Page 96 of Lethal Infatuation

Say something,my subconscious urged me. I exhaled shakily, manoeuvring my hand underneath his chin to lift his head up. Slowly but surely, he glanced at me, our eyes connecting in the dimly lit room.

My heart pounded rapidly against my ribcage. "I love you more," I said softly, watching as his face and eyes softened. "More than you'll ever know. Intimacy, commitment, and vulnerability are things I've been afraid of, but I'd happily face those fears for you. Even my fear of spiders."

He laughed at the last comment. I slid off the bed, sitting beside him on the floor, wincing slightly when I felt the sharp pain in the side of my abdomen. "What happened tonight wasn't your fault. You know that, right?"

He pulled me closer, wrapping his arms around my neck. "They hurt you." His voice cracked.

"I'm alive."

"You're alive, but they hurt you. They fucked with what's mine and I'm going to rectify that," he said darkly. "Tonight, my main focus is you. I want to make sure you're okay and that you've got everything you need. Tomorrow morning, however, I'll be handling some business. I already told Amala and Kehlani that they'd needto be here with you."

"Do they know what happened?"

"No, I figured you'd want to tell them." He paused. "Ifyou're comfortable talking about it."

"I am, they're my best friends."

He nodded, getting up and holding my hand to pull me up gently. "You need to get back into bed and rest. I don't want you putting any strain on your midsection." He tucked me into bed, kissing me on the forehead. "What did the doctor say about the pregnancy results?"

"They're negative. I actually took a test before—" He released a heavy sigh and looked down. "Aren't you happy?" I frowned.

"I reacted like a complete dick and I didn't even know if you were pregnant or not." He ran a hand through his hair. "Even if it were positive, I would've been happy. I was just stressed and overwhelmed with everything going on. You have to believe me," he pleaded. "Tell me you believe me." I immediately noticed the signs.

Nicolas was experiencing a panic attack.

"I believe you." I grabbed his face. "Try to stay calm for me." He held onto my forearms, squeezing it tightly. "Nicolas," I said softly.

"Shit," he muttered, moving closer to me. "I'm sorry, baby. I'm so sorry." His body trembled and the sight made my heart ache. I couldn't stand it.

"Nico." He shook his head, but I didn't stop. "Focus on me," I reassured him. "Remember when you helped me through my little anxious episode? Deep breaths, in and out."

He swallowed hard, his throat bobbing. He obliged and I nodded. "Good. See? It's helping. Try to do it again." His hands trembled slightly. "You're doing so good," I encouraged him.

Life had a tendency of constantly showing us that the tables could turn at any moment. Just a few seconds ago he was comfortingme, and now I had to do the same for him.

I'd happily comfort him, though. When I think back to all the moments we spent together, this man has always gone above and beyond for me. In such a short amount of time, I've fallen deeply in love with him without even realising it.

I lunged forward, wrapping my arms around him and completely ignoring the pain in my abdomen. "You're going to be okay. We're okay," I whispered.

"Be careful," he said softly, wrapping his arms around me, holding me in a firm yet gentle grip. He was extra careful not to hurt me. "Thank you,mikrí petaloúda," he murmured, burying his face into the crook of my neck. "Thank you for everything. For helping me through this when I should've been the one comforting you. For teaching me how to love. How to be vulnerable. How to open myself up to you."

"You've done the same for me." I pulled away, looking into his eyes. "As for comfort, that's the point of a relationship, isn't it? We should rely on each other. We're in this together, you and I." His breathing had returned to normal, but he was still slightly shaky. "Even though you didn't officially ask me to be your girlfriend yet."

He scratched the back of his neck, grinning at me. "I'm not good at this. You've always been my woman though, but—" He moved me backward until my head hit the pillow and hovered above me. "Will you be mine? The word girlfriend sounds too childish for my liking, so unserious, and when it comes to you I mean business."

I laughed softly, the grey colour of his eyes seemed much darker in the dim room. "Can I think about it?"

He had me caged underneath his muscular frame with his hands on either side of my head. "Always so playful. I'll wait for you to recover, as long as it takes. Then I'll get you back for this."

"Get me back for what?" I ran my fingers through his hair,making him groan.

"For toying with my emotions." He moved closer to me. "Just so we're clear, you've always been mine and I'll make you admit it, even if it's the last thing I do."

"You know the answer is yes, you barbarian." He chuckled darkly, brushing his lips against mine.

"Can I kiss you?"Consent. That was by far the sexiest thing a man could ever ask for. "Please."

"Beg me for a kiss." His eyes darkened, his gaze dropping to my lips for a split second.

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