand and she stirred.

She looked so beautiful. Her face was so serene, he yearned to kiss those thick lips. Every part of her seemed to have developed over the last few months. He took a peek at her chest, rising with her breathing. All he wanted to do was bury his face in that chest but he knew this was not the right time, first he needed some answers.

*****

‘Good thing he had asked James to prepare a room for her downstairs,’ Nicko thought as he carried Grace to bed. not wanting to wake her, he wanted her to rest as much as she could. And from the look of things, she wasn’t going to give him any problems, she was out. When he got to the room he took his time undressing her, He had made calls to his assistant to have clothes delivered for her.

With Grace fully tucked in. He took a small blanket for himself and slept on the couch next to her. He needed to think and make sense of things. The only person with all the answers was there snoring away peacefully in front of him.