Chapter 462 I Didn't Perform Well Just Now
Winona was caught off guard for a second. She couldn't figure out if she was just overthinking or if Nicholas's words were actually concerning. After a moment, she firmly said, "No."
Nicholas's disappointment was obvious as he dragged out his response. "I've already come in. If I leave now, people will still talk. It's freezing in the hallway. Can I wait here until the locksmith arrives?"
Winona shot back, "If you leave now, no one will think twice about it."
Three minutes, not even enough time to take off clothes. Who would think otherwise?
Hearing this, Nicholas reached out and touched the back of her hand. His fingers were cold, and the spot he touched instantly raised goosebumps. "It's too cold outside," Nicholas said.
It wasn't even November yet, and the nighttime temperatures were low. Although it was chilly, it wasn't freezing.
Winona, her heart steely, glanced at him before turning to walk into the living room. "There's a thin blanket on the sofa. You can wrap yourself in it and stand in the hallway. There's no wind, so it's not cold."
Nicholas followed her in and immediately noticed the photo frame on the coffee table.
Lydia had placed that in the old house's study, but he didn't expect to see it here.
Winona walked to the water dispenser to pour herself a glass of water. When she turned around, she saw Nicholas picking up the photo frame. She stopped him and said, "Put that down. Don't touch it."
Nicholas looked up and called out, "Mr. Bailey?"
Winona looked at the photo frame in Nicholas's hand. The man inside was wearing a black shirt and pants, with a stern and unapproachable expression, completely different from Nicholas's aura.
At this, Winona sneered inwardly, 'You hypocrite, let's see how long you can keep this up.'
"Yes, that's my late husband. Handsome, but unfortunately, short-lived." She looked dejected, each word and tone heavy with sorrow.
Nicholas frowned, clearly displeased. "Mr. Bailey should have a name, don't you think?"
He thought, 'Isn't it better to use my name instead of just calling me 'late husband' all the time?'
He put down the photo frame and casually asked, "Mr. Bailey has been missing for four months. Yet you are still willing to carry this child for him. You must have loved Mr. Bailey very much."
Winona sensed that his question had hidden motives. "So what?" she replied.
Nicholas walked up to her, his deep voice sounding from above. "I know you must be very sad. For the sake of our acquaintance, I don't mind being a stand-in to temporarily ease your longing."
Under the light, Winona's skin glowed warmly, white and delicate. A layer of fine hair was also bathed in warm light, making Nicholas want to touch it to see if it felt as soft and elastic as imagined.
As soon as this thought arose, Nicholas's hand was already on Winona's face.
Just as he remembered: soft, smooth, and warm.
He had planned to merely brush his hand against her skin and then withdraw, believing that even this small moment of closeness would be sweet enough to linger in his memory for a long time. But the instant his fingers made contact with her tender skin, a rush of intimate memories surged forth uncontrollably from the depths of his mind. The long-suppressed longing burst free like a flood breaching a dam, overwhelming him.
He felt this way, and so did Winona.Their time of truly opening up to each other had been short. Aside from his disappearance, nothing particularly dramatic had happened. Life had been pretty ordinary, but now, looking back, he realized every little detail was etched in his memory—even their silly arguments seemed special.
Before Winona could react, Nicholas lowered his head, his lips brushing against her cheek, his breath warm on her neck. "Winona." His deep, magnetic voice echoed in the quiet space, overlapping with the one in her memory.
Winona was momentarily dazed, and Nicholas had already kissed her lips.
At first, it was a gentle, tentative kiss. Sensing that Winona wasn't pushing him away, he deepened it.
He held her waist, his other hand cupping her chin, planting delicate kisses on her lips, which had turned rosy from his touch.
The unfamiliar scent overwhelmed her senses. Winona even felt as if she were being kissed by another man, yet his touch was so familiar, reminiscent of Zachary from her memories. Both were equally terrible.
Nicholas kissed her with abandon, varying the intensity of each kiss. Winona found herself gripping the hem of his shirt, her body responding to him involuntarily.
Just this one response easily ignited Nicholas's long-suppressed desire. The intense passion he had been holding back burst forth, and each kiss felt as if it were trying to consume Winona whole.
But no matter how intense, it remained just a kiss. The physical desire surged within him, urging him to go further, but he restrained himself.
His hand slipped under her sweater, caressing her slender waist, finally resting on her belly.
She was pregnant.
In an instant, all the desire and excitement faded, giving way to an inexplicable frustration.
Zachary had only been missing for three months, but Winona was already letting another man kiss her. And this person, apart from looking somewhat like Zachary, was different in every other way, even in dress.
Although he was still Zachary, he was now under the identity of Nicholas, and Winona didn't know.
The more he thought about it, the angrier he got. The excitement from earlier vanished.
The moment Nicholas's fingers touched Winona's belly, she snapped out of it and pushed him away.
Her lips were red and moist from the kisses, and her flushed cheeks drew her gaze up to find Nicholas staring at her with a complicated expression—filled with regret, frustration, and a hint of anger. She couldn't grasp what had come over him.
He initiated the kiss, but why did he now look like he had been taken advantage of and was furious?
Could he be schizophrenic?
He was unhappy, but Winona felt even more so. Nicholas had hidden his identity, kissed her, and then behaved as if nothing had happened, treating her like a plaything. "I reject Mr. Ramsey's proposal. Your kissing skills are terrible. I hope my future partner will bring me joy in such matters, rather than just slobber all over me." With that, Winona even wiped her face in disgust.
Hearing this, Nicholas was furious.
What did Winona mean by "just slobber all over"?
Nicholas started unbuttoning his shirt, his expression darkening as he spoke slowly. "Let's do it again. I didn't perform well just now. Besides, how can you judge my skills from just one kiss?"
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