Chapter 61

On the black and gold king-sized bed, Noelle lay sprawled like a soft little dumpling, utterly drained. Her lips were flushed and rosy, like a blooming red rose kissed by morning dew. She whimpered softly, her voice low and kittenish, as though she'd just been thoroughly teased. Scattered on the floor were a few crumpled tissues.

Sitting at the edge of the bed, Nicolas was impeccably dressed in a black silk shirt that bore no trace of a wrinkle, exuding a calm and composed air. At the moment, he was methodically wiping his elegant, well-defined fingers with a tissue.

Hearing the faint, sweet murmurs coming from Noelle, he tilted his head and smirked. "You were the one who kept clamoring to share a bed with me. If we'd actually gone all the way, I wonder how you'd handle it?"

Noelle buried her face into the soft pillow, like an ostrich hiding from reality. She was mortified. Her entire body was still trembling, tingling with sensations that hadn't completely faded. It was terrifying.

Noelle prided herself on her ability to control her body—an essential skill that had helped her excel in every field she'd entered. But earlier, it was as if her body had completely betrayed her, surrendering all control to Nick. Just a gentle touch from him, and her composure had crumbled entirely. The adult world was indeed scary.

Nicolas glanced at the clock. Then he leaned forward and nudged Noelle's shoulder. "Alright, enough pretending to be an ostrich. Go hide after you take a bath. Do you even know what time it is?"

Noelle slowly turned her head to face him, her voice muffled and tinged with a nasal hum as she whined, "Nick, I'm completely out of strength. Can you help me take a bath?"

Raising an eyebrow, Nicolas gave her a teasing smile. He pinched her waist lightly and retorted, "Haven't you learned your lesson yet? It's all your fault!"

"I'm only this exhausted because of you," she grumbled.

Rolling closer to Nicolas, Noelle draped her pale arms around his firm waist, rubbing her face against his abdomen and whining softly, "You've already seen everything, so what's the big deal about helping me bathe?"

Nicolas sighed, exasperated. "Nick, please! I'm so tired, I just want to sleep. Help me out, won't you?" Her voice was sweet and clingy, carrying an intoxicating allure. Though Nicolas had encountered many women in his life, including those who tried to charm him with their competitive ways, none had ever swayed him. But with Noelle, a mere pout from her, and he was utterly defenseless.

Throwing up his hands in mock surrender, he said, "Fine. You win. Let's go."

Noelle beamed triumphantly, her grin as sly as a fox. She stretched out her arms toward him. "Nick, carry me?"

Chuckling, Nicolas bent down to scoop her up. Noelle wasted no time clinging to him like an octopus, wrapping her arms and legs around him as she giggled.

"Nick, you're the best."

Nicolas drawled teasingly as he carried her toward the bathroom, "Weren't you just crying and calling me a big bad guy?"

"That was earlier," Noelle argued, completely unashamed. "This is now!"

Nicolas quirked a brow. "So… still planning to find someone else to sleep with?"

"No way," she replied firmly, her voice full of conviction. "I only want to sleep with Nick. No one else even comes close."

"Really?" he mused with a smirk. "What if you meet someone more handsome than me?"

With a mischievous glint in her eye, Noelle leaned up and planted a quick kiss on his lips. Smiling brightly, she declared, "I only like Nick. You're the only one I want to be with."

Nicolas's lips curved into a faint smile, his heart melting. Countless women had desired to be with him, but none had ever made him feel as content as Noelle's simple, heartfelt words.

Nicolas took Noelle to the bathroom and gently helped her wash up. She really knew how to enjoy herself.

Like a beautiful, languid snake, she lay on the edge of the bathtub, her eyes closed as she hummed softly. Relaxed and carefree, Noelle lounged in the tub like a pampered beauty, humming softly with her eyes closed as Nicolas diligently cleaned her up. When they were done, her skin was warm and fragrant, wrapped snugly in a fluffy white towel.

Nicolas carried her back to bed, placing her down carefully. But Noelle didn't let go of him. Her arms stayed looped around his neck, holding him in place.

"What now?" Nicolas asked, chuckling softly.

Noelle's bright eyes sparkled as she smiled, her voice sweet and tender. "Nick, I'm so happy."

"Yeah, I can tell."

"Oh, by the way, I finished writing the songs you asked for—ten of them in total."

"Already?" Nicolas asked, surprised. A few days ago, he'd mentioned needing some original tracks for his company. Given Noelle's talent—she was the genius composer behind The Shadows—he'd offered her 3 million per song to help out. And now, she'd already delivered ten.

"I'll email them to you tomorrow," she said.

"Great. I'll transfer 30 million to your account. Make sure Bryan gets your bank details tomorrow."

"Okay."

"Mwah." Noelle kissed him lightly on the lips, her starry eyes serious and sincere as she said, "Nick, I love you. Whatever you need me to do, just tell me. I'll give it my all and never let you down."

"Is that so?" Nicolas murmured, a glimmer of mischief lighting up his gaze. Nicolas smiled. His eyes flickered, and he drawled, "As it happens, there is something I'd like to entrust to you."

Noelle was curious. "What is it?"

Without warning, he cupped the back of her head and leaned in, capturing her lips in a soft, lingering kiss. When he pulled back, his deep, velvety voice was rich with emotion. "I need someone to stand by my side as my wife. Will you take that role?"

The next afternoon, Nicolas drove Noelle back to the Anderson family mansion. As the car pulled up to the gate, Nicolas glanced at her and asked, "Elly, do you want me to walk you in? After all, those Anderson brothers had a big fight last night." Nicolas Sawyer didn't care how they were, but if it affected Elly again, he couldn't just stand by and watch.

"No need!" Noelle beamed. "You've got work to do, and as a good wife, I won't distract my husband." Her words made Nicolas laugh softly.

"Call me if you need anything."

"Got it!" Noelle said.

As Nicolas drove off, Noelle strolled into the Anderson family estate. Kimberly was arranging flowers in the living room. Spotting Noelle, she smiled warmly. "Noelle, you're back!" Then she glanced behind her again and asked hesitantly, "Huh? Noelle, didn't Damon come back with you?"

"Huh? Damon is not back yet?" Noelle asked back.

Kimberly's gaze drifted behind her, looking puzzled. "Wait. Noelle, where's Damon? Didn't he come back with you?"

"Huh? Damon's not home yet!" Noelle blinked. "I slept at Nick's last night," Noelle said frankly. "Damon went to pick up Leia. I don't know what happened after that."

"What? Pick up Leia? Leia went to him?" Kimberly was even more confused. Why did Noelle sleep at Nicolas's house last night? Kimberly thought Because of Leia's instigation before, Kimberly was actually not very optimistic about Nicolas. Hearing that her daughter stayed at Nicolas's house last night, she had some indescribable thoughts in her heart.

Before she could process everything, the door opened, and Damon walked in.

The moment their eyes met, Noelle greeted him cheerfully, as if nothing had happened. "Damon, you're back!"

Damon stared at her, speechless.